Girl, Go & Grow

Going for a class?

                                                                 Prerna Mishra

                                           

                                                college 4th sem, 2012

Studying since 16 years. Strange! Even I don’t feel like believing I am doing this.

I turn my head around and all I see is students running for classes, tuitions, projects and so many academic stuff without actually being into it.

  I remember a month back my eyes shut as the professor taught the fertility rate.

As such I have never slept in the class, may be that day I was too tired or the topic fertility rate was not fascinating enough because I had my own calculations “fertility rate nikal kar kya hoga jab hum population ka problem solve he nai kar sakte?” I explained chitra, my dear friend, who gave the look -go change the system if you have so much resentment. I smiled detailing. We should do a project work on this where group of students visit poverty stricken remote areas and explain people about population explosion and problems even if one family abide by the rules the mission will be successful. This was my reason to allow me to close my eyes! But the moment I shut, I was asked to move out of the class and not be present for sheer attendance. 

I apologised, I wanted to say something but words choke I fled in emotions. …..Those word were I never come just for attendance, every morning when I get up I wish that today in maths class I just don’t be a photocopy machine copying from blackboard. I could copy from the book please reach out. I was tired that everyday starts with the same monotonous routine, where every one around me assumes that I know calculus! Omniscient student. 
They write maximum sums in those 45 minutes and we copy it with thundering speed. This is the competition who writes fast. Is that what we are here for?

Just before entering the class I give a thought, will ask where I don’t get the point. I don’t know what stops me it is the strength of class, the speed of the class, or my inability to communicate in assamese when required.
   

My major subject, the most dynamic subject economics that changes everyday.

Is so fast that no book can capture its shade of emotions. Every assumption on which theory is based is criticized on the very next page. We have a lot more to offer, fabricate and analyse but dragged by the old habit of just writing down doesn’t allow brain to think what is happening around.

  This is not happening with me or my college this was happening with whoever friend I spoke to spread across the country. This is happening in my country.

Let me give you some statistics!

No Indian institute in top 200-world university. Don’t be heart broken I have more to attack.

According to QS World University ranking the top three institute are MIT, Cambridge and Harvard. IIT, Delhi which occupied 202 position in 2010 was now 218. IIT Guwahati slipped down to 563 from 501. It reported India was very poor in quality research programs.

Universitas21 came up with worldwide research where it mentioned the top 5 countries with best education system are U.S, Sweden, Canada, Finland and Denmark.

Government funding of higher education as a percentage of GDP highest in countries like Finland and Denmark. Where Denmark spending 8.23 % of GDP in education and India only around 3.8%.

Its time our country rise up and notice we are developing and not developed because of our poor soft infrastructures.

Everyday I see my creativity diminishing. I am lost, I am just running in between the departments -their classrooms. The system makes me run and sometimes run alone ruthlessly.

Most of us run to the college for a job, for settling down in life. We are not enjoying it. The way we are studying, the education system, of course is to be blamed. Its not working out well. The attitude of burden, just a certificate only a job is again a disaster.

We need a fresh attitude an entertaining learning system where classrooms are the best place one can think of!

There is a participation of each student. Not an easy student who comes, copies, goes back.  There is interaction, creativity, seminar and rationality in class.

I feel a losing touch of ethics in education. Which frightens me out. 

I don’t know when was the last time I learnt anything in school or college that helped in my day-to-day life. I wonder why we don’t have a class where we are taught to be in peace having positive outlook, healthy relationship with people around. I cant wait for half of my life to teach me all these through failing lessons. Where we have someone saying you can win even if you have failed every time.

 

Simply can’t resist myself from sharing this.

My cousin sister around 5 years of age, studying in best school of Jamshedpur. Woke me up in the middle of night. She asked me to teach her pineapple, brinjal, ladyfinger and other difficult spelling from her thick copy. My instant reaction was don’t go be absent so big words. I was horrified!
   She with her mellifluous voice explained, “I will get a donkey clap”. This was a jargon donkey clap ….she elucidated if you fail or skip the test you have to stand up in your bench while the whole class with opposite hands claps for you.

I lost hold of words, eyes lost the sleep. It was difficult to imagine just because a 5 year old kid cannot spell pineapple, she doesn’t become a fun subject. She will go through such discouraging mental state.  I never knew mugging up pineapple spelling was that important.

I hope the management looks into it, brings the required change without throwing me out for this article!

 So that next morning when I get up ……I get up for the class …for the teacher…. for learning.