Against Poverty

In this district, the people live as farmers. Their land is so big that the houses are far away from one another. A group of about five houses is called a village here. There is only one school with only one teacher for the whole district, which comprises ten villages. Children from nearby villages are still able to go home everyday. However, most students have to stay at school every day and go home only on weekends.

In the morning, the teacher cook breakfast for the students staying at school as well as for himself. During the meal, some students might criticize the food. In the end, the teacher will no doubt be able to force the students to eat the food. Nevertheless, it is not every day that he can see happy faces eating breakfast contently.

Then, lessons start. Being the only teacher, he has to teach until lunchtime. But lunch is not yet time for him to take a break. He, again, has to prepare the meal. He can perhaps relax a bit during the meal, although it is not very likely. Do remember that the students he is handling are of the age of primary school children. Whenever there are two or more children of about the same age are together, childish arguments will be inevitable between them.

After lunch, they will wait for the hour for afternoon lesson. Then lessons continue, this time until evening. After school is over, children who live nearby go home. Other children will play around the school while the teacher do the dishes used during lunch and prepare dinner.

After dinner, the teacher usually still spend the time together with students. Only this time, it is much less formal. Sometimes he tell stories to them, other times he play indoor games with them until their bedtime.

When the children are asleep, the teacher will work in his room. He reflect on the day's lessons. Which students need extra help and which seem promising? Good students can help him teach new students. Teaching a class of mixed students is certainly not easy. Then, he will plan material to teach the following day to each students before going to bed.

Sometimes, he still has to visit a student's home to ask why he/she did not attend school that day. He finds that the student is sick or that the student had to help his/her parents that day as someone else in the family is sick.
Although this kind of visit seems unnecessary, he know very well that he has to do this to keep the spirit of the student to keep going to school. In this district, children usually prefer working at home to studying at school.

Weekends are his resting time. All students go home then. The school feels so peaceful. Sometimes, he walks around the neighborhood to see farmers working in the fields and children playing. Only then he finds the strength and will to keep doing his job.

Footnote:
With this, I would also like to restore the image of teachers. Lately, people (at least those around me) tend to lose their respect teachers. Although it is true that there are teachers who don't teach with all their ability, we can't deny that teachers help learning process greatly. In the least, they are willing to teach. Before saying bad things about teachers, ask yourself what you would do if you were a teacher.
Further than that, entertainment sector did not do much favour to teachers either. I wonder what is in the mind of a children-TV-show-script-writer when he/she stereotypes a teacher as a person who always treats the students very subjectively, says only bad things to students who don't perform well, and say only good things to top students.