ALAPPUZHA: Twenty-nine-year old Kate McKeogh from New Zealand arrived in Kerala a week ago, not as a tourist but as a teacher on a mission to impart English language skills to rural kids in Kerala. An English teacher in UK for the last five years, she chose to teach students of Rural Reconstruction UP School Ullanad, a sleepy village near Kulanada of Pathanamthitta for a month.
"I am lucky to work with all kinds of underprivileged students here. The art of teaching is lost in the West given the amount of administration which comes with the job. It was my dream to be able to make teaching and learning English much more valuable. This effort is not all about tests, but about reading and writing English. It's just as much about instilling confidence in these kids, and make them respectful members of society," she says.
Kate, who has already become a favourite teacher of all the 90 students in the school, has been taking three classes daily for the last whole week. She aims to open a window to the world through the English language for the children who live with limited facilities.
"I came to know about the school while I was surfing the net some months ago. I was looking for some voluntary programmes in Asian countries and I happened to find the Kerala Volunteer, an American organization founded by Daytona Barker from the US, which sponsors volunteering projects in Kerala. India has always appealed to me, but I felt it important to wait until the time felt right- until I felt 'naturally ready', and that time has now come. I'm leaving everyone I know for these children to build their capacity to learn English," she says.
After the week-long teaching experience with these children, she feels the content of English texts of UP students is tough. "These students won't get any sense of the English language if the teachers continue to teach such hardcore modules. First of all, these children have to be taught basics of the language.
How can they learn English short stories without knowing basic grammar of the language? I find it meaningless to teach these lessons. So I chose to teach them basics of the language and trying to building communication skills as well. I've found lot of bright and enthusiastic students here. Several students have started asking me questions in English. But these students have to go a long way to develop command over the language. My effort is just a push to make them confident to learn nuances of the language," she explains.
Masters holder in English language and literature, she teaches the language to all ages within high schools in UK. She believes that learning to speak and write English language is essential for rural children to escape poverty that plagues the country. "It's my humble effort to help them connect with the language. I will return to study back home after completing a month's programme here," she says, adding that teaching is her first love. RR UPS, which is a single management school under Puthanamthitta education district, was established 90 years ago. Despite its long existence it is struggling to attract students.
