Let me begin with a story from my school days. We had a teacher whom we fondly addressed as Amin Sir. He taught Arabic and Islamic Studies. Once he told our class that school years were the best years of our lives. Amin Sir argued that we as young students in school had no major worries in life. All we had to care about was studying, finishing our homework on time, and doing well in exams. The rest was taken care of by our parents and guardians who provided for us. Childhood was the best, and adulthood was laden with worries. Hence, we should make the most of our time while it lasts. In his opinion, we were living the dream!
We always trusted and valued the opinions of our beloved teachers, probably more than our parents. But this time, it was a little different. I distinctly remember that the class had a certain unease with Amin Sir’s assertion. This was evident in the half-giggles and the murmurs which went around as he put forth his case. The collective wisdom of the class seemed to be that Amin Sir was blissfully unaware of the infinite difficulties of our lives. Or worse, he refused to acknowledge them. After all, the ever impending homework that made our lives miserable was no joke. There was always too much of it. Then there was the perpetual curse of so many exams—class tests, unit tests, half-yearly exams, final exams, golden tests, board exams, and so on. These were the numerous swords of Damocles hanging above our tiny heads ,which did not let us have a good time that we deserved.
We wanted to grow out of school as soon as possible and move on to the greener pastures of higher secondary schools and colleges. The lives of our seniors trotting around in fashionable t-shirts, jeans, and long-boots seemed way cooler than the daily monotony of wearing dull white-and-grey uniforms along with black Liberty shoes. We longed for the liberation of adulthood!
I imagine that young students who are in school these days would largely agree with the collective sentiment of my class back in time. Of course, with twists and modifications of their own. But I risk presuming no major contradiction. However, with the benefit of hindsight, and the privilege of sermonizing that comes with age, I seek to propose a somewhat ironic U-turn. I must admit that I now fully agree with Amin Sir’s primary assertion—school days are inarguably the best days of life. They are most carefree and fun. The grass is not so green on the other side of boring uniforms. Nowadays, whenever I get to talk to my classmates from school, we endlessly reminisce about the marvel that was our school days.
Let me assert here that my U-turn is no betrayal of the collective cause of students so dear to me back in time. Or merely a result of growing older, and the consequent myopia-inducing nostalgia of the times past. I take this opportunity to also briefly highlight some concerns of the now-other-side, with the added benefit of retrospective knowledge. I hope this finds some resonance among students and teachers alike. I am also aware that things vary widely from school to school, and place to place. My own education was in a rather well-known private school in Srinagar from where I passed out way back in 2002.There, the level of education was pretty good for its time and I am very fortunate to have had that experience. But there were also structural challenges that I think remain similar to many other contexts, thanks in part to the enigmatic JKBOSE. Moreover, while I sincerely hope that things everywhere have changed for the better, I also remain skeptical. We are speaking about Kashmir—a place which has almost become a tragic synonym for the status quo. So, allow me to generalize to make my argument.
A major reason that made learning at school a chore was the manner in which we were expected to retain what we studied. The system was massively tilted in favour of one big culprit—rote learning. Remembering the exact sentences and passages that we copied as answers to given questions in our homework notebooks, and reproducing them word by word on exam-sheets was key to getting higher marks. Marks in turn determined our place on the class register. The higher percentages led to a lesser number in the roll calls, which was supposed to indicate our merit, intelligence, worth, and so on. All this fixed us in a hierarchy, which also allowed favours for some and biases for others. Often, this led to a not-so-healthy competition. Such a system had its own twisted logic. But honestly, we could do way better.
We need to think of various processes of learning in schools as means to improving students’ understandings. We must not treat them merely as means towards passing exams, or for that matter ends in themselves. Knowledge must be the goal, not mugging up endless facts and information. Instead of burdening students with monotonous home assignments, or exams that expect rote learning, we must adopt practices that allow them to think with ideas and concepts. They must be encouraged to develop analytical skills and make their own interpretations. We need to move beyond expectations that impose a factory-like homogeneity and instead inculcate processes which are attentive to the development of varied talents of individual students. Rather than fixing them in hierarchies, they must be encouraged to have confidence in their unique abilities. Every student is special in their own way. Schools must be welcoming spaces to hone talents, not threatening places that kill creativity.
Also Read: CHASING THE LAMBORGHINI OF CHICKENS
Amin Sir’s assertion about school days is absolutely right. But much conceptual and practical work needs to be done to make students agree instantly.
Advertisement
