Reconciliation to Ideal

As thou alibi would make me free

As thou truth would either do

Like trust will break the unbroken

Like love will even cover-up to the fullest

Oh! You call out forgiving, would it make perfect?

Oh! Justice, so demising and fading

Will change come with little of hope and inspiration?

Look for what you want but Nay in wrong abode

Surely you shall see the mystery of idealism unfold

Yet fight and overcome the existences of reality

For it is truth that one seek in reality

So shall we reject idealism for the very meaning of itself?

Doers we do, part by part

Fighters will fight battle after battle

Breaking chain and barrier

Vow that we strive to see idea’s evolving into action

For it is said “No force on earth can stop an idea whose time has come”

Tirang 

Not PTR but PTR

No doubt Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) is one intrinsic element in achieving our desired objective in education system. With the mandate of RTE to fulfil the required PTR so much relieve has been brought to the entire concern stakeholder if not fully. Now the concern is would this number ratio translate automatically to desire outcome. Yes, it ought to be. If not, what is wrong? Where does this justification of right ratio exhausted? Who is responsible of this in-appropriation of resource input and output? These are some important questions that one would be tempted to asked with anguish. Again let’s not distract these inquires by the fact that various factors plays in education to bring out the so called desire outcome even to the extent of determining the ‘desire outcome’. Being specific and looking deeper there are worth exploring areas under this ratio framework. I would like to approach the factor of ratio based on the nature of Relationship.

Now, let me introduce this analogy “Not PTR but PTR” meaning “Not Pupil Teacher Ratio but Pupil Teachers Relationship”. I am not propounding for systemic change but a sincere introspection on our behavioural change. I am not trying to problematize the issue either. I am just reflecting upon it as I saw it, hear about it and read about it. In some typical government school class room scenes are such that children would be seating on the floor and teacher in a chair or either teaches them standing. Is this gap between the two just a conventional arrangement or is it a reflection of wide gap of relationship between the two. I wonder how transaction of knowledge could take place without intimacy or understanding between the facilitator and the receiver. How could a child relate to the nature of the subject, information, skills, and attitude, character, aptitude etc. without relating through the one enabling them? Can we overcome ratio problem with relational solution? Or can we overcome relational problem with appropriate ratio?

What is making it so difficult to bridge the gap between the two when the nature of human is in its purest form when we are young, so innocent and loveable? The wonders and curiosity reflected in their eyes, the construct of their physical so delicate, so gentle so natural and smile so faithful, their thoughts so unbiased and expression so raw who’s indurate heart would not fall in love with them? Whose eyes would not admire them if someone with no iota of truth in him/her? Why would we not like to break them free from fear? Give them some confidence, some inner energy and zeal in them, let them dream dreams. What efforts are missing to connect them that their academic performance is at stake?  Let’s remember to up-bring them (children) in a morally accepted way no amount of love and care would be too much or sufficient. Let’s remember the quotation ‘if I cannot learn the way you teach, can you teach me the way I can learn?’ One should be pro-active and extra committed to imprint positive change in children, if not, he/she is playing a wrong role in our society and should fell remorse about oneself.

Accumulation?

I am entangled with the craze of Accumulation. Something we are so obsessed that we no longer possessed ourselves. I mean accumulation of both tangible (material and wealth) and intangible (knowing) Illusion. We know everything will perish sooner or later before our eyes or we will perish with no holding over piles besides us or within us. Therefore, I called this illusion. If possessing and knowing fulfilled the aesthetic of life, people of many and wise could have had a peaceful sleep and happy endings. Some stoop so low, some so humble, some so witty, some so arrogant, some spend so much, some give away so much just to accumulate the Imaginary.  Imaginary I called it because it starts with imagination, process in imagination, and resulted only to imaginary state. This may contradict with the argument of reality. But, how long is our reality ‘real’ besides our life- span? Nothingness and plentiful both kept people busy and worried and concerned. If concept of Less and More do not co-exist with humanity, living here on earth must have been so different (another imaginary positioningJ). If disparity is un-exist-able like a material of high unstable state of energy which automatically fused or diffused to lower and stable state, the very texture that binds the society today could have collapsed immediately with no scope of recovery and respite. I am caught in the middle of a Utopian society and present sorry state but to settle with this dilemma either nor do I expect one stop solution of establishing equilibrium.  

