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The school
Pelling has a residential coeducation school situated quite close
to the centre. Generally interested about schools, we went to
explore the campus.
We had to climb a long flight of stairs set in the mountain side
to reach the school which is at a higher level than the car
road.
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| The school |
The sprawling campus with snow capped peaks in the background
could make a splendid impression. Indeed, schools in the hilly
areas are almost always a visual treat. It almost makes one yearn
for childhood again. However, this school failed to
impress. It had a distinct mark of being uncared for. Torn gutkha
packets were lying all over the place. In one corner there was a
rubbish heap. The buildings were all lack-lustre. The
mottos written on some of them looked more like statutory
warnings on a cigarette packet. Side by side with the mottos
were no less prominent inscriptions mentioning the names of the contractors and
cost involved in erecting each building. I peeped through the
glass windows some of which were broken. The dusty unkempt inside
but added to the pensive air. On a knoll in the front of a
building was a children's park. We climbed atop a structure there
and found Kanchanjunga peeping at us.
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| Kanchanjunga again |
I somehow could not reconcile the wonderful natural
setting of the school with the gloominess that seemed to pervade
it. The campus was large.
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| The sprawling campus |
The buildings were somewhat like jails. But at least this one was
a bright exception:
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| A nice facade |
Yet something in the entire school smelt of desolation. Yes, I
felt a bit sad. But that does NOT mean you find me weeping in the
picture below!
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| School |
I visited the school once again later while the classes were
going on. At one place I found some teachers whipping a
row of students (both sexes) with canes and belts! Most of the
students in the classrooms that I peeped into looked thoroughly
bored.
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