Class 12 English Chapter 11 An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Question Answer to each chapter is provided in the list so that you can easily browse through different chapters Assam Board Class 12 English Chapter 11 An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum and select needs one.
Class 12 English Chapter 11 An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum
Also, you can read the SCERT book online in these sections Solutions by Expert Teachers as per SCERT (CBSE) Book guidelines. These solutions are part of SCERT All Subject Solutions. Here we have given Assam Board Class 12 English Chapter 11 An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Solutions for All Subjects, You can practice these here.
An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum
Lesson – 11
POETRY
THINK IT OUT |
1. Tick the item which best answers the following:
(a) The tall girl with her head weighed down means:
The girl.
(i) Is ill and exhausted.
(ii) Has her head bent with shame.
(iii) Has untidy hair.
Ans: (i) Is ill and exhausted.
(b) ‘‘The paper-seeming boy with rat’s eyes’’ means:
The boy is.
(i) Sly and secretive.
(ii) Thin, hungry and weak.
(iii) Unpleasant looking.
Ans: (ii) Thin, hungry and weak.
(c) The stunted, unlucky heir of twisted bones means:
The boy.
(i) Has an inherited disability.
(ii) Was short and bony.
Ans: (i) Has an inherited disability.
(d) ‘‘His eyes live in a dream, A squirrel’s game, in the tree room other than’’ this means:
The boy is.
(i) Full of hope in the future.
(ii) Mentally ill.
(iii) Distracted from the lesson.
Ans: (iii) Distracted from the lesson.
(e) The children’s faces are compared to ‘rootless weeds’.
This means they:
(i) Are insecure.
(ii) Are ill-fed.
(iii) Are wasters.
Ans: (i) Are insecure.
2. What do you think is the colour of ‘sour cream’? Why do you think the poet has used this expression to describe the classroom walls?
Ans: The color ‘sour cream’ refers to a dull, yellowish, and worn-out shade. The poet uses this expression to describe the classroom walls, indicating that the school is in poor condition. The walls appear aged and unmaintained, suggesting that the school has not been painted for years. This imagery also symbolizes the bleak and uncertain future of the children, highlighting the lack of proper facilities and opportunities available to them.
3. The walls of the classroom are decorated with the pictures of ‘Shakespeare’, ‘buildings with domes’, ‘world maps’ and beautiful valleys. How do these contrast with the world of these children?
Ans: The images on the wall are bright and beautiful and introduces them to the world beyond the slums. These pictures indicate the contrast of life they are living with someone who has it all. They have not seen or explored the world in the picture and hence it acts as a portal for them to imagine something beyond the filthy walls of the school. Poverty represents a lack of proper education, food, facilities, etc. The pictures can also tempt the kids to get out of the area they grew up in to explore the lands further and build a better future for them. The world map contrasts with the image of their world. For kids, the “narrow street sealed in with a lead sky” is their world which the map shows them as insignificant since it is not even located on the map.
4. What does the poet want for the children of the slums? How can their lives be made to change?
Ans: He wants the children of the slums to step beyond their confined surroundings and explore a world full of opportunities for a brighter future. The elementary school in the slum, with its poor infrastructure and disengaged students, fails to serve its purpose. The poet urges the governor, inspector, and visitors to take meaningful action to improve their condition. To secure a better life for these children, they must be provided with quality education and the freedom to break free from their current limitations. They need opportunities, encouragement, and hope to live with purpose and enthusiasm.

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