We are driven so much by external factors that we can’t locate the ghost that keeps us moving. We are doing so much that we no longer qualify of being (but we call ourselves human being). We have amassed so many names, people, ideas and artifact that the very self- have diluted in this mighty ocean of illusion and imagination (virtual world). What is life after all, if not progressive and forward moving? But, should we end up making out life and not living it?   Even when the very existence of self is disturbed, all sorts of medic, mantra, music, advice, counselor, God man and psychiatrist pop out of our screen just to drain us more afar from self to self-less-ness (read as dilution of self). The self is tagged with how much we have/can accumulate. Is accumulation the very end for our existence or is it very means to our existence? What probably we would be doing in life, if not accumulation? We are so much condition that creativity is no longer creative, freedom is no longer free, justice is no longer just, and humanity is no longer humane. So, where is the ghost that has condition us so much if not within us? How far are ‘we’ concept beautiful when it has ripped to pieces the beauty of self?                  

Here, I do not argue on economic terms nor ethical or rational term for I knew too less (‘less’ is what I don’t desire to used). I may flatly fall in logical argument and may have no place in the so call intellectual debate. Good, for these are neither the means nor the ends of my thoughts. I claim neither accumulation nor knowing through this writing. I neither condition nor provoke your thoughts. The very vagueness of the purpose of this writing is but reflection of me. I just hope my skepticism of current state does not project me as an exception from effect of accumulation and we-ism for I don’t proclaim that. Forget not what Edward Abbey say’s “Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.” 

Movie Review

Ship of Theseus      

     A story of three unique distinct characters with no connection except their meeting point is that each of them receive each organ from the same donor.  A blind Egyptian photographer, a Jain monk who is an animal activist , and a successful Stockbroker. All based in Mumbai city. It’s all about conflict between personal values and mental control over physical world and physical experiences. Her (Blind photographer) intuition and sound direction from her camera works so perfect that she has to struggle the professional touch and enjoyment when she got sight from some unknown donor.  A monk who believes in the equality of all existences, consequences of any action, ready to die for his idea, fights for animal rights torture in experimental laboratory finally succumb to the infliction from his lever diseases and undergoes medical treatment and transplantation. In quest of success a broker never dare what is values except economic values but made a drastic change and gave a good fight to bring justice for a poor slum dweller whose kidney was stolen.

My take away from the movie:

   Any creative ways of learning have a personal touch on the learner, it is difficult to replace the joy of learning in a particular way once she enjoy the originality or the aesthetic of it. It also project the difficulty of de-learning and adult learning. The movie emphasis on how intuition can be effectively used for artistic purpose when dwelt in-deep.

    In current society where survival and Human values and believes are at stake there is a paradigm shift of defining ideas which guide our life and action. We are in age where our action may have no direct implication of exploiting others existences but indirectly effect so much on the survival of other species. There is hardly any choice we could make. It is either we exist by disposing something else or we cease to prevail. All we could choose is make a cruel disposition or slow dead which only appear more logical.

    We are in the age of “commoditized”. Our services , our capacities, our potential and our organ has a market value attach to it. It could not be wrong to say that our intrinsic values, believes and ideas have a saleable value attach to it. Pessimistic voice inside me says that the term “Invaluable” is likely to be wipe of sooner or later from the phase of this generation.

   The optimistic child in me says that no matter what, no matter the adversities, no matter consequences, no matter the illusion and confusion we are expose to there is a strong inner voice in every one of us defining what is Right and Good.   

The Irony of gender issue-1

― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.” 

