Photos: Prakhar Pandey
Although in every household the birth of a child is still hailed and the entire family rejoices, the euphoria is nowadays short-lived. The worries start once their infant enters the playschool age – it is no longer child’s play! In today’s times, there is apprehension on the child’s safety and security, specially in nuclear families - where the parents are either too busy with their own chores or ignorant of certain basic ‘dos and don’ts’. The liberal British philosopher William Penn could have been speaking of the ‘new’ Gurgaonites when he said: Men are more careful of the breed of their horses and dogs than of their children. Modernisation in every field has engulfed our society, and education is no exception, as evident from the manner in which this vital entity has become a commodity with a commercial price tag. This trend commences from the admission of toddlers to nursery schools, where merit has been eclipsed by numerous other criteria. On their part, the schools justify their exclusivity – and fee - by contending that besides the basic 3-Rs (Reading, ‘Riting and ‘Rithmetic), they render assistance of all sorts - like counselling and appraisal of the behavioural traits of the children.
In this scenario, a worthwhile venture, ‘Schoolex 2014’, to enlighten the parents on their role in the nurturing of children, was staged at the Epicentre. The event witnessed an encouraging response from parents. One of the visitors, Manoj Shah who has been looking for the ‘best’ school for his five-years old son, said, “It’s not just about the infrastructure in the schools, their environment too matters. While all the schools that have come here are well recognised, being a concerned parent I am a little choosy.” The response from the schools too was quite overwhelming – with the presence of top schools like DPS Public school, Pathways World School, Meenakshi Public School, Euro International, Amity International School and St. Xaviers. Several schools from upcountry too participated. Boarding schools projected their supplementary facilities proudly. A couple of institutions engaged in the educational field, who intend to set up a chapter of their schools in Gurgaon, were also present. A couple of participant schools had organised brief sessions for parents and guardians on how they could lead healthy lives with their children. Mrs. Sunita Shukla said, “I am single parent and am working with a private firm. I therefore need an ‘appropriate’ school.” In her view, the social status of parents is quite dependent on the school their children are studying in. It seems that nowadays a school tag matters as much as a B School one. Maybe they should pause, and ponder, on Shakespeare: “It is a wise father that knows his own child.”
Read More...