What a Day !

pretty well written article. explains the indian educational system quite well and gives a good idea about the student responses.I am an educationist from Pakistan and pretty fed up with the state of affairs in my country.would like to exchange news and views about somebody from across the boder on the state of education in your country.interested??

Sadhana,

Hello!

I don’t want you to praise your writing too much and make you sit too high for your own good! But, I meant it when I said you can write to a bigger audience.

Towards this, I thought over it and have a suggestion for you, please take it positively and in the right spirit. My sister is the editor of a US based Indian Weekly newspaper based in one of the major cities with a good size SA population. I “urge” you to write a weekly, bi-weekly or the occasional article there. I hope this can be a step towards bigger things or at the least an outlet for your thoughts.

Note: You can choose to remain completely anonymous even to her, me & everyone if you like or have whatever other arrangement you want with her.

Don’t say no immediately; think over it for a few days.

Please respond to vik_chowk@yahoo.com for her contact info & to get the discussion out of here.

Mike said it and so does I – JUST DO IT !

Vicky

vicky #18

Thanks for your kind words. I agree with you about chowk. Thanks to Radhika too, for reviving sweet memories!

Sadhana

Sadhana # 17,

That was hilarious! But I can imagine the scenario too well – been there, seen that! But, I am sure if there were any ‘darker’ and ‘taller’ tales to tell you wouldn’t have mentioned it on Chowk ! ;-)

I do have to pay you a compliment - You write very well ! And I am saying on not just this posting but, after several months on the chowk. Since you are also well informed, I initially thought you might be a journalist or a columnist. But I read some discussion about s/w , and also over time I saw there are several others too who are very well informed, you can`t all be in the media - Is there any opposite of andho mein khana raja ?.

In any case, I do hope you will take up some form of serious writing before you loose your enthu (And let me know).

I am not a wine person myself, and I didn’t ask :-)

Vicky

vicky #16

hmmm..

Here is where memory begins to fail :-). Forget about notes, exchanging an accidental word from one month(or two) to the next with the T D and H object(s?) of hero-worship, was about all that one felt that duniya or zamaana could sustain without major catastrophe:-).

`vintage`

After 10th, I moved out to local Univ. And being female, allow me to say, yes, roughly :-).

Sadhana

Sadhana #15,

An `A`, wow! I didn`t think anybody could get an A in SUPW. Now that you mention, I remember SUPW when it was W.E, although I am not sure about Craft. If we both recall, the name change we might be of roughly the same vintage - I finished in `84.

Now why did YOU say heartbreaking !! Bulls Eye!

Sometimes, to get the nazaara one ended up repeatedly passing by of the special classroom till the head lifts up, occasionally with the studious-straight-faced-nudging by the target`s neighbor. Worse, after you have done your `thing` and got your nirvana, you had to accompany your friend on HIS mission impossible.

In any such an environment, there are always infamous non-starters. There was this comedian - A tall Mallu, who insisted on pataoing the Ms Khan in his best Hyderabadi, a straight lift from Big B:

Mashook, pahe chante nahin kya, ashuiq hoon! Mere di ko katal kar ke... whatever!! She probably never spoke to him!

Then there was one of best friends, a guy who slipped a love note to one of my best friends-a girl, and insisted he didn`t when she got mad, really mad! Guess who got completely scr..d!

Mr. G who wanted to floor all the girls with his singing voice. In our passing-out party we made him sing the same song 4 times - till he got it right! Except for us jokers in the back, everyone went nuts!!!!

All said and done, after many years I realize the meaning in -

`` It is better to have loved and lost than ...``

I must be getting old, going on like this.

Happy memories to you too.

Vicky

Vicky #14

Enjoyed reading your post.

``SUPW``

First it was called Craft, then it became WE(work experience) then it became SUPW(socially useful and productive work). All through these upheavals we kept doing the same things :-). I was prouder of getting an `A` grade in this(only 2 As were awarded in my class) than of anything else.

``the morning smile``

So heartbreakingly apt!

Sadhana

pullu #8

Maybe she did :-)

Radhika,

Congratulations on your graduation!

