Oh sorry, not us!

Experience 1:

            A jouful summer holiday for school children. A fine evening on a weekend. The park had kids from around. We, daughter, husband and I, were regular to the park. As usual, fun time playing.

            A group of women, clad in saree, holding papers, pen and pad, belonging to similar age group was approaching us. We expected them to be some survey investigators working for government (like census and stuff). They approached us, the only parents in the park. We were handed over a pamphlet and were enquired for the age of our daughter. We assumed that the group was from government medical department and said ‘two’ while glancing at the pamphlet.

            It was an advertisement for a local matriculation school and they were teachers working there. The task given to them was to catch hold of customers for the following fresh academic year.

Experience 2:

            Another evening after office hours. Returned home. Just parked vehicle. Two darlings (one in class IV and the other in class I) from neighbourhood came running to us with a drawing book. It was something usual as children would always give us surprises with their colouring activities. Naturally expected that.

            But they had nothing to show to us; instead had something to ask. The girl said “our teacher has given us an admission slip and wanted us to find if there are kids in the neighbourhood and bring them to our school on Vijayadasami as the day is meant for new admissions. Aunty will you admit paapaa (child) in our school?” This is from a popular CBSE, public school in our district that has branches.

Our take on this!

            In both instances, our replies were clear and straight. But it haunts heavily to find school management stoop so low and use the most important stakeholders, children and teachers (sometimes parents too) to pull kids to their schools. It is common to find schools advertise via various media. But this, when given a deep thought, is disgusting! To me it implies the following and many more:

•    Private schools are so hungry to increase revenue and compete with other schools in terms of students’ strength 

•   Private schools adopt every possible way to pull children (oorla ithuku paer pulla pudikrathu)

•     The role of teachers in private is so diluted in private to an extent where they need to go door to door in search of prospective students (we should not get carried away with the same thing being done by government school teachers in villages and towns. That is for an entirely different purpose.)

•   Children from private schools are also taught to showcase their school and bring in their neighbours resulting in a battle between children on whose school is superior

•      Private schools ultimately forget the fact that their charm and values must effortlessly attract parents

    Thankfully, fortunately, luckily (:-P), we are very clear about what we look for. Therefore, there is NOTHING that persuades us to get attracted to private institutions. Otherwise we would end up being just another family getting trapped once for ever.

Parents, Beware! 

                                             Pic courtesy: Google Images