Introduction of the grading system in schools in India: How far it is successful?

Introduction of the grading system in schools in India: How far it is successful?

A Ride I'll Never Forget.

When I look back and think about the scariest day of Field Support, I still get goose bumps.

  I was returning from my Field Support visit. The route back home was very long and tiring. After the school got over, I took the bus and started for home. The day had been quite eventful and I was left with NO energy. I was in the local bus, which was passing through villages after villages; many people were boarding the bus while few were getting down at their destinations. I was just looking at them, I normally enjoy my journey by observing the passengers and trying to figure out what their day must have been like.

            Since I am located in a very hilly region, it takes a long time to reach my destination and the crowd makes it even more difficult for the bus to move at a faster pace. Unlike other days, all I wanted to do was, to take a nap. I was so exhausted and I just wanted to rest. As the bus reached at the hill top, I felt the speed of the bus was very slow, and it was stopping.  Something disturbed my sleep.

            I got up to see four young guys, crowding near the drivers cabin at the exit gate of the bus, having an argument with the conductor. It was a chaos, and people started raising their voices at each other. Their tones alerted me and I leaned forward from my seat, confused and worried to see that one young guy was snatching money from the Conductor. I was still confused as to why the bus had stopped; it was a very unusual place for the bus to stop, because there were no villages at the top of the mountain, hence no stops! But this person had stopped the bus in the middle of the forest, on the hill top, where actually there is not Bus Stand. I saw that, they had pushed down the conductor from the bus , I could sense fear and shock in the bus. Everybody was panicky and so was I. what shocked me to greater lengths was that a kid was also involved in looting the bus! The kid had revealed a glass bottle full of local wine and threw it at driver when he protested the loot. The driver somehow managed to dodge the bottle and it flew right towards my window smashing it in pieces. I froze with fear. I went completely numb for a few seconds. All I could think was what if the bottle had hit me?

            But the show wasn't over yet, one of the gang members removed the duppata from his hand, he was wearing metal knuckles, the other was carrying a lathi in his hand. At the moment when driver shouted for the help, I looked around to see what the other passengers were thinking... Two- three mid aged, healthy men looked at each other, I figured that they were probably devoicing plan to counter the thugs. My legs were frozen i and my body was heating up, my hands started sweating and my heart beats increased. People got up from their place and the situation became even more chaotic. There were shouts, people pushing at each other, in anger and frustration. Two of the thugs managed to catch the thug with metal knuckles in his hand. The driver managed to dodge the lathi again and threw it away and caught hold of the young thug. I was screaming inside my not a single word came on my lips. I had frozen with fear. The passengers had managed to catch hold of two of them and the situation was under control.

                        I don’t know what made me so stunned, freezed, May be that bottle which had smashed my window before occurrence of the event or was it the fear of not having anybody around for help, for we were stranded in a lonely place. It took me hours to be normal, and calm. I came back home and directly slept without saying anything to anybody.

            Till that day, I thought I was fearless. Even today I travel in that same bus and every time I cross the place where the incident occurred, I question myself again and again, what was I fearing at that moment, what would I have done if I wasn't frozen to death at that moment. Till date I keep wondering……

           

                                                                                                Vishvajeet Pawar.

Udaipur.

Unforgettable Experience..

Hi,
Today i am sharing the story of one school where i am working for the development of the school by enhancing the leadership qualities of the HT's.

I went early morning in the school. Almost i was present till 7.20 am in the school. Narayanji sir was with me when i reached in the school. the school timings are 7.30 am to 12.30 pm

Assembly started , two new teachers are recruited in the school. They both were present at the time of the assembly. Assembly was over with my feedback on National anthem, today i asked students to arrange the Chappals in neat row. Students also promised that they will follow the same form tomorrow. HT and Mahendarji sir reached on something 8.15 in the morning. Still two teachers, Rajkumarji and Lokeshji were not present in the school. After the assembly, Narayanji sir and i we distributed the Workbooks to std 4th , 5th and 6th students. While we were distributing the books, ht came to me and we had a general discussion. They Ht and i we opened the store room, I found the TLM charts, which were in a very bad condition, i removed them all, took the view, the good charts were sorted out, and asked few student to clean them. so that we can use them. HT and other teachers also supported me in that. 

