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SPECIAL REPORTS
Education a ticket out of poverty in India
India native and current Marshall graduate student Hari Satya Shankar Addagarla said his coursework was more difficult than what American students are subjected to. He said it pushes students to the max, but added that the competition in his country is so great, you have to push yourself hard.
HUNTINGTON -- Hari Satya Shankar Addagarla is a 29-year-old Marshall University graduate student, working to finish his master's degree in biology.
His path to America was not easy, he said. Education in his native India required hard work and plenty of studying, with little time spent on sports, games and activities. But life in India is such for most students, who must choose between a life of success and a life of poverty.
Addagarla was lucky. His father was an engineer, and both of his parents valued education. They paid for tuition, books, transportation, games, vacations, clothing and accessories.
"Kids are everything to parents; they go to any extent to get the best for their kids," Addagarla said. "They will be ready to mortgage their property for the sake of their kid's education because education is the only way which enlightens a student and will take their kids to a better future."
He said the schools reflect that attitude. He said in his first standard, which is the equivalent to first grade in the United States, was when the regular chore of studying, examinations and producing results began. He said that until his fourth standard (age 9), he felt he was "carrying a heavy burden on my shoulders by studying."
After his fourth standard, the class of 240 was tested and divided into four sections, before advancing to what would be a U.S. middle school. He described it as "stressful with many subjects, homework, projects and tests."
At age 12, he said he was taking 12 subjects, including English, Telugu (mother tongue), Hindi (India's national language), math, chemistry, physics, biology, history, geography, civics, moral science and physical training.
"I feel (that) is too much for a 12-year-old, but things are so in India. In a nation with a billion people, to stand out from the crowd you need to toil."
His school day started at 8:50 a.m. and ended at 3:50 p.m. After riding a public transport bus for about an hour, he arrived home at 5 p.m., ate a snack and played until about 6 p.m. Then it was on to the day's lessons and homework, all done under his father's supervision. There was no play time or television during examination days, Addagarla said.
As he moved into his ninth and 10th standards, he said he gave up his hour of games to concentrate on academics. By the age of 15, he developed a liking for the biological sciences and determined he wanted to be a doctor. He took up a specialization of biology, physics and chemistry in the 11th and 12th standards.
He said about 40,000 students take the medical common entrance exam for a shot at just 1,000 seats. He didn't get in the first time, but was among the top 1,200 among 42,000 testers the second time around. However, he could only make it into veterinary school, starting at the age of 19.
Addagarla said the biggest difference he's seen between education in India and in the U.S. is what constitutes a good grade.
"The grading pattern is lenient here," he said, adding that it takes less work to earn an 'A' here than in India.
