Grey Sunshine: Stories from Teach ForIndia

by Sandeep Rai

India is battling an educational crisis of unprecedented proportions. Half of the country’s Standard 5 students cannot read a Standard 2 level text in their native language. Seventy-six percent of Indian students don’t make it to college. The list of alarming statistics doesn’t end there. But who are the faces behind these statistics? What are their stories? What would it take to alter their futures and subsequently, the future of India?

Grey Sunshine tells the human stories behind the national crisis we see—and yet don’t see—every single day: the state of Indian education. It is an invitation to walk in the shoes of hundreds of thousands of children from less privileged backgrounds. Battling the injustices of poverty alongside them are 4,000 unlikely leaders from Teach For India, a two-year fellowship programme that places young people as full-time teachers in government classrooms across the country. The stories of these students and teachers represent the struggle to reform a failing education system and the hope for a brighter sun to shine tomorrow.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction

294 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 22, 2019

Reviews

[Shrey Rawat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four years ago I read a book called Redrawing India. That book was about how Shaheen Mistri and her team coming to start a movement of young leaders who would fight against educational inequity, with a vision that one day all children will attain an excellent education. This movement is an incredible tale of Teach For India, its inception, its impact, and its dream to unleash the potential of All Children in this country.

Grey Sunshine is a book that paints a picture of how this mammoth undertaking has played out in the last decade. On one side you have the ‘Grey’ - the reality of the people living in under-resourced communities, systematically repressed from hundreds of years. Asif’s longing for a time when the children of his locality will access equal opportunities and be held to high expectations of what they can achieve in life. In all this, there is a beam of hope, a ‘Sunshine’ in the way Priyanka and thousands of other students see their community as an asset, something they can leverage to make things better, rather than a problem to be fixed.

What this brilliant book also puts forward is Teach For India’s model core principle that Teaching is Leadership. Today, more than 3000 Teach For India’s Alums are serving and working with the children directly and indirectly towards that One Day, all of whom have discovered and built their leadership competencies through teaching children in classrooms. More than teaching, this journey proves to be deeply transformational for each of the Fellow, something that inducts them as a life long leader in this movement. Leadership stories of Anurag, Nalika, Soumya, and Tarun will leave you inspired and in awe of what it looks like to work for something that is bigger than self.

Sandeep Rai’s work and writing truly capture the essence of the book title. He is someone who has personally lived each of these stories and has captured them from the ground in the most authentic and grasping manner. In a country where teaching as work is looked down upon, Grey Sunshine presents how teaching builds leadership at all levels in education.

Recommendation ★★★★★
It’s a must-read for anyone who cares about where we as a country headed to and how the You(th) of his country can play a leadership role in changing the status quo. If you can vote for India, cheer for India, why not Teach for India?

[Dakshesh Thacker · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Teach For India Fellow who spent two years in a high school classroom and as a volunteer for ten months in a primary classroom before becoming a Fellow, Grey Sunshine is an emotional throwback in time.
Grey Sunshine is clearly meant to be a tool to tell the stories behind the number that we see in the various analytical reports put out on education in India by ASER, The World Bank and the battalions of consultants who service the government. Sandeep Rai has identified a few heart warming and simultaneously heart wrenching stories to give the reader, mostly those from outside the development ecosystem a flavor of the challenges our students and the Fellows face on a daily basis.
Having known some of the people highlighted in the book at least at a professional level, I have my reservations/inhibitions about the choices of people. However, that said I believe there is a larger purpose of ensuring a humanistic messaging of our stories and struggles.
Rai has structured the book well by focusing first on the students, their families and then pivoting to Fellows' experiences in the classroom and closing with their post Fellowship careers.
The book is breezy, a fast read which one can knock off in a few days. However, if you're threshold to absorb on-ground challenges and you are opaque by and large to the problems in the world, this may take longer to read but nevertheless will remain a revelatory read.
Do pick up and read this book simply to know that there is a hero within all of us and its just about searching within to bring her out, because those mentioned in the book were able to push themselves to.

[Suman Barua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing stories of kids, and communities that face inequities on a daily basis. As an alum of Teach For India, I assumed that I will read a lot of self-testimony in this book. But what I found was an accurate and real representation of the lives of the people we work for, and how education can be the tool they need.
Loved this book, and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in learning about education inequity in India and US(partially).

[Shreya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grey Sunshine is a book that will speak to everyone. Its captivating stories - about how the Teach For India Fellowship programme instils a sense of unfailing commitment and purpose, despite the harshest odds - are touching in ways that I cannot describe. I look forward to "One day", when all of India's children will attain an excellent education because of the wonder that is Teach For India - its people, its values, its culture...above all, its unwavering dedication to every single child in this country.

[Tulika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grey Sunshine is a moving, powerful collection of stories of India's children and India's youth - an unusually simple glimpse into India's complex education system through the power of these stories. I felt moved, outraged, inspired, but also hopeful that there is hope for India's social fabric, that our children are that hope, and that we - the youth and the children of India - have it in us to repair that fabric.

