50. Why should children attend school?

Someone once asked me... Why should children attend school?

What is that children best  like about  coming to school?...

Now... don’t be naive  and affirm  “To study”!!

Well, almost every  child likes coming to school because   one can meet friends and  of course, PLAY !

BUT...that happens only if the school authorities allow children to play!

When  I was in my primary class in a leading school in Trivandrum in the 1970’s  when  the bell for the one hour lunch- break  rings,  and when the moment the teacher leaves the classroom, some of us dash to the playground to reserve  the space for  our teams’, cricket pitch for the afternoon.  For, if one is late by  even 05  minutes  atleast  six other teams would have  already  placed their wickets. And during lunch break,  we play  a cricket  match of  30  to 45 minute duration sometimes carried over to the following day as in Test Matches.

Today,  children in most schools are given  a lunch break for  30 minutes and  they are strictly forbidden to play! Well...  it is not always that all play makes  jack a dull boy as the saying goes.... In a game like cricket, you learn to play like a gentleman, acknowledging  the skills of  a superior bowler, wilfully accepting  an LBW decision,  learn to play as a team etc.

Most  teaching  in schools  these days,   I  think is  not very inspiring. [Incidentally, as a teacher educator, I often visit schools and observe classes and meet children and teachers].

Now...,how often have we seen children  given to day dreaming.... some  who pretend to be listening to the teacher but whose minds  we know are  hundreds of kilometres away or may be  in a world of their own making.... Should we not encourage it!...Well that may be debatable....

Recently, I had been to a school where on the walls of a classroom was displayed  a poster  from a newspaper describing the days that should be celebrated in  schools each year. (A total of 70 days was mentioned)

When schools compulsorily  celebrate those days  and if  the programme for the day is thoughtfully and imaginatively planned won’t this create some impact on those children who are playful  and imaginative by nature??

So... never complain (as some Supervising  teachers whom I met during Practice Teaching,   in a few Government-run schools  [where students from poor socio-economic backgrounds   usually study] said.. “There is no use  teaching them!... They do not even know how to spell  simple words and are incapable of writing a grammatically correct sentence... Even if we do not teach them, the faulty examination system  will ensure that they pass!”

Now... don’t you think that the celebration of days of the kind mentioned above might help  the ‘useless’ children to become useful citizens in future!  Don’t  you think that there is  a ‘reason’ for students to  attend school..

 Plz do offer your comments...