The Definition:

The term ‘Gender’ is a big misnomer. It is conveniently used by amateur to put forth their lay ideas. Many expertise romance the issue with no strings attached. But, few practice what they preach. So, no one dare called her/him Genderist J like Feminist do. Gender by its definition means ‘state of being man or women’. If we further wanted to deal on it there is another term called Grammatical GenderJ. The term Gender has evolved since it’s originated from Old French gender (modern genre), based on Latin genus 'birth, family, nation'. The earliest meanings were 'kind, sort, genus' and 'type or class of noun. The word gender has been used since the 14th century as a grammatical term, referring to classes of noun designated as masculine, feminine, or neuter in some languages. The sense ‘the state of being male or female’ has also been used since the 14th century, but this did not become common until the mid-20th century. Although the words gender and sex both have the sense ‘the state of being male or female’, they are typically used in slightly different ways: sex tends to refer to biological differences, while gender refers to cultural or social ones. Gender thus not refer to different sex’s but is not defined without referring to it. So, if you meet lay ideas (one with sallow knowledge) would likely tell you more of what gender is not about rather than what it is all about. Thus, surprise not, when you are trap in this missing link (Misnomer).

The Opposite Force

The concept of Gender only dates back to 20^th century whereas our tradition (including irrational social norms and practice) has dwelt with us since civilization. Our irrational practices, expectation and discrimination have come down to us with the full packages of tradition, cultural, religion and expectation under the protection of strong institution, rules, charismatic personality and pious followers. In times severe mass cultural revitalization took place to reinforce it.  This irrationality has been so much internalized and accepted by most section of the society. Social orders and conduct are religiously organized since century’s base on this irrationality. Introducing the concept of Gender means replacing the old believes system with the new elements of justice, freedom and empowerment. So, at some point the two contradicts with each other. The question is which driving force of the two concepts is mightier   would have its way. So, preaching gender is not sufficient nor keeping it at ideation level. A strong wave of change would be needed, more than discussion, more than international declaration, more than legalization would be needed. Then what?   

 Conspiration in Idolization

Many female has excelled in various fields fighting against all odds. They are normal women, everyday women facing all discrimination. Need not mention of Sunita Williams, Mary Kom, Mother Teresa, Sarojini Naidu, P.T Usha. Etc…..

I wonder how many have drawn inspiration from all these legends (?). What society does with their achievement is not less than a Conspiration. Their names and achievement were made bigger than live picture. They were made to believe they were genius more than their odds they have overcome. Female were made to believe those as exceptional case. They were idolized with (maybe) good will. But the problem in idolizing starts when we admire her, look up to her, adore her and revere her and create a special status for her. We just diminish to follow her and draw lesser inspiration from her, more respect and lesser competition to the bar they have created. So, upholding a female achiever can still be a disadvantage. Let Gender has its giant leap very soon I pray.       

The process of Education…… Jerome Bruner

The Author is a well-known psychologist of the twentieth century and has also authored other two books called towards the theory of instruction and the relevance of education. This book (The Process of Education) is a product of ten days Woods Hole Conference on September 1959 where thirty-five scientists, scholars, and educators come together and discuss how education (with focus on sciences) can be improved in primary and secondary schools of America in particular. This book to utter surprise of the author has trigger wide educational debate ranging from America to japan, Russia, Denmark and Mexico.  The book was published in the eve of new approaches where finest scholar in the preparation of curriculum for elementary and secondary school was called for. The author has opinion that curriculum for children are just a by-product of curriculum for teacher. If the curriculum cannot change, move, perturb, and inform teachers then there is little scope of affecting the children they teach. The curriculum should facilitate Social and emotional development of the child at par with the intellectual side of his /her education.

Importance of structure:  Education as author say is the process which begins by learning basic principles and generic ideas and later indulges in its applicability to other phenomenon and mastery of the subject. These processes of education made the subject more comprehensible. Structuring of subject help us to overcome our weakness as we cannot remember whatever we learn so structured formula, simplified or regenerative characters can be used to reproduce the required understanding. It serves as an important means to adequate transfer of training. I.e. Replication and application to other similar phenomena from the one learned. It will help us to narrowed gap between advance knowledge and elementary knowledge. It will make possible for continuous and gradual progress as a child goes from elementary school to secondary school.  

