But this place isn’t about intricately-carved and painted urinals or commodes, nor the bowls’ role in history—"Toilets were the places where many conspiracies were hatched...Edward II was locked in his loo," says a message inside one toilet. On these premises, the dreams of around 350 children, now busy mugging up their Maths and English lessons from dog-eared textbooks, are taking shape.
Cliches ring so true for the Sulabh Public school. Indeed, it is a school with a difference—60 per cent of the children here come from scavenger families. They know that beyond the "A for Apple and B for Boy" lessons, the four walls of the school hold the promise of multiplying their aspirations, dreams which their parents saw but could never fructify. They realise that society may have given them the more politically correct name of "Valmikis", but it does nothing or little at all to bring them into the mainstream. This is the vacuum the school fills—by giving them empowerment at the grassroots, or what social scientists call vertical mobility.
Founded in 1992 by Padma Bhushan Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of the Sulabh International Social Service organisation, this is India’s "first quality school for the children of Valmikis". "Smile, You’re in Sulabh", is the driving force behind every day spent in the school for the last 10 years. The CBSE-recognised school currently has classes till Standard 9, and every year a new class is added. Everything, from textbooks, uniforms to transport, is free for the children, most of whom are first-generation learners.
Says Mrs Sheel Prasad, principal of the school, "These children have grown up in front of me, and we take pride in their achievements. Their parents know the value of what we are giving to their children because they themselves never went to any school." An air force officer’s wife, Prasad says initially the school was just like any other teaching assignment. "But now it has grown on me. I remember the time when these kids used to sit on my lap. Today they have grown so tall that at times I have to ask them to bend before I pull their ears. There is a sense of personal satisfaction, which I don’t think any other school or a post would have given me."
Her pride is not without reason. Already, the difference the school has made on these young lives is perceptible. Kavita, a class VII student, wants to emulate Magsaysay award-winner Kiran Bedi once she passes out of the school. Rajbir, another 12-year-old, dreams of making it into the Indian cricket team one day, and in between classes, is busy honing his batting skills.
Interestingly, the school does not differentiate between the Valmiki children and others in the classroom. Says Prof S. Tripathi, honorary chairman of the Sulabh International Centre for Action Sociology: "This school is about breaking down the rigid caste and cultural barriers of our society. There is never any question of differentiating between students. It is about internalising the values the child brings with him and mixing them with others for a larger whole." But do the cultural and caste differences weigh on the mind of upper-caste parents? No, claims Prasad: "Never in the last 10 years have I faced a situation where parents have discouraged their children from mingling or interacting with children of another caste. For them, getting their child educated in an environment where they don’t have to face the same taunts or jeers they face in the society is more important. And this school treats everyone alike."
The school was recognised by the Directorate of Education, Delhi government, last year, and if all goes well, the first batch of class X students will pass out next year. Prasad is already impatient. Says she: "We have nurtured these children with care. We just play the catalysts’ role." For more information, contact: Sulabh Public School, RZ-83, Sulabh Bhawan, Mahavir Enclave, Palam-Dabri Road, New Delhi-110045; Phone: 011-5032753.