No books, no problem: Ceiling and walls help children learn in UP’s Amethi

At their schools in Gauriganj block, children get to learn mathematics, a little bit of geography, agriculture and science off their classroom walls, ceilings, doors and even the outer walls.
(Handout image)

The lack of textbooks has not stopped students from the eight government primary and upper primary schools in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi district from getting through their lessons.

At their schools in Gauriganj block, children get to learn mathematics, a little bit of geography, agriculture and science off their classroom walls, ceilings, doors and even the outer walls.

The ceiling explains the planetary movement and how the moon acts as the satellite of our planet. The walls help them learn mathematics and floors teach them the most difficult part - various angles.

So at the upper primary school in Annibaijal, children just need to open the door to their classroom to see the door panel mapping the angles - 15/45/75 and 90 degree - painted on the floor just as a protractor does.

On the walls, python and rabbits help them learn addition, subtraction and division. If a rabbit has to save its life it needs to jump across the python and here is the secret that helps them calculate.

Students have received their books just this week but their classes are on since April. And they have not missed a thing because of the creative way they are being taught.

“Delay in arrival of the books often delayed studies. Now, this won’t happen,” Jitendra Chaturvedi, chief of NGO DEHAT that works in the education sector, said.

The ceiling of the school explains the planetary movement and how the moon acts as the satellite of our planet.
(Handout image)

There are six villages under Gauriganj block on the Amethi-Varanasi road and the initiative has covered 1,035 students in eight schools including primary, upper primary and residential schools.

Mohd Wasim, a teacher at the Annibaijal school who contributed in making the unique syllabus, said it has changed the way lessons are taught.

“Children learn faster and are able to explain better with big diagrams. We do have old books with some students but they learn while having fun through the walls and ceilings,” Wasim, who has been teaching at the for the past 7 years, said.

The initiative has also ensured that the absence of a teacher does not affect the learning process.

“Even without the books classes can run and if a teacher is absent someone else can give classwork,” Triloki, who has been associated with the project, said.