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POEM
Life at school has been of interest to educationists, pedagogues and social scientists for its distinct nature, its potential to build the character and mind of the learner and because of the several politico-cultural currents it is influenced by. In the poem below the poet has attempted to look at the process of schooling from an artistic eye and to delve into the paradox of compartmentalized education.
LIFE AT SCHOOL
A day in school begins with prayer
When children look everywhere
Hands folded, they pray everyday
With the hope to just play someday
Across the table in the classroom
Sit children with a sense of gloom
Waiting to be enlightened
By the teacher at the high end
The students are distracted
To their studies, not attracted
With syllabus so dense
Even teachers are tense
Textbooks are celebrated
Storybooks lie hibernated
Examinations are worshiped
Experiences rarely cherished
Parents too, caught in a bind
Willy-nilly, go through the grind
Using love, anger and tricks galore
Push children to score more and more
To obey, without questioning
To cram, without understanding
To learn, without enjoying
To make them lose perspective
Is that the school’s objective?
– Disha Nawani*
*Disha Nawani is Professor at School of Education Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
Illustrations- Kavin Ghatak
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