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Surroundings Inspire Passion

by Vaman Acharya
(Bengaluru)

On the first of June, 2017, I left home at 4 in the evening to bring my grandson Naman from his Rising Sun Elementary school, Bengaluru. I was there at the right time. Before leaving home, I was told that the boy would be ready by 4.30 p m. As soon as I reached school, I saw Naman playing cricket. On seeing me, he waved his hand. I was standing a few meters away from him. Naman is a student of 6th grade.


Every day, Naman goes to the school and return in the evening by school bus. Three days in a week, he stays one hour late for cricket practice. The delay of Naman to pack up prompted me to alert my mind. Probably, the cricket coach might have told the players to stay another five minutes. The surroundings of the school inspired me to get passion. I was keenly watching big buildings and its surroundings. The abundant tall trees and the birds moving from one tree to another attracted me. I felt I was in the abode of beautiful nature. Naman had already given me the brief information about the school. I wanted to compare the situation of my school days and now.

In a metropolitan city like Bengaluru, the school buildings are constructed on a huge open area. The vast open area is reserved as a playground. These buildings are equipped with modern facilities like auditorium, prayer hall, canteen, spacious class rooms computer room, canteen, rest rooms, teachers room, office and principal chamber etc.

Each building has its own story to reveal. The boards displayed outside reveal the purpose for which it was built. The school management had made a rule for every student to wear uniform before coming to the school to maintain the discipline and the identity of the school. The students have been instructed to wear a particular type of dress on that day. The different colour and design
set for each day.

The school adopts modern teaching methods based on the research taking place from time to time. In order to ascertain the level of grasping capacity and knowledge of a student, they give home work and arrange special creative and innovative programmes like essay competition, oratory test, acting in drama and a study tour to historical places. These activities are informed to the students through an internal circular. Examinations are conducted from time to judge the level of knowledge of a student. Every month, they conduct a parent meeting in the class room. It is a direct conversation between parents and a class teacher. The purpose of such meetings is to establish a cordial relationship and to get feedback for further improvement of the students.

Suddenly, I went back to my school days, when I was in 6th grade. I did my high school education in a small town called Yadagiri. Our school was in a big dilapidated condition house. During the rainy season, there was a leakage in all the class rooms. We were asked to go home on such days. The school had lack of all the so called modern facilities.

I was going to school by walk with other boys playing, dancing, quarrelling and laughing. There was no uniform or heavy backpack with a number of books, note books, pens and mathematical instruments. Just a small bag with 3 or 4 books and 2 or 3 notebooks. I was free to wear any kind of dress in the absence of uniform. The medium of instruction was in Kannada.

The standard of teaching was far from satisfactory. The examinations were conducted twice in a year. Everybody used to get pass marks except one or two, who get first class in the annual examination.

I stopped recollecting the memory, when Naman came and touched me behind.

He said, "Grandpa, let us go home."

I gave a break to my busy mind.

***

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Nov 11, 2017
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Thank You
by: Your Name: Vaman Acharya

Thank you Mr. Dharamananda for your comments. Children stories in Kannada already published with the title "Mudala Maneya Muttina Hudugi and Other Stories." Some of my children stories in English have been published in the various websites. I am planning to get all the stories duly edited and then think of publication. I once again thank you for your concern towards the literature.

Nov 10, 2017
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ಉತ್ತಮ ಕತೆ
by: Dharmanand Shirva

ವಾಮನಾಚಾರ್ಯರೆ
ನಿಮ್ಮ ಆಂಗ್ಲಭಾಷೆಯ ಕಿರುಕತೆ ಇಷ್ಟವಾಯಿತು. ನೆನಪಿನ ಗಣಿಯಿಂದ ಇನ್ನಷಗಟು ಬರಹಗಳು ಹೊರಬರಲಿ. ಅಂದಹಾಗೆ ನೀವು ಇಂಗ್ಲೀಷಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಸಣ್ಣಕತೆಗಳನ್ನು ಬರೆದಿದ್ದೀರಲ್ಲವೆ? ಪ್ರಕಟವಾಗಿದೆಯೇ ತಿಳಿಸಿ.

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