I WASN'T A BAD STUDENT!

Image Courtesy: Suresh Mehra

As side effects of Covid-19, UNESCO data reveals that about 70% of the world’s children aren’t sitting in physical classrooms anymore and many reports point out that maybe they never will. Even if schools reopened gradually, they will not be returning to the normal way. So it would be safe to assume that all over the world, kids will spend much less time in brick-and-mortar schools.

That being said, Socrates never had a classroom or Internet, but some of his students, such as Xenophon and Plato, turned out rather well. Socrates never wrote anything down and never had a classroom but he strolled with his students around Athens, asking them questions until they understood something better, or at least less badly. His creative questions to take apart and ignore current ideas may work well for students to think about concepts of beauty or life in a new way but will not be right for concepts that have a clear definition like, “What is a Cell?” Based on this, we could agree that the Socratic method of teaching may seem to work well in some subjective disciplines like philosophy, art or humanities but will not be the best teaching method for objective disciplines like mathematics or science.

So today the traditional system of learning looks like this; teachers spend most of their time lecturing students who are mostly passive, sometimes distracted, and not necessarily following along. Then kids carry home a bag heavier than them with homework and project work, before being pushed ahead with the syllabus regardless of their grasp on the lesson, and eventually subjected to a standardized test.

But the current crisis has pushed us into getting out of the old and stale thinking into new and better habits. I heard “flipped” and “blended” for the first time in an article on Bloomberg Opinion by Andreas Kluth called “Your Kids May Never Return to Normal Schooling.” For those like me unfamiliar with such jargon, blended classrooms work like this; children watch online lectures at home, either of their teacher or of the best instructors in the world. At home, kids begin doing online exercises, which the teacher can monitor. By the time the youngsters show up in class, they are ready for individual tutoring, as the teacher splits them into small groups or sits down one-on-one to extend knowledge or fill gaps. Basically, a combination of online and offline method of imparting education. In the flipped classroom method, students consume reading material before class as homework, which then allows the class time to be dedicated to discussions, interactive exercises, and independent work that would have previously been completed at home - all under the guidance of the teacher, who is present and available to respond to any questions that may arise. These new age methodologies don’t solve the huge problems of the digital divide, a modern form of inequality linked to access to any kind hardware or software, making most kids heavily reliant on the traditional system of education.

But that is not why I write this piece. It is my personal memoir of the 3 reasons why I disliked elementary school.

Elementary schooling typically starts from class 1 to class 8 to children aged 6 to 14. So you don’t need to be a rocket scientist or expert to know that early childhood is a time where developmental changes are happening that can have profound and lasting consequences for a child’s future. Enriching experiences in the early years will support children’s healthy development and you don't need to guess that my early school years were anything but enriching. (And by the way I never attended preschool! Was it right or wrong I can't say but I did start my formal education from class1.)

The first reason I disliked elementary school was COMPETITIVENESS.

It brings out the worst in people especially in our education system. Kids are constantly being pushed to do better than everyone else in their class, to aim for higher marks, to win competitions, etc. I think it raises generations of bitter young people, who learn to hustle and do whatever necessary in order to get ahead. Even if it means stepping on others. Helping others was not nurtured in my school and working together was for losers.

Michael Jordan used to say that he is his only competition. He worked harder every time, in order to give more than before. He was striving to be a better version of himself. The other players were competing with him and were always a step behind.

In Class 1 the lean, simple, paan-chewing Mrs. Agarwal with a temper was my first exposure to what a schoolteacher was, not what a teacher should be. Followed by many more Mrs. Agarwal’s in spirit were Ms. Gardener, Ms. Scott, Ms. Sill and Sister Agnus. None of them provided an enriching experience with exceptions of Ms. D’souza, Mrs. Vohra and Mrs. Shears. They were solely responsible for my good performance in English, Maths and Music. Their passion was infectious, encouraging me towards elocution, using it to narrate plays, become the youngest student in the school choir and enjoy math before the addition of Algebra and Geometry.

They encouraged me for aiming to better myself that helped me achieve. If competition was encouraged like that I would have surely loved school.

The second reason I disliked elementary school was DEARTH OF GOOD TEACHERS.

Teaching is hard work and some teachers never grow to be anything better than mediocre. They do the bare minimum required and very little more. I know now that great teaching has less to do with knowledge and more to do with skills & attitude towards tiny humans. The role of an elementary school teacher is so much more than completing the syllabus, giving homework and evaluating tests or exam papers. It is also what they do outside the classroom that shapes young minds in a significant way. Unfortunately, most of my teachers considered their job as static one, which could be left at the desk and picked up every morning. I can assure you that they never thought about their students beyond school hours or even within. They didn’t care if everyone in their class was learning and growing. They simply stood in front of the class and delivered the same lessons year after year, growing gray and weary with little patience to handle young curious minds.

Except for my biology teacher in class 8th, who looked forward to questions and clarified them with a lot of patience. Even though her anorexic frame strutting around in stilettos and un-manicured hands and feet were a big distraction, she kept me engaged with her sheer energy and enthusiasm for the workings of the human anatomy. Her passion for her subject made many of us fall in love with biology and aspirations of becoming a doctor.

Sadly, my teachers were either too strict or indifferent only interested in listening to their own words, and having kids recite them back, instead of asking for their opinions. They didn’t challenge the mind, always focused on homework and tests. Being curious was not a virtue they encouraged.

If only my mind was fed with possibilities and my soul with courage it would have given me wings to fly and love school.

The third reason I disliked elementary school was EVERYTHING IS A MUST.

I never understood why good marks were the only way to achieve the status of an intelligent student. I was certainly not the one who could work with that. The idea of cramming stuff only for marks, not for learning didn’t motivate me. Adding a higher meaning to everything, having practical advice and knowledge that one could apply would have served me better.

But for a teacher to do that, he/she would have to first understand their role as influencers not assembly line workers, churning lesson after lesson with the aim of finishing the syllabus, irrespective of it’s impact or grasp on students. Additionally, extra-curricular activities were only on display for annual functions and a sports day but for the rest of the year I was just a middle bencher. My co-curricular or sports achievements didn't matter. Sadly, the only lesson I retained was that you were stupid and irrelevant if you didn’t do well in studies.

I sorely missed teachers who treated me like humans, concerned with my personal growth and future development as a better person not just a number in a class of thirty other numbers. Our individuality and uniqueness was never known or allowed to shine.

I am absolutely sure that if I had loved school, I would have learnt better and used that knowledge to my advantage that would have had a different impact on me in ways that I can imagine now.

I loved learning, not school, since I met the challenge my father setup for me in order to get the marks I needed to gain admission into one of India's finest degree college, something that caught him by surprise since he didn't have any expectations from me in academics based on my past report cards. I also went on to get a Master's in Business Administration and eventually enrolled for a Diploma in Counseling.

Truer words couldn't be spoken that sum up my sentimental memoir about education, school and learning:

“Teaching is more than imparting knowledge, it is inspiring change.

Learning is more than absorbing facts, it is acquiring understanding.”

-William Arthur Ward