School with Afterschool

Schools in India have started offering afterschool programmes. Wonder what took them so long! A lot of teachers, of course, offered tutions at their home. A great majority of children attended these tutions. In fact, goign to an afterschool tution is considered the norm for many. At about 6 or 7 in the evening, it is common to see children lugging their school bags home from the tution class.

A well-respected school in Hyderabad recently put out an ad in the newspaper for an afterschool programme. I should say it is a pioneering facility - considering the comprehensiveness and scale of what is being offered.

Schools have a ready advantage when it comes to offering afterschool services - they have everything at their disposal - qualified teachers, infrastructure and a 'captive' customer base. But for the children...

the good stuff -

• you get to go to another good school - you benefit from teachers, infrastructure that your school may not offer
• you get a place to go to afterschool - that is more secure than just staying at home all by yourself (if both parents are working, and there are no grandparents at home)
• you get a range of activities to choose from (academic and non-academic) - a better alternative than watching TV

the bad stuff -

• another school! come on!!
• you need time to be a kid - in an environment that is as close to home as possible - you wouldn't want to sit in classrooms again!
• will school teachers be different afterschool? afterschool programmes don't need teachers - they need mentors

This list needs adding to but I guess it is good for starters.