[Suman Srivastava · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best part of this book is that the stories aren’t all black and white. They’re aren’t all about great successes or triumphs. They’re stories that inspire and provide hope, but also stories that make you despair at how much needs to be done.

[Kapil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grey Sunshine helped me revisit the themes of courage and compassion in the face of adversity. Sandeep presents the view of the Teach For India movement, by the movement, rather than just his own lens. As a Teach For India alumnus myself, I am excited that this book has a potential to influence so many who don't know about our work. I would have loved it even more had it captured, a few stories of truth of the Fellows/Alumni as much as it deep dives into the stories of hope and inspiration, though that was not necessarily the intention of the book.

[Ajay Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revolutionary

Impeccable writing with great examples. This is simply motivating. Education is our best and fastest chance at solving India's poverty.

[Almas Shamim · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Grey Sunshine: Stories from Teach for India" by Sandeep Rai

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Teach for India has always fascinated me, & not just coz I'd have rather worked in the Education sector than Health. The thought of people leaving their high paying jobs to work for the strengthening the education system of India is very inspiring and humbling. I wouldn't have the courage to do it. I simply can't imagine what goes on in the minds of people who leave it all for a TFI fellowship. In fact, one of my favourite bloggers became one of my favourites coz she had also been a TFI fellow, teaching around Madras. So, when I found this Audiobook, there was no way I could not pick it up.

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I think we are all aware that India has an ailing education system. Much of our public sector is churning out 'literates' who cannot read or comprehend and have no skills. Surveys have shown that students cannot do grade level reading. Leave that... Don't we see news pieces where even teachers cannot read/spell properly? Poor infra, lack of toilets, compromised mid-day meals...the list goes on and on. This has led to mushrooming of private schools but they too are not all of good quality, with many simply swindling money off people. There are pernicious links between a crippled education sector and almost every other aspect of a modern nation. No wonder, we are in this dirt pit.

This book gives a bird's eye view of the ills of our edn system. From the challenges of accessing education to overworked underpaid teachers, bullying due to caste/class/religion, to overcoming all these odds to reach foreign universities, to joining AAP to bring about policy change..this book touches all aspects & is a must read for anyone who needs a reality check on the "superpower" that is India.

Also recommended is the movie Pareeksha which (if in a filmy way) portrays the challenges of accessing good education by the lower socioeconomic groups.

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Good (Sep 2020)

[Varsha Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grey Sunshine is a powerful collection of short stories of India's Children and India's Youth giving us a glimpse of the Indian education system through them.

Title: Grey Sunshine
Author: Sandeep Rai
Pages: 270
Genre: Non-Fiction

India has a ailing education system. With poor infrastructure, qualified but unskilled teachers and other issues. Even though we have several private schools, they are not of quality and most are looting money from people. This book gives a birds eye view of the ills of our education system. FROM the challenges of accessing education to overworked underpaid teachers, bullying due to caste/class/religion to overcoming all these odds to reach foreign universities etc. The book touches all aspects in a subtle manner.I was impressed by the accurate and honest representation of the people struggling to make a living and how education can be a instrument of change for them. I was surprised to find the Teach for India were not different from us in education and societal status.The only difference was their conviction and clarity to follow their moral compass. And what a difference it makes. The stories of their struggle was eye-opening and inspiring.
I liked this book a lot. Would highly recommend to someone interested to know of the problems of education system in India

Much recommended.

[Amita Agarwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are few books written by souls and this book definitely is one of them ,rather should I say that all characters are some amazing souls.
I have always felt that quality education is the the answer to any country's development and this is what teach for India is working on. More so they are taking children of India out of the places where one might not be able to even think of what they can achieve by just following some of these young and enthusiastic teachers.
Thanks to the writer to make the world aware of the tremendous efforts these young Indians are putting .They grow the seed ,they nurture the little plants and see them growing and bearing fruits. What more can you think of achieving in one lifetime!

[Vishesh Aneja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captivating, motivating and more than anything eye opening. It really does pull the rug from under you and takes away the glasses of privilege that we've become accustomed to. Really a necessary book that one should read, will definitely change your perspective. There is a difference between knowing something and realizing what that means, this book will guide you in achieving the realization.

[Dhruv Mahajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the book to be extremely powerful in its portrayal of the inequity of education in India and the potential for transformation if intentions to transform the education system actually find their way into meaningful actions.

[samitha m · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teach for India was a revolutionary concept and this book talks about the people on ground. Compelling read

[Sneha Divakaran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving and inspiring!

[Shantanu A Gaur · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute essential read for every indian student, educator, parent, stakeholder, and citizen.

[Deborah Quazzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful depiction of the founding of Teach for India - the challenges and hope of creating an India where all children have access to a quality education

[Prateek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever seen a small girl or a boy at the traffic signal selling roses or pens or sometimes doing somersaults and acrobatics with a thin iron ring? Yes? Have you ever imagined how does tomorrow look like for him/her? Or maybe 10 years down the line?

