Morning Assembly

Morning Assembly is a ritual that most Indian Public School students are familiar with. It takes place almost every day and follows a prescribed format – the hymn of the day, a prayer, a ‘thought provoking’ service and the daily announcements. It lasts anywhere between 15 minutes to half an hour. Every once in a while (usually before the holidays), there is a Special Assembly, which can last up to 3 hours long.

I have always been somewhat wary of attending Assembly. I would much rather spend the time sipping a nice cup of tea, reading the morning papers or even just going back to work in my office. These activities provoke much more thought and reflection, in my experience, than an institutionalized prayer or thought-of-the-day.

Retrospection, contemplation, knowing right from wrong…I feel they don't come from attending Assemblies. Indeed, we hardly ever had Assembly at the schools I went to (perhaps the concept isn’t as ingrained in International schools), and I turned out ok. Besides, I am uncomfortable with the idea of structuring ‘philosophical’ musings into 15-minute capsules. To me it replicates the kind of formulaic and empty thinking that has spawned so many self-help books. Is it even possible to have a new ‘truth’ or ‘life lesson’ to talk about every day? How much wisdom can anyone impart or ingest on a daily basis?

The value of Assembly, amongst many other features of the Indian education system, needs to be re-thought, especially for senior school students (as H.S. Singha argues in his book School Education in India). Fewer Assemblies focusing on specific content (as opposed to concepts) would probably make more sense for today's world-weary youth.  

The Diplomat's Daughter Returns

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately and remembered my own, aging, neglected one today.

To be honest, I have thought about reviving this blog often but either couldn't (a) sign in (b) find anything to write about or (c) find the time. Life has gotten busier since JNU and the boss (at the school where I now work) has been on major office patrol lately. But this Saturday morning, the weekend beckons and I feel inspired again. So here I am - a little rusty but eager to sharpen my tools and get going!

The blogs that prompted me to write today are all about education. I've always been interested in education and, now that it pays the rent, I like to keep up with issues and concerns relating to school education...well, as much as I can. I was amazed not just by how many teachers are writing blogs, but by the way blogging is incorporated into the classroom and learning experience. I also read some blogs by students - the quality of writing and thinking was astonishingly high.

I say all this with a twinge of sadness, knowing that such practices are still decades away in India. Its not that we aren't using e-learning technology in our classes. Its not even that there isn't enough funding - private schools in India, especially those owned by wealthy industrialists, have plenty of money to put to good use. No, the massive stumbling block in most Indian public schools is the conservative and often condescending mindset towards young people. While schools may profess to be 'liberal' and use fancy terms like "pupil ownership", the truth is that a vital ingredient in the teacher-taught relationship is missing - faith. Rarely are students allowed to criticize policy, make meaningful contributions to school events, or even read for pleasure. Every part of their day is structured, every minute accounted for. In such an environment, where is the impetus for retrospection, creative thought or action? What are they really learning and what are we teaching them?

In the effort to adopt the 'no child left behind' ideal, some students have become complacent, knowing that their substandard performance will be blamed on their teachers and mentors. To avoid the inevitable tongue-lashing that follows, teachers turn to spoon-feeding in order to maintain high class averages and, most importantly, their bonuses. The ultimate reward? A place in the top 20 annual ranking of schools in India.