Children and youth
are very important stakeholders of the society which we often forget. Sometimes
we create such a
scenario and setup
at home/school/society that children are forced to withdraw themselves from
taking active participation in decision making processes. There are a number of
organizations and individuals who are working actively for long to address this
issue.
In this context,
DRCSC had organized this
one day event ‘Aamra Chai’ (We want…) on 26th March at Seva Kendra,Kolkata, with the
objectives of sharing ideas and experiences of children actively involved in
development process.
In the first half,
there were following sessions by the children
1. Village
development plan in Bhaliaghati, West Medinipur with participatory resource
appraisal method
2. Village
development plan in Mirzapur, Birbhum with participatory resource appraisal
method
3. Biodiversity
register of Fatulyapur, North 24 Parganas
4. Children as
change agent in Baduria, North 24 Parganas
5. Children
promoting ecological activity in Julko, West Medinipur
6. Children
promoting ecological agriculture in Bigha, Bardhaman
7. Protecting
child rights at Kajla, East Medinipur
8. Street to school
– experience of a slum child
9. Main streamed
from brick kiln – experience of a child
10. Voice of a
youth leader
11. Using film in
the classroom – teacher’s experience
12. An alternative
school – Children’s experience
13. School garden –
teacher’s experience
2
This was followed
by interactive sessions.
This interview is
taken from a 5 member panel with children which reveals the understanding of
the children on
aspects of
education at large, followed by a discussion with the audience. The panel discussion
was facilitated
by Anshuman Das
(Q – here, A is Audience). We tried to keep the dialogue intact.
Q] Did you have a
good lunch?
A] Yes (a few)
Q] Can’t hear
you.
A]
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssss.
Q] That’s better.
Now, we have 5 panelists here. They will tell us – what we want in the school,
what we want to study etc. Because, in most cases, we adults decide what YOU
want, we do not consult you. Since this morning, that is what we had been
endeavoring to - listening to you about your work – taking your suggestions –
so that WE can learn something from you. I am Anshuman, which you already know.
My role in this session will be to facilitate the process. Please introduce
yourself and your school or centre.
F] Firdous Ali
Paida from Madartala centre of DRCSC street to school programme.
AD] I am Aparna
Dhara from Lake Gardens.
S] I am Sania
Sultana from Dakkhin Chatra High School.
AN] Ador Naiya
from Shikshamitra.
T] Tridib
Bannerjee from Oriental Seminary.
3
Q] We have
selected you in a manner so that there are representatives from every type of
school. Like, Firdaus, unfortunately, he could not go to school, but he has
been recently taken back to education after a long gap. Tridib is from a
school, which is very famous, Oriental Seminary. Do you know, why it is so?
A] Tagore studied
here. (Audience)
Q] Right you are,
for how long?
A] 3 years?
A] 4 years?
(Audience)
Q] I don’t know,
I mean I cannot recall. But I know that he had such an experience that he never
went back to the school !
A] But he started
a school himself. (Audience)
Q] Why?
A] Because he
thought that school is necessary (Audience).
A] But not this
type of school (Audience).
Q] Oh! You are
making my job easy. I will come back to you on this. In our panel, there is
Ador who is studying in an alternative school named Shikshamitra. We have heard
about them in the morning session. And she is from a rural school, in a very
beautiful village, called Chatra. She is from a girl’s school near by. Now I
come to the question that she asked. Rabindranath did not like his school. But
do you like your school?
A] Yes (everyone
nodded).
Q] Why?
C] I have many
friends.
Q] and you?
F] Everyone from
my slum goes to school, I also was going to school. But I had to leave the
school because I had to work for my family. Now I have started going to school
again … I am liking it.
Q] Why?
(Silence)
T] I like to go
because I learn so many things in the school.
Q] I will ask you
what you learn from school – but now, let us finish this round.
AD] I do not like
my school, but I go to school.
Q] I don’t
understand.
AD] I go because,
I can meet friends, sometimes I like some classes.
4
Q] And you like
fuchka and alookabli in the school gate in the tiffin break?
A] I eat chips.
(Audience)
Q] I used to have
icecream at 10 paise! And you did not respond.
AN] I? I like
because Shikshamitra is my school.
Q] Ok fine, so
whether you like it or not, you go to school. All of us go to school.
A] All children
do not go to school. (Audience)
Q] You are right.
