As many of you will know our beloved school Principal and co-founder Lucy Barnes is currently on a short sabbatical with her husband Paul, which has taken them from France to India (in a very circuitous manner). This week they are in a tiny village in Rajasthan and where better place for Mrs Barnes to hang out, but a local school where she muscled in to teach for the day. In true joyous Mrs Barnes style, she taught a group of pupils the Hokey Cokey! Apparently some of the children laughed so much when they confused their left and right which she described as a “typical Beech Lodge moment!”. She never stops, even when she’s on holiday and that’s why we love her! Check out the video below….
Mrs Barnes teaching the Hokey Cokey!
Mrs Barnes teaching in Rajasthan
School in Chanoud, Rajasthan
Here’s an excerpt from her email to us:
“The school is a Government school in the village. It has 172 children aged between 5 and 13. They learn Hindi, the local language and English. After 13 they go to a different school. In the village they are focusing on confidence and oracy (such familiar themes to BL) so that the children can initiate conversations and respond.
The government here is trying to get all children in to school and provides milk, fruit and lunch to all children. Take up is good but as we walked around the village we saw many children not in school. Some parents don’t engage and therefore their children don’t go others need the children to work with them, farming etc. In the village tourists are encouraged not to give the children anything but to give items to the school instead so that the children have an incentive to go to school. Pens and pencils were so gratefully received by both the headteacher and the pupils. I thought that we could do a bit of a goody box to send from BL when I am back.
I taught the older classes with the aim that they can then cascade the knowledge down to the younger pupils. Some really bright and receptive kids who were up for the challenge. Lovely BL moment, an international thing I guess- confusion between left and right and then explosions of laughter when it all goes wrong”.
