Poor children in rural communities in India work during the day tending animals and collecting water. To educate these children, the Barefoot College has established over 250 Night Schools.  Instruction in the Night Schools is informal and focused on practical knowledge. Since most children tend cattle, they learn animal husbandry along with reading and math. They are provided with booklets which they take with them while tending cattle during the day. Children monitor their own schools by electing student representatives to the Children's Parliament. The Children's Parliament controls and supervises the Night Schools. Giving power to the individuals who have a vested interest in the school is the best way of ensuring its success -- as well as educating the children in political processes. This form of education-related activism provides a heightened awareness of the political system and its workings..