Barbara Ball is no stranger to India. Her father was born in Mumbai, her mother in Secunderabad, while her grandfather had worked in a plantation in Alleppey. Now an art teacher in the community school at Portchester village, about 10 km from Portsmouth in southern England, she came to Kerala as part of the ‘Connecting Classrooms’ programme of the British Council.
“It is meant to help young people learn about global issues and become responsible citizens,” says Barbara. “The idea is for students of Kerala to share their worksheets with children in Britain using Skype in order to exchange ideas and get a better understanding of each other’s cultures.”
She added that it was necessary to break stereotypical notions they might have of each other. “These kind of stereotypes would be detrimental to both societies especially when we have to work together in an increasingly hostile world,” said Barbara.
Her hometown has a population which is predominantly white European. “When I asked my students what they knew about India, they told me that Indians eat curries and ride on elephants,” said Barbara. “This is my third trip to India and I have only seen one elephant in all these visits, and that too from far off.”
Waste management is a common concern, which is why a joint project on the same is in the pipeline. “In our village, waste segregation is strict,” she said. “The council collects food and paper wastes separately. Electronic waste is also collected separately, while old refrigerators and batteries are reprocessed. We try to minimise the amount that goes into the landfill. Yet, it is a concern because of the expanding population.”
When asked to name something that she noticed in Kerala which she would like to see at her school, Barbara said, “The students in Kerala are very proud of their schools and there is a strong sense of community. I would like to see that in my school. Sometimes, my students take their education for granted since it is free and compulsory.”
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