In Mayur Vihar, a school to prepare for actual school

CHOTE LAL, 43, spends Friday evening teaching about 20 students, mostly girls, Hindi matras and their usage in forming sentences. Most students repeat each sentence after him; some appear disinterested. But Lal, founder of an informal school in Yamuna Khadar, opposite Mayur Vihar Phase 1, goes about his job enthusiastically.

Lal started the school — that does not have any official affiliations — one year ago with monetary help from a few people. Most of his students, aged between 6 and 10, come from jhuggis at the Yamuna floodplains — boys in the morning, girls in the evening.

The school operates out of a shack located under poplar trees, with a faint odour emanating out of newly opened portable toilets nearby. This doesn't seem to disturb students or the lone teacher.

Some more girl students drop by — mats spread out to accommodate them. Cardboards outside and inside the room read ‘Balgopal Public School’.

But Lal says, “An old man helped set up the school and put up these boards. It is not a public school and I don’t have any affiliation. I just want everyone in the area to study. I charge Rs 250 per student, but there is no compulsion and I don’t pester them for money. A few give, others don’t.”

Lal teaches 60-odd students in two shifts, with an aim to prepare them for MCD schools right across the road.

“I teach them Hindi, English and Math up to the level of Class V. And then I help them get admission in Mcd-run schools. Many of my students have gone there,” he says.

Lal maintains a register with the name and photo of each student he has ever taught. He points to a picture of a girl pursuing formal education. “I keep records; what if they forget later?” he says.

Lal, who hails from Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun district, came to Delhi in 2002. He used to be a teacher in Badaun, but it did not pay enough. “Many people from my district do farming (in Delhi), so I, too, made a jhuggi here. I started teaching and made Rs 1,000 a month initially,” he says.

Lal, who has a family of six, says, “I also work as a caretaker of a night shelter in the area. In total, I manage Rs 12,000 a month; it’s enough to sustain my family.” He adds that a little more money could help him set up the school properly. “It needs fencing and tarpaulin covers to protect it from dust and wind. I am hoping for some help,” he says.

As he gets back to teaching, a mother arrives with her daughter. “Master ji mehnat bahut karte hain,” she says before leaving.