All children do not go to school. It’s unfortunate that in India, there are
number of children who don’t go to school. And the schools are unfortunate that
they miss those children. But now I will raise the next, question. Those who
are teachers here, don’t beat me up. Sometimes, I feel that do we at all need
to go to school? Those who did not go to school, they are happy enough.
F] But this is
not true. Most of the children who do not go to school, they are working, they
are not happy.
Q] But will they
be happy if they go to school?
S] At least they
do not have to do hard work as a child labour. In our area, there are children
who do hazardous work in recycling unit.
Q] But that is
illegal.
A] Who cares?
(Audience)
Q] Ok, let me
frame the question differently. Say, by choice, if someone doesn’t go to
school, is he going to miss something?
T] He will not be
able to learn many things. History… Geography…
Q] Hmmm… history.
Do you like history?
AD] No I do not,
I can’t remember so many things.
S] But it is
important. We need to know about freedom struggle. The great men.
Q] I have seen
many great men, whose names are not there in the history books. There was an
icecreamwala, who used to give free icecreams to us.
AD] That might
happen in your time, now that will not happen.
Q] We were
talking about history. Why do we study lives of great men? Because we want to
learn lessons from them which might help us in our life. Ooops! I responded to
the question. I was only supposed to ask!
T] You are right.
Q] What?
Responding to the question?
T] No no, you
responded perfectly to why we study great man’s life in history.
Q] Anyone wants
to add on to why we need to study history?
S] All names
written in the history are not necessarily of great men. There are villains
too.
Q] Right, but why
do we need to study history?
F] I do not find
much point, but sometimes I like the stories. There are many films and story
books on history, I
like those very
much.
S] Books are so
difficult.
AD] And very big.
Q] All books?
AD] Particularly
History books.
Q] So which
subject do you like most? Ador, you are not responding. I want to start from
you.
AN] You will
laugh, if I respond.
Q] Why?
AN] Because, I
would like to read only those things which I can teach to my children in
future.
Q] Well said
Ador, see they are laughing .. but they are also clapping. We liked what you
said. You said a very important thing. After that?
T] I like …. I
like … all.
Q] All?
T] You have to,
because, you need to study all.
Q] Still, if any
choice?
T] Hmmm… then
biology.
Q] You are trying
to please your biology teacher… because he is here!
T] No no no… not
like that, I like biology.
Q] I will ask you
later, why you like biology. But let us hear her favorite subject.
S] Bengali
AN] I like … I
like … I will respond later.
F] I like maths!
Q] Huh! Good. At
least someone likes maths. Why do you like maths?
F] Because it is
important to learn maths very well for your life.
5
Q] Audience,
please note that, I will come back again to Firdaus’s answer, ‘what is
important for your life’. Can I see hands raised for those who like maths? Woh!
So many!! I liked algebra, but in the initial stage I had problem in grabbing
the concept of algebra. But I had problems with arithmetic. I use to do
arithmetic by applying algebraic formulas . But I liked Geometry very much. You
want say something?
A] This is same
for me sir. But theorems are sometimes so similar, that I get confused.
A] But I have
never used those theorems in my life. (A senior person)
Q] Hmmm… now if
there is any maths teacher he will beat me after the programme is finished, you
all have to save us then! From the subject let us discuss about teachers. What
type of teachers you want?
S] I want
teachers who have sense of humour.
Q] Why sense of
humour?
S] We are so
afraid of teachers!
Q] Why? Do they
beat you?
S] No no… they
are so grumpy most of the time. They do not listen to you.
Q] There are
teachers here, who are listening to you for long, appreciated your work, and
you are saying that they do not listen to you?
S] They are
different. That’s why they came here. But if we do say something outside the
study, most of them do not listen.
F] Yes yes, my
request, teachers should not mind, if we pull their legs.
Q] How can that
be? You pull their leg and they will leave you?
AN] No, but
sometimes we might laugh in the class, and the teachers never join, they pull
our ears! Most of them are not friendly.
Q] Tridib you are
not saying anything? Are you afraid of your teacher? Debashisbabu, do not
listen to what he says.
T] No… teachers
are very important, they teach us, guide us.
Q] But some of
your friends sitting just beside you, were saying that teachers are not
friendly.
T] Teachers need
not be very friendly always. If you do something wrong, they have to guide you.
S] But friends
also can guide us.
T] No… but I am
saying that we know nothing, so they should guide us.
Q] You know
nothing? That I can not believe. How did you learn walking? How did you learn
eating? To play football? Who taught you?
AD] None, we
learned it on our own.