He further pointed out that teaching specific topics or skills without making clear their context in the border fundamental structure of the field of knowledge is uneconomical in deeper sense and exposed to the following risks:

1.       It makes student difficult to generalize from what he has learned to what he will encounter later.

2.       There will be lack of intellectual excitement

3.       Knowledge without sufficient structure is a knowledge likely to be forgotten

Readiness for learning

Any subject can be taught effectively in some intellectually honest form to any child at any stage of development. Three general ideas are considered to understand the Process of learning I.e. process of intellectual development in child, the act of learning, the notion of spiral curriculum. During the stages of pre schooling (5/6 years) a child start to construct relationships between experience and action, manipulating the world through action. This is   a stage where everything is generalized, internal motives and feelings are not differentiated from external reality. She tends to rely on hit and trial method and intuition. In second stage of intellectual development also known as concrete stage of operations  a child manipulate objects,  internalized, transform and organize information selectively and used to solved  problems. The idea of reversibility develops during this stage and tries to replicate action in head instead of practically performing hit and trial method. During this stage a child is able to understand the logic of things she has encountered but not for things which is not directly related to things experiences. It does not mean a child cannot anticipate but it could not systematically go beyond the information acquired. The Formal operation (10-14years) is a stage where a child will be able to build hypothesis and deduce relationship between variables which are verifiable by experiment. At this stage they will be able to give a formal expression of ideas but will not be able to describe or formally understood. After sufficient practice on the concrete operation formalism can be introduced.

The Act of learning also goes through various aspect i.e. Acquisition of new information where she replaces her old knowledge, or refining of the previous ideas. The Transformation phase is a level where children manipulate previous knowledge to fit for new task. Evaluation is a phase where a child examine if the manipulated information is adequate for handling the task. Under the notion of spiral curriculum a curriculum should be developed in such a way that it facilitates to  revisit the basic ideas repeatedly, building upon them until the she has grasped the full formal understanding that goes with them.

Intuitive and Analytical thinking

Intuition as an aspect of building hypothesis is so essential to learners like analytical thinking where step by step justification is used. Intuition in space of sciences or mathematics or any subject cannot be disregarded as intuitive thoughts is often a worthy hypothesis or invention, or breakthrough where analyst later present it in proper formalism.  Intuition with its two faces (good and bad) should flourish in learning environment in a guided manner.  The author opinion that, we tend to examine the analytical matter during examination as we are more certain in judging it then the unconquered intuition. He also opinion that intuition can be improved effectively by understanding the solid knowledge of the subject, and familiarity that gives ways for intuition to work with. 

Motives of Learning

There is in fact a culture of achieving excellence it this competitive world. So, it is important to pounder on not only what are being taught, but how are they being taught and how we arouse the interest of the pupil in what there is be learned, and they must be kept broad and diverse in expression . Learning is possible if the motives for learning are kept from going passive. The author made a special called for balancing emphasis on sciences, technology and humanistic learning, theater, arts, and music to maintain and nurture a vigorous pluralism. Under the title "teaching aids" such as television and films, micro photographic film, sound recording, and book he approves of them as they facilitates participative learning, provided they teach something and are not mere gimmicks presenting the knowledge in  impressive way.   Thus the overall argument he builds can also be presented as the teacher is someone who is a model, showing the child why the subject should be learned, how is should be learn and how things learned are utilized.  

Few thoughts to ponder upon:

In quest of high intensity to achieve the aims and objectives of education (futuristic in nature) which are often considered as making a child self-reliable and  responsible person, Are we overlooking the “present” of the children when they are in the closet of their parents?

Engaging best scholars and best mind to frame curriculum is its simplest form for ordinary teachers and ordinary student was propagated in the book. Has our primary education system recognized it’s significant? Or has the framer of our curriculum frame it keeping in mind the ground reality.

The author claim that precious time was lost not feeding children curtails knowledge on the assumption that they are too young to grasp it. He also   state that things should be taught systematically and priorities which is more important, also generic knowledge and specific knowledge should be differentiate. Do these two statements not contradict its other when it has to be put in to practice?

