Business

When I was a child, I was going to school with my friends on a walk. Every day around 4 kilometres going and 4 kilometres coming, so, total 8 kilometres a day. We were having morning prayers, 4 classes before lunch, 3 after lunch and then bye, bye for the day. We were having only 2 examinations per year, one during winter and another just before the beginning of summer. And after each examination, we were enjoying grand holidays of a month or two. And you know, we were studying at a government school with a simple uniform, strict rules and minimal expenditure. Books were being shared those days among the batchmates and then were being provided to our junior batch. We were very good at management those days...grandma was narrating her lovely school days to her granddaughter Little with a golden glow cheerfulness on her face. Her son Hari and daughter-in-law Malini were also listening to the story with great interest.

The story of grandma's school days was started with an arguing conversation between Hari and Malini regarding Little's school fees. Hari was telling that school fees are really increasing while Malini started giving her opinion "shall we stop Little's schooling?" Little's grandma asked what happened with the school fees? The system, system...Maa...replied Hari. Two years back when Little was n pre-nursery, the school fees were Rs 3000/- per month. Next year, they increased it to Rs 4000/- with an additional cost of craft books of Rs 2000/-. Now due to the pandemic, schools are closed but just not to stop their source of income, they started online classes with that much amount of school fees. Moreover, as Little is upgraded to L.K.G. during this pandemic, they are increasing her fees up to Rs 8000/- per month with online classes. Maa, don't you think, this is a huge amount to spend for education that too at this stage of learning period for Little? Also, they are charging separately for their newly stitched uniform, modified notebooks with the logo of the school. These are all fancy my dear Malini, this is just a different kind of business Malini, Hari was trying to convince Malini.

At that time, Little came from the playground, so her grandma started saying the story and the family were gathered to go back to earlier days of school. Grandma told that school is "Vidya Mandir"- a temple of knowledge. A sacred space where children are blessed with an abundance of knowledge through their Gurus and so, called as students, means "Sishyas"...What is needed in school? Teachers, essential requirements such as books, copies, a performance for which examinations are held and finally a certificate as a proof of education for your future. Yes, a certain amount of fees, that school needs for its development, added grandma. But I don't understand why they are asking so much money for education? silently told grandma.

This is really a business. Demanding so much money and deliberately putting rules to use only their products is really a fashion for education. Adding to this, grandma sadly said that I am very upset to see the movement of this new generation towards a fashionable system that has lost the passion for education.

What about government schools? Look at our government schools; our government has provided so much facility to our children. Free food, free books, free uniforms...why are we not availing those? Just because, they don't look fancy and sophisticated, grandma asked Hari and Malini. Yes Maa, replied Malini. Grandma laughed loudly and said that you, parents of this generation have a great problem. They want to look at their child smart, demand their fast growth, ask for their beautiful gesture and think that these are only possible with a high amount of money. This can only be possible in government schools too. The teachers in government schools are recruited based on their education and knowledge. Just because they do not advertise their system, that does not mean their system is bad. Even they take proper care of their students in terms of individual attention and never demand money for that. It is parents like you who think that their child will be dull, less smart with the advancement of time. Grandma again explained them with an example. See, when a doctor prescribes a medicine for a disease, you go to buy that medicine in a sophisticated medicine shop, you will be charged a certain amount. But that same medicine can be available for you either free of cost or with a minimal cost at a government hospital. This education system has also a similar scenario. This is a business only, nothing else... 

Looking at the busy schedule and high income of parents, with the advancement in lifestyle, they are trying to do business with the education system. Knowledge and the process of teaching and spreading knowledge are even better at government schools. If other parents of this generation can change their opinion about government schools, then true development of the education system is possible in near future. With such an advanced curriculum of these schools, your child may become smart but she may lose sincerity, may lose discipline, may forget to look at herself, may dilute her childhood in this mechanically designed fancy environment. In this way, grandma was telling Hari and Malini and saw that Little was quietly enjoying her sleep on her lap. Three of them smiled at each other and decided to progress their child's education in the beautiful endeavour of government schools.