DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL

Secunderabad
MAHENDRA HILLS

SUBJECT: ENGLISH A DIFFERENT KIND OF SCHOOL CLASS: VI

I. Significance of the title

This is about a school that alongside regular school activities teaches thoughtfulness, kindness to others and
being responsible citizens through unique teaching methods. The children appreciate what God has blessed
them with and the school makes them share in the misfortune of differently abled through games, where
people are made blind, deaf etc. for a day and other people have to help them, through this they partake in
the misfortune of others. The children also learn to symapthise and help them. Education is not only to learn
pedagogical subjects but also to develop respect and understanding for the less fortunate or differently abled
people. This school was indeed a “different kind of school”.

II. About the Author

Name Edward Verrall Lucas

Born 11 June, 1868

Place Eltham, Kent, England

Occupation humorist, essayist, playwright, biographer, poet, novelist, short story writer and editor.

Nationality English

Genre Biographies & Memoirs, Literature & Fiction, Travel

Notable Work The Face on the Wall, A wanderer in paris (books), The debt (poem)

Passed away 26 June 1938

III. Word- Meanings

Word/ Phrase Meanings

are on their honour have promised
crippled a lame person
crutch supporting stick for a lame person
bandage cloth or strip used for covering
home sick being sad, unhappy or longing for home while away being away
authority the power or right to give orders and make decisions
aim goal
will power The ability to control one’s own actions or restrain impulses.

IV. Antonyms- Synonyms

Word Synonym Antonym

describing explain, illustrate misrepresent, distort
practically almost, nearly entirely, completely
ghastly terrible, unpleasant charming, pleasant
interesting fascinating, intriguing boring, uninteresting
V. Question and Answers

Q1. What was the author’s impression about Miss. Beam?

Ans1. Miss Beam was exactly what the author had expected. She was middle aged with slight grayish hair.
Though full of authority, she was kind and understanding. Her plump figure according to the author would
have been comforting to a homesick child.

Q2. What were the simple teaching methods used in Miss. Beam’s school?
A2. The children were taught simple spelling, adding, subtracting, multiplying and writing to help them
learn how to do basic things. The rest included reading .to them and interesting talks which they have to
listen to attentively. But the most important were the blind, deaf, dumb days that were held where the
children had to participate and spend a day as a deaf, blind or dumb person.

Q3. Why was dumb day the hardest according to the children?
Ans3. The dumb day was considered the hardest by the children because their mouths could not be bandaged
and they really had to exercise their will power to remain silent and keep their honour. This was really
difficult for them.

Q4. How were the children in Miss Beam’s school taught to ‘appreciate and understand misfortune’?
Ans4. Every child in the Miss Beam’s school had to play a game in which in each term every child had one
blind day, one lame day, one deaf day, one injured day, and one dumb day where they experienced being a
deaf, dumb, blind, lame and injured person. They shared in the misfortune of the less fortunate. This was
done so that the children may appreciate and understand misfortune.

Q5. What was the purpose of having these special days?

Ans5. The purpose of these special days was to develop in the children thoughtfulness and kindness to
others. The students were made to share the misfortune of less fortunate people so that they appreciate and
understand misfortune. The sense of sympathy and empathy may develop in them and make them
responsible citizens.

VI. Extracts
“I see some very beautiful grounds,” I said, “and a lot of jolly children. It pains me, though, to see that
they are not all so healthy and active-looking. When I came in, I saw one poor little girl being led about.
She has some trouble with her eyes. Now I can see two more with the same difficulty. And there’s a girl
with a crutch watching the others at play. She seems to be a hopeless cripple.”

Q1 ‘I’ in the above extract is ___________.

a) E.V. Lucas
b) Peter
c) Miss Beam
d) The boy who helped the blind girl

Q2. Where was ‘I’?

a) in a school for differently abled
b) in a different kind of school
c) in the school he had studied
d) some other place

Q3. What was the age of the little girl whom he/she had seen while entering the place?
a) four years old
b) sixteen years old
c) twelve years old
d) ten years old
Q 4. The word crutch means ________________.
a) someone who walks using a support
b) a supporting stick for blind people
c) a support for lame people
d) a specific type of limitation or disability

Q5. Why were the children not looking active?

a) They were impaired.
b) They had some disability.
c) They were playing games.
d) They were sharing in the misfortune of others.

VII. VBQ

Q. How was Miss Beam’s school different?

Ans: Miss Beam’s school was very different from others as the children there were taught to .understand
misfortune and appreciate all that they had. They listened to interesting talks and every term each child had
to partake in a blind day, lame day, deaf day, etc. where they would be made to live the experiences of a
differently abled person. The other students helped and guided the ones who were lame and blind for the
day. This way all the students learned about less fortunate people and to be their helpers. The real aim of the
school was to teach thoughtfulness, kindness and make them responsible citizens. The children were made
sensitive and sympathetic towards the unfortunate.

VIII. Activity

1) Through Podcasts/ videos/presentations discuss your prominent ideas to improve the lives of differently-
abled.

2) The students record videos playing the role of a teacher and how or what he/she does to improve the life
of differently abled students.