When girls get educated, they are able to become income earners and therefore less of an economic burden on their families. In fact, all of our teachers are from local villages and therefore are able to make a significant contribution to their families. Good education for boys which incorporates values and civic responsibility is also necessary if attitudes towards females are to change.

We place a strong emphasis on LKG and UKG as there is a statistically significant gap in educational attainment across the socioeconomic gradient by the time children are 6 years old. This gap grows wider until, by school leaving age, poor children are far more likely to leave school without qualifications than their more affluent peers.

We are employing modern preschool activities which emphasise providing a nurturing environment conducive to positive learning experiences. We use modern and innovative early-learning techniques and activity-based learning that fosters the blossoming of the child's natural development. Many of our teaching methods are drawn from the Institute for the Achievement of Human Potential. Thus, the children get a good foundation for the rest of their studies.

We continue to provide interesting and stimulating education through the Primary Grades, again training our teachers in latest teaching techniques, such as Whole Brain Learning and Multiple Intelligence. Smart Boards provide excellent educational support and expose the children to well-spoken English without the very strong accent that most of our teachers have, coming as they do from local villages.

Our building plan emphasises a pleasant school environment with a campus that the children are proud to attend. This encourages them to relish their learning experience and in the long run, they are more apt to pursue a longer education. It all begins with their early learning experiences.

A new study explains the link between run-down schools and lower test scores and academic achievement among students.

Lorraine Maxwell, an associate professor of design and environmental analysis in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University found a chain reaction at work: Leaking toilets, smelly cafeterias, broken furniture, and run-down classrooms make students feel negatively, which leads to high absenteeism and in turn, contributes to low test scores and poor academic achievement.

"School buildings that are in good condition and attractive may signal to students that someone cares and there's a positive social climate, which in turn may encourage better attendance," Maxwell said. "Students cannot learn if they do not come to school."

Maxwell found that poor building conditions, and the resulting negative perception of the school's social climate, accounted for 70 percent of the poor academic performance.

At Mountain View School we also employ practical ideas that add benefit to our local environment, such as rain water harvesting, tree planting and solar panel power.