EDUCATION

SCHOOL BUZZ
Making education a fundamental right will not help
Smriti Kak

WHEN the wheel was invented, the world moved on from the stone age to the present times. That one invention which is till date considered the single step that separated mankind from the animals was a result of man’s knowledge, his intelligence, his rationality and his education. Education at that time was observation, experiment and execution.

Today, education is the extension of the same principle. The only addition is textbooks. Someone has rightly pointed out that when you are thrown into a tumultuous sea, it is the school which teaches you how to swim.

The gurukuls of yesteryears have been replaced by modern and well-equipped public schools. Facilities which expose the children to a quality life are seen as must-haves for the complete education of children. Mind you, this education comes at a price.

However, there are those who cannot afford two square meals a day and cannot afford decent clothing and shelter, leave aside quality education for their children.

Does that mean such children, who are incidentally a majority in our country, will have to forgo what we as privileged citizens have been exposed to? Does the government of the people, for the people and by the people, we so painfully elect, has no moral obligation whatsoever towards them?

The government has opened hundreds of schools for these children, the exchequer is relieved of large sums of money each month to run these schools, yet there is no such thing as quality education. A visit or even a chat with the government school students removes the cobwebs of illusion that schools impart education.

Would you call it education if your teacher made you wash utensils instead of solving sums, or maybe instead of teaching grammar, she utilised the class time to knit sweaters?

What happens to our constitutional right to education? What happens to the moral science that we all were taught, to fulfill our duty?

And if you think, the private schools with all their benefits put together, are the answer to our problems, you are uninitiated. Exorbitant fees and idiosyncrasy manifested in the so-called disciplinary steps, like speaking a specific language or following a specific norm are things, which tend to drive you up the wall. No we are not getting cynical here, we are only measuring the extent of corruption that education is forced to take under its folds. The Saraswati in education is rapidly being replaced by Lakshmi.

Schools for most have become money-minting business centres where education is not imparted, but sold. Here we are talking about education being made a fundamental right, but where is the infrastructure to do it? Whether it is manpower or money power, we lack both. Education delivers us from darkness to light. No wonder, schools adopt the Sanskrit shloka, “Tamso Ma Jyotirgamaya” as a talisman.

However, looking at the present scenario, where a child is either denied education because his parents can’t afford it or he is not taught in school, education in itself seems darkened. The controversy over the 93rd Amendment, which was aimed to make education a fundamental right, says as much.

Annual Day at DPS

The students of Delhi Public School rehearsing for the dance drama, ‘Samhavami Yuge ! Yuge !, to be presented on the Annual Day function.

Who says schoolchildren are unaware of India’s rich cultural heritage? Students of Delhi Public School, Vasant Kunj have been busy rehearsing for a special dance drama, ‘Samhavami Yuge! Yuge!’

The dance drama will be presented on the Annual Day Celebration scheduled for 14-15 December.

An endeavour, which has taken the students six long months, is a celebration of the highest philosophies as espoused by great souls.

The ballet will take the audience back to the time when Krishna swept Gopies off their feet and stole butter. Set in the mythical era, it brings to life the saga of Krishna, his Raaslila with his consort Radha and the gopies.

The ballet will present the instances of extraordinary feats that the child-Krishna exhibited. An incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Krishna was endowed with divine powers that enabled him to kill the Kalia the snake, Putana the witch who was sent to kill him, lift the Govardan Parvat on a single finger and above all his uncle Kansa, who was a tyrant.

Here’s wishing all the best to the children who are teeming with enthusiasm.

Overnight camp

To mark the Children’s day and Diwali celebrations, Venkateshwar International School (VIS), Dwarka organised a two-day overnight camp on the school premises.

The camp was organised to instil a feeling of unity and brotherhood among the children and teaching them the skills of teamwork. President of All India Mountaineering Federation, Mr Rabinder Nath was the guest of honour.

He not only shared his experience with the students, but also taught them the basic skills and techniques required for camping and rock climbing.

Students pitched their own camps, made their beds and washed their utensils, something that the mothers would love to see them doing.

The evenings were meant for fun, as they all gathered around the bonfire to dance and sing to their heart’s content. That’s what’s called all-round development.

Programme at Birla Niketan

Minister of Human Resource Development Dr Murli Manohar Joshi lighting the lamp on the occasion of 18th Annual Cultural Programme of the Birla Vidya Niketan.

Birla Vidya Niketan celebrated its 18th annual cultural programme at the Siri Fort Auditorium. Minister of Human Resources Development, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, was the Chief Guest at the occasion. The function was presided over by Dr Sarla Devi Birla. The programme began with the school song set in Raga Yaman Kalyan in the Roopak Taal. The students also presented a play based on Oscar Wilde’s The Selfish Giant. The children gave a splendid performance. The attraction of the programme was the Literary Pageant that showcased the genius of the worlds acknowledged literary giants, William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and George Bernard Shaw.

The audience was treated to a visual delight through the presentation of three plays; one from each of above-mentioned playwrights. From the somber and grim tale of Oliver Twist to the magical revelry of fairies and mortals of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the audience was carried on an emotional crescent. Shaw’s play, ‘Saint Joan’ seemed the perfect choice in today’s time, with violence and mayhem threatening the very fabric of peace and integrity. The cries of the heroine, “when will it (world) be ready to receive saints...” appeared to be an extension of what most us are forced to think in the present times. Apart from this, there was a rhyme and rhythm extravaganza for the music lovers. The students of western music presented an instrumental introduction based on piano and string, which create the scintillating magic of the song, ‘The Bohemian Rhapsody’ in unison of four voices.

The students also presented a ballet, ‘Anadi Anant Shiva’ that celebrates the various facets of Shiva and ‘Amrit Kalash’, which wove together the teachings and preaching of great men and women like Tulsidas, Meera and Subramanium Bharti. The show was well presented and the audiences’ applause said it all.

Founder’s Day at Modern School

Seven young girls perform the role of Draupadi in Prativa Ray’s ballet “Yagyaseni” at the Founder’s Day celebration of Modern School.

To mark the 81st Founder’s Day celebration, Modern schoolstudents stirred up a memorable feat. Hard work of the last six months bore fruits, as the mesmerised audience watched in awe. To the soulful rendition of Shubha Mudgal’s musical notes, seven young girls performed the role of Draupadi.

“Yaagyaseni”, a ballet depicting Draupadi’s seven avtaars has been adapted from Pratibha Ray’s Oriya book of the same title. Choreographed by Ms Indrani Gupta and Mr Arindam, the ballet portrays an old Draupadi looking back upon her life and realising how she has been made to meet many men’s aspirations and ambitions.

“ The theme of the ballet is particularly appropriate since this is the Women Empowerment year”, said the principal, Ms Lata Vaidyanathan. The chief guest at the function Dr Najma Heptullah, Deputy Chairperson, Rajya Sabha was also presented. The art students of the school had produced a mural depicting Krishna’s Ras Lila. It would be an exaggeration to say that it was creativity at its best. The students of Modern certainly deserve another round of applause.