Elitist - A small group of powerful people (Webster's definition).
This is how a lot of schools these days describe themselves in India. NDTV showed a mother's tales of woes while she tried for admisssion into schools for her 3 year old child. One of the schools apparently asked the child to identify the names of cars !!!!!!!!!!
After all these gruelling process once you get the child into school, be prepared for the weeding process - if you think I am referring to the garden in the school - you are mistaken. Children who are borderline performers, who are mischievous, playful etc will be asked to leave under a number of pretexts - most common among them being cultural incompatability, child not being able to cope with the stress of studying, disrupting class activities and impacting other children, or with a veiled threat I can give a TC for misconduct etc. If you dig into specifics, one will be amused since incidents these schools quote would be so trivial and definitely not life threatening to either the child in question or to anyone in the environment :)-
If a parent is lucky the weeding will happen in class 7 or it can happen in class 9. If the child is from class 9, God help the parents and child. No other school will touch this kid and the future is more or less sealed for the kid. Rich and famous parents will find alternatives and middle class parents will either drive the kid to killing herself/himself or if they are lucky, will find some institution that will take the child in for a vocational course or something else.
Then comes the nightmare of board exams - dont want to get into the gory details of this totally ineffective and inefficient process that destroys hapless parents and children alike.
One needs to be an elite or kids need to act like mini adults from the age of 2 to complete the tortorous process of schooling.
Where are the teachers and schools that could take everything that a child does as a process of growing and dealt with humaneness and sense of humor. I remember my friend giving a nick name to my teacher and the teacher laughing with us for the name given to her. In today's world it will result in instant dismissal of the child from school.
The entire system appears to be a conspiracy to end childhood at the earliest. The sooner childhood ends it is better for the person and the parents - sadly that is the reality.
Wish I could do something to let childhood exist for everyone for however long they wish for it to be so.
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7 comments:
So sad, and so true. This is the topmost on the list of things I want to change, if I could change things in India. And our schooling system is the main reason why our children have no childhood anymore.
very true Paavai. Today'schooling is grueling and stressful for children.
But atleast I am happy that physical abuses have gone off.
Children need to enjoy Schooling. My daughter is enjoying at the moment but we are scared that she might find stressful when we return to India and might be left far behind as well.
I'm thinking there's should be entrance exams for babies in the womb. To enter into this world..
Nothing in specific.. jus feelin wicked generally!
knock knock
Perfectly valid and very powerful words indeed. I hope some skool hears these... atrocious schools are accentuating in India. However, competition is what sustains Indians and fostering competition is ok, but not screwing children's lives. A lot of great people are school drop outs!
Random Access
The search has just begun !!!
Usha - I agree , we rob children of their childhood in the name of education
Dubukku - Hope this post has not scared you. Things will change by the time your kids grow up hopefully.
Vinesh - Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Dont say this loudly teachers will start working on the question paper
Mahadevan - If you speak tamil - have you heard of kokku thalayil vennai - parents are expected to partner - which means school will not take total responsibility for anything for a child starting from academics to personality development
random access - i would like to make a copy of this and send it via emails to all schools and ask for their thoughts
Good idea... Schools are supposed to make us think, but maybe we shud make them think rationally...
Random Access
The search has just begun !!!
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