In pursuit of Quality

Quality is something that is very relative and contemplative. I find it more like a jalebi - the savory Indian sweet. The spiral shape ensures you to see the centre but never reach it. 

The Indian Education System is witnessing a tremendous change from outside as well as within its purview. The need for quality education, extricates the best of ideas from the most eminent people in the system. These people formulate, propose, implement and reflect upon the various policies and guidelines to strengthen the education system. 

With so many guidelines and policies, the education system gets structured and crispy clear to adhere to, but at the same time it gets strangulated and stifled. The statutory bodies and all, demand an independent and stringent implementation of policies along with reporting, that ensures the teachers are busy throughout the year to prove to them; the best of education and institution. 

When teachers are more worried about undertaking activities for compliance and report submission, then obviously, teaching remains just a formality. The discussion on 'Teaching is an art' or 'Teaching is science'; takes the turn for 'Teaching is a formality'. And why should it not be ? When children in current times have to be aware of inter and multi disciplinary courses, then undertaking various activities benefits all. The practical exposure ensures experiential learning too. 

This is what forms the paradox of the Indian Education System and defies the purpose of defining its quality. Stakeholders question the exorbitant fees to be paid with no assurance of employability in an already over populated nation where the system tries in the best way to assure quality there by comprising teaching and stakeholders who are disillusioned with the idea of pursuing education with no gains in sight. 

In trying to ensure quality, the teachers put in their efforts not in teaching but in its administration and management, so as to enlighten young minds who succeed in projecting 'know it all and dare it all' attitude for a situation that is more chaotic. But in chaos, symmetry rules. We, as citizens look up to the educational institutes to channelize young minds in the best customizable way. 

When two MILs met !

Anuja was relaxing on the sofa, watching the television; after a busy day at work. Her daughter, Ira and mother in law, Sumantai; both representatives of young and previous generation, started to share their views on the program on television. Anuja enjoyed the ongoing light discussion in their cozy home with a heavy downpour outside.

The doorbell rang and all three women in the house looked at each other, perplexed, each thought, "who could have come in such a heavy rain ?"

On opening the door, they found their elderly neighbor, Pravaratai; with something in her hand. Her big smile brought excitement into Anuja's relaxed drawing room. All the women started talking with the sound of rain in the background.

"I made chakalis this afternoon for my grand daughter, Nita, and brought for you all to relish too !" Pravaratai's chirpiness and generosity was known to all neighbors. The fresh chakalis and warm chatter, along with the dull television programme, the evening lit up. "My Nita likes only home made chakalis and especially the ones that I make". Pravaratai beamed with pride and chatted on various topics under the sun. "Even my maid mentioned the other day about the new hotel and how it was different in its food. She is such an efficient lady, manages her home and job along with taking care of me".

The abrupt mention of maid got me thinking. Both senior ladies and mothers in law had to keep their discussion to general topics; leaving the daughters in law from the conversation. Obviously, it would not be appropriate to discuss the daughters in law in the presence of one !

My thought process was broken when my mother in law started to praise our maid. Sumantai would not be left behind. She would not leave our maid from the discussion. "Our maid is such an industrious woman, she takes care of her brother's family, goes to the fields for rice plantation and palkhi......."

And so the discussion went on. Both the ladies made great efforts to outdo the other in terms of being lucky on the home affairs front. They enjoyed to keep each other company, but their predominant womanly nature also made them compete; be it their joys or their problems.

It made me happy to know that modern women have found different positive topics to keep them preoccupied rather than gossiping about mundane and usual things. 

Daddy and Dotty

Shyama watched in disbelief as her husband coolly asked her to see their only daughter off at the railway station. Their daughter, Meera was excited about travelling first time, alone from Pune to Baroda by a train; without being accompanied by her parents. Her excitement was as a result of feeling self dependent and being 'old' enough to take care of herself. Shyama could correlate with Meera's excitement but she was perplexed as to the detached attitude of her husband. Sanmit, being so caring and affectionate towards his daughter, was just not interested in coming to the station.

At the station, though, Shyama and Meera were too full of energy even in the hot summer morning to give and hear the last minute mother daughter instructions. Both waited for the train to arrive at the station, for it meant independance to Meera for her eight hour journey. Shyama, on the other hand found it difficult to not be with her daughter for the journey. She had made chinese rice for Meera and bought her cold drink too for savoring the experience.

A week later, Meera was coming back from her short trip. Her train was arriving in the morning. Sanmit, was up earlier than usual, constantly asking Shyama about the time. Shyama was quietly sipping her hot ginger tea assuming that Sanmit would go to the station to bring Meera on his two wheeler. 

"Oh, finish your tea fast, hurry up, we must leave by 7:00 o'clock. It will be a 30 minutes drive by car and another 10 minutes at the platform ticket counter. You need to hurry up and we must get to the station."

"Ok, I thought that you were going to bring her.", Shyama wondered at Sanmit's excitement and impatience. She could not understand his attitude when Meera was boarding train and now this. 

All the hurrying up and eagerness to see their daughter back, got the parents at the station- a good 40 minutes early. Husband and wife talked about so many things and nothing in particular. After some time, Sanmit voiced his doubts about Meera not waking up on time to embark from the train. 

"Dear, Pune is the last station; everybody will get down here. Don't worry"

At 8:10 am, the train chugged into the station and Meera and her family were all smiles and happy to be in each other's company. Meera's chatter and her experience, was all her parents wanted to listen. The rest of the day, all got busy with their schedule.

After a few weeks, Sanmit had to leave for an onsite project and accordingly all reservations were made. His cab arrived late in the evening and Meera & Shyama were at the foot of the building to see him board the cab. Instinctively, Meera hugged her dad and dad got all too emotional. Sanmit could not talk more and quickly got into the cab.

Shyama had been observing everything. She realized that  daddy loved to welcome or receive his loved ones but he disliked parting from them. His detached attitude when Meera was leaving Pune, was a result of his attachment with her.