NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Poem Chapter 2 An Elementary School Classroom In A Slum

Author at PW

October 03, 2025

An Elementary School Classroom In A Slum: Class 12 is a very important year for every student. The marks scored in Class 12 help in choosing a good college or course later. That is why students try to study every chapter well. English is one subject where understanding the poem and its message is very important. Poem 2, An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum is one such chapter from the Class 12 English Flamingo book.

This poem talks about the life of poor children in slums and how they need better care and education. Sometimes, students find it difficult to understand the poem fully or answer the questions in exams. In such cases, NCERT Solutions can really help. These an elementary school classroom in a slum questions and answers are written in very simple language. They help students understand the poem better and prepare for the exams easily. Check out the NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Poem 2 An Elementary School Classroom In A Slum from the below article.

Check Out: CBSE Class 12th Books

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Poem 2

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 (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 (c) The stunted, unlucky heir of twisted bones means The boy (i) has an inherited disability (ii) was short and bony (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 (e) The children’s faces are compared to ‘rootless weeds’ This means they (i) are insecure (ii) are ill-fed (iii) are wasters

Answer:

(a) (i) is ill and exhausted (b) (ii) thin, hungry and weak (c) (i) has an inherited disability (d) (i) full of hope in the future (e) (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?

Answer: The colour of ‘sour cream’ is white. This expression used by the poet explains the aspect of decaying. The colour deterioration of the walls of the classroom indicates the pathetic situation of the scholars’ life and the students of the school in the slum.

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?

Answer: The pictures which decorate the walls of the classroom hold a sharp contrast with the world of these poverty-stricken, underfed, slum children who live in cramped, dark holes. These obstacles hamper their mental and physical growth. The pictures present on the classroom walls indicate well-being, beauty, prosperity and progress – warmth of love and a world of sunshine. But the world in which these slum children live is ugly and without prosperity.

4. What does the poet want for the children of the slums? How can their lives be made to change?

Answer: The poet wants the people having authority to understand their responsibility towards the children who live in the slum. All kinds of class inequalities and social injustice should be put to an end by the elimination of obstacles which confine the slum children to their filthy and ugly surroundings. Let them freely learn and express themselves. They will then share the success of prosperity and progress, and their lives will change forever.CBSE Sample paper Class 12

Before you Read

1. Have you ever visited or seen an elementary school in a slum? What does it look like?

Answer: Yes, I have visited a slum school before. It was a government school on the outskirts of the city. We went there for volunteer work with the NGO I was working with. The school was not in the best possible state.

The plaster was off, and it was not properly maintained. It was devoid of basic amenities such as clean drinking water and washrooms. There were just a few rooms and had children of varied age groups in each. Some of the windows were broken and kids were not that interested in studies. Some kids had proper uniforms while others had them torn or worn off. The staff even was uninterested in instructing the kids and their well-being. So, the experience was quite disturbing.

Check Out: Class 12th Question Banks

Summary of Poem 2: An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum (Very Simple Words)

This poem is written by Stephen Spender. He talks about the poor condition of children who study in a school in a slum area. The poet visits this classroom and feels very sad after seeing the children and their classroom.

The classroom is not bright or happy. It is dark and small. The walls have old pictures and maps, but they do not mean anything to the students. These children are very thin, weak and tired. Some children are very quiet. One boy is sitting alone in a corner. Another child’s eyes are like a rat’s, full of fear. They do not have clean clothes or enough food. Their hair is rough, and their faces are dull.

The poet says that these children have no real dreams or hope because they live in a world of poverty and pain. The books, maps and pictures on the walls talk about the outside world, but the children have never seen such a world. They do not get any real help or support. Their lives are full of struggles.

The poet says that the government, rich people, and educated leaders must do something to help these children. They should break the walls of the classroom and take the children out into the open world. Only then can these children learn properly and have a bright future. Education is the only way to give them a better life.

Also Check, Class 12th Sample Papers