Most readers of this blog will agree that education is one of the more certain ways through which to break the cycle of poverty. While we can certainly debate about class /caste structures in our society and their shaping of the actual ceiling of socio-economic mobility through education, or the ability to achieve success despite education, it still serves as a pretty good estimate of socio-economic welfare. In this light, I will talk about two schools that excel at breaking the cycle of poverty through education. My goal is not to judge which one is better at imparting education -- both schools are superior in their implementation and are run by passionate principals, teachers, and staff; rather, it is to spur a discussion around the approaches themselves.

In 2008, filled with the undirected enthusiasm of someone returning to their home country after a long time, I traveled around India. On one of my trips, I was fortunate to visit Shanthi Bhavan in the Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu. I quote from their website: "Shanti Bhavan’s (SB) mission is to fully develop the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children of India’s lowest caste - the untouchables or the “dalits”- to enable them to aspire to careers and professions of their choice – engineering, law, medicine, education, the arts - through world class education and globally shared values." SB's implementation is as noble as their vision. They hand-pick children below poverty line to offer them completely free residential education, including free clothes and lodging. The children are admitted only during pre-school and are supported all the way until twelfth grade. In addition to basic schooling, they are trained in computer usage and programming and taught the arts (dance, music, and painting). Choicest teachers and staff ensure good quality teaching and training.

I have to confess that, upon visiting the school, I was mentally unprepared for what I saw. Children were riding Raleigh bikes, sporting convent accents, and were equally at ease with chatting up foreign visitors. SB, you could say, offers a complete transformation for economically poor children, by literally taking them off the streets to steep them in high quality education. At the same time, it embeds the children in elite english-speaking, upper-class environments, by disconnecting them from their socio-cultural backgrounds in its residential format. Needless to say, the aspirations and lifestyles of the students are shaped by these environments. The children visit their parents every summer. The gentleman who showed me around mentioned that they have difficulty adjusting to their old conditions, and parents often drop their kids back after a week feeling that SB is a better place for them. While I have no doubt that the children will grow up to be fine individuals and that the education will empower them to scale great heights and make good decisions, I have a few reservations about this approach. Part of this distancing is inherent in boarding school formats, and the other part, may be, is to de-sensitize these children to the "culture" of poverty.

In 2009, I once again traveled around India, but with more focused energy this time. I volunteered to do a site visit of the Olcott Memorial School for ASHA. The Olcott school is located in Besant Nagar, Chennai. From their website, "the completely free (no fees) nature of the school with Tamil as medium of instruction ensures that the school caters to the children who come from the really socially and economically disadvantaged sections of society in the school’s neighbourhood and to those children whose families have been displaced from Besant Nagar." Similar to SB, the school also offers all-round education, and vocational training in addition. Training is provided for embroidery, batik painting, stitching bags, pillowcases, and so on, which are highly marketable skills upon graduation from school. There is a subtext to this form of training. Students of the school are children of fishermen and other informal sector workers. They live in the slums of Besant Nagar, attend school everyday, and go back to their normal routines in the evenings. Computer training is provided to children after school. Dyslexic children are provided special training.

Olcott school is relatively under-funded, compared to SB, and survives on a low budget from the Theosophical trust and external donations. While the students may not ride Raleigh bikes imported from the USA, what struck me most was that these children stuck around after classes, until roughly 6 pm. This is highly unusual, since most children are more than happy to sprint homeward once the school bell rings. And it was not just the students, but the teachers also stuck around, helping their students. Teachers are paid roughly Rs.2,000 per month, which is a pittance compared to the nearby government school salaries of Rs.15,000-20,000. However, it is the pittance which filters the truly passionate from the rest.

Parents meet with teachers during PTA meetings and in informal interactions. Many of the parents are alumni of the school, and volunteer their time for school functions and activities. Parents are able to see their children grow in various ways.

Many children who complete 10th standard go on to study upto 12th and even make their way to college. The Principal finds money for these children to finish their education, sometimes out of her own pocket. The school is able to break the cycle of poverty, by educating the children beyond the threshold of jumping back into the vicious cycle of dropouts and informal work. In my own experience, children of slum communities often lack parental and institutional support to perform well, and in turn, drop out to provide extra income for the familty. And they go back to square one -- unskilled and poor. Olcott breaks this cycle by inculcating good academic and vocational performance, making it visible to the parents, instilling the respect and appreciation for good education in them, and supporting further education.

Compared to SB, Olcott kids may face more challenges in turning out as high-income professionals. Both schools are exemplar in their implementations and contribute equally to the betterment of society. Now, the real question is, do we need to distance poor children from their backgrounds for them to make it truly big? How can we shape their goals, aspirations, and values without "quarantining" them? Is the "culture" of poverty a real thing?