A school for life.

Divya Venkatesh
Sep 3, 2018 · 3 min read

When I was a little girl, I had mixed feelings about going to school. I loved the idea of meeting my friends, and learning about new things everyday. But I dreaded the homework that never made sense to me, I despised the constant narrative by adults around me on how I can never afford to miss the first rank I held since my first year in school. The narrative was very clear. You go to school, you study hard, you listen to your teachers, you listen to all the adults around you, you be an obedient student, you score the highest marks in your class, you hold on to that first rank. As a child this was what was expected of me. This was everything a good child would do. I was expected to do this, day in and day out, without asking questions.

I started out as the most curious child, with the darnest possible questions. It took me no time to realize questions are not really appreciated in the adult world, especially in schools.

A school is a place where you go to learn, but they decide what you learn, how much you learn, and how soon you need to learn.

A school is a place where adults think you are an inherent brat, and their job is to curb your free spiritedness in the name of discipline.

A school is a place where adults categorize you as clear winners and losers, and this attitude of comparison never really leaves you. It lingers on as insecurity, self doubt and competition even as you step into adulthood.

A school is a place where children are expected to respect everybody, but no one respects the child or treats her as an equal, with a mind of her own.

A school is the place where I was constantly celebrated for my academic excellence, which successfully distracted and kept me away from my true love for words and culinary arts.

As the original thinking in me died a slow death along with my dormant interests and skills, I can say with confidence, that nobody forced me to do anything I did not want to do. You see, most times society never forces you into things. They just make certain things simpler and easier to follow. They make certain things desirable in a way that you naturally feel inclined to go down that path. They appreciate you for the things they think you should do. And as a child, if you are given a choice between what is easy and what is right for you, you choose easy. Wouldn’t you?

Now imagine a school that does not condition you this way, by telling you what you should do at at all times. A school that does not assume they should give you all the answers, because you are only a child.

Imagine a school where you go to learn, and only learn, and learn at your own pace, with the adults around you giving you the space to think originally and express how you feel with no fear of judgements or reinforcements,

Imagine a school that respects your thoughts and opinions as a child, gives room for mutual negotiations instead of imposing rules thus leading to better ownership of behaviour,

Imagine a school where every child is special, no more, no less, and we realize that each one’s thought process is going to contribute into creating a beautiful world in a very unique way,

I can imagine a future full of schools that stand for every child and the extra ordinary potential each of them carries. Can you?

Divya Venkatesh

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“And if you were to ask me After all that we’ve been through Still believe in magic? Oh yes I do Oh yes I do Yes I do Oh yes I do Of course I do”