Many of us must have seen them and must have also passed a judgment on their parents on how they can do all this to their kids for money. Why don’t these able bodied men and women work to get a living and give a proper life to these kids. Or why doesn't the government do anything for all of them? We complain. Whine. Pass the buck. We come out of the guilt of saying it’s not a problem of our own making or we just push these kids out of sight (thus, out of mind) while giving a 10 rupee note or a packet of biscuit. That’s it. That’s what we do. That’s how we unsee a problem or ignore it and maybe rightly so for each one of us already have our own battles to fight for every new day (and night).

But reading this book, I found the stories of many people who got touched by one or the example of such kids and embarked upon a totally different trajectory. May it be Shaheen’s encounter with Ramya or Nalika’s empathy for Mamta which became the tipping point for them off that fine balance between well set career path and that inner calling. The backgrounds of the fellows has been shown as different as their approach towards their classrooms and teaching methodologies, but what has been the common factor among them all is their beichani - the feeling of unrest ; unrest while seeing the varied forms of injustice, inaccess and unfairness around them. Each has his/her own story in the book of how they choose to become a TFI fellow, fighting typical Indian parents, relatives and neighbors and how they channeled their this beichani to correct the wrongs done to children in their own unique ways.

This book contains the stories of not only the TFI fellows but also the stories of kids, their parents and complex ‘anubandh’ of interactions that we call society. Book brings out how usually the rich and privileged class makes assumptions against the poor parents; that they are lazy or they do not aspire their children to study. Rather on the contrary, poor parents aspire with all their hearts that their child gets a good education and comes out of the misery of less and hunger. Similarly, it demystifies the myth that the government education system is suffering because of its teachers or the gentry of the students.

It’s a must read book for every policymaker, academician or a dreamer who believes alike that the world can be changed with education. It will make them understand that any budgetary provision for education is not an expenditure but an investment for a better future.

At the end, this book gave me what I needed the most, hope and courage. The hope that maybe, ‘where you come from does not have to determine where you will go’ will come true for all the kids. And courage that there are already many young thought leaders out there who could catalyze the change in the very education system which had become the engine of class base divide and (in)access.

[Yaghika Beniwal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grey sunshine is beautifully articulated and tells multiple stories about the india that a lot of people like to look past. It shares the importance of education and how poor people think of it, not as a source of knowledge but a ticket to the land which is so close yet so far.
Even though it's incredible specific, the author has done it's best to capture a large audience w the stories. Good read

[Rutuja Ramteke · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌿Grey Sunshine🌿
Grey sunshine tells the human stories behind the National crisis we see—and yet don’t see— every single day: the state of Indian Education. It is an invitation to walk in the shoes of hundreds of thousands of children from less privileged backgrounds. Battling the injustices of poverty alongside them are 4, 000 unlikely leaders from teach for India, a two-year Fellowship programme that places young people as full-time teachers in government classrooms across the country. The stories of these students and teachers represent the struggle to reform a failing education system and the hope for a brighter sun to shine tomorrow.
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🌿India is a diverse and developing country but it's not completely developed yet and process or the idea of it developing is still going on. We still face problems when it comes to education and the majority of the slums in our country do not receive even basic education, the author beautifully sums the entire scenario with his words which sort of opens the Reader's Eyes, also the how education can change a nation and how much it's crucial is well potrayed. The language is sophisticated but when it comes to showcasing the reality of the society it really tears the reader apart and I think not all authors can do it. I will definitely recommend it as a must read.
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Rating: 4.25🌟

[Mukul · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MUST READ!! It was an interesting read, exposing the reader to various problems that our education system faces even in the 21st century and how some determined TFI fellows are helping solve this problem. This book is really thought-provoking and motivates you to work to improve the life of children who are still not able to complete their schools, because of either poverty or the societal norms or the lack of facilities. It motivates one to do something for those children.

[Gautham Vasan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book spoke to a part of me that has been dormant for a couple of years now. It made me revisit (i) the days I spent ranting about the broken education system in India as a naive yet idealistic student; (ii) the days when I struggled with the concept of privilege; and (iii) the days when I would wonder if I one person could ever make a difference.

I love how the author chose not to paint their struggle as a heroic journey filled with sunshine and rainbows and rather tempered my expectations with reality. I was impressed by an accurate, honest representation of the lives of people struggling to make a living and how education could be an instrument of change for the next generation.

For some reason, I was quite surprised to find that the Teach for India fellows where not that different from me or my peers in terms of educational or social background. The only striking difference I noticed was a clarity in conviction and a strong will to follow their moral compass. And what a world of difference it makes. The stories of their struggles were inspiring and eye-opening to say the least.

Overall, I liked this book a lot. Would highly recommend it to anyone trying to understand the systemic struggles, inequity and problems plaguing the education sector in India.

P.S: Thanks to Vignesh Pasupathy for recommending this book.

[Disha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a great depiction of the problems and the solutions that TFI is working on. Through the lenses of the children, the fellows - the book brings out the complex equations in the society and offers glimpse into how things can and are changing.