S] But, there are
many students in the class, who will control them?
Q] Police.
S] Police?!
Q] Yes, teacher’s
job is to teach and guide, you only have said that. Now you are adding one more
– control. Who would control you and your friends while playing football?
AN] None.
Q] So, do you
always fight? Don’t you have any rules while playing amongst friends? So if you
can have
discipline in
football ground, why can’t you have discipline in the class? So do we need a
teacher to control you? I am perhaps putting my thoughts in your mouth !
T] But who will
guide?
Q] Do not ask me!
I will not answer. My job is to ask. Ador, will you share something?
AN] Sometimes, we
do not have any teacher in our class. There are instruction card. Sometimes,
teachers gave us instruction in the beginning of the class. We do whatever is
written in the instruction cards. We do call teachers if we need their help.
Q] Your school is
a very special school, but I feel the same idea can be followed in the other
schools too. I know Loreto Sealdah used to follow the same principle, I don’t
know what they are doing now. I was trying to draw your attention to another
thing we mentioned earlier. Walking, running, cycling etc, the skills you have
learned on your own - you have learned better, and you never forgot. Ador is
talking about a system which is mostly a self learning system, where you don’t
need a teacher.
A] This is not
possible, then who will teach (Audience).
Q] You yourself.
Teachers will be there to help you. Seems you are not happy, but Ador has
shared a similar system. What is the opinion of other panelists?
AD] May be it can
be tried out. But if there is a teacher, who is friendly enough, there is no
harm.
S] Sometimes, we
read together with friends, I found that very helpful.
Q] Now, let us
discuss another issue. Say you had been given responsibility to design a
school. How will you do it?
T] It will be a
big 3 floored building.
6
Q] Do we need a
building for a school?
AD] Building is a
necessary, how do you do classes without building?
Q] There are
schools, primary centres, ICDS centres who don’t have BIG buildings as you are
suggesting.
F] That is
because they do not HAVE money or resources, they are poor.
Q] The oriental
seminary experience was so suffocating for Rabindranath, that later he built a
school, which has no wall, no roof - just under the tree. Or maximum a small
open hut. I studied in that school in Santiniketan. And I am proud of that ‘poor’
school.
A] But what
happens if there is rain.(Audience)
Q] Oh! Don’t ask
me questions, ask them. Have you ever been to Santiniketan? (3~4 hands.) It is
nearby, train travel is not so costly… try some time to be there. What else
will you have in the school?
AD] Computers.
Q] How many?
AD] 5.
Q] That’s all?
Anything else? Air condition?
F] No, I need big
windows, so that I can see outside.
S] And fans, we
do not have fan in our school- it is very difficult in summer.
Q] Do you have
fan in teacher’s room?
S] Yes.
A] I want to have
a school like our school. Big classroom, Less students, colourfull wall. (S)
Q] I like it that
you love your school so much. No one told anything about laboratories, toilets!
Do you have labs in your school? Oh! None of you? Ok. And what do you teach in
your dream school?
T] Bengali,
English, history, geography…
Q] Then how is
your school different from others?
T] Oh, it has to
be different?
S] We can do what
ever we feel like.
AD] Then we will
be taught whatever we need.
Q] What do we
need?
F] Computers.
Q] Ok, let me
help you. Which school taught you to climb a tree?
All] No one
Q] Which school
taught you to swim?
AN] Our school.
Q] No. I am not
talking about any alternative school. Any normal school?
All] None
Q] Ok. So tell me
which school taught you to see a Dictionary? No. I am not talking about any
alternative school or any centre. Which normal school teaches you to see a
Dictionary? Tell me the name of the school.
All] None
Q] Ok. What else?
Which school taught you to do your regular shopping and marketing?
S] Were taught in
our ‘home’ school, our home –
Q] So if we do
not get to learn all these in our school, what else do we learn? This is what
we do everyday. So what do you all think could be taught better in school? What
should be taught in school? Hmm… so everybody is thinking.
T] I think we
should study everything in school because you never know what helps us in
future.
Q] Hmm right…we
do not know when and what helps us. Ok. What else? What do you all think should
be taught in school?
AN] Sir I think a
child who aspires to be a doctor in future knows that he has to study science
properly. Similarly, a child who aspires to be psychologist in future should
also get the opportunity to study a little bit of psychology with the other
science subjects in school.
Q] So you are
saying that a little bit of everything should be taught in the school. Ok. What
else?
