The Divide

I visited a corporation school recently as a part of CRY volunteering activities.The brief visit set me thinking about the extremely wide gulf that exists between the 'materially'- rich and poor kids in my city.I've always thought that it is quite unfair to use the word rich indpendently-when trying to refer to monetary richness.The kids I met were definitely rich, though not in the monetary sense. First and foremost, I (along with a couple of volunteers) were able to walk into the school without a shred of formality like bonafide letters, identity cards, etc...Isn't security a common concern for any category of children?This very fact initiated a million questions in my mind at each and every step of my interaction there.I couldn't help but compare this visit with my other visits to private schools (which I had to make as a part of my Masters Degree) where I remember waiting till eternity to obtain permission to carry out observational studies in their premises.When one ignores the fact the spcio-economic status of children, there is absolutely no difference between the kids of corporation schools and private schools.

The Head Mistress took us around the classrooms -again without any fuss.The kids were happily playing around-now that the 'Play-Way Method of learning' has become a successful teaching strategy.There was no furniture, but some neatly rolled mats placed against the class-room walls.Classes 1 to 4 do not have examinations.Instead, they are continuosly assessed using colourful activity-cards-an innovative initiative by the Chennai Corporation.I wonder whose brainchild this innovation in teaching is!The kids did not wear any shoes or socks but an ordinary serviceable sort of uniform .I've always felt that in a warm climated city , sandals are more than enough to protect the feet.Why shoes and socks?I've caught many children in private schools feeling quite uncomfortable, hot and smelly wearing shoes and socks when the mercury levels are soaring outside.More important than anything else was that they were intelligent, curious and happy inspite of their simple outfits and humble backgrounds.

They were all very respectful to us.Their only 'problem' was speaking in English. Our damn society has the habit of equating intelligence with the ability to converse/read/write in English. I wonder why we are so thoughtless! Most of my cousins who live abroad tell me that it is common to find socio-economically well-to-do children attending Government run schools there. It's vice versa here. I'm at a loss trying to justify the opposite scenario which is prevalent here.

These kids,I learnt from the H.M hailed from families which were laden with crises and disharmony. He asked me an insightful question-"Have you ever come across any kid from corporation school committing suicide just because s/he was unsuccessful in exams?" This was rare. These kids for whom the motions of daily existence itsef is sheer struggle are mentally quite tough and find ways to survive.If not studies, they are ready to involve themselves in scores of other activities. This is both the positive and the negative part of the issue.They don't bother abouit things like 'dignity of labour'.I'm not trying to imply that the kids from private schools are mentally weak.Only they get whatever they want always.Most of them are either under tremendous pressure to perform well in any given area or pampered beyond their means.

It was quite heart-rending to learn that most kids, inorder to get some summer-income, washed over head tanks in the neighbourhood.They save up this money for their existence next school term. Most of their fathers are drunkards. Inspite of their dire financial difficulties, it is their mothers who want to see them through school so that they have a better life in the future.This phenomenon has obvious reasons. Since ages, it is the mother who is given the entire responsibilty of child care. In those days, mothers, who were managing homes all the time were able to do that without any qualm. Times have changed now. Child care is an activity which should be equally distributed between the father and the mother-irrespective of the socio-economic status of the family.The woman of today donnes the multiple roles of bread winner, home manager and parent. Entrusting the entire responsibility of child care to woman is unfair.It takes every shred of a woman's perseverence to tackle the day to dat problems of survival. Most mothers of these kids I met were working-women involved in a variety of jobs like selling flowers, building construction work, domestic help, etc...Unfortunately, most of their fathers' occupation was getting drunk and abusing their wife/(wives) and kids.

As volunteers, we requested the H.M to suggest things that can be done for these kids.He gave us a whimsical smile. All these kids needed money for a better lifetyle.That's all! However, there was this story about a brilliant boy who studied under the lights of Natesan park. His mom is a flower-seller and dad-a drunkard.(I guess school application forms should include this 'drunkard' category of occupatuion for better understanding of their student's psyche!)When tales of his academic brilliance spread far and wide, not only in the school in which he studied, but also to a popular fim star, his life started to become better. He was adopted by the film star.That boy, we were told, is now studying to become an engineer. It was simply wonderful to hear this story of 'poetic-justice' happening in real life. When all's said and done, the real best gift one can give to a needy child is education. If each and every actor/cricketer adopts a couple of children to educate in our country, it can work wonders with our society.Equality in education is a prssing social issue. There can never be a complete tapping of the potential hidden in children if a great difference is going to continue existing between education in private and corporation schools.