Day 12 - and back to Jaipur

So - back on the road, or technically back on track - as I took the overnight train from Jaisalmer to Jaipur, making today my last day in Rajasthan.

I took the liberty of walking into a high school in jaisalmer yesterday and asked if it would be possible to see the principal - unfortunately he's on long term sick - but I did manage to have about an hour with the vice principal so here's a few bons mots about a state school in provincial India...

Class sizes = 60-70 students per class with 43 teachers for 1200 students in the school.

Annual Salaries = teachers get about 400k rupees (£5,000 - about a sixth of the salary of a UK teacher) with the vice principal earning 500k rupees (£6,500 - a tenth of what a vice principal would get in London).

They have no computers - ICT is taught by demonstration using the teacher's computer, theory and rote learning.

I could go on (literacy rates, university and employment prospects) but you get the picture!

Then took my first overnight train - heard lots of horror stories but it wasn't so bad - shared a cabin with two slovak girls on their way to a wedding In Jaipur, two Germans on their way back from a wedding in jaisalmer (apparently the two astrologically most auspicious days for getting married this year was the 9th and 17th February) and a retired gent from Mumbai travelling with his family who were in another carriage.

So relative rest day today for me before heading east to Agra tomorrow. Cinema and Bollywood followed by massage and dinner I think.....

Come on - I deserve some little treats...

A bientot

M

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