A] I want to say
that the syllabus in the school should depend upon the desire of the students
as well as the teacher. I am saying this because what the students want to
learn is important, it is not always that all students
want to learn the
same things, it varies from student to student, and so the teaching department
should be
divided
accordingly. It is not such that every child wants to study in the same way;
some are good with games. It
is not that only
education can change a man’s life. I think it will be best if the teachers sit
with the students, ask
them what they
want to study and moreover if the teachers can observe a child and find out the
subject or the
matter he/she is
interested in and guide him/her accordingly. I think only if a child is trained
in what he/she is
interested in;
only then quality education will be achieved. (from the audience, a girl of age
16~17).
7
Q] She is saying
that a child should learn whatever he/she is interested in. If, I like doing
Maths, I will do Maths,
but if I do not
like it I will not learn it. Yah, some one else is saying something from there.
A] You are saying
that we would learn whatever we want to, but how will that be possible? If we
do not study
properly in
school, what job are we going to get? What are we going to eat? How do we earn
our living? We
need to study
maths, science and some other subjects also in order to get a job, earn our
living. (from the
audience)
Q] Good. He is
raising one question. What do we get to eat?
AD] I want to ask
something to that Didi in the audience.
Q] Yah proceed.
S] You said the
children should learn whatever they want to, like if I want to study Maths, I
will study Maths and
if I want to
study English, I will study English. But if I keep on studying whatever I want
to, then how will I pass?
How will I be promoted
to the next class? And if I want to study like this, then what is the need of
going to the
school? We can
study at home. So what do you think should we go to school or sit back home?
Q] Good. 2
questions have come up from here, both of which are very important. But there
is another comment
from here. Yah,
tell me?
A] I want to say
that when a teacher is teaching something within the class, it would be better
if he matches up
his teaching with
its practicability, because then only a learning can be made logical, otherwise
not.
Q] Ok. So now we
can discuss the 2 important questions that have come up from here. One is – he
is saying
that if we do not
get any degree, what do earn? How do we get a get a job? But my question is do
we really
need a degree to
get a job? As far as I know, in India at least 60% people do not have any
degree. So aren’t
they getting
anything to eat? Are they still starving? So this is one question. Another
question is - she is saying
that if we do not
study in regular school method, we shall not be promoted from one class to the
other. What is
the need to be
promoted? Do you really need to pass? The same question of degree is coming up
here.
S] If we do not
pass, then how do we learn everything? When we are in Class I, we learnt A, B,
C etc and then
in the next class
we learn something more.
Q] Then how does
our school remain different from the others?
S] But if want to
learn more, we have to go up from one standard to the other. If we restrict
ourselves by learning
only one thing,
then the other matters will remain unknown to us.
Q] Hmm true. That
is another question. We will discuss this again in future. Now we will go to
the last question,
as we have to end
up soon. Many teachers at present, apart from teaching in schools do private
teaching at
home, although
this is illegal. So now we would like to hear some of the opinions about this
from you. Is it
necessary or not?
Say whatever you feel like.
S] Is the one who
teaches us in school and the one giving private tuition the same person?
Q] The same sir
might teach you at home, but I am spending 8 hrs in school and then do I need
to rush for
private tuitions
after school? Then my question is - what is the need of going to school at all?
We can directly go
for only private
tuitions.
T] Actually some
people say its necessary and some say it is not.
Q] No. you talk
about yourself.
T] Yes. I am
talking about myself also. Let’s say, in my class, when a specific topic is
taught, I may not
understand it,
but whenever a teacher starts asking if we understood it or not, I say yes.
This is mostly because I
feel ashamed to
say that I did not understand whatever she has taught, which my friends did. So
back home, if I
go for private
tuitions, only then I am able to learn the topic well. It is only then taking
private tuitions make
sense, because we
are taking private tuitions only to understand a matter well, which we could
not understand
in school.
AD] I think when
something is taught in the class, we need to follow that well, and then if we
revise it once more
when we are back
home, then we do not need to take any tuitions for that.
Q] But let me ask
you one question. Tell me if a teacher is teaching something in the class, is
it the responsibility
of the child to
understand it, or the teacher should make him understand? Whose responsibility
is it?
S] If Sir is
teaching something, the students should also try to grab according to their
capacity and revise it again
at home.
AD] Both of them
bear the same responsibility. Teacher should make the effort of teaching
properly, but the
students’
responsibility is also to pay attention and try to understand fully what the
teacher is teaching.
Q] Ok. Anyone
else want to say something?
