Schools - what is its main aim?
My kid is in class 1 of a renowned school in Bangalore. We started with this because it was closer to our place. Not that we had a great feedback about it. We thought, a school is a school. And a teacher is a teacher, a guru - someone worthy of respect. Alas, our whole concept of school and teacher had turned 180 degree up and down once we got to know the ground realities of this school.
We started with JKG. The teacher started showing colors right from the first term. My kid had been a sharp kid. The very first couple of months into the school, I saw her performance degrading. During the first PTM, I checked with the other parents how their kids were doing. Everyone had the same idea that their kids were only getting worse. First I thought maybe kids are taking time to adjust. But no, what shocked me was couple of students were doing well! Really well. I was of the thought - wow smart kids! I wish that was true. Finally turned out the teacher was taking private tutions for those kids. I was also suggested during the PTM that my kid needs special care and that she could provide. I was like - I would take care of my kid.
This obviously didn’t go well with that teacher, so she started acting partial towards my kid. Over time , she became unbearable but we thought this year is anyway over. New session new teacher. Off she went to class SKG. SKG was nice experience luckily. That I assume had more to do with the good blog I wrote for them when the kid performed in the annual day function.
Fast forward to Class 1, during the very first PUPA meeting, I sensed it what the teacher would be like. She asked us how my kid is. So I told her exactly as I see my kid. The teacher immediately told us that sometimes they need to be strict with the kids, shout at them, etc. I told them - “its human to lose cool. And I am okay till my kid doesn’t fear coming to school. The day she fears school, I would know something is wrong.” This didn’t go well with them. They were stressing on the fact that they have to be strict. I understood what the year would look like. And the saga soon started.
The teachers yelled a lot in the class. They would threaten the kids - “I would throw you out of the window!”. Seriously? I didn’t react much trying to understand her position with 30 kids around. Two teachers and 30 kids, per head 15 students is too many! If I remember correct, during my school days, we used to be 60 kids in one room and only one teacher. Still the teacher would not say something like that to us. New generation teachers with no manners!
Next came spellbee competition. We were supposed to send the money for it. So we sent it and then they forget to send it to the authorities. My kid could not attend it this year. The teacher called me to apologise!
The teachers would force kids to write with very small pencils in class. The teacher would say - “Get your own pencils from home”. Such a pathetic state the school is. They only charge 36000 for stationery and books for a grade one kid. How can they afford to give new pencils? 36000 is not enough to buy pencils! Term 1 half yearly exams, during one of the exam my kid asked for a rough sheet. The teacher responded as “Get rough sheet from home”. She is writing exams. Can she just run home to get rough sheet? What is the point of that statement. We studied in a convent, fees paid was Rs. 250 per month. Even we were never told to bring rough sheets from home! 36000 is not enough to buy a rough sheet as well! Pathetic.
Then came the most horrific, irresponsible act of the teachers. They misplaced my kid into a different bus. They didnt realise their mistake. On the bus, my kid told the caretaker - “Mam, I am sorry. By mistake I am on the wrong bus”. Even after that neither she nor the driver took the responsibility to call the school authorities to inform that a kid is misplaced. Neither did they call us. A six year old proved her maturity and intelligence as compared to the adults on the bus. When the day care called us to inform that the kid has not reached, we sprung into action. Called the school to trace the kid. They were not able to! How difficult is it? Your transport system has no attendance? One bus should have known there is a kid missing. The other bus should have known there is an extra child. How difficult was it? But no, the top level were all empty and nothing was done. They took 60 minutes to track my kid.
We were lucky we found our kid! What if the day care didnt call us? What if the driver had dropped her anywhere else? What if he had taken her somewhere? And .. I cannot even think what could have gone wrong. I am grateful to Ganpati, that my kid is fine. Next day, when we went to meet the school principal, she was like - “I am not aware of what happened. I was in meetings till 8pm”. I was shocked to hear that excuse! When I pointed out what if the driver would hve taken her somewhere, she was like “Our drivers are very good. They would never do anything wrong”. Madam Principal - wake up, you are in a world where you cannot be so sure of anyone. I anyway realised they are good for nothing. Apology never received.. neither expected from such people.
Yesterday, the teacher tells my kid - “Tell your mom to buy you new socks”. I blasted them over mail stating that I know the wants and needs of my kid. They never answered. Now, I have already opted for transfer from this brach. The transfer rates would tell for sure how this brach is failing. Maybe its time the authorities open their eyes and minds to see whats going wrong in this branch!
