I finally got to visit the Centre for Vocational Training this week. It’s in a beautiful new building now (rented from our friends Kusum and Baba Kanwar) and it looks wonderful. I spent some time in what we call the Transition Class – those students poised for adulthood, not quite ready to leave the security and routine of KV School, and not quite ready to plunge into the responsibility and rigor that vocational training implies. Transition.

Shivani, our very first special educator, is in charge of the class and it was a pleasure to see her there – in a sunny, bright room whose walls are decorated with her own designs. She was working one on one with Arpit while three other children sat on the floor and worked on numbers with Sunita Rai, the classroom assistant. It was interesting to note the keen interest these young people take in each other. Sweetie watched Amanpreet intently as he considered a question Sunita had posed for him and then laughed with pleasure as he answered. Friendships are fostered here with as much care as maths and language and self-help skills are taught and it’s hard to say which is the most important. But if I had to place a bet, I’d go with the friendships.