The newspapers today carried
an interesting ad, an interview with the director of a new school to be set up not far from Bombay.The information was in some ways heartening but there was a part of it which was also, a bit disquieting. The principal came across like a modern person,
a progressive woman, with the right ideas about schooling and what the purpose of
education should be.
“Teaching kids how to live,
not just survive” says the caption while the piece is accompanied by a photograph of the rather amiable looking woman who will be heading IFF, "India’s First Foundation", a venture which claims to look
far beyond conventional academics. For a start, the kids will not be toting
school bags around, they will be living in lush green surroundings,they will
not be pressured into trying to achieve unrealistic goals. Grandparents will be
invited to stay in the guest houses on campus. Sounds like a dream? But then
further down the line, Dr. Vijayam Ravi says, “You know, the important thing
is, we’ll be churning out truly global citizens – born, brought up and made in India…”
Churning out? Made in India? Dr Ravi announces that the school will even offer subjects like “The art of listening”. When I “listen”, truly, to what is being
said here, this question sneaks into my mind. How anyone can even think of
churning out human beings, global citizens or not. Obviously spoken in a
careless moment, the words give away a kind of attitude which sharply contrasts
with the mentioned goals. Is it that even those of us who genuinely mean well
end up being influenced by the assembly line nature of today's world?
By gross materialistic ambitions, which guide even the so-called
world of spirituality. (Perhaps especially the spiritual arena!)
But then I don’t want to
nitpick. In general the venture sounds good. Maybe what Dr. Ravi needs to
do is to herself take part in the art of listening course which in turn will help her to express her thoughts better. Listening and communication are anyway areas whose
importance we have to recognise if we are to change anything in the world.
Speaking about schools which
are “different” – a whole lot of elitist institutions have mushroomed in the
city, all of whom charge phenomenal fees. Maybe money is what makes them
different. As far as civic sense, sensitivity to other people, and true
intelligence goes there is something lacking. A school bus, proudly sporting the name of one of these top notch schools, was seen picking up a teenage boy from the bus stop. The
boy who had just unwrapped a bar of candy, stuck the candy into his mouth,
tossed the wrapper onto the street and stepped on to the bus which drove off.
We ordinary citizens who studied in the most plebeian schools and came out with
considerably more civic sense are wondering what these elitist schools are out
to teach the kids anyway.
Uma
Schools give me the jitters ... sometimes i wonder at what really happens to young hearts and minds in these behind-the-doors rooms. The stories that my children tell makes me wonder at what kind of clones are being churned out.
And the alternatives ...? they seem to be modelled on the same old base. So how long before it degenerates ? Somehow i feel the basic premise of education needs to change. It will, no doubt about it. With the kind of advances that are being made in technology, education has already undergone a massive change, with children using the internet more and more.
The solution will come when the teachers, administrators, policy makers of schools will come from the younger generation ... the older generation with its catatonic ideas will have to go and the fresh lot will bring fresh methods.
Waiting to see it happen... though of course i might be gone, since i too am from the older generation
radha
Posted by: radha | Sunday, July 12, 2009 at 09:39 AM