Our Schools
We educate the children in our care from the age of three. They start by learning their mother tongue Telugu, Hindi, English, which is the key to further education, and Mathematics. They go on to study a broad curriculum designed by the Andhra Pradesh State Education Department.
Our school in Tuni is fully accredited by the indian Education Department and comprises:
Pre-Primary (Lower and Upper Kindergarten)
Primary (Classes 1-5)
Middle School (Classes 6 and 7)
Secondary School (Classes 8-10)
We have also introduced basic computing classes into the curriculum. India is renowned for its software engineers. Most of the children that come to our home have never even seen a computer, let alone used one. SLA volunteers, Sheila and Tony Thornthwaite, who volunteered at the Tuni home in 2005 said:
Classes are generally six days a week, beginning at 9am and continuing until 3-4pm with a break for lunch and a half-day on Saturdays.
The children are taught by a team of 18 qualified teachers from the surrounding areas who forego better-paid work elsewhere to nurture the children's education. They work under the direction of Sony, the director of the Light of Love Home and Kiran, the Administrative manager for Education. Sudeer, one of the teachers at the school said:
The Light of Love Home-cum-School has 12 classrooms, the positive legacy of personal tragedy and loss. The original school building, the Kenneth McRae block, is named in loving memory of the father of Colin McRae, SLA's Development Officer and member of the original QII youth group that started SLA. A further six classrooms, the Dougal Smart block, were built with funds donated by the family of Dougal, who died in a brave but fatal attempt to save the life of another young man.
The generosity of the McRae and Smart families has given the children in our care hope for a brighter future. Their thirst for knowledge and determination to succeed are remarkable to behold.
Our Hyderabad school operates along very similar lines but with two important differences: all classes are taught in English rather than in Telegu and the school offers education until the end of Middle School (up to class 7). Older children in classes 8-10 go to a local school.
One of our volunteers, James Tulloch, who taught at the Tuni school for 10 months said:
