Ystad Felt Like Next-Door
From a developing economy to developed infrastructure. Little goose bumps out of excitement, taking this journey head-on. I traveled from Lucknow to Ystad with a short list of questions, not knowing that I would end up answering a lot more than I thought.
As said by Cicero: “The beginnings of all things are small.” My trip started with a 5-year- old boy, whom I met at the airport in New Delhi, where he asked me for a chewing gum. I explained that chewing gum is bad for health (though I was chewing one myself). That was when I suddenly realized that my profession is not confined by the four walls of a classroom. On the plane, there was a group of students going for a school trip. Having children around all through the journey kept me reminded of the purpose of my visit: learning and experiencing new things to use in my teaching at Kunskapsskolan Lucknow.
I reached Copenhagen on the same day, after experiencing the beautiful transition of a night into a day just by crossing different time zones. My colleague Sandra, with whom I stayed during my visit, met me at the airport. She made my stay the best, by showing me the wonderful places around, being a translator for me and giving me great support.
My first day at school did not seem to be the first, because many things at Kunskapsskolan Ystad are just like in Lucknow; the way the school day begins with a base group session, planning the day ahead in the logbook and discussing news; and of course, the happy children. I attended a lot of different sessions, from music to English, all with clear goals and monitored by professional teachers aiming to get students more independent in learning.
I can talk endlessly about the trip, as I have observed, experienced and learned so much, but I conclude by recommending anyone who gets the opportunity to participate in the KED Teacher Exchange Program. It is an experience for life to meet people in different parts of the world working the same way.
Krati Bajpai
CBSE Coordinator and Team Lead Grades 1 to 3, Kunskapsskolan Lucknow
The Kunskapsskolan schools are among the leading schools of Sweden. The success of its KED Program can be judged not only by students’ performance being higher than the Swedish national average, but also by the growth of KED schools across international boundaries. Currently, over 100 KED schools and KED Inspired schools are operational across Sweden, UK, the Netherlands, India, USA and the Middle East. The schools follow the curriculum of each country and grade student performance according to national standards.
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