had more students, between 20 and 30 on average. However, not all the students had a seat in some classes – some students were seated on benches or chairs on the side of the classroom, rather than a desk. The students in Grade II did not have a classroom and were seated on the ground outside (see picture below). The school seeks to build three rooms on the first floor above the current schoolrooms but does not have adequate funding, as it must first pay the rent for the current rooms. The school would also benefit from additional funding to pay for facilities such as a library or computer lab, as students have requested, a teacher’s room to provide teachers access to a computer to print out teaching materials and correct papers, as requested by the Grade IX teacher, or lab equipment to supplement science classes. What stood out most to me from the visit was an impassioned plea by the Grade X teacher as we were leaving to continue funding the school as much as possible. She told us how incredibly talented every student at SES was, how this education was truly changing their lives, and how these kids aspired to do very great things. We also noticed that more female students were planning to continue to go to junior college, rather than drop out. Additionally, it was evident that students that had at least one educated parent tended to thrive. For example, one student in Grade I was easily able to recite the English alphabet and the numbers from one to one hundred, a task that stumped many of his classmates; he revealed that his mother was educated and helped him study at home. All in all, it was clear that SES School has continued to succeed at its goal of educating students that would not otherwise have access to quality schooling. However, it was also clear that the school needed funding to provide some necessary facilities for its students and staff, beginning with an extra classroom for Grade II students. With the support of Asha Silicon Valley, SES School has certainly come a long way since it was founded in 1994, and it will surely continue to produce successful and talented graduates. Appendix A
had more students, between 20 and 30 on average. However, not all the students had a seat in some classes – some students were seated on benches or chairs on the side of the classroom, rather than a desk. The students in Grade II did not have a classroom and were seated on the ground outside (see picture below). The school seeks to build three rooms on the first floor above the current schoolrooms but does not have adequate funding, as it must first pay the rent for the current rooms. The school would also benefit from additional funding to pay for facilities such as a library or computer lab, as students have requested, a teacher’s room to provide teachers access to a computer to print out teaching materials and correct papers, as requested by the Grade IX teacher, or lab equipment to supplement science classes. What stood out most to me from the visit was an impassioned plea by the Grade X teacher as we were leaving to continue funding the school as much as possible. She told us how incredibly talented every student at SES was, how this education was truly changing their lives, and how these kids aspired to do very great things. We also noticed that more female students were planning to continue to go to junior college, rather than drop out. Additionally, it was evident that students that had at least one educated parent tended to thrive. For example, one student in Grade I was easily able to recite the English alphabet and the numbers from one to one hundred, a task that stumped many of his classmates; he revealed that his mother was educated and helped him study at home. All in all, it was clear that SES School has continued to succeed at its goal of educating students that would not otherwise have access to quality schooling. However, it was also clear that the school needed funding to provide some necessary facilities for its students and staff, beginning with an extra classroom for Grade II students. With the support of Asha Silicon Valley, SES School has certainly come a long way since it was founded in 1994, and it will surely continue to produce successful and talented graduates. Appendix A
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