TEACHING PRACTICE IN INDIA

Karel de Grote.

Dear Student teacher.

Welcome!

I very much look forward to your arrival. This page is the place where I will be posting any information to help you to prepare for your visit to us..

Introductions: I wonder if you could firstly send us a mail to introduce yourself to us and so that I know that you have seen this page! I have heard from some of you already, but it would be nice to hear from everyone before you arrive.

What to bring: I have attached a kit list. It is just a guide. The first two weeks you will be in a very rural setting, and so things are likely to be much more basic than when you are in Bangalore with your placement schools. Do email me if you have any questions.

Medical preparations: The best thing to do in terms of jabs for India is to go to your local doctor and ask what the most updated advice is and follow that. It keeps changing and so I wouldn't want to advice you. I would say that you definitely don't need to take malaria tablets for this particular area of Karnataka in South India. If you are just coming here and then flying back you therefore will not need to take anti-malarials. If however you are travelling on to other parts of the South and/or Asia you may need to take them and so take your doctors advice on that. I have attached a medical and consent form. It is essential that you download this and bring it filled in with you. Please call me or email if there is anything that we need to know in advance- especially any dietary info.

Money: Please bring 430 Euros with you for our payment. This covers all costs of the first two weeks, and also covers all of our involvement in your placement. You will need to bring a cash card for access to funds for the rest of the visit. Please make sure you inform your bank before your arrival in India so that they expect transactions from India.

Personal Preparation- hints on travel in India: Some of you may have travelled in India and/or Asia before and for some this may be your first journey out of Europe. To help you we have written a sheet on travel advice for journeys within India. It is a generic travel advice for all groups and the more well travelled amongst you may know some of it already! I hope that you will find it useful.

How your family/friends can contact you: Your mobile phones will find a local network so your phones will work. Please make sure your families have our address where you will be staying for the first two weeks, our phone number, and our Indian mobile phone numbers for emergencies- see the contact us page. Once you know your placement addresses you can forward them to your families. You will be able to check your mail during your visit at internet cafes in the city, and in emergencies you can also use the Sangam internet connection.

Your arrival in India: When you arrive in India we will have a vehicle waiting at the airport to bring you to us. The driver will be waiting at arrivals holding a sign which will say "KAREL DE GROTE." He will then drive you to us here at Sangam. We will be waiting for you here. We are on the edge of a village just to the north of Bangalore. The airport is further out of the City to the north of us. (Some directional trivia for the Geographers amongst you.) The journey to us takes about an hour. The two boys who are arriving later will have another vehicle waiting for their flight.- so girls- don't wait for them!

Please call us or email us if there are any questions and keep checking this page for any updates.

We very much look forward to meeting you all by email very soon, and in person on your arrival!