I consider this as a great privilege to stand before this august audience and share few words.

Before I start let me humbly admit, I am neither a good speaker nor, can touch seriously on the subject I am supposed to speak. But as a lay person, as the father of two children, and as a person who gave reasonably good education to them, grand father of two nursery going children and two infants and as a person, who is closely associated with the socio cultural life in the city thro’ different socio-cultural and religious organizations I like to share some thing I experienced in the last so many years.
The situation prevailed in Don Bosco’s time and that of now is totally different.

Don Bosco lived in the nineteenth century, at the dawn of the industrial age, and in a context which was largely Christian. We, instead, live in the twenty-first century, in an age shaped by the rapid advances of technology, overwhelmingly influenced by the presence of the mass media, and diversified by social and religious pluralism.

But Don Bosco’s way of education, the preventive system, based on reason, religion love and kindness is more relevant today, especially when the Government banned corporal punishment by law.

I think many of you have attended the seminar on Saturday 28th Sept. conducted by Rev.Fr. Jerry Thomas on the A couple of days back,

I got an opportunity to interact with the principal of a very reputed school on James Long Sarani, in Behala.  As a cooperator I touched on the subject of working for the youth at RISK. As he heard the word RISK, he caught on it and said, today to run a school is too risky not only for the management, but to the teaching fraternity too. He was very upset, rather very angry with the current system, especially with the former education Minister Sri Kapil Saibal. In his view the Government destroyed the very fundamentals of education. Today I cannot ask a boy or girl to stand up in front of other students, as it tantamount to traumatizing him or her in the eye of law.  About 20 or 25 years ago, if a teacher canes a boy or girl, it was considered as a corrective punishment and today the same is termed as corporal punishment.  I still remember, if I get beatings from the teachers, which was a regular affair no doubt, and by any means my father comes to know about this, I am sure to get a bonus beating from him, as he was sure that I did some mischief in the school.

Think of the situation today. The moment the parents come to know about such a punishment, both the parents, perhaps along with the neighbors go to school in procession and may even make a dharna and gherao the principal and the teacher concerned. 

In this situation, what we can do? The school and teachers have a greater roll to play. I think the school should think of a new curriculum for the parents. The school should make it compulsory for the parents to attend an orientation course at least three times in a year – one each in each term and both the mother and father should invariably attend the same. There is another area, where the parents fail to communicate with the school authorities. The other day I met an IAS Officer Mr. Kumarjeep Chakraborty, who is holding a very important position with the West Bengal Government. His son is studying in a very prestigious Catholic School in Park Street. During our discussion, we talked about our families, our children etc. He said that he is not happy with the school, especially with the discipline and also the faculty in the school is not keeping a high standard. I asked Mr. Chakraborty, whether you shared your view with the Principal. He said no. I do not want to talk to him and drawn into controversy. If this is the attitude of the elite parents, how the school can correct themselves. Here also the orientation course may help.  I do not know whether the schools run by the salesian sisters have a managing committee, where parents representatives are also members.  I am a member of the managing committee of a new generation hi tech school on Eastern Metropolitan By – Pass – the Indus valley World school. The school is run by an industrialist. But he made it a point to have a managing committee comprising of the principal, the rector, teachers representatives, representatives of the non-teaching staff, parents representative, and some public figures. Every three months we meet and all are free to air their opinion. If the suggestions are good for the academic proficiency of the students it is definitely accepted. I am a member, for I am from the minority community and they consider me from an NGO. If there are no such things in the Auxilium Schools, it can be tried, as this will increase the mutual trust and confidence.

By the way let us come back to education. When actually the child starts his education? I will say from the womb of his or her mother. Once they see the light of the day; they start observing and then absorbing. They learn a lot from their mother, brother, sister and all in the family. Once they reach school at the age of 2 or 3, they start adapting more from their friends than from the teachers.

