印度小學讓家長用種樹代替交學費

印度恰蒂斯加爾邦的一所小學允許父母種植一棵樹苗來抵消學費，這麼做的目的是爲了鼓勵更多的學生接受教育，即便是那些家境困難的孩子。

To encourage all Students to get an education, even if their parents can't afford it, a primary school in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh is asking parents to simply plant a tree sapling instead of paying school fees.
印度恰蒂斯加爾邦的一所小學要求家長用栽種樹苗代替交學費，以鼓勵更多的學生接受教育，即便是那些家長無力負擔學費的孩子。

The parents have to take care of the sapling and plant a new one if it dies - but compared to the cost of traditional school fees, it's a small price to pay.
家長要負責照顧樹苗，如果樹苗死了，就要再種一棵新的。但這和傳統學校的學費相比已經便宜很多了。

And it comes with the added bonus of helping to improve local air quality.
這一舉措還有助於改善當地的空氣質量。

The school is Shiksha Kuteer in the city of Ambikapur in the east of the country.
這所名爲教育茅屋的小學位於印度東部的阿姆比卡普爾市。

According to Asian News International, at least 35 students between the ages of four and five are studying there.
據亞洲國際新聞社報道，至少有35名四到五歲兒童就讀於該小學。

The initiative was set up by a group of local professionals and business owners in response to India's skyrocketing education fees.
面對印度飛速上漲的教育費用，一個由當地專家和商人組成的組織發起了本次倡議。

Currently, the government spends just 3.9 percent of its budget on education, which means parents are left to pay for hefty school fees, as well as paying for books and school supplies.
目前，印度政府僅將3.9%的預算花在教育上，因此家長不僅要支付高昂的學費，還要爲書本和學習用具買單。

A national survey released last year showed that between 2008 and 2014, private expenditure has increased by 175 percent to Rs6,788 per student each year (US$100).
去年發佈的一項全國調查表明，2008至2014年間，每位學生的年均私人教育支出上漲了175%，達到了6788盧比（約合100美元）。

That might not sound like a lot, but for many families - particularly in rural regions - it's not affordable, especially at the primary school level.
雖然100美元聽起來並不多，但是很多印度家庭，尤其是農村地區的家庭都負擔不起，何況這還只是小學學費。

"In Delhi alone, the average expenditure on general education has grown three times since 2008," Maria Thomas wrote for Quartz last year.
去年，瑪利亞•托馬斯在給Quartz網的文章中寫道：“2008年以來，光是在德里，普通教育的平均花費就已經增長了三倍。”

"This starts right from the nursery level, with parents spending more money on donations and fees than the cost of degrees at Delhi University and even some management institutes."
“教育費用的上漲從幼兒園就已經開始了，家長的捐款和學費花銷比在德里大學或某些管理學院獲得學位的費用還要高。”

The lack of government spending is also damaging the education system too.
由於缺少政府的資金支持，教育系統的教學質量也有所下降。

The 2014 Annual Status of Education report found that nearly 20 percent of grade 2 students, aged seven or eight, didn't recognise the numbers between one and nine.
2014年的印度年度教育現狀報告表明，七八歲的小學二年級學生中，有近20%認不全從一到九的個位數。

But by offering an affordable way to get students into schools, Shiksha Kuteer is encouraging education for everyone.
但教育茅屋通過讓學生上得起學來促進全民教育。

So far, the school has received an overwhelming response, and 700 saplings have been planted across the village over the last year.
到目前爲止，該校的舉措得到了積極響應。僅去年一年，家長已經在村莊裏種了700棵樹苗。

"Shiksha Kuteer has opened in the village for students who are poor and have no money to pay fees," local villager, Sevak Das, told Asian News International.
村民西瓦克•達斯告訴亞洲國際新聞社：“教育茅屋是爲沒錢交學費的貧困學生開設的。”

"Students are being taught in English medium. They are being taught till a certain standard and their guardians have been asked to plant saplings instead of paying fees."
“學校用英語授課，在學生達到一定水平之前，他們都會在這裏接受教育。學校要求監護人用栽種樹苗代替交學費。”

This is just one small in a small village in India, but if the approach works, it could be something that other schools look into.
雖然教育茅屋只是一個印度小村莊裏的小學校，但如果它的方法奏效，這對其他學校來說就是個值得借鑑的案例。

And it can't hurt, because every day, air pollution becomes a worsening problem in many parts of India.
該方法並無不妥，因爲在印度很多地區，空氣污染問題正變得日益嚴重。

Last month, Delhi's air was so toxic that its schools had to shut down.
上個月，德里的空氣污染嚴重，當地學校只得停課。

While a few trees aren't going to solve that problem any time soon, making families plant and take care of a tree - and replace it if it dies - is a way to encourage positive air-purifying action, as well as helping to educate the next generation.
儘管種幾棵樹在短期內無法解決空氣污染問題，但學生家長種下一棵樹並照顧它，如果樹死掉的話還要再種一棵新的，這種方法能對積極的空氣淨化行動起到鼓勵作用，還能教育下一代。