Epilogue to “A South American Fable” I read the story, South American Fable to the girls this morning. They “got it” and laughed and laughed. It gave them strength. But I also learned that another girl who is attending the government school is being harassed by teachers. We have let the girls grow their hair long. They wear braids usually, with garters or ribbons. To me it’s a sign of a child taken care of. Our girls with disabilities also have long hair. Two of their teachers only have sons at home and so they love doing the girls’ hair when they come. Only Rani has short hair as she tends to pull it.
To eradicate lice we ALL are treated once a week with medical lotion. We haven’t had lice here in at least two years. We do our heads Saturday nights and then wash all linens on Sunday. My office may be a disgraceful mess but WE DO NOT HAVE LICE! But our girl, who started late this year due to medical problems, was told immediately by a teacher, in front of all the others, that she had head lice. The teacher never even looked at her scalp. Now I hear the teacher is making fun of her because she has strabismus. The teacher is using a Bengali term used as an insult. (Two years ago another teacher called the girls, “children of pigs” but she insulted enough people that even the government school was able to remove her.) Now it is personal though. This is the secondary school and they have been clear in not wanting our children. A series of unfortunate circumstances resulted in our girl being there. I’ve spoken with SeemaDi and she will go there with me tomorrow. This meeting will require more than a North American Lady so I’ll bring along a “South American Lady.”
We have had brushes with these teachers before. Last year the school celebrated its 60th year with a major event at a public hall. Our girls took part in the performances as part of the lower school. We all went to watch, including our children with disabilities. But these teachers from the secondary school would not let me come in to sit down with the children with disabilities. We didn’t have wheelchairs. The massis were holding the girls. There was no place to sit. Eventually I found a back way into the auditorium.
Our girls performed: 
Our Girls Among The Others -- The Goal of Social Integration
Well, today, Saturday 27th August, Seema and I went to meet with the Principal of the Secondary School. Surprise, she was really receptive in listening to what had been said to our girl. She took the names of the teachers, and said that behavior was not right. She was friendly. It was an encounter that put a smile on my face for the day.
In the past few days I’ve been talking about our lack of head lice, and the explanation of their abandonment of our home and heads. I think I don’t want to keep talking about it. I’ve written it in our child’s school diary; I’ve written it in a few emails, and now on the blog. But there is one more thing I just have to say and then I will be quiet,
Scabicin application Saturday nights; linen washing Sunday
Recent Comments