Special classes at Delhi’s relief camps offer an oasis for kids

The idea was brought up by the central district administration, after which a school in Ajmeri Gate decided to take it forward

Tarana laments that her children feel that their house has drowned. When water started entering their home in Anna Nagar, the 36-year-old mother of two could not think of anything else but save her children. She kept her children’s schoolbooks and bags on top of a cupboard in their one-room house, but that has now been ruined, she said.

Classes, which last around 2.5 hours a day, focus on subjects such as ‘mindfullness’, arts and crafts, mathematics and English. (HT Photo)

But a week later, Tarana feels that her children have a more positive outlook. On Tuesday morning, her three-year-old son Taimur was among the 40 children who were absorbed in the “special classes” organised by the teachers of Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya Zeenat Mahal in Ajmeri Gate, which is currently functioning as a relief camp for those impacted by the flood in areas such as Anna Nagar.

“It is good that the children have something to look forward to. Taimur seems to be enjoying the class,” Tarana said.

The idea was brought up by the central district administration, after which the school decided to take it forward.

“Since teachers were available at this moment, they thought of the initiative in order to encourage community participation,” said an official, who did not wish to be named.

Mohammad Iqbal, the school principal, said that there were a lot of children who had nothing to keep them occupied following the floods.

“The aim was to ensure that children have a routine and something to look forward to. Losing your home to a flood can deeply impact the children,” he said.

Since schools in the city have been shut since the flood, some teachers volunteered to hold these classes. At least five teachers from the school held different sessions – starting with a 10-minute “mindfulness” class to sessions on subjects like mathematics and English taught through interactive methods. The classes usually last for around two-and-a-half-hours a day.

In the mindfulness session, a teacher asks students to close their eyes and imagine their favourite items. When asked what he had imagined, a child said, “I thought about eating an apple.” The teacher then questioned the students on what colour an apple was, to which they replied “red” in unison.

Preeti Gagneja, a nursery schoolteacher, then steered the activities from crafts and dance to questions about English and mathematics. The children stayed invested throughout the class, but the parts that they enjoyed the most were when they were allowed to perform dances, Gagneja said.

“The challenge was coming up with activities and questions that can engage everyone,” she added.

Around 40 children, aged anywhere between 3 and 15, attended the classes which started on Monday. Most of the children go to schools in Anna Nagar, while some have dropped out and others are even too young to go to school. “I like this school as much as my regular school,” said nine-year-old Chahat.

Around 300 people, including children, have been staying in the relief camp. Many of the men and women step out for work during the day, which is when the children attend the classes.

Siblings Mazida, 10, and Ayaan, 6, said that their favourite part of the class was when they were shown how to make an origami flower, stick it to their notebooks and then draw a flowerpot around it. After the class, the siblings meet their mother Raveena Khatoon, who had just returned from their home. She said that most of their home had been ruined — things were still muddy and in shambles.

“I am sad that our TV is gone,” said Ayaan, who loves watching cartoons on the television. Raveena added that the siblings’ books and school bags have been ruined too.

Meanwhile, 16-year-old Hussain said that the session made him realise how much he missed school. “I had dropped out of school five or six years ago. I went to class after very long,” he said flaunting his drawing.

In the last few years, schoolteachers were engaged in various additional responsibilities such as delivering ration during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We have done a lot of extra work in the last few years. But we were not forced to do this. We cannot even imagine what these children are going through so we wanted to help as much as we could,” said a teacher, who did not wish to be named.

Meanwhile, there is no clarity over when the school will restart in earnest as several government schools continue to function as relief camps. Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya principal Mohammad Iqbal said, “We should be able to continue these classes as we have two buildings and only one of them is functioning as the relief camp.”