The assembly is conducted by students, while the teachers stand in attendance. Two barefooted little girls in frocks lead in the singing of Vande Mataram, Sare Jahan se Accha and the National Anthem. A little off tune, the singing is followed by stories about hygiene and a round up of the news and sports news by two boys.
'Namaskar, yeh hai aaj ki khabrein' says one boy and goes on to read the news of the day to the rest of the school. 'Aur ab khel samachar inse suniye, and the sports news of the day is provided by his partner.
A PT routine is included and the assembly lasts 50 minutes. The Islampur Middle School is the only middle school in the Goraul block in Vaishali district in central Bihar.
Like all government middle schools, the children here do not pay any fee. All girls and boys from the so-called scheduled castes are entitled to free books, says Assistant Teacher Shyam Nandan Thakur.
Many children pass on their books to those who cannot afford books once they move to a higher class, says the teacher.
Image: The school walls have paintings and school notices. The class rooms are named after important people from India's history.
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