A staggering 35 million children between the ages of six and 14 do not attend school in India, while 53 per cent of girls ages five to nine are illiterate*. OM partners in India are doing something to change this.
A staggering 35 million children between the ages of six and 14 do not attend school in India, while 53 per cent of girls ages five to nine are illiterate*. The question OM partners in North India asked then was: “How can this problem be solved in a way that glorifies God?”
Aryan**, who works at Nicodemus Trust, an OM partner with a like-minded desire to see Jesus-followers equipped to share the gospel effectively, describes an education system that is ineffective and not conducive to teaching. “Normally, in India,” he says, “40 to 50 people are in one class.” With each class being about 40 minutes long, it is difficult for that number of students to have enough time to learn and understand the material.
Teachers, as Aryan describes, are typically required to hold a credible bachelor’s degree in education as well as pass a number of exams and go through specialised training in order to meet the requirements to become an educator. However, despite their degrees and all their qualifications, “they don’t have passion,” Aryan laments. Aryan and the team see that there is something vital lacking in North India’s education system: individuals who long for the next generation to grow as students, individuals and Christ-followers.
Private institutions offer higher-quality education, but for the vast majority of the population, attending such a school is financially out of reach. So, with the unaffordable nature of private schools, most are left with the option of these government schools with ineffective classroom management and faculty who only see the job as a means to a monetary end.
Nicodemus Trust, however, desires to see change. It is their mission to establish schools across the area with the goal of “Restoring the image of God to the suffering humanity". With four schools already in operation, Aryan discusses how they seek to do things differently.
A new kind of education
Nicodemus Trust is not content to have students passively attend school. At their schools, students are encouraged to participate in songs, productions and verse memorisation. The productions specifically have been impactful for the schools. Aryan shares that “in the beginning, [the students] don’t want to sing, they don’t want to dance, they don’t want to act, but we just had our Christmas programme, and they did amazing!”
Academically, the students are making strides in their education. One father who has two children attending a Nicodemus Trust school remarks how his daughters have benefitted. He states, “We don’t have to put much effort in [to help them learn outside of school]. For us, it’s difficult to speak [in English], but they are doing quite well.”
Part of the schools’ success can be attributed to the faculty. Aryan talks about the ways in which teachers at their schools are trained to engage students. Teachers are given both formal training to be effective educators, but also training on how to talk about their faith. For instance, Jodie, the principal of one of the schools, is “trained to use storytelling methods so she can share the gospel” in a way that is conducive to a classroom environment.
The headteacher of one of the schools speaks with exuberance as she recounts the ways in which she has seen children learn more about God. One three-year-old student only wanted to learn more about Jesus after hearing about Him in school. “At that time,” she expresses “it reminded me that, whatever we are doing at this school, it’s really wonderful!”
Through a partnership with OM, better education has become an option for so many who would otherwise never have access to it. More importantly, the love of Christ has been shared with the next generation. “We’re doing good, we’re impacting,” Aryan says. As the schools continue to pour into children and parents alike, Aryan and Nicodemus Trust staff have faith that the Lord is sowing seeds now that will surely lead to reaping.
Pray for Nicodemus Trust schools across North India that OM is partnering with. Pray for the finances needed to continue growing and multiplying schools. Pray for the parents of students — many of whom are not believers — who may be reluctant to allow their children to attend a school that teaches the Bible. Pray that God would continue to use these schools to touch the hearts of young people in North India.
**name changed