There is a complexity of Meritocracy, Excellency and Reservation policy in our education system, both in teachers’ recruitment and even student admission. In trying to meet social justice through reservation in education are we not balancing the aims of education it should serve as a whole to a society?     

    

Bingo! I found one among many….

Visit a school and interact with a teacher or head teacher, they will have a story to tell, longing to be heard. Many will claim their uniqueness in their functioning and contribution, their skill and style of doing things, many will be authentic, and many will be unauthentic. Hype and unauthentic proclamation will be proved wrong there and there itself if you further probe a little deeper. The locked dusty sciences library, dusty chart paper folded, computerized school bell not functioning anymore, trees planted in the school compound, Medals and souvenirs hung all around the Head Teachers’ offices etc. They will claim excellence and contest you to the extent that nowhere in any school you will find their unique practice followed. Their confidence is so comforting that if you don’t find contradictory in their claim and ought to be acknowledged and appreciated. But, if found contradictory it is disturbing where they need to be confronted critically yet sensibly. Of the many story I heard a very interesting practice in a school caught my mind that’s where I exclaimed Bingo!. The Head master of a school shared me about it and I pondered about its implications and would like to share how I interpreted it.

In this dry land of Rajasthan, civilization had flourished, glorious epic wane only to emerge more magnificent the ever before. In this unfavorable climatic and geographical region, people had lived their lives in rich custom. Here, more cattle are reared (in numbers and species) than in the green vegetation of Northeast India. From this dry dust they trod and sustained life cultivating since generations. Looking at all these aspects, I am lately induced to believe that there is in them the fighting spirit, “Never say die Jews spirit in them”. Well, how do this imply to my domain (education) of interest?

School drop-out, retention problem, sessional drop-out, children inability to learn and uneducated parents are some of the issues frequently highlighted as problems by teachers. People in interior of Sirohi district are mostly cultivators, illiterate or semi-literate. On the other hand, Education is a process with long term goals and abstract gains. Thus, as a farmer whose labor is reaped seasonally (half yearly or annually) in measureable terms (qualitative and quantitative) may find it difficult to reconcile his understanding to the long term goals and abstract gain through education. Educated citizens are in majority feed to secondary sector in our society which is another area where these cultivators are less exposed to. Thus, possible reason behind the problem as stated above. So, how do we fill this gap?   

The Head teachers as I mentioned before informed me that all the medals and souvenirs hanged around in his office were won by his school children from block level, district level, state level and even some were nominated for national events. Further, exploring at the strength of student, retention rate since past 2 years the numbers were quite promising. Now, I co-relate the above scenario and the strength and retention rate in that very school. A farmer like his task expects periodically concrete achievement or cultivation from their children going to school. Learning from books can be quite ambiguity to their understanding. Therefore something observable, concrete short term achievement from their ward is called for. So, news that their wards are going out to represent their school in block, regional and state level is for sure one characteristic achievement a farmer can understand and comprehend. Keeping at bay their daily hard life they will never encourage their children to leave schools if these sense of short and long term goals achievement is inculcated by them. Their never die spirit will sprout for their children’s education against all odds. All we need is to put education at the right and understandable perspective for the parents and make education achieve comprehensive development (Philosophical, Sociological, Psychological and Physiological) of the children.

Thus, Physical Education is core of education as also mention in NCF-2005

“Health and Physical Education - Health and physical education are necessary for the overall development of learners. Through Health and physical education programs (including yoga), it may be possible to handle successfully the issues of enrolment, retention and completion of school”.

Attitude factor

       Education is dynamic so as all the institution, factors, and stakeholder’s influencing education. There are needs for inherent shift from conventional understanding of education. Education policy needs urgent redressal in some area especially attitudinal shift.