I was surprised to see an advertisement in a very popular vernacular newspaper. The advertisement goes like this “Dress up your child like Luttappy and get handful of prizes”. Dear sisters, who is this Luttappy – Luttappy is the devil character in a childrens magazine published by the advertiser.  What all you have to do? Dress up your child in the attire of a devil, take video photos on your mobile phone, upload the same to the website of the advertiser and get handful of gifts. Children are the gift of god and how can the parents dress up their child like a devil.  Recently I have read in a magazine about a book meant to teach mathematics to the nursery children. The book is named as “Monster Mathematics”. Is it that the devils are the heroes of the children that such name is given to the text book. Now see how the book teaches – 1 monster + 1 monster = 2 monsters. First class? I remember, when my children was in the nursery class in Auxilium Park Circus – how Ms. Monica Petes taught them to add the numbers.  She draws a picture of a ball, raise her hand, show the finger as one, again write the + symbol, draw picture of another ball, raise the hand and finger, put the equal to symbol and writes 2 balls. There are how many ways to express this. We can use flowers, animals, fruits etc. instead of monsters. Why monster?. There is definitely a hidden agenda. You know there is cake named DEVILS FOOD CAKE?

I AM sure; we all have heard of HARY POTTER STORIES what these stores are all about? Hary’s parents were killed by a witch and Hari want to take revenge on the killer for which he wanted to learn witch Kraft. He joined HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHKRAFT AND WIZARDY. For each year he spent in this school the author made one part of the story book and total she wrote 6 parts. After reading these books, it is reported that the children started writing to Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizard seeking admission. That is the amount of influence those kinds of stories give on the children.  This is yet another area, where the teachers, by the active support of school and parents can intervene.

In today’s nuclear family set up, there is a general feeling that the children are selfish and they do not want to share. There is definitely some truth in this thinking. But we cannot generalize the same. Last month, during the Onam season, the children of 22 schools in Kozikode district joined hands to help their classmate. They decided that the money they receive from parents and relatives as onam gift, they will not spent for themselves and utilize for the treatment of their classmate. Ancy Shaji, a 10 year old Class IV student was suffering from Liver problem and doctors suggested for replacing the liver by an operation which cost about 6 lakhs rupees. Her father an auto driver and mother, a sweeper in a mental hospital could not afford. The class mates came to their help. The students of school, where Ancy was studding took the initiative and subsequently children of 22 schools joined and collected Rs. 4.5 lakhs with the active support of the teachers and parents. The rest of the money was collected from the public. Now how we can blame the new generation? If at all somebody to be blamed, it is the parents and the society are to be blamed, because parents do not teach them to share.

An award giving meeting  was on. The award was given to the person for his selfless work in the field of social service. During the meeting somebody from the audience asked him, what made him to work in this field? Then he narrated an incident in his life.  When he was 10 year old, in the nearby town a circus troupe was doing their show. His father and mother took him for the show. His father was in the “Q” to buy the ticket and he saw 4 children playing nearby. He could understand that they are also here to see the circus and their father is standing in the Q just in front of his dad. His turn came and he asked for 6 lowest priced tickets. Unfortunately all the tickets of the lower category were sold out and this poor man had no money to buy the higher tickets. He came out from the Q and he could not express his predicament to his wife and children as they were eagerly waiting to go inside and see the big elephants, tiger etc. My dad understood their problem and he purchased three extra tickets and told the man, - see I have 3 extra tickets, and if you so wish you can use it otherwise it will be a waste for me. I could see the happiness in the eye of the small children; most of them were younger than me.  After the show, I thought the dad will take me to the nearby restaurant and take be back home by bus. But he took a short cut and made me and mother to walk 5 kms to reach home. After reaching home only I could understand that the money meant for the snacks and bus fare was really spent for buying three extra tickets. But I was confused – why Papa told, we have three extra tickets. For this also, papa had an answer, - when we do something for others, they should not feel that we are doing something free to them? Although I walked 5 kms I never felt any pain in my feet. Yes that was the day a social worker was born in me.  Just imagine how dad and mom can influence their children.

 Devi Kar, director of Modern High School for Girls, Calcutta, in an article advices schools to offer some practical courses to prepare young people for life. Teaching them about safety measures and how to respond to emergencies in a structured manner and make students aware of the principles of disaster management are steps in this direction. But these lessons are of no real use, if they are limited to the class rooms. We must observe whether the learning has been assimilated and is applied as and when required.

I like to conclude – even super schools or super moms and dads cannot prepare young people for all of life’s demands. Many lessons will have to be learnt from life itself.

Dear sisters, I thank you for giving me a chance to share something from the day to day life and wish a very fruitful chapter.