‘We provide state-of-the-art comforts and leisure facilities, five-star residential accommodation and multi-continental cuisine, sprawling playing fields and sports facilities, wired classrooms, a 17-acre, five-hole trainer golf course, ergonomically designed furniture, ‘lux levels' of light in classrooms, earthquake-resistant campus with an intelligent building management system, controlled central air-conditioning with fresh air intake, fire safety systems, access control, CCTV surveillance, public address system, background music, cable TV, 100 per cent power backup, and broadband connectivity.”
The list seems unending. I wondered at the glossy brochure: is it the promotional literature of a five-star hotel or school?
What are we trying to make our children into, by establishing schools like these? We have a lot of money so we are giving them the best. It's sarcastic!
What about endurance, strength, stamina, adaptability, self-reliance, discipline? Are these parameters not required? Are we not making our children ‘delicate dolls'? Is it not necessary for them to know what it is to be under the sun for some time, to sweat it out, to breathe a spell of fresh air, to learn to endure the harsh realities of life, to eat food which is simple and not always delicious, to develop their stamina and burning calories, to be independent, not to be a slave to technology, to be acquainted with our ethos and culture? Are we not hampering their natural growth process?
In ancient India, we had the gurukul system. Life at the Gurukul was tough. The sishyas (students) had to follow strict discipline and sacrifice their worldly comforts. They lived as equals regardless of their social status. There was regular physical service the pupils rendered to their gurus. The gurukul system taught students simple living, loyalty to duty and inculcated in them a quest for learning. At the end of the training, the students emerged as responsible individuals who were well learned and capable of facing the toughest challenges of life. But where are these five-star schools-cum-hotels for?
I still remember that day when a four-and-a-half year old child studying in such a school told my daughter, “You know Didi, in my classroom we have touch screens everywhere.” I strongly felt that in the world of touch screens we are missing the essential human touch. By promoting schools with five-star amenities, the new international schools are nurturing an elitist, money-and-status-conscious mindset. On interaction with students from these schools, it has been noticed that most of them have little respect for teachers or visitors and sport an air of superiority.
If five-star schools want to deliver holistic education as they claim, there's much they can learn from India's well-established public schools, which respect tradition and enforce discipline and good manners. While making the important decision of choosing a school for children, parents should note that high tuition fees do not necessarily translate into good education. They should insist that school managements focus on character building.
Unwarranted snobbery
There is also the danger of unwarranted snobbery. While a certain level of comfort and cleanliness is necessary, the extent of luxury five-star schools provide is unnecessary and will engender needless elitism.
Impressive buildings and five-star facilities don't guarantee the best education.
Conspicuous consumption
Another characteristic of Gen-next schools which has attracted the ire of educationists is that they are over-influenced by the five-star hotel culture bordering on conspicuous consumption. There's an emerging consensus that fraternisation in such artificial environments desensitises children to the plight of the great majority of the poor and the disadvantaged. There is growing indiscipline among students. It is a matter of great concern. Parents should make the right choice. They should keep in mind the long-term objectives of education. We must remember ‘Education is not for making a living, it is for making a life'.
(The writer's email ID is: sapna13jain@gmail.com)
