Chuskit Goes to School — Class 4 EVS Chapter 27 (NCERT)

Story Overview: What Happens in the Chapter

Chuskit lives with her family in a village in Ladakh, a cold mountainous region in India. She cannot walk because of a problem with her legs, so she has never been able to go to school like her cousin Tsering and other village children. Every day she watches them leave with their bags and longs to join them. She feels sad and left out. Chuskit's grandfather loves her deeply but is unsure how she can reach the school building, which has steps that a wheelchair cannot climb.

One day, Chuskit's cousin Tsering decides to carry her to school on his back so that she does not miss out on learning. When the headmaster and teachers see how much she wants to study, they realise the school itself is not built for children who cannot walk. Instead of turning her away, the school makes a ramp — a sloped path — so that a wheelchair can easily go up to the classroom. Chuskit finally starts attending school regularly, sitting with other children, and learning happily. The story ends on a hopeful note, showing that when people care and think creatively, no child should be denied education.

Key Vocabulary from the Chapter

Ladakh

A cold, mountainous region in northern India (in the Union Territory of Ladakh) known for its high altitude, dry weather, and Buddhist monasteries. This is where Chuskit's village is located.

Ramp

A sloped surface built instead of steps so that wheelchairs, prams, or people who cannot climb stairs can move easily from a lower level to a higher level, like the ground to the school entrance.

Wheelchair

A chair fitted with wheels that helps a person who cannot walk to move around independently or with someone's help.

Disability

A condition where a part of the body or mind does not work the way it usually does, such as not being able to walk, see, or hear, which may need extra support like ramps or aids.

Headmaster

The teacher who is in charge of running the whole school and makes important decisions, such as building the ramp for Chuskit.

Inclusion

Making sure every child, regardless of any difficulty they face, gets an equal chance to study, play, and take part in school life alongside others.

How Chuskit Finally Started Going to School — Step by Step

1. Step 1: Chuskit stays at home — Because Chuskit cannot walk, she stays at home every day while other children like her cousin Tsering go to school. She feels lonely and wishes she could study too.
2. Step 2: She watches and dreams of learning — Chuskit watches other children going to school with their bags and books. She wants to read, write, and play with friends just like them.
3. Step 3: Tsering decides to help — Her cousin Tsering feels for her and decides to carry Chuskit on his back all the way to school so she does not miss the chance to learn.
4. Step 4: The school notices the real problem — When Chuskit reaches school, the headmaster and teachers realise the building has steps and no proper way for a wheelchair to reach the classroom.
5. Step 5: The school builds a ramp — To solve the problem permanently, the school constructs a ramp at the entrance so a wheelchair can move up easily without needing to be carried.
6. Step 6: Chuskit attends school regularly — With the ramp in place, Chuskit can come to school on her own wheelchair every day, sit with her classmates, and finally enjoy learning like she always wanted.

Connecting the Story to Real Life

• Example 1: Think about your own school or a public building near your home — does it have a ramp, a lift, or wide doors for someone using a wheelchair? If not, discuss with your teacher how children like Chuskit would feel trying to enter such a place, and suggest what simple change (like a ramp) could help.
• Example 2: Imagine a new student joins your class who cannot hear well and uses a hearing aid. Like the school in the story built a ramp for Chuskit, what small changes could your class make — such as sitting the student near the front, or facing them while speaking — so they feel included and can learn comfortably?
• Example 3: Chuskit's cousin Tsering helped her without being asked, simply because he cared. Recall a time when you or a friend helped someone who was finding something difficult (carrying a heavy bag, understanding a lesson, or playing a game). Write two sentences on how that help made a difference, similar to how Tsering's help changed Chuskit's life.

Common Mistakes and Exam Tips

Many students confuse who built the ramp — remember it is the SCHOOL (headmaster and teachers) that builds the ramp, not Chuskit's family. Also, do not say Chuskit 'could not study at all' — she wanted to study badly and eventually did attend school; the chapter shows a solution, not just a problem. When answering 'why couldn't Chuskit go to school earlier', always mention BOTH reasons together: her difficulty in walking AND the school having steps with no ramp — examiners look for the complete cause. Finally, in value-based questions, always connect your answer to kindness, sharing, or equal right to education, since this chapter is primarily about inclusion, not just about Ladakh's geography.

Practice Questions with Solutions

• Q: Why couldn't Chuskit go to school before her cousin started carrying her?
  A: Step 1: Recall that Chuskit cannot walk due to a problem with her legs.
  Step 2: Recall that the school building had steps and no ramp, so a wheelchair could not reach the classroom.
  Final answer: Chuskit could not go to school earlier because she could not walk and the school had no ramp or easy path for her wheelchair to reach the classroom.

• Q: How did Tsering help Chuskit reach school?
  A: Step 1: Tsering noticed that Chuskit wanted to study but could not walk to school.
  Step 2: He decided to personally carry her on his back every day to school so she would not miss her lessons.
  Final answer: Tsering carried Chuskit on his back to school so that she could attend classes with the other children.

• Q: What change did the school make so Chuskit could attend regularly, and why was it important?
  A: Step 1: The headmaster and teachers realised the school steps were a barrier for Chuskit's wheelchair.
  Step 2: They built a ramp — a sloped surface — at the school entrance.
  Step 3: This allowed Chuskit to move up to the classroom on her own wheelchair without needing to be carried every day.
  Final answer: The school built a ramp at the entrance, which was important because it let Chuskit reach her classroom independently and attend school regularly like other children.

• Q: What lesson does the story 'Chuskit Goes to School' teach us about children with disabilities?
  A: Step 1: The story shows Chuskit desperately wanting to study but being unable to due to her disability and an unfriendly school building.
  Step 2: It shows that with help from family (Tsering) and the school (the ramp), she was able to join school fully.
  Final answer: The story teaches that every child, including those with disabilities, has an equal right to education, and small efforts like building a ramp or helping a friend can remove barriers to learning.

• Q: Where does Chuskit live, and how does this place affect her daily life?
  A: Step 1: Chuskit lives in a village in Ladakh, a cold and mountainous region.
  Step 2: The mountainous terrain and lack of accessible infrastructure like ramps make it harder for a person using a wheelchair to move around, including reaching school.
  Final answer: Chuskit lives in a village in Ladakh; the hilly, cold terrain and the school's lack of a ramp made it difficult for her to travel and attend school until changes were made.

Frequently Asked Questions