Bridging Course

The Bridging Course is the way the Church of South India selects children from Year 5 for entry into the Hostels for the commencement of Year 6.  There was great confusion this year as to whether the course would be held or not.  We were told that it wouldn't be happening and  were duly advised to have our two week break in early May.  This was planned, booked and paid for when we found out that the course was not only on, but would be held at our school.

The course was to run from Friday 1st May to Friday 22nd May and we were leaving on our break on the 5th and returning on the 19th.  We were quite sad at missing the bulk of this but there was nothing we could do about it.

The thing that struck us most about the course was the seeming lack of planning and organisation around such an important event.  A lot has been written about 'The Indian Way' and we still struggle with the poor communication and planning of events such as these.  

So the 1st arrived and in the afternoon we saw the familiar sight of children and parents arriving and heading for the hostel.  There was no apparent registration process, no collection of address or phone details, just a handing over of children and a tearful farewell by some and a wave and goodbye from others.  It was at this stage that we learnt that there would also be boys attending this course.

Most of the children were quiet and some were quite afraid but there was no one around to help them settle in and understand where things were, so we decided to go up to the hostel (which already looked like a bomb had hit it, with biscuit wrappers and all sorts of paper all over the floor - not sure what from).

We gathered a few and sat on the floor and sang songs, while the others sat on the double decker bunks and watched cautiously.    Eventually more came and joined in.   When the songs ran out, we danced (Mexican Hat Dance, Hokey Pokey, Macarina) and even delved into the back of our minds for a few square dance moves.  Gary drew the line at Line Dancing though. 

Eventually it was time for dinner and bed so we departed as the wardens got them organised.  We had a lot of fun and by bedtime we felt had helped them just a little to feel more at home here.

On Saturday we mingled with the camera and took some photos.  Indian children love to have their photos taken so it is a good way to gather a crowd.   We continued to chat with them and IW learnt a lot of their names.

 

Eventually there were kids running everywhere and still no program or direction for them - a great recipe for chaos and that is what we got.  We were not sure of the numbers, but knew there were in excess of 100 ten year old boys and girls who had never been away from home.

It was a long, hard period of time where we realised how great a problem the language barrier was.  Most of these kids had no English at all and those who spoke it had little comprehension.  This caused huge problems as they were full of energy and getting them quiet was almost impossible.  

Our greatest memory of this was when we tried to get them into two circles for a game we wanted to play.  Simple exercise:

• get them all to hold hands
  
• get the last one to stay where he/she was and not move
  
• take the hand of the first one and move off
  
• form the circle by walking in a circle and joining with the last one
  

WRONG!  What you get is a group of boys/girls following you.  We tried all sorts of signs to stay still, even standing and holding the last one, but they were desperate to follow where everyone else was going and we ended in a big mess.  IW was in stitches.

We were informed by our Warden (the lady in charge of the Hostel) that the Director of Hostels would be arriving at 9:00 am to talk to the children so she asked if we could sing with them - no problems! 

 

Imagine this:   The room we were working in was about 10 metres x 6 metres.  There was a small space at the front (6 x 3) where the 'entertainment' took place, a space in the middle which was full of desks and chairs and a small space at the end (6 x 3) which was in fact the boys 'dormitory' where 51 of them slept on the cement floor (no mat, no pillow).  With 110 energetic children and 2 non-tamil speaking adults, it was not a pretty sight???

Nine o'clock came and went and eventually the Warden told us that the Director had been delayed (drrr!).  So we continued to sing and dance and do silly things until eventually at 11:00 am the Director arrived.  All the other wardens who were there to supervise magically appeared and we limped back to our place for a rest.

Next morning we went for morning prayer with them and as usual as soon as we arrived the wardens from the other hostels disappeared.  Even though we were not expected to be there, every time we appeared the wardens disappeared and left us in charge.

 

We still do not understand why the children had to arrive on Thursday night when classes did not start until Monday.  On Friday afternoon we rang Paul Quigley, an Australian who has been here for 18 months.  He had informed us previously that he was doing some teaching in the course and we had arranged for him to stay with us.  He could not throw any light on the situation or timing except the old 'Indian Way' theory.

Paul arrived on Saturday afternoon and settled into our spare bedroom.  Saturday and Sunday played out much the same.  As soon as we poked our heads out all the wardens disappeared and left us with the kids.  It was a riot taking them to Church on Sunday.  IW was sick so stayed at home which left Paul, our Warden, me and two of our Year 9 girls (who slept overnight and were  going to a music camp on Monday), to supervise. The Church is quite large and has hundreds of places for them to explore.  Their favourite was a water dispenser at the front door which all 110 of them had to try at regular intervals because they 'were thirsty'.

The teaching at this course is done by volunteers from schools but there was no timetable evident and apparently would be worked out when they arrived on Monday.  There would be classes of fifty being taught Science, English and Abacus (mental arithmetic).

The sad thing about the weekend was that there were no organised games or organised anything for that matter and because of the language barrier and the absence of the wardens when we appeared, it was impossible for us to actually do much to help.  The children spent a large part of Sunday afternoon sitting quietly on the dirt in the school quadrangle, with a warden (holding a large stick) watching them.  Apparently this is supposed to teach them self-discipline???

Monday came and went with us doing morning and evening prayers and devotions and singing.   Not much teaching was done as they were still organising themselves.  Early Tuesday morning we departed on our holiday feeling very sad at the apparent lack of care being shown for the kids.

Fast forward to Tuesday 19th and we arrive back at the gates of the school at about 10:30 am.  What followed was a time of pure delight.  Children came running from everywhere, laughing and yelling our names.  We felt we had really arrived home by the greetings we were given.  IW had children hanging off her everywhere.  She could not move as they clung to her and asked her to repeat their names.  (Luckily she wrote a lot of the more difficult ones down before she left).

We resumed our evening and morning prayer as well as sitting in on Paul's English class on Wednesday afternoon to help him.  Thursday was exam day so all children were worried about that and constantly asking us to pray for them.

We were given our official invitation to go to the Bridging Course Valedictory Function to be held in the grounds at 10:00 am on Friday morning.  Between Thursday night and Friday morning a transformation occurred.  The children went from village children dressed in their own fairly shabby clothes to school children with crisp clothes - white shirts, grey skirts for the girls/shorts for the boys and black shoes with long white socks.  Apparently local churches and individuals sponsor these items.

        

The Valedictory function was an extravaganza of special guests, speeches, dance, song and dramatisation.  We were joined by thirty students, from a music camp run at a different campus,  who sang accompanied by keyboard and drums.  

A lot of parents showed up although there was a glitch with the dates with parents being advised that the function would be on the 23rd.  Wardens spent a lot of time phoning parents (the night before) to advise them that the course finished on the 22nd and they needed to take the children home with them at the conclusion of the function where the favourite 'mutton briyani' was provided for all.

One unfortunate side effect of this was that one family had provided the wrong phone number so their daughter was left alone overnight at the hostel with the warden until they arrived on Saturday afternoon.

The one thing that struck us about these beautiful children was that they all wanted us to pray for them so they would be blessed for their future.  Waves of children (and parents) came up to us after the valedictory service to be prayed for.  We were overwhelmed and felt privileged to be a part of this time.

We are still waiting to find out which girls will be in our hostel.

The boys doing their dance

Special appearance by Jesus and his disciples