We started with JKG. The teacher started showing colors right from the first term. My kid had been a sharp kid. The very first couple of months into the school, I saw her performance degrading. During the first PTM, I checked with the other parents how their kids were doing. Everyone had the same idea that their kids were only getting worse. First I thought maybe kids are taking time to adjust. But no, what shocked me was couple of students were doing well! Really well. I was of the thought - wow smart kids! I wish that was true. Finally turned out the teacher was taking private tutions for those kids. I was also suggested during the PTM that my kid needs special care and that she could provide. I was like - I would take care of my kid.
This obviously didn’t go well with that teacher, so she started acting partial towards my kid. Over time , she became unbearable but we thought this year is anyway over. New session new teacher. Off she went to class SKG. SKG was nice experience luckily. That I assume had more to do with the good blog I wrote for them when the kid performed in the annual day function.
Fast forward to Class 1, during the very first PUPA meeting, I sensed it what the teacher would be like. She asked us how my kid is. So I told her exactly as I see my kid. The teacher immediately told us that sometimes they need to be strict with the kids, shout at them, etc. I told them - “its human to lose cool. And I am okay till my kid doesn’t fear coming to school. The day she fears school, I would know something is wrong.” This didn’t go well with them. They were stressing on the fact that they have to be strict. I understood what the year would look like. And the saga soon started.
The teachers yelled a lot in the class. They would threaten the kids - “I would throw you out of the window!”. Seriously? I didn’t react much trying to understand her position with 30 kids around. Two teachers and 30 kids, per head 15 students is too many! If I remember correct, during my school days, we used to be 60 kids in one room and only one teacher. Still the teacher would not say something like that to us. New generation teachers with no manners!
Next came spellbee competition. We were supposed to send the money for it. So we sent it and then they forget to send it to the authorities. My kid could not attend it this year. The teacher called me to apologise!
The teachers would force kids to write with very small pencils in class. The teacher would say - “Get your own pencils from home”. Such a pathetic state the school is. They only charge 36000 for stationery and books for a grade one kid. How can they afford to give new pencils? 36000 is not enough to buy pencils! Term 1 half yearly exams, during one of the exam my kid asked for a rough sheet. The teacher responded as “Get rough sheet from home”. She is writing exams. Can she just run home to get rough sheet? What is the point of that statement. We studied in a convent, fees paid was Rs. 250 per month. Even we were never told to bring rough sheets from home! 36000 is not enough to buy a rough sheet as well! Pathetic.
Then came the most horrific, irresponsible act of the teachers. They misplaced my kid into a different bus. They didnt realise their mistake. On the bus, my kid told the caretaker - “Mam, I am sorry. By mistake I am on the wrong bus”. Even after that neither she nor the driver took the responsibility to call the school authorities to inform that a kid is misplaced. Neither did they call us. A six year old proved her maturity and intelligence as compared to the adults on the bus. When the day care called us to inform that the kid has not reached, we sprung into action. Called the school to trace the kid. They were not able to! How difficult is it? Your transport system has no attendance? One bus should have known there is a kid missing. The other bus should have known there is an extra child. How difficult was it? But no, the top level were all empty and nothing was done. They took 60 minutes to track my kid.
We were lucky we found our kid! What if the day care didnt call us? What if the driver had dropped her anywhere else? What if he had taken her somewhere? And .. I cannot even think what could have gone wrong. I am grateful to Ganpati, that my kid is fine. Next day, when we went to meet the school principal, she was like - “I am not aware of what happened. I was in meetings till 8pm”. I was shocked to hear that excuse! When I pointed out what if the driver would hve taken her somewhere, she was like “Our drivers are very good. They would never do anything wrong”. Madam Principal - wake up, you are in a world where you cannot be so sure of anyone. I anyway realised they are good for nothing. Apology never received.. neither expected from such people.
Yesterday, the teacher tells my kid - “Tell your mom to buy you new socks”. I blasted them over mail stating that I know the wants and needs of my kid. They never answered. Now, I have already opted for transfer from this brach. The transfer rates would tell for sure how this brach is failing. Maybe its time the authorities open their eyes and minds to see whats going wrong in this branch!
I changed her school
Infact. Didn’t need another branch of that same school. I decided enough is enough!
The old school - Chrysalis High Kadugodi!!
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