S] Even I would
say that in a class, it is the teacher’s responsibility to make us understand
everything, and we
should also ask
the teacher again and again if we do not understand anything. But what happens
within a class,
generally, is
that, if we do not understand anything and ask the teacher, then most of the
time teacher says we
are not listening
properly, we are not studying and so our guardians will be called. But if we
don’t understand
anything, it is
not our fault, and if the teacher constantly tells us that we are not studying,
we are going no where
8
(gollay jachho),
so then we stop asking anything in class and go to a private teacher for
learning the subject
well.
AN] I want to say
something. The school where I have studied, i.e. the Sikshamitra School, is a
bit different from
others. We have 5
children in our class, now actually we are 3 of us. Here if something is taught
in class, the
teacher asks if
we have understood the subject or not. Initially we were scared, but if we tell
her that we did not
understand what
she was teaching, she would say “why didn’t you ask me before? If you do not
understand
anything, then
always ask me, otherwise you will not be able to go beyond this.” Moreover
whatever is taught in
class, if we go
through that once again when we are back home, then our job will be done. We
also do the
homework that is
given to us.
Q] You want to
say something?
F] I want to say
that we, the poor children, are trying very hard to go to school and study. It
is not always
possible for us
to go for any private tuitions as most of the time we have to strive for money.
So it is our duty to
work hard and try
to learn everything that is taught in school and practice at home. But if at we
fail to understand
anything, we have
to ask about it again and again for understanding the matter well.
Q] Does anyone
else want to say something?
A] Yes I want to
say something.
Q] For now we are
going to take one question from here and one from there. And no more questions.
A] Two of my
younger brothers are sitting there. I want to ask them one question. You are
saying that you don’t
need private
tuition. But I want to ask you that when you reach the Graduation level, don’t
you think that even if
you attend
regular classes, private tuitions would be needed to upgrade yourself? In
junior classes homework
and revising
might help, but when you at a higher level, private tuitions become very
important for better results.
Q] They haven’t
reached that stage. So there is no point asking this question to them. Can we
reserve this
question for
future? Yes. One more question. This would be the last one.
A] In some
schools, there are small numbers of students, but in some others, the student
pressure is too high. It
is very difficult
for the teacher to attend individual student and solve their problems. But
there the role of the
student is very
important. If any student thinks that he knows everything – he doesn’t go to
the class teacher. He
goes to private
tuition to know more.
Q] Well, the
logic is not very clear to me!
A] I don’t know
about the current situation, but I can say about our time. I have passed my
college and university
long before. I
never had to take any tuition in my college days. Consciously or unconsciously,
during our time,
we did not need
any tuition for doing our studies.
A] While in
college we take up the subject we want to. Why would you have to take tuition
for the subject you
love, you will
anyways study it on your own. Moreover the friends are there for notes and idea
exchange and the
understanding
capability of a student also increases by the time he/she is in college.
Q] I think we can
stop the panel discussion here if anyone else does not have anything else to
say or suggest.
A] I was
listening till now that many children were saying that they can not remember
everything that is taught to
them in class.
Actually studying in school is not supposed to be like this. If one gets the
opportunity to do
practically what
has been taught to him, then the student will not forget anything and this will
come to his help
some day or the
other. I can say this from my own experience. I have learnt many new things in
life while
working. If we do
not get anything to work out, then we can not even learn for e.g.
Simplification. Teachers go
through a long
process teaching this and the children at times find out the simplest method of
understanding it.
Naturally most
children find it difficult to understand and use simplification in the long
run. So we need to
practise
everything that we learn theoretically. The problem is that – a syllabus and a
time frame has been given
to us, and we are
forced to learn everything within that time. 15-18 years is the time period.
This is supposed to
be the learning
time and rest of the life is to work that out. We have to come across these
bindings. The things
that we gather
within 18 years of age might help us in future for acquiring a job, but that
can never be called as
a true learning.
(from the audience.)
Q] So let us stop
the session here.
A] Sir, I was
raising my hand since long.
Q] Ok. Then put
your point forward in the next session. We are stopping this session here. Just
one thing to say;
we do not go to
school for learning. We go to school for passing from one standard to the
other, from Class – VI
to Class VII,
Class VII – Class VIII. Actually this is my personal view, but I truly think
that that we don’t go to
school for
learning anything new, we study in Class VI because we have to give the final
exam of Class VI and
move to Class
VII. Anyways thanks to all of you who had participated in this session. Some
one please come
from the audience
and handover the prize to the participants. So now that we have spoken so much
about what
we want and what
we don’t, I would like to request Malini to come over here and reach to some
conclusions
through
discussion about today’s topic.
