iRADiX

“Sir, will you please fall in line”, the admonition that I was handed out at my son’s school 12 years ago as I stood in line  (or not so much in line) to pay the Kindergarten fee still lingers fresh in my memory. And, just a few days ago was the passing out day for the batch of 2007 where the Vice- Captain of the school with immaculate deliverance said adieu to the school on behalf of her batch-mates, one of whom was my son.

These 12 years, have on several occasions, brought me to the school for reasons pleasant or unpleasant and have, on many occasions, helped me relive my own childhood and schooldays.

The one thing that has impressed and awed me year after year – open day after open day, in the kindergarten, junior school or high school is the care and concern of the teachers for their “children” and their dedication and commitment to the good all-round performance of their students.

Not surprisingly, they never referred to the student as “student” – it was always “this child” – that in it self set the tone for intimate bond between the teacher and the taught. It was not surprising therefore that almost every single teacher, whether it was the “class teacher” or a “subject teacher” almost always knew the child inside out – not just the academic performance, but even small nuances as talking and eating habits and characteristic behaviour patterns. The other facet that caught my attention, year after year, was the amount of effort and time the teachers put in for the “Christmas Concert” an annual extravaganza in which every child in the school participated.

The Open days – there were three each year – were great fun. I keenly looked forward to them and have attended almost all of them. Open days were also a veritable GS Alumni reunion – there were so many GS parents  that we could have had out Alumni meets at school open days.

Even as I am in awe the school and especially the teachers, my son has very little good to say about the whole thing. All that he cared about was how rowdy his infamous X-D was and how their class “showed” the Principal by doing very well at the boards. He also remembers what great fun they had hassling teachers and the football games during the breaks.

What did the school make of my son? They provided every opportunity for academic and extra curricular activities. They taught him how to good this , good that… they taught him environmental education and how to be a useful member of society. They also taught the structure of the neuron and four pages on the menstrual cycle…all in standard IX. He was made half doctor, half engineer, half geologist .. half everything.

And what does my son think of all this ?– “Oh !Dad” he says utterly bored -  all this is a whole lot of B***S****.

“How typical of these kids” you will say! At that age they scarce realsie the value of what they have learnt; what they owe their teachers, how they will never be able to repay the hours of labour the teachers poured on them ,, to make them learn how to wrote A, spell Bee all the way up to ‘Zee’ and how proud they felt when their ‘children’ did well at the boards.

And when he grows old and it is time for him to go back to school with his child, he will, I am sure,. as I always did , say” Son, school days were the best days of my life .. have fun”