I spent the morning at KV Junior today and got a little glimpse of the creative approaches the staff has developed for a group of very young children not quite sure they want to be in school yet. Most of them have come straight from the EIC where the day is much shorter and their parents are often around. KV Junior is their first taste of what real school is like and it’s a challenge both for them and for the staff. So everything is made fun and entertaining – physiotherapy, for instance, happens in a circle with postures held to the count of ten and everyone – kids and teachers – participating.

Here, Jatin is thinking about whether or not to put his yellow skittle back in the basket. In the game he was just a part of, each child got the chance to roll a ball at a row of skittles. Each one participated at whatever level they could. The skill the teachers use to make the activity work for every child never fails to astonish me. For one, just being willing to accept holding the ball is the goal for today. For another, it’s letting it go. A third may be working on the eye-hand coordination that proper aim requires and a fourth may need help staying focussed. The teachers are like Zen masters, always present in the moment, alert to nuances and small achievements the rest of us might miss. It’s hard work, and highly skilled. We take off our shoes when we enter the classroom. We stand on holy ground.