9
Last session by
Malini Mukherjee (Q), the answer is mostly from the audience.
Q] I am Malini.
And Shahjahan, to talk in front of so many people, its not only your knees but
my knees shake
too. Even I get
scared. Here many of you have come and said a lot of good things. I was
noticing those who
came up here.
They were so good in whatever they said, that I got more scared. I was thinking
all through that I
can not speak as
good as you, and moreover you can say that I am linguistically challenged. So
from now
onwards I will
speak to you sometimes in English and sometimes in Bengali. Ok, so now tell me
who all have
not spoken till
now, the ones who did not get the opportunity to speak, like me. Raise your
hands. All of you
have spoken? You
didn’t? Ok, so from now on we’ll speak. We will discuss everything’ like what
you like, what
you don’t, what
you had written in the chart paper at the back, what you all want etc. But
first of all we’ll do one
thing. We will
fight verbally. Tell me who all can fight well? I can fight really well. I
heard some of you are doing
resource mapping
and to do that you all are having discussions with the Panchayet members also.
Somewhere
the Panchayet
members are vehemently opposing this idea of resource mapping; there you have
to fight with
them in order to
make them accept your planning. So I know that some of you can give a tough
fight today. But
today you have to
fight with me. In the morning when I was coming here, I had made up my mind
that I need to
come to terms
with you all regarding some matters. And that is mostly because I am a teacher.
No, I am not a
teacher in the
strict sense of the term but, at present, the kind of work that I do has a
direct connection to what
the teachers. So
naturally I can understand what kind of problems a teacher undergoes in order
to teach
properly. And now
I will tell you about those problems faced by a teacher and you will have to
defend yourself
and prove, by
fighting, that whatever I am saying is right or wrong. The teachers present
here please raise your
hands. The
teachers are on my side. Ok, my first point of fight is that – what is this
learning all about? Some of
you are doing
kitchen garden, some are drawing village maps, some are finding out local
ecological problems.
But tell me one
thing - is there anything of this sort in our govt. or private school text
books? Do we get to know
from these text
books what a kingfisher eats, what is the food habit of an ant? No. then why do
we learn this?
A] I know we do
not have anything of this sort in our text book. But we should not learn only
the things which are
there in the text
books, we should learn practical things also. Anything that we learn from
anywhere is
considered as
real learning. For e.g. a person who goes to school is educated and the one who
haven’t gone to
school is
illiterate. I beg to differ with this. I think whatever work a person is doing,
he is a master in that, which
means that the
idea that only bookish knowledge makes one educated, it is not so.
Q] Ok. If I am
your school teacher and I agree to teach you all this, even then your parents
would not accept
this. They would
start asking – Why aren’t the teachers going by the text books, why no exams
are being taken?
They would be
angry. What will you do then?
A] That is why
the NGOs are needed.
10
Q] Ok. So a NGO
is needed. But how to convince your parents? The teachers and even the children
would do
nice things like
Environmental studies, make new chart posters, plant trees etc. but the parents
will not listen to
this. How do we
convince our parents? Great, I have almost won this fight. Does anyone else
want to say
anything?
A] We cannot
convince them today, but we will do that tomorrow for sure.
Q] Ok fine.
Anyone else wants to say something. Someone who haven’t spoken till now?
A] Yes Mam. I
think we need some time to convince our parents. For them, whatever we are
studying, and we
will achieve is
important. They want us to get a good job from whatever we study. But in the
mean time we need
to understand
from our teachers what our ultimate objective is? We know that this kind of
activity would
definitely bring
some benefits to us. But first of all, we ourselves have to understand that,
and it is only then that
we can convince
our parents. And then they will also acknowledge our hard work or our interest
in this.
Q] But who will
make a synthesis between a teacher and a parents’ mode of thinking?
A] We can make
them understand through awareness programmes like drama. This is a very popular
medium
of awareness; and
in villages the community gets motivated to a large extent by these dramas.
Through drama
parents can
easily understand what their children want to tell them. And finally they would
allow their children to
be what they want
to be. And this is how they would make able future citizens.
Q] Able future
citizens. What do you mean by that?
A] Like the one
you are.
Q] Oh. Thank you.
Anything more?
