‘School of Fools’ shows ugly face of branded education

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 3

In an era of hashtags and trends, branding defines what we wear, eat, hang out and even study. Putting forward the ugly face of ‘branded education’ that is turning schools from temples of learning into malls where one can shop for degrees and report cards based on price tags, play ‘School of Fools’ presented by Ssai Creations at Virsa Vihar.

Written and directed by Gurinder Makna, the play was a satire on the rampant commercialisation and corruption of education with the institutions turning into corporate hubs with only targets and profits in mind. Modern education being limited to high fee and exploitation, the play depicted the transformation of schools from simple places of learning into complex, competitive factories that churn out students like products.

“The play, through use of humour, highlights a very important issue that every parent’s face. Today, the decision of choosing a school for your kid does not rest on the quality of education or teachers, but the AC classrooms, English speaking staff and services on offer that hardly add value to the kid’s learning process. Fancy has replaced practicality. And this trend is putting pressure on birth, the parents as well as students. A common, middle class family is finding it difficult to have access to good education for their wards,” said Makna.

The story of the play centered around a so-called modern convent, named ‘School of Fools’ that offers housing saloons, market for books, uniforms and more with its owner principal, employing all sort of tactics to trap innocent children.