School days!

Hi, 

Now this post is about the other school day memories, the 'teacher bashing' ones! :):) Our school had this unique system in 11th and 12th grade wherein students were divided into Ability and Non Ability sections, on the basis of their 10th board marks. 

So, those who got a percentage (the complicated percentile method was unheard of back then) below a certain cut off, were put in the 'Non -ab' section. Those in the 'Ab' sections were monitored after the first term exams; if their marks were below the cut off, they were chucked out of 'Ab' and into 'Non -ab'. 

Some of my friends got the most coveted 'Ab' section in Science. However, poor things could not probably cope or were busy with medical exam classes, so got transferred to the 'Non -ab' section. There they understood what it exactly meant to be an 'average' student!! The teachers used to come and instead of teaching them properly, used to belittle them by saying "You people are anyways in Non-ab, why am I bothering to teach you this, you will not understand" Imagine!!!!! 

There was no difference in the fee structure of the 'Non-ab' and 'Ab' students, so the teacher was earning her salary from both. Was it not her duty to teach both sets properly?? It hurt her ego to teach 'Non -ab' students (that she was not good enough for the 'Ab' ones), so she decided to take out her frustration on the poor kids. Did she not know that students are not there for pampering a teacher's ego? It should be teachers who should encourage students? 

I am all for carrots for students for performing well, sometimes sticks too. But those sticks should not scar a person for life and should not be detrimental to the confidence. Ancient Indian traditions show gurus were the most respected people. However, with all this, can we put hand on heart and say we really respect our teachers (all of them)? 

I am sure that those from the 'Non-ab' sections fared quite well later in life, my friends certainly did. Probably, some of them did better than some privileged 'Ab' ones. After all, our education system is not the best judge of a person's abilities, nor does it prepare the student for the best performing career! :):) 

After some years, sanity prevailed on Madam Principal and she abolished the 'Ab' and 'Non-ab' system. Maybe, some student from the 'Non-ab' section got through IIT or MAMC!!!! :):) 

Ciao