A] At first when
I started working with my village based eco group for the protection of our
environment, my
parents were not
supportive at all. But gradually when they saw that I loved working in the
group, and something
positive was
coming out for the village development from the kind of wok that we do, my
parents also started
supporting me.
Now they completely like the work that I do.
Q] Oh that’s
really good.
A] My mother was
a bit clever, whereas my father did not have much intellect. My father used to
force my 12
year old elder
brother to go to the fields and work with him. But my brother wanted to go to
the school and study.
So father used to
beat and scold him everyday and drag him to work with him. But my mother was
always in
favour of my
brother.
Q] So what
happened after that? Did your father understand?
A] After repeated
conversations with him, my mother was able to convince my father, and so now my
brother
can go to school
everyday without any problem.
Q] Ok. So finally
we are able to make our parents understand our needs and wishes. We are able to
work with
the Panchayet
also for the betterment of our village. But what do we do if we have our school
exams at the time
of doing such
extra curricular activities?
A] I think the
only solution to this can be – to study in such a school where there is no such
system of education.
Q] But if there
is no exam at all, then how do we measure what we have studied? There has to be
some way out
for this. What do
you think?
A] Yes obviously.
You are right. But measuring our learning does not necessarily mean that we
have to give
exams. If we
learn something properly and are able to teach that to someone else in a good
way, then that
proves for sure
that we have actually gathered some quality learning, which we can impart among
others. For
e.g. I have been
giving training to other children for the last few years. First I had learnt
something from my
school, which I
tried to impart among others. This was my exam; no such written test to test my
knowledge. On
the other hand,
if I had given written exam, passed well, but could not teach that to anyone
else, would that
have been useful?
I don’t think so.
Q] So you are
saying that in order to test one’s knowledge, we do not always need to take
written exam. Ok. We
need to
understand the importance of this. Can we have a govt. school teacher here with
us to say a few words
about this? Are
you a teacher?
A] No. I am not a
teacher. But I work with govt. schools and school teachers on a regular basis.
And I think that
the present
problem is that the school teachers as well as the parents do not want to think
differently. They get
used to the same
routine and also force the children to follow that same routine in their life.
Like, a teacher
thinks exam is
the only medium of measuring a child’s knowledge, whereas the parents decide
what their
children would be
in future and force the child to follow that. They never think what the child
wants, they never
think that a
child can also have a mind of his own and determine his own way of functioning
in life.
Q] True. I agree
with you sir. I am really grateful to DRCSC for arranging such a programme
where the children
are able to raise
their voices and give their opinions. But I personally have seen such schools
where the children
or the teachers
can never ever think of the kind of work that you have presented today. You all
have done such
nice work that I
am overwhelmed. While in schools, I have heard many people say that they do not
have any
time for all
this. They often raise the question – Where is the time? And then somewhere in
a workshop I heard
11
about 100
headmasters saying the same thing that they get so less money that even if they
want to do
something like
this, they are not able to do that because of the lack of money. Anshuman said
that as less as
Rs. 30 is also
enough a contribution for making a garden in the school. So I would like to
request DRCSC that in
future if they
arrange any such programme, to invite more children, govt. school teachers and
other officials who
do not get the
opportunity to do such work to participate in such a forum. Also the B.Ed
institutions must also be
linked up with
this, because they are responsible for making new teachers for schools. And
this kind of work that
you all are doing
for the community is something very rare.
I was going
through the wish list that you all have written in the board at the back. I
have noted some of your
wish list which I
will discuss here with you and try to find out a solution. Although some wishes
are out of the
education system,
but I am not at all saying that these are not important. In fact some of these
wishes like – a
world full of bio
diversity, abolition of dowry system and “say no to child labour and child
marriage” are very
important issues
that have come up. There are other wishes like less pollution, no use of
chemical fertilizer etc.
But apart from
all this, there is something like – ‘I want to spread the kind of work that I
am doing and let others
know about it.’ I
have liked this very much. I will again say that this is not only the
responsibility of DRCSC, but I
would like to
request every single child here, who is working with any organization or
considers himself to be
socially
conscious, must take the responsibility of sharing these kinds of work with
other schools, children and
people outside
their working area. Another wish that has come up is that – ‘I want that all
children in my country
to go to school
from tomorrow onwards. This is my wish also. ‘I will work as a domestic help,
but after
completing my
studies in school,’ and one more wish that has come up – ‘our views/suggestions
should be
considered.’ I
think this is a very important wish that have come up in conglomeration with
today’s programme.