As I visit schools and office in different part of Sirohi district, interacting with Teachers, Head Teachers, SMC members and govt. education functionaries at some point of discussion the term Monitoring was often mentioned. Most of them considered lack of monitoring as one reason why huge investment in education thus not translates to children’s learning. Webster dictionary defined monitoring as one that warns or instructs and to watch, keep track of, or check usually for a special purpose. The literal meaning of monitoring has a connotation of superior level officers demanding results and reason from the lower functionaries of their action. In specific to education ideally monitoring means collect feedback and information, analyze the feedback and information collected, and translate it into applicable term, check the flow of resources and project status, maintenance of documents, etc. all directed towards productive outcome.

When they say lack of monitoring they mean to say monitoring of Teachers, Head Teachers, and Functionaries. This is very true and justifiable. And I don’t have any problem with it unless their meaning of monitoring does not mean scrutinizing, make vigilant watch and constant interruption with an intention of punishing or sanctioning penalty on the wrong doers. But, the attitude of most of the teachers, head teachers, and education functionaries as they coined monitoring is defined on the light of suspicions, lesser regards, judgmental and contempt directly questioning the integrity, a grief concern to worry about. In the light of this attitude it is not possible to attain the actual purpose of monitoring. It will simply end up creating conflict and chaos in their daily activities.

Another drawback of implementation of monitoring according to their understanding is the overlaps of their choice of people to be monitored. In the eyes of teachers, head teachers should be monitored by functionaries and functionaries should be monitored by concern authority they are accountable to. Whereas in the eyes of district level functionaries teachers and head teachers should be monitored well by head teachers (for teachers), nodal head teachers and concern block level functionaries. Keeping in mind the numbers of the school, geographical areas of the schools it is impossible to drain huge amount of their time and resources to monitor one another at multiple level. It may simply end-up exhausting resources and valuable time and jam their work. Is it possible to employ robust human capital to monitor in all levels? Do we end up exhausting in the means not achieving the ends?

       Thus, important question we need to ask is, Are ground level functionaries and education stakeholders prepared for decentralization of educational institute in its functioning?  Failures of many national level educational programs are attributed to top- down approached (commonly known as bill passed from AC room). Now a new approached has been on top priority i.e. a bottom-up approached and decentralization of institution. Will the bottom level or functionaries at the district or block level be able to accomplished the rested expectation upon them? Can they translate autonomy given to them in maintaining accountability or will it be just another phase where outcomes are predetermined with negative connotation and huge loss of resources and precious time?

We have problematized the educational issue before us and almost all the attributes of the failure of educational investment and programs are directed towards system, strategy, approached and lack of resources. Have we not overlooked the attitudinal issue of the entire stalk holder involved? How necessary is it for a person intrinsically submerges his line of duty to be monitored? Is it important to align their intrinsic personal values and help them introspect what they wanted to be as a human being and where they are moving forward. Or have they just compromised their role with the status and the remuneration in return of their role at question?      

 

 

Republic

 

Post Republic day celebration and discussion on constitution of India in APILD Sirohi office I try to reason out the idea of India as one Nation. I am so tempted to get myself indulge in some intangible terms like Illusion of republic and exclusive republic. Not denying the fact that our generation is deceived so many times, at multi-level, by various actors fooling us deliverance from these melancholy. Republic coined by Plato’s dialogue of Socrates which was defined in the light of justice through Conglomerate existence of society. But, its meaning has drastically changed as economic factor detects the very existences of public i.e. you and me. We have a country to call ours but still need slums and Adarsh housing scam to cover us. Call ours but make it yours as much as possible. As Elites and class created a perfect niche, as Chinta Shivir appoint its dynastic inheritance it’s never too much calling our republic exclusive republic.

Oh! Can Republic stand without patriotism? Does it even sound sensible calling for Indianization? Or are we just happy with the commercial advertisement, Indian largest online shopping website, India’s No.1 Motor bike or India’s No.1 potato chips. For that matter can we defend and define republic without –ism? Where do Genext draw convictions of upholding the spirit of Republic, obviously not Suresh Kalmadi n Co. so where? Pakistan? Oops…

Have we ever classified REPUBLIC and republic? If not, you belong to the latter unless you have a Lalpatti in your car and no security check tag wherever you go? Republic as a public matter and not a private matter is surely held up in letter and spirit by our saviors (as they call themselves) who openly plundered national wealth and resources. India Vision 2020 will surely achieve its goal but I tell you that only cricket T20 (as name resembles) will hit the bull’s eyes. Conglic, bjplic, bsplic, splic, tmclic,  dmklic… etc. etc. will never fail to entertained us even when Bollywood or cricketainment fails to do so. I still love the song  “Papa (mummy) kahete hai bada naam karega CM(PM) banega”… so happy for  A yadev, O Abdulla, P S Badal (Rahul) as I can connect this song through them.