UTI has one of the largest portfolio of securities and the absolute largest mutual fund, in terms of assets as well as number if investors. Any department except investor relations and registrar operations should provide a great learning experience. But one thing I can guarantee, in case you are wondering, I have seen both and s/w development is less stressful than securities market. But UTI might be different.



Nice to see the KVites crawling out of the woodwork!

My experience in my KV was great! My years from primary to 12th were eventful and fun! Even managed to squeeze in a bit of education. As some of you rightly pointed out – the education was cheap - up to class 9th , Rs 2/- per month in my time. And the ``simple`` government employees went to great lengths to ensure our success not only in acads. but in CCA, sports, Scouts, NCC, SUPW(!), Yoga, Music, bulletin boards, parades, drills, the morning assembly,, and all the activities we had going on in a KV. Thanks to KV and thanks to the teachers of KVS !

KV was a great leveler too, I had classmates owning plantations and industries and kids of the lowest grade govt employees. We also had students from every region and religion. But guess what - nobody bothered; you made friends with those you got along with. And I am still very comfortable making friends from people of any region or religion.

A co-education school has it’s own unique flavors, at one level you end up accepting girls as your equals and sometimes betters at another level you make good friends with them - just like the guys. But the interesting part is all the ashuiqi that is attempted. There were those impossible infatuations, the engravings on desks, the eternal love triangles & circles, ``home work`` discussions over the phone, passing of notes through trusted couriers, the morning smile from your significant infatuation, the strategic meetings at the water tap. Unfortunately, I don`t know of a single such ``affair`` which lasted.

We had some great sports among girls too like the lovely Miss L who altered her too-long-hemline on popular demand or Miss J who would pass notes to any girl you wanted. And the bad sports like the shapely Ms S who always wore a divided skirt. But good sports or not the boys or girls we were all together when it came to Masti, like jumping the wall to watch a Betaab or QSQT, bunking classes to cheer our teams anywhere, anytime, taking the punishment together rather than squeal on a classmate.

The worst part of my KV experience was that it ended one day. After the fun years of KV, with Hazaar activities and friends, you do take life for granted - even the sights and friendships of the delightful PYTs in white blouses and blue skirts. College was a rude awakening, there were 2 varieties of the female we heard, the general woman and the engineering college student. But, that`s another story.

You brought back sweet memories, I couldn’t help smiling to myself the entire afternoon thinking of some of the stuff we did - Thanks!

Sadhana,

For us, CCA was on Saturdays - last 2 periods, also the white uniform day, so you could sit on the ground with your whites as audience!

happy one

We had a good percentage of South Indian teachers in fact most of them, maybe because I studied in the South.

Vicky

hi radihka,

most of the things are same across the border when you talk about the feelings.

i have a year ago done a 6 month cource in oracle though it was not as big as MBA but we had lot of fun in between and on last day one of our class fellow wrote a poem to say good bye to all of us

I think this is the best place to share It..

``Dedicated to all my oracle mates``

Good-bye Friends

Good-bye may be a little word,

But it has a world inside!!!!!!!!

The world of sorrow and grief,

The world of joy and delight!!

Although there’s a future ahead,

But all the dreams are shattered,

For friends who were so close…

Will now be all scattered !!!!!!!!

The time we have spent………..,

The moments that we have shared,

Now make me feel so distressed,

Now make me feel despaired!!!!!!!

The laughters and the secrets …….

So many joys and tensions!!!!!!

The known reason for success,

And all those unknown depressions!

Those riddles and those jokes….

That we ever told each other,

Would bring a smile on my face,

Would fill my eyes with tear.

I shall never ever forget…………

What all of you have done………

You’ve given me support and help,

And never asked for return!

Thank you Amin, thank you Akbar,

Thank you Mujahid, Thank you Khizar,

Thanks Younus Saheb and Erum,

Thanks Shoukat Saheb, thanks Ahmer,

Thank you Zaki, Faraz and Babar,

Thanks all of you for all the pleasure,

Thank you for all the friendly friendship,

That I shall for-ever treasure!!!!!!!!!!!!

May allah bless you all ………….

