Art Of Teaching

As the Principal of Shreerang I was very happy when in 2011, a committee came who were very enthusiastic about sports. The barren land behind the school was scrutinized by cricket coach and other coaches and a plan was developed to make a cricket practice pitch behind KG section and the other area behind English Medium school could be utilized for different athletics games.

After three years, as is the scenario in Shreerang, the Committee changed but the then Secretary who was a part of the earlier committee decided to continue with the policy of sports enhancement and coaches were introduced to teach the children in groups during PT periods, also the timetable was framed in a way that the school started with yoga sessions in the mornings and the P.T periods, two of them were merged together for an hourly session in different sports activities. One P.T period was kept per class for physical exercises. This also was a reason for bringing debris from other places and putting it in the backyard to level the ground before starting the set up in consultation with the existing coaches.

In this planning and actual execution three years passed as there were other important work related to opening of Junior College in the school. An ex-member in 2011, when the new committee had taken seat, told me that the next important work for me as Headmistress was to successfully open a Junior college as previous committees had failed though files were submitted many times in Mantralaya through me.

This work of opening a Junior college was all sweat and blood and hard work Finally, the dream came true and Junior college of Science and Commerce was attached to English Secondary and permission granted. It was a time of jubilation for all and the inauguration was grand. Thereafter came SARAANG, the college fest to actually advertise on the college to outsiders and was a huge success. School was also included as it was not possible to do two events in the short span of time.

Thereafter we again saw committee changed and mostly the same members of 2011 were in the committee. The first statement on the first day of entering school premises was to tell the peon to throw away the memento of Saarang from the gate. Coaches were removed from school where children were given free coaching and called in the evenings with payments from children. All activities by school were stopped or altered leaving the Headmistress with absolutely no say. This type of insults and interference in school matters continued for a year, after which, the only option was to resign with head held high.

On advice of some well-wishers, I took back my resignation as I had put 33 years of service unofficially as Headmistress from 1989 and officially from 1997. But as I had assumed, it was rejected by the committee in power. As it was a promotional post, I was not even asked to continue as a teacher. BIASED? YES! No issues. But Shreerang is in my blood and even after 35 years, I have not been able to take out Shreerang from my thoughts, so this blog.

Today I am surprised to see that the very committee who had initiated sports in such a great way have made a garden of the place earmarked for sports activities.

Nature is good but where to implement is more important.This 180 degrees about turn is surprising and unexpected.In what way will this move benefit students at the cost of sports activities?Or is it for somebody’s personal benefit and self growth at the cost of school?

The general belief is that a healthy body has a healthy mind. If you have seen kids on a play area you will surely know they are the gladdest when they are active and playing.

If you are aware, you will realise that current day schooling is mainly theoretical. Convincingly, this placement needs to be altered for a well-adjusted growth through indoctrinating a health awareness among students.

A study available in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, says that stages of physical movement may start tailing off as initially as the age of seven. As kids get grown-up, it can be a trial for them to get suitable daily physical movement. This warrants incorporation of physical education, sporting and other related activities in schools for creating a healthier generation.

I am not just saying this just to sound casual, but there are many reasons why sporting ethos is not something utterly cultivated in Indian schools.

1. Did anyone ever give you extra marks for playing a sport? Many of us have got a A grade for P.T. It is a known fact that P.T teachers in most of the schools have the least interest in educating sporting principles in schools.

Recently I was happy to learn that a new khokho player has been in school as P.T teacher so expected a good khokho team, but unfortunately, came to know from sources that he is on his own self-development spree at the cost of students and school.

• The Indian Education System in India has programmed children in such a way that they consider only exam marks for success.
• Trainers in India, over-all excluding a few, have very little information about things complementing certain sports.  What do they know about nourishment? Are they aware   about mentoring? Are they really aware how much assertiveness a sportsperson may need to thrive at some level? Awareness about the necessary workouts required? Requirement of appropriate weight training and endurance? 
• The sportsperson’s attitude. We have to teach them that the pursuit of excellence comes from within.
• There is lack of sufficient engrossment from the government. I had thought the NEP 2020 would bring drastic changes in the way a school looks at sports but sorry to say though there is a slight improvement, overall, it is not satisfactory.
• These issues that can be fixed only by schools.

Schools can do many things in the field of sports:

Score sports as one would score subjects in academics.

           If you fail in subjects, you will lose out on a year. Same way for  sports.    

          Teach students to respect and be empathetic towards the heritage India has in Olympic sports.

Generate an impressive chronicle of players like Gavaskar and Tendulkar and from other sports.

Rise in Self-esteem is the most important aspect.  We need to teach our youngsters to never say no, never give up, never throw in the towel and never settle. The traits of champion sportsmen are revealed in the above lines.

Everything is possible! You only need positive manifestation and determination.

To Shreerang, I would say: RISE! AWAKE! THERE IS CHANCE YET TO BE THE BEST SCHOOL IN THANE.

      SPACES