环球英语 — 604：Going Where the Students Are
Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Ryan Geertsma.
Voice 2
And I'm Robin Basselin. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
A large yellow school bus drives through the streets of New Delhi, India. The bus is full of books, computers and other resources necessary for education. However, what is NOT on the bus is school children. Most school buses drive children to school buildings. There they gather and learn. However, this bus is NOT taking children to school. Instead, it IS the school. It is a school for children who live and work on the streets of New Delhi. And this bus moves around to serve the children where they are. It is a program of the non-profit organization Butterflies. However, this bus is not one of a kind. Today's Spotlight is on the growing number of mobile schools. They are bringing education to children who are living and working on the streets.
Voice 2
Nurul Kumala is the oldest of four children in her family. She lives in the city of Jakarta, in the country of Indonesia. In 2008, Nurul left school. She was only 2 years from completing high school. However, Nurul's family was struggling financially. The global financial crisis had affected Indonesia's economy. And many families were having a difficult time making enough money. So, Nurul decided to leave school to get a job. She worked many different kind of jobs. However, she made very little money.
Voice 1
After more than a year of working at different low paying jobs, Nurul made an important decision. She decided to return to school. However, traditional school would not work well for Nurul. She was now working. She was also older than most students in her class. So instead, Nurul decided to attend the Bintaro Mobile Class. Nurul spoke with the new service IPS about why she attends the classes. With tears in her eyes, she told the reporter,
Voice 3
"I want to improve my life and the lives of my parents."
Voice 2
The Bintaro Mobile classes are part of a larger program in Indonesia. The program is supported by The National Commission for Child Protection and the Mutiara Indonesia Foundation. The mobile education program's goal is to bring education to a particular group of children - children living and working on the streets. Many of them have already left school once. The head of the National Commission for Child Protection told the IPS reporter,
Voice 4
"We set up the mobile classes for street children in order for them to attend school whenever, wherever, and with whomever. It is sort of home schooling for street children."
Voice 1
Mobile school programs recognize that it is difficult for students to return to school after leaving. They also recognize that many of the students need to continue working while they attend school. So, like many other mobile school programs, the Bintaro mobile classes do not meet every day. Instead, the class van arrives in the Bintaro area of Jakarta only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This van is smaller than the Butterflies bus in India, but bigger than a normal car. The van drives to different areas on different days. This works well for the students that need to continue working when they are not in school. It also helps the teachers to serve more children around the city.
Voice 2
The Doorstep School is another mobile school program, located in Mumbai India. It was started by a single teacher named Bina Lashkari. As a university student, Bina visited a poor area of Mumbai. Her school project was to ask out-of-school children why they did not go to school. Bina learned about the special needs of children living and working on the streets.
Voice 1
Soon after, Bina raised enough money to buy her own bus. She and another teacher travelled around to poorer areas of Mumbai in the bus. They stopped to teach children that were not in school. They taught the same children every day, but for short periods of time. Bina also gave the children a lot of freedom to come and go as they needed. Bina told a reporter from the "Business Standard" about the program. She said,
Voice 5
"It is not uncommon for a child to bring a younger brother or sister to class or to be called away by their mother to fill water, make food or care for a crying baby. But this freedom encourages the students to become and remain part of the learning process."
Voice 2
Many teachers and education experts believe that good education requires teachers to provide defined structure. They also believe it is important for the students to attend every day, all day. These things are important. But for children who are not attending school at all, there is something that is more important. Mobile schools teachers believe that the most important thing is getting children learning. And often mobile school programs teach their students much more than just reading, writing and mathematics.
Voice 1
In Quezon City in the Philippines, UNICEF began the Mobile Education and Child Protection Program. This program works to educate street children and their families. But they also teach students about the dangers of living on the streets. This UNICEF project is concerned both about educating street children AND keeping them safe. The project also provides mental health treatment for students that need it. And they encourage skills training.
Voice 2
One skill they encourage in particular is information technology and communications. One reason is because UNICEF joined with the technology company Sony Ericsson to help support the project. In April of 2010, Sony Ericsson gave UNICEF a mobile education van filled with all the newest information technology tools and resources.
Voice 1
Like past economic crises, the 2008 global economic crisis was particularly difficult for children and young adults. That year, many young people all over the world, like Nurul, were forced to leave school. Many began working or even living on the streets. However, because of creative mobile education programs, students like Nurul are once again in school.
Voice 2
The mobile school model may not be perfect. However, they are helping children to learn again. And the children are not the only people learning. And after over 20 years in mobile education, people like Bina Lashkari are still learning. She talked with the "Business Standard" reporter about what she has learned from the mobile students and their communities.
Voice 5
"They value the power of education. They have now seen their children study and succeed in new jobs and skills - jobs and skills that they were once denied. They have shown me that education is truly the answer to all our problems."
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