"Educating the educated" an article by CK Meena under Hindu Metroplus on 16th March 2011 ruffled some thoughts yet once again.
An instant flashback of an early morning scene happening just outside my kitchen window at 6.30 a.m
Scene I
Two boys aged 12 and 13 with sacks big enough to hold five adults slung across their shoulder, tightening the string holding the rolled up pants in place, gingerly hoist themselves on the wall to land into a vacant site .
Location a newly added area of Greater Bangalore with just six houses land locked with just one entrance to and from the main road a kilometer away.Garbage disposal not yet organised but invariably dumped in vacant sites as it is an emergency always.
The boys are unaware that I am watching them from my window. The boys are full of energy early morning and enthusiastic about getting a good catch from this site.
They pick some iron pieces, empty water bottles, some plastic pieces and throw them on to the road. all the while talking . They jump back onto the road and pick up the pieces and put into their sacks is when I talk to them through the window.
Scene II
What are you doing?
Just picking up these useless things , we are not robbers, we have not come to steal. We will go away now.
Why aren't you going to school?
I have some liabilities to clear after which I will go back to a hostel and study.This boy also has some liabilities that is why we dropped out of school.
You can go to school and study and still clear your loans.
No response at all
You are telling lies , you both don't like to study just telling some excuses that is all.
Okay tell me what liabilities will a small boy like you have??
I have a liability of rs 5000/.This amount was borrowed to treat my brother for burns.( in the process he shows me some fresh wound on his leg).I have to clear it. I get Rs 200 every day by this rag picking. I have cleared a major amount . Only a little is left.Soon I will clear it and join a hostel and study. This boy has a couple of thousands as loan taken for his sisters marriage.
Okay.
By the way I have completed 5th std.I can read and write and can read bus numbers also.
Don't you think with better education you can get better jobs??
This is more than enough. Even without studying further I can manage.
Okay I have some milk covers and some plastic bottles and iron pieces do you want them?
yes akka please give.
Meanwhile I bring a garland of milk covers washed and neatly hooked on to a metal wire daily numbering more than a 100 and a plastic sack with junk material. I hand it over to them and ask them to give the metal wire and the plastic sack back. They empty it on the road and promptly hand it back to me.
Next scene. the boys are busy counting and dividing their booty. no one gets more , no one gets less.
Now next year I should find you in schools.
Now they realise they are hungry.
We are hungry can you give us something to eat?
I hand them the chocolate sandwich wafers already in my hands and give them.
They are so happy. They tear it open say a shy thank you munch on it and tell me "Barthini akka" .
I certainly felt a lump in my throat.We educate our children to the highest level, yet they find it difficult to make choices. But here is a child who is clear about his responsibility and goal in life without a University degree and will dole out management techniques from real life experiences.So confidently expressing I have studied till 5th. That is enough I can manage. This brought a fresh surge of thoughts in me. How true.
Lot of lessons I have learnt in life.I love teaching. I have an opportunity to teach underprivileged children . I saw and admire how children pool in their limited or next to nil resources to help a fellow being to buy books and continue education, or how they share their shoes, uniform which they have outgrown with the needy few.
This set me thinking, now I have to raise funds for the school catering to the intellectually challenged and underprivileged to give them better facilities. What will be the response when I go to the privileged few??
Will it be an exercise of educating the educated first??
An instant flashback of an early morning scene happening just outside my kitchen window at 6.30 a.m
Scene I
Two boys aged 12 and 13 with sacks big enough to hold five adults slung across their shoulder, tightening the string holding the rolled up pants in place, gingerly hoist themselves on the wall to land into a vacant site .
Location a newly added area of Greater Bangalore with just six houses land locked with just one entrance to and from the main road a kilometer away.Garbage disposal not yet organised but invariably dumped in vacant sites as it is an emergency always.
The boys are unaware that I am watching them from my window. The boys are full of energy early morning and enthusiastic about getting a good catch from this site.
They pick some iron pieces, empty water bottles, some plastic pieces and throw them on to the road. all the while talking . They jump back onto the road and pick up the pieces and put into their sacks is when I talk to them through the window.
Scene II
What are you doing?
Just picking up these useless things , we are not robbers, we have not come to steal. We will go away now.
Why aren't you going to school?
I have some liabilities to clear after which I will go back to a hostel and study.This boy also has some liabilities that is why we dropped out of school.
You can go to school and study and still clear your loans.
No response at all
You are telling lies , you both don't like to study just telling some excuses that is all.
Okay tell me what liabilities will a small boy like you have??
I have a liability of rs 5000/.This amount was borrowed to treat my brother for burns.( in the process he shows me some fresh wound on his leg).I have to clear it. I get Rs 200 every day by this rag picking. I have cleared a major amount . Only a little is left.Soon I will clear it and join a hostel and study. This boy has a couple of thousands as loan taken for his sisters marriage.
Okay.
By the way I have completed 5th std.I can read and write and can read bus numbers also.
Don't you think with better education you can get better jobs??
This is more than enough. Even without studying further I can manage.
Okay I have some milk covers and some plastic bottles and iron pieces do you want them?
yes akka please give.
Meanwhile I bring a garland of milk covers washed and neatly hooked on to a metal wire daily numbering more than a 100 and a plastic sack with junk material. I hand it over to them and ask them to give the metal wire and the plastic sack back. They empty it on the road and promptly hand it back to me.
Next scene. the boys are busy counting and dividing their booty. no one gets more , no one gets less.
Now next year I should find you in schools.
Now they realise they are hungry.
We are hungry can you give us something to eat?
I hand them the chocolate sandwich wafers already in my hands and give them.
They are so happy. They tear it open say a shy thank you munch on it and tell me "Barthini akka" .
I certainly felt a lump in my throat.We educate our children to the highest level, yet they find it difficult to make choices. But here is a child who is clear about his responsibility and goal in life without a University degree and will dole out management techniques from real life experiences.So confidently expressing I have studied till 5th. That is enough I can manage. This brought a fresh surge of thoughts in me. How true.
Lot of lessons I have learnt in life.I love teaching. I have an opportunity to teach underprivileged children . I saw and admire how children pool in their limited or next to nil resources to help a fellow being to buy books and continue education, or how they share their shoes, uniform which they have outgrown with the needy few.
This set me thinking, now I have to raise funds for the school catering to the intellectually challenged and underprivileged to give them better facilities. What will be the response when I go to the privileged few??
Will it be an exercise of educating the educated first??
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