And all of you find ………………

Health, joy, happiness, luck……...

And prosperity of every kind!!!!!!

With lots of love,

Written by,

Khudaija Asif

Radhika,

Congratulations. I did my MBA a while back.

I agree with your observation ``well, I have learnt very well in these 2 years that MBA is all about putting the simplest of things in the most complex of ways, just to zap the poor listener so that he has no clue as to what all you are bullshitting-- and he has no option but to nod his confused head to your bakwaas--``

LOL. That was true for the first class of MBA`s wherever they graduated from (Harvard?) and will be true of all future graduates until MBA becomes extinct.

Radhika,

Congratulations. I did my MBA a while back.

I agree with your observation ``well, I have learnt very well in these 2 years that MBA is all about putting the simplest of things in the most complex of ways, just to zap the poor listener so that he has no clue as to what all you are bullshitting-- and he has no option but to nod his confused head to your bakwaas--``

LOL. That was true for the first class of MBA`s wherever they graduated from (Harvard?) and will be true of all future graduates until MBA becomes extinct.

Radhika... would you say you learned more from the text books or the experiences you had at the educational institutions you attended? I feel the journey called LIFE teaches us far more than any classroom could. Bit of both you think? :-)

=zensufi=

Dear Radhika, welcome to CHOWK,
education never really stops
even in the career world here in the US. In
Pakistan it is forever a battle if you are not
from the middle to upper classes. One can
wonder how many more poor kids could have gone
to school if we had not gone nuclear in South
Asia?

Ras

Dear Radhika!

Many congratulations on your graduation, job and article on Chowk. I hope you must have learned by now that success in corporate world comes due to a fine mix of knowledge and bullshit. I also hope that you are good at both. I wish you all the success.

I was wondering if you or any other reader could provide me some information about student associations in India. I always wonder if they are any differnt from that in Pakistan. Are they purely academic like fraternities in US (subtract beer and sex from that) or they are more politically oriented like in Pakistan, where each political and religious party has their student wings.

Due to the nature of my job I only get to meet nerds from Kerala. I was wondering if a ``normal`` indian could give me some info.

Wow! The KVs. It took me back to the school days. Not that I am a KVite but KVs sort of

symbolise the good old days. The mere mention of the word took me back,swirling.

And, the incident Sadna mentions(reply #7), of the Flag unfurling, had me smiling. I have a feeling it happens in every independence

day celebration.

How can I forget the lovely school girls smiling and giggling past me? I, dressed in my navy blue pants and spotlessly clean white shirt, for the occassion(mom`s effort you see), would think,``did she give me a look?``.

And then the national anthem.



Hmmm, nostalgia.....there is so much of it.

pullu

Radhika, the happy one,

Interesting to see KVs mentioned, making the past and all those once familiar things seem so near and yet so far, too.

School/college years are about a lot more than academics. What I remember best are the beginnings of every school year, the pouring monsoon rains and the interesting damp darkness indoors, the excitement of new classrooms, new friends, new teachers, the wonderful smell of pristine untouched notebooks, the starchy scratchy oversized new uniforms, the heartthumping promise of every new day.

The weekly `CCAs`(cocurricular activities) on Saturday (or Friday?) afternoons, where one was urged by teachers to go humiliate oneself by speaking or reciting in front of the whole school(who never forgot boo-boos :-)).

Most of my teachers were South Indian, actually. Its now hard to believe that those who were after all govt. employees took so as much trouble as they did. The Independence Day when the national flag just wouldn`t unfurl and instead chose to fall on the Principal`s head!! And one of the boys had to climb up the pole to hang it up again and it all made it worth our while to come to school on a holiday :-). Being sent out of class, best of all!! `Teachers Day` when the students of the seniormost classes took on each teacher`s role for the day and one student even chose to represent the school peon, down to his bare feet!(and who refused to speak even once during the whole day of teasing by his irreverent juniors). The free salt from obliging shopkeepers to eat stolen mangoes with :-). `Old` girl students who would show up on Sports Day in saris and stilettos and still carry away the trophy in the old students race.

Great days,

Sadhana