The crossing of the ways..

This Saturday, an Academic Olympiad was conducted by our organization where contestants from 12 different schools competed against each other. These 12 schools were part of the school network in which fellows from our cohort were placed. Some students from my old school were a part of the event as well and it gave me an opportunity to reunite with them.

Asking them about how their school was coming along, they told me that only the TFP fellows came to their class to teach as most of the other teachers were gone on election duties. I asked them about science (as that was the subject I had taught them) and they informed me that their science teacher comes to school but usually whiles away time chatting in the staffroom downstairs. ‘Miss, isi liye hum ap se kehte the ke ap hi humein science parhao!’

I remembered how they used to ask me to stay on in their school and some notes a couple of students wrote in which he said how they had covered more in their summer school science class than they did the entire year. I remember laughing it off, thinking it was just an attempt at flattering me, but now I realize that it was completely true!

Knowing that some of my students from this school aspired to join the medical profession, the navy, and the army, it hurt very much to know that they did not have a proper teacher who would help them move towards their goal. It hurt more so because I could’ve been that teacher yet I wasn’t there for them. They’ll be in ninth grade soon and with what little science they know I wonder if they’ll secure the necessary marks that will get them to college and university later on.

These days are just sad. Time and again I witness incidents or happen to hear conversations which serve as an ugly reminder of the educational crisis our country faces. Only a few days ago, two girls from 1^st grade were made to broom the school floors and I overheard what they were saying to each other:

Girl A: Phans gaey hum phir se!

Girl B: Itna tou hum parhtey nahi hain jitna hum kaam kertay hain!

During break-time, as I was re-taking tests of some of my students, a couple of 4^th graders dropped by to chat.

Student 1: Miss, mujhe ap logo ke anay se pehle kuch nahi aata tha, ab mujhe sab kuch agaya hai!

Student 2: Miss, hamara abbu tou humein dusre school mein dakhla kerwanay ja raha tha. Fees jama kerwani reh gai thi bas jab ap log aey. Phir hum ne bataya abbu ko ke ab parhai achi honay lagi hai tou unho ne humein isi school mein rehne diya.

Student 3: Miss, yahan dusre teachers tou class mein atay hain, bolte hain k kitaab ka ye page kholo aur yahan se yahan tak likho. Ek hafte mein puri copy khatam hojati hai!

To see the future potential of our country wasted like that before your very eyes is disturbing. And this is what makes me realize why we need more people on board our team, more fellows in more classrooms so that the capabilities of each of such students is harnessed and more dreams are enabled. We need to ensure our students are always in good hands. We need more people to join the movement.