Later , Rajkumarji and Lokeshji reached school till 9.30 am. Then Ht and I we moved to the HT office. HT was preparing the time table as two new teachers are arrived in the school. Someone had prepared the rough timetable, which was incorrect because 3 classes were been attended in the same time in one slot. Means, Three subjects were been alloted to the standard 6th at the same time period. Like wise other two classes were left free for the very first period of the school. I told sir that this time table is going wrong. HT accepted that it must not be done, 

HT started preparing the time table on the new sheet. I was helping him, meanwhile i was also looking after sticking the charts in the classroom. I was looking on both the processes at the same time. at 11.30 around, their was the big confusion in the last three periods of the school. HT was confused, i gave two inputs that were merged in the time table. Then i got confused. later after observing the time table for few minutes, I got the solution. HT was making the time table of the one single day. So that's why we were not able to make a clear sorting of the subjects. I suggested HT that for today, we can follow the same time table. And if you give permission, we can prepare the Weekly time table of the school. HT liked my idea, and he asked me to do the same. I took the rough data, the subjects, the needed lectures need to be happen and the teachers specialization etc, Even government has also suggested few rules for the time table, i noted them on one paper. Everyone was present in the HT room during the mean time.

Suddenly, One teacher, Same Lokeshji came in the HT room. HE entered in the room giving abusive words to me. (* I am not able to write those, but they were on my parents.). I was shocked why he was giving me bad words. Within a second, he again started giving me the words, he grabbed the papers form my hand, tore them out, I was shocked to see him in that way. Everyone present in the HT room was looking to me and him. i was looking towards the HT for him to intervene in between and stop the teacher, but ht was looking somewhere else, Two teachers, were feeling sad for me and the one Narayanji, just steeped out of the HT room. New teachers were seen totally lost. At that moment, i was shocked, angry on the teacher, feeling grieved for such a insult of mine. Their were three thoughts in my mind, 

1. To slap the Teacher for using abusive language for me and my parents. 

2. To give the same to him. 

3. To be quite and let the moment pass hoping that HT will say something to him. (* because if i react, it was not ME in the school, i am representing my block, my organization).

I choose third, somewhere i was frightened by listening his words. I stopped for 5 minutes in the HT room looking at the HT, then came out of the HT room. Took my bag can came to my block. The whole way, i was thinking on the today's matter. I was trying to think for the solutions for the matter, but every solution had its pros and cons for me, organizaiton and form my team mates. But one thing is sure, i keep quite, may be this will happen again, and i do something on my own, may be i can suffer a lot more than this. The whole day passed in the same thoughts. Even, i have the question on the Educaiton system of jhadol block, that it will help me or not. Poiltics is the strong element that will not allow anyone to support me. 

Guys, i am literally feeling grieved sharing this experience. hoping a lot form the organization because as a organizaiton its not a great issue , i can continue the work. But as a Personnel, I am still in the same dilemma. i can't just listen anything abusive from anyone who is the least concern for me and that too without any reason. I am feeling very bad..... 

 i trust Organization that they will think for me on this topic.

Grieved with the day, 

yours, 

Vishwajeet.

Thousand Dreams

Thousands of Dreams

            Burning in my heart,

Every child is special

            Without any cost,

World is beyond

            Just think over it,

Achieve your goal

            With a positive spirit…

When i see myself.......

When I see myself with the exterior view,,

What I found is.......

 

 I always guess right.

then what is it that stops me!!!

the things i see, the things i do

the things i try to act upon

i always guess that i am right

then what is it which stops me!!!

 

its always i know

what i am doing or what i am not

but when the time comes 

to show what i am i stop

what is it which stops me!!

