Stewart School Bhubaneswar- An Abode of Learning

I still remember my first day in Stewart School Bhubaneswar long back in 1978. I stepped in to take an entrance test for Prep class- the test was not like the ones of present days (tasking and demanding). I do not remember what all I wrote to qualify but thankfully I got admission into the most revered school. I spent 11 long formative years spanning from childhood to teenage (from Prep to Class X) here.

It is my great pleasure to learn that this abode of learning has turned 50. Age and every added year bring mirth, glory and pride to each institute. The same is true of Stewart School Bhubaneswar. This is one of the proudest moments for all the Stewartonians who have been a part of this institute since its incorporation.

I am sure the current learners in this institute of learning feel as proud of it as we ever did. It is a moment of pride for all of us Stewartonians- present or past to live to its moment of glory celebrating fifty golden years. We were at an opportune period participating in and celebrating the 25^th anniversary of our school in 1985-1986.

25 years have passed since and Stewart School Bhubaneswar has survived with flying colours and is shining as ever having recently celebrated its Golden Jubilee Celebration happen.

Till date I consider my school a place of worship where I was nurtured by caring and intelligent teachers like Ms. Nayak (Prep class teacher), Ms. Roberio (Standard 1 Class teacher), Mr Rao (Physics teacher), Ms. Ambrose (Biology teacher), Mr. Ambrose (English Language teacher), Mr Behera and Mr. Sarangi (senior class Mathematics teachers), Mr. Moinuddin and Mr. Mandal (junior class Mathematics teachers), Mr. Dhar (Chemistry teacher), Mr. Nayak (Geography teacher), Captain Fernandes (our most adored Art teacher), Mr Chakravarti (History and English Literature teacher), Mr. Pradhan and Ms. Mandal (Oriya teachers) and many more.

At home my parents did their lot in helping me learn and in school my beloved teachers did their bit. The period 1978-1989 was not a period where there were hi-tech gadgets like computer, nor was there internet or any kind of global exposure to our adorable teachers. Howsoever, their talent, their skill, their grit and determination was remarkable and notable. It is they and their commitment which has made responsible citizens out of most of us.

This is a salute to all my dear teachers who deserve a standing ovation for their incessant years of effort and hard work. Never did we realize then that they were one of the least salaried people in the professional hierarchy. I strongly believe they should be the highest paid as they nurture young minds to grow up and take up responsible and high paying posts in the government or non-government sectors.

This is a request to all to wake up and raise your voice for the most deserving but least rewarded heroines/heroes of your life. In an age where we consider India vying to be a developed nation we cannot place teachers in such a low rung. They are the shapers of young minds and it is they who put in more than half their life doing this. They get barely rewarded for their contribution to the growth and development of the nation. It is time tables turned and eyes opened to the cause of the teachers.

Looking forward to a brighter future for the teachers of the nation!

Wishing a long lasting journey to my school moving further ahead with more name and fame for all time to come!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

A Few Thoughts on Early Childhood Learning

It may be understood that pre-school learning has become an intrinsic part of the learning system. Keeping the vulnerable age of such children who are sent to a pre-school[1] in mind it is important that certain things ought to be kept in mind while developing a curriculum or any method or even establishing a system of learning for them. My experience with the children has helped me formulate some ideas which may be taken into consideration while initiating such a learning system:

• Learning in school is understood to be an extension of learning at home. It is believed that the child very well recognizes her/his parents’ or mothers voice from an early age (May we say that she/he is already aware of it even when she/he is in the womb) and from her first day of birth she starts learning about the world around. Her family teaches or should I say socializes her. Gradually she/he learns the use of language, about the world around, the food, the people in the family, the clothes- about everything she gets to see and hear about. This learning process is carried forward in the school, though the structured may be different. For instance there may a noticed difference in the way the time schedule of classes and recesses are maintained.
• The pre-school environment may not be disjoint from a home environment. Once a child moves out of the house she/he has her/his own fears and anxieties, in such a scenario it is important for the people in the “other” home (in the present context I am referring to a school as the other home) to never forget this and make every effort to carry forward the same love, affection and we-feeling so that the child is able to see some semblance in the two.
• A child can learn the best in a fearless environment. A flower blooms best in the open, and a child grows best in a friendly, homely and fearless environment. An environment which is open and unbound and not curtailed by rigid and fixed norms.
• Learning system progresses from near to far and from known to the unknown. For instance if we show an apple to a child and name it she will instantly be able to relate to it by feeling it, touching it, eating it or smelling it. However, if we try to explain what a strawberry is by just showing a picture she will take her own time to relate to it and get an essence of the berry.
• Teachers are there to help and guide the child discover her/his own self. Teachers may not be understood to be the know-all. It ought to be remembered that the child has her/his own reserve of knowledge, which should not be ignored. It is important to recognize the inner strength and knowledge system of every child and acknowledge the child as an individual as such. The teacher may have a sea of knowledge, however she/he ought to help the child explore her/his capabilities and work on them.
• Learning encompasses much more than reading, writing or counting. Learning should not be limited to these activities. It should be more contextual and applicable. Just learning to write ones name does not necessary educate the person. Rather a holistic system which will emphasis on knowing about the world around (to start with the world one is in close proximity with).
• Dance, songs, stories are some of the best media of learning. Apart from writing, reading one may be able to learn a lot through other faculties like seeing, listening, with the help of modes like dance, song, stories (more of pictographic ones at an early age, from 1-3½ years, there is no hard and fast rule about the age as it may be noted that every child is an individual and each of them has her own space of learning).

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[1] It may be noted that most of the parents hardly realize that a pre-school is a place for the child to mingle with her/his peer group. They rather wish the child to excel in every field, to be more precise in writing, counting or learning the alphabets and not to forget a few sentences in English.  Sadly enough the main objective of all this is not helping the child explore her/his inner world but to face an interview or test so that she/he qualifies to get admitted in LKG in a primary school, which are supposed to be renowned and good as far as education is concerned.