IMPROVING EDUCATION IN INDIA NATION WIDE
At age 72, I have this "Immense Desire to Give Back to Society, Any Which Way I can before I Bite the Dust", yet confronted by the Daunting Question "What can One Man do to Change the World and How ? " Bob Dylan's Song "The Answer My Friend is Blowing in the Wind" made waves and came the Realisation " That the Pen is Mightier than the Sword " Hence this Blog. Whether I Succeed or Not, I want People who do get to Read this Blog "TO REMEMBER I TRIED" Ram Krishnaswamy, Sydney, Australia.
I am sure every one will understand that "Our Life Time Experiences are what we base or judgements on, in all aspects of Life". What I believe will be a better education system in India will undoubtedly depend on my personal journey in life.
This is my Story:
Early Beginnings:
Port Blair Andamans:
I was Born in Andaman Islands, a British Convict Colony especially for banishing Political Prisoners who were agitating for Independence, into a remote Island from where they could not influence the masses.
Born in a FREE India that followed the British Administrative & Educations Systems which was Indias Legacy at that point of time.
For lack of Schooling my younger sister and I were home taught by our Mother, who was Convent educated in Rangoon, Burma up to year ten after which she got married to my Dad in Madras, who was in the British Army and moved to Andamans when the Japanese surrendered and quit Andaman and Nicobar Islands when WW II ended.
I am not biased but must say my Mother was a "Natural Born Teacher". Simply the Best.
She was very good at English and Maths, yet though she was of Indian Origin and Spoke Telugu, she studied Burmese at her School in Rangoon so she mcould not teach us Indian Languages like Telugu Tamil or Hindi.
A new English Medium school was started in 1954 and based on assessment I was admitted to the 4th Standard at age 7. The girl sitting next to me Zubeida as 16. Age was no barrier so to speak :-)
I loved Modern Preparatory School in Post Blair Andamans and proudly wore my White shirt and Blue Short Pants which was our uniform with a red Tie. Very Cool it was. I was doing well at English and Maths and in facet was way ahead of all the kids at school as my mother had home taught us well.
There was one Problem though. I did not know Hindi and my clkass mates were doing Hindi Poetry and I was learning alphabets. My parents organised hindi tuition from the same teacher who taught at school. She told my mother "Bechara, not fair to expect him to catch up with the class, when he is just learning the alphabets"
At the end of the Year, I failed in Hindi which was not even my mother tongue, yet I topped in English and Maths and was given a special Prize by the school head mistress. It was then my parents decided that my sisters and I should move to Madras and live with my Paternal Grandma and join a good school there.
Madras:
My Uncle and mother took me to St. Bedes High school in Santhome Madras for admission. Father McMillan the Head master told them "Sorry he has to study Hindi or Tamil as a second language; we cannot admit him as he does not know any language". I was disappointed and felt like a stupid donkey. My mother decided that my sister and I had to go to a Tamil medium school to learn Tamil.
In 1955, we were both enrolled at Vanniya Sangam School, in New Street Mylapore and both in 3rd Standard. There was no English and everything was taught in Tamil. At first we were like fish out of water in the class, felt like we had been tossed from the frying pan into the fire. It took us about three months to catch up and were both Ok. In fact my younger sister excelled and coped much better than I did. She was a smart cookie and went on to become a Doctor of Medicine at Madras Medical College and was the Gold Medalist when she graduated and went on to complete her MD Gastroenterology ( Madras) and MD Anaesthesia ( London). She is no more. May her Soul Rest in Peace.
In 1956 when we had completed 3rd Class in Vanniya Sangam school, I was allowed to join St Bedes High School in 5th Standard.
St. Bedes was an Anglo Indian Senior Higher Secondary School started in 1907 and in 1937 the School Received recognition from Senior Cambridge. This also meant the academic year started in January and finished at Christmas. I joined St Bedes in the Month of July after Summer Holidays for Majority of schools in the State. The class had completed the first two terms and also the quarterly and half yearly exams. 3rd Quarterly exam came and my Mother was extremely worried as to how I would go. I stood 8th in a Class of 40 students in my very first exam at St Bedes and I surprised myself by scoring top marks in Tamil in the whole class. In the final exam I came first in Class and topped the class in 7th, 8th and 9th Standard.
What I loved at St Bedes:
1- Moral Science Class
Being a Catholic school all non Christians had to attend a Moral Science Class held in the 1st Period every morning. There was no talk of Jesus or Mary or Christianity in this class. It was all about becoming a good human being, understand what was right and what was wrong like greed, gluttony, deceit, jealousy, anger etc etc. This was my fav class and a beautiful way to start every morning.
2 - Sporting activities
The Principal of the school Father Menezes, encouraged sport. The Minute the morning interval bell rang a large number of students used to gather in front of the Principals office only to hear the cricket commentary of Test matches if there were any being played on the day. There were many Table tennis tables placed in the corridors outside class rooms where we all queued up to play and first come first serve was the rule and The Principal would join us boys. When school finished at 3.30pm all boarders went after evening tea to the school grounds to play Hockey and soccer. Father Menezes stayed back at school to play Cricket, Volley Ball, Badminton and Table tennis with day scholars who stayed back to play sports. The rule was that at 5.30 we had to wind up and go home. I dont remember leaving school before 5.30pm monday to friday.
3 - Scouts
Saturday mornings were set aside for Scouts & Air Cadets. Loved and enjoyed everything we learnt at Scouts classes about survival. Learnt all the Knots using ropes, lighting fires, setting up tents, cooking, reading all about stars and using stars for navigation, the need to do at least One Good Deed a Day like helping the disabled and elderly and poor and caring for animals. I loved scouting and went on to become a Patrol leader and a President scout. Even to day I focus on doing one good thing a day and I am proud to say that all the people in my street in Sydney where we have lived since 1985, last 34 years, lean on me to represent the street and resolve issues with traffic and the strathfield council etc. I am THE GO TO MAN on my STREET.
Posted by R.K at 20:44 No comments:
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