Today’s programme
was all about what “We want?” All of us present here today want that the
children should
also work for a
better future, whatever we do, we should also take the suggestions of children.
Today in fact the
last session was
all about what children want in school. Even I wanted to find out from your
feedback what you
all want from
your school. As some of you have said, a school might have a building and some
said a school
need not have a
building. So it seems almost all of have some thing to say about how his/her
own school would
be. Here is
another such wish which says that – ‘every district should have a model school.’
I don’t know who
has written this,
but I think this is very important in today’s condition, although I don’t know
whether it is actually
possible or not
in practicality. Here again two have written that such programmes like today’s
should take place
more and more.
A] I have written
that point of a model school. (a senior person (woman) from the audience. )
Q] Ok. So can you
please explain here why you have written this?
A] Yes I will.
Actually according to me the education system then and now have changed a lot.
In our time we
had ample time to
study with very less scope. But now-a-days, a child has very little time but
has to catch up
with lots. So our
main focus should be to create a model school where in less time, we can build
up a child with
a bright future
ahead. And that school should also include some suggestions coming up from the
children for
betterment. Today
a child whose age is 5years learns many more things than a child of 10 year old
25-30 years
back. So we have
to keep this in mind when we talk about a model school and formulate it
accordingly.
Q] So now I am
taking this opportunity to ask all the children here – Do you all have anything
to say to the ones
who write our
text books? Something like – “We want this, we want that etc.” Yes – you want
to say something?
A] Actually all
of us are going to school now-a-days, but many of us do not learn anything from
school. If we had
actually learnt
anything from school, then not so many would have become terrorists or anti-socials.
What is the
benefit of such
education which makes us go against the society and harm people like us? I
think somewhere
the problem lies
with the schools also. The schools must have some kind of education based on
humanity, so
that when we go
out of schools, we can become “real human.”
Q] Ok. So you
want to say that the schools should have education based on humanity. Nice
thought. Anything
else?
A] Our school
premise does not have any trees, so I want my school to plant more trees in
future so that when
we teach about
the plants to our children, they can themselves go, touch and feel those things
about plants as a
part of practical
teaching.
A] I want my
school to be red in colour and want a games room where we can play carrom in
our leisure time.
School does not
necessarily mean that we would keep on studying all the time.
Q] Ok. So you
want indoor games in school. And what about the outdoor activities?
A] Yes. There
should be a playground outside the school.
Q] Anything more?
It is not necessary that you have to say it now. Today we have discussed a lot
of things and
much valuable
information have come out of this. Tomorrow do you all have school? Ok . If you
have school
tomorrow and you
have to tell one thing to your teacher that you want in your school. What would
it be?
A] I want to tell
sir that I want to go to a good looking school.
12
Q] And what do
you mean by a good looking school? What would be the colour of the school?
A] It would be
red in colour.
Q] And would you
like to plant trees surrounding your school?
A] Yes.
Q] What trees?
A] Rose plants.
A] I would like
to plant those kinds of trees surrounding our school which would grow big and
would be able to
give us more
oxygen, mostly the fruit trees like mango, guava etc. which have multiple use.
Q] Only trees?
Anything more?
A] No ma’m. Our
school should have a compost pit within the campus where we can put the
vegetable and fruit
peals for making
organic compost, which then we can use for the plants. It should also have a
playground and a
good library.
Q] So who do you
all want to make visit to your school other than the teachers?
A] Only teachers
and students.
Q] Oh!!!! So you
don’t want anyone else to visit your school?
A] No.
A] My centre is
very good. It allows everybody to enter the campus. But even then I want one of
my friends, Puja
Roy to come and
see the kind of school we are studying in. Puja has been sent far away. It is
not always
possible for her
to come and meet us. I really miss her and want her come back and study with us
(a small
child).
Q] Oh!!! Even we
got depressed with what you shared just now. Anyway, I hope your friend comes
back soon.
And I also wish
that in the schools, resource persons from every section of the society with
different skills could
come up and teach
something new every time. Today I really had a great experience here. We learnt
a lot of
things from you.
We shall get this documented and send them to you for more feedbacks. I end up
this session
by thanking
Service Centre as well you, the children of today.
The report has
been compiled by Education Team and published by DRCSC (www.drcsc.org)
The
organizations/schools/children present there are partners of Indienhilfe, Save
the Children, DRCSC,
Bichitra
Pathshala, ENRE, Sahay International. The event was supported by NCRI,
Hyderabad.