Republic turns Fearpublic. Kashmir separatist, North-East insurgence, Delhites’ baladkar…, Naxal mania, police atrocities, fanatic ferocity are so divine that citizens lives it complete mayhem.  We the Wizpublic are only to be exported to serve the riche-rich $, €, ¥, £ only to be smack blue  and black occasionally.  When BHARAT meets INDIA let’s hope गणतंत्र means republic.

It’s time to call Readpublic, read between the lines, decode the captions of all jokes, stay alert, conscious and democratic for Change is inevitable, many jokes will turn humorless and soon the tiger unscripted in the emblem will roar. No matter how white your black money was/is as the republic shaken up there will be no more immunity.  Hero welcoming for scam-star would not be the end of the picture, but there will be dancing, singing, and laughter as people live republic dream republic, eat republic, sleep republic and drink republic.

Totto-Chan “The Little Girl at the Window”

The book is a memoir describing how the author outlived her childhood days considered up-normal by conventional school. Her track record begins with her mother coming to know of her daughter's expulsion from public school. Her mother realizes that what Totto-chan needs is a school where more freedom of expression is permitted. Thus, she takes Totto-chan to meet the headmaster of the new school, Mr. Kobayashi. That’s where the turning point of her life begins and then there was never turning back.

The book describes how strong Totto-chan determination and how quick she change her aspiration from postmen to teachers at Tomoe and so on. She boldly expresses her compassion for her friend, the lessons she learns so passionately, and the exciting atmosphere that she imbibes in the railway coaches. All of these are beautifully presented to the reader through the eyes of a child. Thus the reader sees the transforming phase of Totto-chan from boring conventional school life into a beautiful, exciting place full of joy and keenness, experimental and exploratory life.

 Mr. Kobayashi captures Totto-Chan interest on their first encounter. Totto-chan as a child has inbuilt him as her iconic personality. Mr. Kobayashi introduces distinct activities to captivate the pupils and all those activities have implication of real life situation. He understands children intimately and strives to develop their qualities of mind, body and heart. The vision, structure and strategies in Tomoe were so wild but none the less independent and highly convinced.

In the phase Second World War, Tomoe stand tall latter to be boomed and destroyed never to be rise again.  In the school, the children lead happy lives, unaware of the things going on in the world. World War 2 has started, yet in this school, no signs of it are seen. The authors thus not just endorse Tomoe and end up the book but also introspects the school by including profile of Tomoe alumni pursuing passion and zeal as their way of life. In crux the book give us comforting evidence especially to a person dealing with children having unique and expressive character. 

Reading Totto-Chan “The Little Girl at the Window” made me contemplate on few questions.

1.      Why schools like Tomoe thus not exist in our society today?

2.      Why there is no demand from the public for schools like Tomoe?

3.      How many parents today dare to send their children if Ideal schools like Tomoe exist today in our society?

4.      How many parents and Head master like Kobayashi accept the uniqueness of each child?

5.      Is the society structure today in such a way that children will never be allowed to pursue one’s own passion but pre-determined occupation?

6.      How many schools practice equality like it was practice in Tomoe?

7.      Thus the definition of education different in Tomoe different from our schools today?

8.      The condition of education system today if not a collective failure then where thus the buck stop?

9.      Unlike the Tomoe why are we moving towards robust centralization of our education institute?

10.  Mutual-Corporation, Team work, sustainable development, equality, intercultural harmony etc. are the talks of this generation. If not school like Tomoe do we think grade and percentage is our answer?