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[DRAFT]
Raju Sharma
Sang Tshalamthang Govt. Secondary School,
East Sikkim
Email id: razeverraz@gmail.com
Abstract
The challenges being faced by this school are declining enrolment rate, poor
communication skill in children and unattractive classrooms. While interacting with the
villagers, the school head found that they chose private schools for ‗spoken english‘. He
conducted a meeting with his teachers and discussed about the matter; he encouraged
his teachers to speak English at school. But at the same time it was found that students
were reluctant to speak as their vocabulary was poor. The school then provided each
classroom with an extra white board where everyday a new sentence was written in
English along with its Nepali translation. One of the challenges for the school head was
beautification of the classrooms, which was personally undertaken by him. There has
been a significant shift in the perception of villagers. It has become a practice to share
good stories during the school assembly in which not only the students but also the
school head and the teachers take part equally.
Socio-Cultural Context of the School
Rural education is always considered in comparison to urban education. There are other
dichotomies-including governments versus private schools; commitment of teachers and the
language of instruction {the first language (ENGLISH in Sikkim‘s context) is typically a foreign
tongue and a status symbol to people in rural areas}.
Sang Tshalamthang Government Secondary School in East Sikkim is located in a rural area.
There is an English Medium Private School (REHMA ENGLISH SCHOOL) in the vicinity of
the Government Secondary School. Though there is not much facility at the private school, many
of the village people have admitted their children at that private school.
Challenges: Declining enrolment rate, poor communication skill in children, Students are
indiscipline and lack moral values, and the school with unattractive classrooms.
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