The Juvenile Connection

Gangaram High School was a reputed school. Every year the school produced good students who scored high rank in the class ten and twelve board examinations. The teachers were laborious and the students equally hard working. So they combined as a team to produce stellar results. 

Every parent wished to put their wards in this school in the hope of high performing results. The Principal Dr. Banerji was hence a very popular person, a darling of the media. Every year his interview just after the board results were declared was followed by one and all. 

But all was not rosy. Far from the glare of the public eye was one set of students who were being held in one class year after year and not allowed to give the boards for the fear of bringing disrepute to the school. Year after year they were being promoted till the very end when they reached the ultimate class before appearing for the board exams. They were also not being dismissed for fear of social ostracisation of the school and also considering the future of the students. Also these students parents were willing to pay for their continuation. These students were about twenty in number. These students were a sore point for their families too. Because they were rude and boorish and with no mannerism whatsoever. Nothing could be done about them. They were a big trouble point for all the concerned. 

The Principal Dr. Banerji was very concerned about the future of these students. No teacher was taking the responsibility of the betterment of these students. As the years were passing these students were getting older. Till now whoever took the challenge of teaching them barely lasted a few months at the school. The teachers knew taking responsibility of these students meaning a death knell for their teaching profession. 

Then one teacher by the name of Pradip Roy came to join the school to take the responsibility of these students on himself. Dr. Banerji, the Principal took his interview and selected him. Dr. Banerji gave Mr. Pradip Roy a caveat that these students were beyond the ordinary and managing them was a huge challenge. But as stakes were high the rewards were also lucrative. The school had a special compensation for the teacher who could handle these students well. Many teachers in fact had jumped into the fray looking into the compensation angle but failed miserably in their job of managing the students, then they had to surrender and leave. Dr. Banerji had cautioned Pradip Roy adequately quoting the past examples. But Pradip Roy was made of sterner stuff it seemed as he remained unfettered to the caveats thrown at him. 

The first day Pradip Roy came to the class he had a mixed response. The class greeted him warmly. But then began the mischief. As soon as he turned to write something on the board he used to get hit by missiles in the form of bits of chalk and paper crushed in a pulp. Pradip Roy got a good introduction of the boys he would handle. The task was definitely daunting but not impossible thought Pradip. He made up his mind about how to go about his job. He knew that it had to be handled differently. He asked the students how many were fond of games. Up came all the arms. The teacher said that from tomorrow there would be only games in the school. There would be no studies, so no need to bring books. The students jumped up in joy. No teacher till now treated them this way. So Pradip sir had emotionally and psychologically had got their commitment. Then he could get them to do whatever he wanted from them 

The next day he took his students to the basketball court and divided the twenty students into two teams and urged them to play a friendly match between themselves. After one hour of tiring play of basketball Pradip gave the students refreshments of juice and light snacks. Then he marched them to the class and started a story telling session. He himself started telling a story from the epics Mahabharatha. The students were surprisingly listening attentively. Then he urged them to tell stories of their own. The students were relishing the idea. After a week passed this way then Pradip concentrated on the academic part. He found that the students were lapping it up energetically. Pradip had to make many innovative ideas to keep the students engaged animatedly. Within six months there was a remarkable change in the students. 

The students were after all not that bad Pradip thought, only they had not been handled properly. Basketball became the mainstay of the class. Pradip then started enrolling them for competitive games with other teams from schools and other clubs. After a few games, the boys became champion players and won many trophies for the school. Dr. Banerji was very happy with the remarkable progress the once trouble maker boys were doing. Academically also the progress was good. Pradip Roy had moulded the group into a high achieving lot. Nearing the end of the year Pradip Roy announced the boys were ready to write the board exams. All other teachers were doubtful but Pradip sounded confident. Dr. Banerji was backing him to the fullest. He now had faith in Pradip. 

After holding mock tests one after the other Pradip had transformed the boys and made them ready to face the boards. The boys also energetically responded to all the calls of their teacher Pradip Roy. They had now started to believe in themselves. Studying maths and science was now a no brainer for them. All other subjects like history and geography had also become very interesting. Their performance level improved dramatically and also their grades. 

That year they celebrated a grand teacher's day for their beloved teacher Mr. Pradip Roy. The time for the boards drew near. They all sat to write the test. At the end all the twenty students came out with flying colours. 

Mr. Pradip Roy had totally transformed a bunch of unruly and rude misbehaving students into an orderly group of bright educated, civilized and enlightened citizens. Even the students recognized this and for this they were very grateful to their Pradip Sir. The school was proud of them. Dr. Banerji was very happy and relieved to know that after so many years of continuing with the failing students, finally they would be passing out in a trail of glory. He had no word to express his gratitude for Pradip Roy, a teacher par excellence, who had transformed a bunch of juveniles into respectable citizens. The media splashed the news of this dramatic transformation very enthusiastically with the headline, '' The Juvenile Connection ''. Finally Gangaram High could do the near impossible. The importance of a teacher in molding the student is beyond doubt and well established.