Singla
“I really like going to school here in Singla. Hindi is my favourite subject because we learn poetry and sing songs.”
I am Saroj.
I am 9 years old.
I came to boarding school in Singla from night school.
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At home I tended cows, fetched water, baked bread or picked mung beans. In the evening after work I went to school. My parents have never been to school. I really like going to school here in Singla. Hindi is my favourite subject because we learn poetry and sing songs.
My everyday school life in Singla
Here in Singla, I study maths, social and natural studies, Hindi and English. We have school every morning, except for Sunday's. In the afternoon we do homework and learn how to use the computer. We also spend time in the school garden.
When we are done with the school day, I read in the school library, or we draw or play team games. But we also have to help. The teachers and students clean out bathrooms and dormitories. We keep ourselves and our clothes clean.
We even help each other with meals, or with distributing soap to wash hands, serve the food. That' fun. Everyone has a task, and we take turns.
The boarding school in Singla
Philosophy & Mission Statement of Singla (Barefoot College)
Laying the foundation and qualifications to transfer to a state school as well as the social skills and manual courses - all within one year - are the goal and aspiration of the boarding school at Singla.
Children from disadvantaged families, who would otherwise have no any access to education and training, get it here. Accommodation, food, supervision and health care are also provided.
Founding & Funding
In 2013, The Barefoot College in Singla (Ajmer District) started the boarding school. In 2013/14, for the first time, a group of 40 children could receive a basic education to then continue in state schools.
Then a pilot project with a rudimentary infrastructure, was expanded in 2015 through a funding application from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The aim was and is to convey a sustainable form of education to an increasing group of children and to adapt the infrastructure to the local conditions and needs. In addition to teaching, gender-separated sleeping facilities and sanitary facilities are provided. Additionally projects relating to training and the advancement of girls and women are also a priority.
Who attends to boarding school?
Around 65 boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 15 benefit directly from the Singla boarding School every year. The most important criterion when selecting students are their abject need.
Preference is given to children of migrant workers who depend on accommodation, food and supervision in a boarding school. Broadly, we focus on children belonging to disadvantaged population groups whose parents did not have access to education.
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The existing accommodation and premise would allow an annual admission of about 100 children, the prerequisite for this would be a higher annual donation volume.
What does the boarding school offer?
Learning material at the school is aligned with the content of state schools. At the end of the school year, the students take part in the examinations of state schools.
The access to formal education made possible in this way means, that the children and young adults have the opportunity to complete school, learn and practice in a trade and thus find a way out of the spiral of poverty of their families of origin, through gainful employment. The comprehensive education in the boarding school school provides not only school knowledge and manual skills, but also social skills and self-esteem.
More than 90% of the children pass the transition to state elementary schools at the end of the bridge school year.
Teachers & Staff
Teachers and staff are extremely important in delivering this structured, tailored approach.
In order to ensure a stable organisation of the school and curriculum at a high quality, not only pupils but also teachers and employees have to be accommodated.
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The guidance of new teachers as well as the offer of further training seminars to support them is an ongoing task, which additionally ensures the quality of the project.