 

the things that are not relevant

does also matters me sometimes

sometimes i make relevant things

just to matter myself

sometimes i achieve

sometimes i lose,

but at the time to explain,

i dont know

what is it which stops me..

 

The culture is Still alive...

                     Imagine you enter the school through old rusted gate fairly painted with the blue color.  A calm, orderly atmosphere that hums with an exciting, vibrant sense of purposefulness just under the surface. Students carry themselves with poise and confidence. Teachers talk about their work with intensity and professionalism. And despite the sense of serious business at hand, both teachers and students seem happy and confident rather than stressed. Everyone seems to know who they are and why they are there, and children and staff treats each other with the respect due to difference of age and castes and other foolish things that mostly few people practice. I was amused to see the things that were not at all acceptable in the dreams and they are as follows.

              As I entered in the gate, I saw all the chappals of the students were near to the gate and that also in rows. Neat and well arranged rows.School was very small; the infrastructure is not compatible so as to sit for 320 students. Nearly you cannot make sit 320 students of 8 different classes in the area of about 3000sq ft with the staff room and a kitchen in it. The classrooms were small, but well managed. 3rd, 4th and 5th are sitting in the corridors, 1st & 2nd in one class, rest all were in different classes. The cleanliness of the school, I was thinking that even my own house is not so clean even when I sweep it every day. Every person in the school was having the “Red tikka on his forehead.” it’s the culture of the school that in assembly they worship goddess Saraswati, and they mark the tikka on everyone’s forehead. Even when I entered a small girl came to me and put one tikka on my forehead.

                No teacher was found in the staffroom, everyone was taking their own classes. Every teacher has been assigned one classroom; one helper boy is also kept in the school to help as a peon to whom the teachers give the payment. The staff room was also very clean, there were charts on the walls, and all the information related to the school was displayed on the charts, like, Schools which are in this nodal, School Management Committee members list, the students list, the teacher’s information etc. One of the teachers had taken the initiative of making the identity cards of each and every person working in this school through one organization. And the HM and Staff had made the I-cards of everyone. Every guest in the school is treated as the member of the school; Headmaster himself serves him water and offers him his help.You visit in the class of 1st and 2nd standard and the students ask you, hello sir. How are you? This is the class of 1st and 2nd standard, how can we help you? The boldness and confidence was reflecting in their eyes. Those kids were so cute and cool.Even the peon in that school takes the class of 1st and 2nd standard if the teacher’s are busy with some work or a meeting.

                All that I saw was awesome for me. One approach that stands out is the attempt by teachers and administrators to develop a more collaborative culture in the urban school. The intended result is a supportive, professional culture that promotes the continuous renewal of instructional methods and curricular offerings in an atmosphere of collegiality, trust, and shared mission, serving all of the students in the school. 

                We never know all these things were when we were in school’s taking the education that was decided by our teachers and out parents. But what we got today is ours, sometimes we don’t even realize that we are using our school education in the every single part of the day, but we are not known for our school knowledge. We are known for our way of living in the society, we are known for the culture that we got from the school which we carry with us. Read the following Questions and think on it:

               -: Then what is culture?

               -: What kind of culture pervades your school?

               -: Do staff members feel like a family? Or is it like a factory or a Little Shop of Horrors? 

                      The country has a lot to explore, on and on I have the most beautiful and creative day waiting for me. It is just I have started to explore now… But every day always gifts me some questions to think on!!! 

My favorite place!!!

Is Shadow leaving me?

Is vision leaving my eye?

Night is full of dawn…..

Dawn is enveloped in the darkness…

I am Bringing my heart as a sweet memory to you!!....

The time I spent with you,

Is it going to become the past?

If you’re there, I am there

O my love

Don’t go away my love…….

All these day’s my legs followed you,

It’s asking me now,

Where are the footprints that I followed?

You were in my eyes,
Today it is asking me why is it empty with you?

The life I longed was about to be mine,

But merciless fate crushed my life…..

If there’s another life,

I’ll ask is one thing only……
A place where Lover never leaves me!!!!!