Don’t appear this year- part (1)

School life is synonymous to fun, frolic, joy and enjoyment for everyone-isn’t it? For majority it is and for us it fortunately was. Now that I am done with graduation and doing a job, which keeps me hooked. If I will ever get a chance to fulfil my one wish, trust me…I would prefer going jumping back and relive my school life.  We had a group of nine and we were the most notorious gang in our class. No matter what, we would find our own ways and means to pass a snuff smile and teachers would always find their ways to purloin our smileys in PTM’s, but who cares? We would get back to our track, soon after weekends were over.  

Usually, everyone await weekends to enjoy, but we were a bit different, we would hate weekends. We were not allowed to step out and were made to study all day long, a big thanks to Mrs. Asha Goswami, who would taunt us saying…ask your parents not to pay this month’s fee. After all, their hard earned money is going down the drain.  But luckily, we were not those who not study or do not score well, but yes, none of us could pretend sitting silently in the class. She is one of those teachers of schools in India especially in public schools in Noida and Delhi who can make students cry with her sarcasm, but simultaneously make students excel in the long run. To put it frankly, we were not extraordinary, but we were not fools as well. Each one of us knew how much efforts our parents are putting in and have enrolled in NGFS, one of the highly rated schools in India. 

Rooting out Rote learning from the Education System!

How does it feel to be one of those students who constantly bears the brunt of abysmally poor quality of education- education that glorifies rote learning when in all its might, it should promote root learning? Definitely not good, yeah? 

Schools in India- public, private or boarding, have swords of fangled and shoddy education dangling over their heads. You would often come across several schools in the posh locations of Delhi-like the public schools in Noida or Gurgaon that would brag about their impeccable educational facilities. No matter how brilliant a school is in terms of its infrastructure or faculty, unless the deeply entrenched mediocre education system is pulled out of shambles of mediocrity, no best boarding school or public school in India can do much good to the youth. 

The most glaring aspect of the Indian education system is that it accentuates the students’ power to memorize rather than concentrating on the power to comprehend. The basics are often shoved off at the back bench and what prevails is the term called ‘cramming’. Intelligence is ruthlessly associated with gaining top marks in schools and colleges; whether the student understands the roots of the concepts, well the very thought is chucked away in a bin. 

Boarding or residential schools in India are garnering laurels for promoting practical education-the one that focuses on the very crux of concepts. Students in boarding schools are often taught to deal with real life situations – inside, as well as outside the classrooms. Yet, a great schooling system in India remains a shard in the oblivion. 

A lot needs to be done to uproot Indian education from the threatening shackles of rote learning. The entire curriculum needs to be analyzed, re-analyzed and re-structured to form a coherent and a more endearing system of learning. One that would rather test students on their I-Q levels, than on M( Memorizing)-Q levels.

Encourage hobbies, even the unusual ones!

With changing times the sternness in academic structures has mellowed down. The contemporary schools promote holistic growth rather than theoretical knowledge. Even parents understand the importance of excelling in multiple fields than just scoring good grades. This has encouraged learning and growth of multiple aspects of students’ personality.

However, even as the sentiment is shifting, children are still restricted with a closed box of options. Think ahead of studies and all you would come up with is sports or music and dance at the most. However, residential schools in India know better than this and promote unrestrained learning at their campuses. Few unconventional subjects like fine arts, sculpting, photograph, etc. are now introduced at some selective institutes.

However, the parents are still sceptical when it comes to encouraging unconventional hobbies. A child showing innate interest in art will be appreciated only till the time he keeps it as a hobby. As it begins to supersede other activities, the hobby becomes a hindrance. But the experts at a boarding school India disagree. Most experts in the education sector are of the view that diverse hobbies are a sign that your child has received good education, as an open mind and exposure is necessary for them to appreciate unusual skills. 

Choose a residential schools in India that gives that to your child instead of bookish knowledge which is available from other resources as well. If you are sending your child away from home, his stay at the school should be worth that sacrifice. Academic knowledge that can be obtained at an average day school as well is not a good enough reason for this. Let him explore the world with exposure to international subjects and art forms. 

Encourage him to enrol in various extracurricular activities and participate in them to the fullest. If he shows even slightest interest in something creative and constructive, appreciate him to pursue it further as it will broaden his horizons and improve his personality.

The Best School quandary: Points to look

There is always a stereotype hinged to the best school being, well, actually the best in every aspect. There are certain pre-decided parameters that make up for that best school tag. Well, Schools in India are a big, big problem. I can say this because I, myself, have spent almost an eternity in a school that had the most-prestigious school label plastered to it, but ask me, it was rather a foolish tag. 

Most people, rather parents find themselves in deep pit while figuring out the right place to furnish and polish their kids’ skills. And all the schools proudly as well as ignorantly claim to be the Best school in India. Well, there is so more to it than just a label. Shoot a look at the following points:

The Brand Name: So there are schools that bask in the glory of the ‘renowned’ schools. But not everything lives up to its brand name. Not all DPS’ are brilliant, and finding out the right branch amongst the pile of various branches gets tricky. Trust the oldest one in the progeny; the newer ones are likely to be dominated by the Gen Y, and the older ones by sheer originality and excellence. 

Study the Students: Public schools in Noida a quick assessment of the faculty is surely one of the most major things on the to-do list. But, no finer glimpse can be provided by the students who have already reaped the benefits of its reign. Talk to the students and observe them-their social and academic aspects of their behavior. No better mirror exists than a student of the school itself!

Scrutinize the infrastructure: Okay, by infrastructure, I don’t necessarily mean the tall, bulky building with beautiful tiles and stuff. Scrutinize the interior. The washrooms, the sports room, the ground- everything. It might take a long time, and can end up being a frustrating affair. But trust me, it would reflect the actual stature of the school- whether it truly stands true to its best school image or not!

School Days- The Best Days of Our Lives

It’s a common, universal saying that school days are the best days of one’s life. And personally I couldn’t agree more. There is absolutely no denying that the school days are possibly the most carefree and hassle free days. You can be as worried as about your work (if there is any!) as you can worry about the color of your hair. You know that you have your parents at the pedestal, day and night to take care of your tiniest of worries.

Schools in India, or anywhere in the universe for that matter, are largely characterized with making a lot of friends, along with managing truckloads of subjects and assignments. Playing and frolicking with friends, blurting out things without having to worry about the consequences or repercussions, and being thoroughly and invariably genuine about every single thing without the other person making a scandal out of it, well, this all that weaves school life in a fabric of enchanting beauty.

Every other person proudly boasts their own school as the best boarding school. But I wonder if there is anything as best school that makes school life possibly the best in everything. Regardless of the school you belong to, there is always an undeniable and irrevocable respect that you will always have for it. The best school tag is as good as garbage when it comes to looking at the school life in a broader narrative.

Ruminating about future prospects doesn’t trouble you- The ceaseless speculations about a more fun filled and a less troubled life burst into reality with all the school stuff where the only thing you have to worry about is the homework submission the next day. Nothing less, nothing more.  Unmistakably and unquestioningly, school days are irreplaceable.