The famous writer and poet, the late Annada Shankar Ray was asked a question in the interview for the Indian Civil Service(ICS) of which he was a member. The question was: * What is the difference between a School Master and a Station Master?* He was quick to reply, ’ The School Master trains the mind and the Station Master minds the train’ Annada Shankar Ray was born in Dhenkanal, then a princely State in Orissa. He and my father-in-law, the late Nabakrushna Choudhuri were very intimate friends.
Choosing the right School for a child is not easy. There are schools of different types, beginning from a dilapidated village primary school to a Public School like the Doon School. There are the Navodaya Vidyalayas, which a child can enter only through a competitive examination. There are Central Schools exclusively meant for the children of the Central Government Servants, whose services are transferrable. There are denominational schools, like the Madrassas, Maktabs and the Christian Schools like the Stewart School at Cuttack. These days one finds a mushroom growth of Saraswati Vidya Mandirs. I am sure the Goddess of Learning, Vidyadatri Ma Saraswati will not be partial to these Saraswati Vidya Mandirs. It is a pity that there is an attempt to safronise education.
Nai Talim
Mahatma Gandhi gave to India the principles, philosophy and methods of Nai Talim or Basic Education, but unfortunately that system of secular education had an untimely death. The socalled educationists butchered * Nai Talim* for good.
So, what is my choice? Well, before I choose the right school for my child, I should study the personality traits of my child, and have with me the child’s personality profile. Is my child comfortable with Maths or with Literature? Is the child good at painting, writing, music, dance, sports, games, physical activities and story telling? Once I am reasonably certain about the child’s inclinations, the job is half done.
Next comes the location of the school. Can I afford to put him in a Boarding School? If not, is the local school nearby good enough? Is it a co-educational school? Does the school have Scouting activities?
So, the different parameters of choosing the right school are laid on the table. I, my wife, my parents and the child should apply the principle of permutations and combinations, and finally go in for the school, where my child’s personality will bloom to be an all round personality.