MY SON'S SCHOOLING

My son’s schooling:

Finding a good school for my son seems to be a huge problem. I had apprehended this much earlier though. I came to West Bengal in the year 2001 and started working as a lecturer in English in the Teachers’ Training Section of a college. For the first time in my life I was told that getting a B. Ed degree serves no purpose in improving teaching apart from the fact that increments of in-service teachers are not stopped and is treated as a minimum qualification for becoming a headmaster of an institution. I had tried to analyze the problem and my findings were that in majority if not in all teachers’ training college basic teaching skills are not taught. I had tried almost in vain with the trainee teachers. Only a very few learnt and may be most of them would never use those skills in their life time again. And I had only around ten trainees or so in my group apart from the ones offering English. What ails me is that all the schools around at least in Cooch Behar, barring those affiliated to the C.B.S.E., teach only reading and writing – loud reading only and other key skills are also ignored. Cramming is only encouraged. They take pleasure in the fact that ‘they teach so much’ ‘which other schools fail to’. Guardians would have been happier had their wards been given more. They are also burdened with home assignments, at times also under pressure from guardians. There no time for other activities which may be called ‘man making activities’. Confused, I started looking for a school which might tax my child a little less and involve him in games and other activities. I also wanted him to be able to mix with others, an opportunity which I was unable to provide him at home. I, initially, tried a local vernacular medium school in our own locality. This was basically to make him mix with people. But to my horror there was not even enough room for children to move about. No games absolutely – only ‘studies’. No wonder, my son wailed, kicked, vomited and nearly fell sick. Ultimately we had to stop sending him to school. We waited for a year till he was 3⁺. We had two options – one under military control and another, a missionary school. I opted for the former and was immediately happy with the environment. My son for the first time in his life ventured on his own to play in the swing and refused to return. But what were told was that at his age he would be admitted to three classed below Class I. I was not interested. There was also no Bengali. In the other school I was happy as the Principal told me that there was no class at least for three months in Lower KG level. First one year was not at all to my liking. The first day when I took my son to school I made the mistake of waiting outside the school gates. The students of his class were allowed outside for sometime and teachers tried to amuse them with balls. My son came near the gate and saw me. He yelled and wailed - literally howled pleading with me to take him away. It was really difficult for me to hold my tears. He fell down on the floor and from the small opening beneath the gate, trying to come out through the small opening at the bottom., somehow managed to get hold of one of my shoes with one hand and pleaded with me to take him away. I bent down to reach, patted his cheeks and told him that I wouldn’t be allowed inside. I requested the governess, who was with hearing distance, to take him away. She did once but he returned again. And again he was lying on the floor. Other guardians literally pushed me away trying to force me leave. I remained though at a distance from where I could see him but he couldn’t see me. It was really traumatic for both of us. I’ll never forget that day. When returned home he shared his experience with us. He was extremely unhappy for the fact that I was not allowed inside. For nearly a year he would start vomiting at the slightest hint of going to school. He would however, wouldn’t mind going to school at other timings. He is settled now. He is presently in Class I. But I am extremely unhappy at the fact that he is over-burdened and there is no time for him to play and learn other things. I am not happy at the quality of teaching either. He is in Class IV now (2012). Class IV onwards the students have to attend classes in the the High School building - a little far away from the junior school building. But the ghost of the first year reappeared. It was a huge problem sending him to school. It took at least a week for him to settle down.