印度小学让家长用种树代替交学费
A school in India is asking parents to plant a tree instead of paying fees
To encourage all students to get an education, even if their parents can't afford it, a primary school in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh is asking parents to simply plant a tree sapling instead of paying school fees.
印度恰蒂斯加尔邦的一所小学要求家长用栽种树苗代替交学费,以鼓励更多的学生接受教育,即便是那些家长无力负担学费的孩子.
The parents have to take care of the sapling and plant a new one if it dies - but compared to the cost of traditional school fees, it's a small price to pay.
家长要负责照顾树苗,如果树苗死了,就要再种一棵新的.但这和传统学校的学费相比已经便宜很多了.
And it comes with the added bonus of helping to improve local air quality.
这一举措还有助于改善当地的空气质量.
The school is Shiksha Kuteer in the city of Ambikapur in the east of the country.
这所名为教育茅屋的小学位于印度东部的阿姆比卡普尔市.
According to Asian News International, at least 35 students between the ages of four and five are studying there.
据亚洲国际新闻社报道,至少有35名四到五岁儿童就读于该小学.
The initiative was set up by a group of local professionals and business owners in response to India's skyrocketing education fees.
面对印度飞速上涨的教育费用,一个由当地专家和商人组成的组织发起了本次倡议.
Currently, the government spends just 3.9 percent of its budget on education, which means parents are left to pay for hefty school fees, as well as paying for books and school supplies.
目前,印度政府仅将3.9%的预算花在教育上,因此家长不仅要支付高昂的学费,还要为书本和学习用具买单.
A national survey released last year showed that between 2008 and 2014, private expenditure has increased by 175 percent to Rs6,788 per student each year (US$100).
去年发布的一项全国调查表明,2008至2014年间,每位学生的年均私人教育支出上涨了175%,达到了6788卢比（约合100美元）.
That might not sound like a lot, but for many families - particularly in rural regions - it's not affordable, especially at the primary school level.
虽然100美元听起来并不多,但是很多印度家庭,尤其是农村地区的家庭都负担不起,何况这还只是小学学费.
"In Delhi alone, the average expenditure on general education has grown three times since 2008," Maria Thomas wrote for Quartz last year.
去年,玛利亚•托马斯在给Quartz网的文章中写道："2008年以来,光是在德里,普通教育的平均花费就已经增长了三倍."
