| ஒத்திசைவு | प्रत्याह्वय | resonance |

(or) நாமிருக்கும் நாடு, நமதென்பதறிந்தோம்! (1600 words, sorry)

Preamble:

The School that I am currently working with, is in an area of Tamilnadu, which is known to be a very violent place for the past so many decades – so much so that, even the police personnel and revenue department staff would like to avoid this tension filled and bottomless despair invoking milieu.

So.

There was way too much of violent and disrespectful behavior by the children (primarily stemming from abominable & pathetic parentage and the vitiated socio-political atmosphere) of the School, with which I was involved rather closely from the fag end of 2010.

This is a verbatim note detailing an approach that I circulated with/to our fellow-staff – I had translated this note in Tamil too in a handwritten mode and circulated it (but seem to have misplaced it!). I must say that, after spearheading this approach for some 3 months or so, rather relentlessly, there were some very good positive results.

However, today, on 26th June 2015, after some 4 years of this approach, I would say that though the violent ‘porukki‘ behaviour has very significantly dropped, it has not completely died out. I would assume that it would take a few more years to become a model place – because we in our School, though we really love our children,  do not have ANY control over what happens at their homes – what with the alcohol + tv/cinema + freebies + crime related dravidian problems that plague and continue to devastate my dear state of Tamilnadu. Sometimes, I go like – Oh what do I do and weep. Literally. :-(

So, here goes…

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Caveat: Please note that I am very new to our school, and I have my own biases and preconceived notions as well. Hence, please take this note with a pinch of salt. I could be completely wrong – so feel free to correct me.

This rather quick and drafty note has been prepared as a follow-up to the staff discussions on 20^th Jan, 2011 – the point being, as to how can we gainfully address the issue of the children not being respectful to their immediate physical environment.

Children Community at Our School: Some Notes

One of our school’s significant stakeholders, is the Community of Children (CoC).

This document acknowledges this particular fact first and hence lays down a basic set of ‘expected behaviour modes’ in the CoC and the consequences of not adhering to them. Nothing in the approach laid out in the document is new, except the group/community orientation to the expected behaviour modes.

What are the various learning / life-skills objectives for the fulfillment of which the CoC is there at our school?

We can roughly classify the objectives under the following six groups…

1. Acquisition of Knowledge

2. Development of their own Understanding

3. Application of such knowledge and understanding

4. Acquisition of Skills – in languages, communication, tools, processes, time management and otherwise

5. Development of Interests and Focus

6. Development of a set of Attitudes – Metacognition, Critical thinking skills, Autodidactic nature, ‘Greater Common Good’ orientation, Stewardship, Perseverance, ‘To do, not merely try,’ Self-discipline, Power of Imagination

In my opinion, the best gift that the children could take away from our school, would be the 6^th. I believe that if this can be delivered to the maximum extent possible, the rest five will automatically fall into position. (please note that, am not saying that nothing is being done now  in this respect at all; if in doubt, please read the caveat again!)

What is the expected behavior mode – among many – that we are trying to address?

The very basic parameter for the ‘expected behavior modes’ of the CoC is the idea of ‘respect’ – that is,

…Respect to:

• Themselves

• The properties & environment/ambience of the School.

• The Adult Community (which includes our Teaching, Non-teaching, Support staff, Volunteers)

In essence, I believe that (with a few ‘worked!’ examples in my previous/practical experience), if this ‘respect’ is inculcated, then a lot of issues begin to get addressed.

But, why harp on the Community and respect angle at all?

In Tamil there is a saying by the poet Bharathi – ‘naamirukkum naadu, namadhenbatharinthom!– which essentially means ‘let us know that – the place where we are, is our community (so let us take care of it)’ – this spirit of stewardship needs to be reinforced again and again, without any letting up.

In normalized and closely knit communities (I think, the upper elementary, high and higher secondary classrooms are such things), correctives develop organically and after a few cycles, the community adapts itself to the idea that for errant behavior of even one of their classmates, the whole community has to pay.

No child can take recourse under the clause of NIMBY! (not in my back yard!).

At the same time,  we will not single out any particular child, but address the problems at the gross level – with love and kindness – as is usual in our School. We do not want any child to let down his/her friend – in other words, we would be respectful of their positive intentions.

I think the community should own up to the best of and the worst of behaviors. Of course, I know and understand that there are already set of rules of behavior – and they merely need to be enforced, with zero tolerance for off-behaviors.

I propose the following:

If a given class room is not clean or learning tools are broken or furniture are burnt/broken or there is intentional spoiling/blocking of drains in the toilets or there is some behavior in the children that we do not want to encourage in our classroom & its environment, we simply walk out with the children and go sit under a suitable banyan tree. (Please note that we have three huge banyan trees under which we have lovely and comfortable stone benches and tables, aesthetically pleasing ones at that; in case of rains or cold atmosphere, we can always go to one of our libraries)

We explain to the children that what happened was unacceptable – we would be very respectful to the children – and this, within the first 5 minutes of sitting down. No discussions will be undertaken at this time. And, for rest of the day we would continue to merely sit, reflecting on what happened.

During the very last period – at 2.30 PM or so, we will ask the children what will they do differently so that the next day is also not spent under the tree. We will seek solutions from them and allow them to address the problems, come up with meaningful suggestions, and then address them as Adults.

The next day begins as usual. If the errant behavior crops us again, we go thru the same process, that’s all.

Note: There shall be no books, no reading, no chit-chatting. Only silence for the rest of the day. During Lunch and Snacks, this group facing the consequences will consume them but, continue to keep quiet; they can go may be one by one,  not in groups that is – and then assemble right back under the tree, in a silent, reflectful mood. They can of course go to the bath/restrooms as usual, whenever they need to.

Of course, we would not use this approach for non-turning in of homework, or the normal huge delays in the payment of the meagre fees that we try to collect from the Children.

Steps & Suggestions:

We should inform each grade and in the assembly that, the price of unacceptable behavior will be that – the whole class. CoC pays for it.

We start implementing the method after a day – clearly telling them again, about the rules, just in case!

The adults who are supposed to take the class for the children facing the consequences will sit with them – quietly, doing their work, period after period.

All adults will have to adhere to this for the effectiveness of the approach.

We will go thru as many cycles as needed.

We will ‘be the change that we wish to see…’

We as adults at the School, may also need perhaps, to do the following, so that we are also ‘seen’ to be respectful to our environment, our community.

1. We will stand one as a community, the moment a decision has been democratically arrived at.

2. We will not (not even absent mindedly) do the things that the children are barred from doing.

3. We will keep our offices / labs clean.

Please write your comments / reflections / suggestions – in the pages attached to this document. It would be useful to have your considered and thought-out reflections, when we get around to discussing the note please!

Thanks for your patience!

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Having observed the horrifying effects of nearly 50 years of Dravidian government(!) – with its blatant swindles, unabashed casteism, shameless rent seeking behaviour, doling out freebies at the expense of taxpayers, abominable sexual violence and little else in terms of redeeming features – I feel very angry and aghast at the current state of affairs in my dear Tamilnadu.

I feel that unless these mother fuckin’ Dravidians are booted and hounded out of political and social power structures, the Tamils have no scope for even any dreams of hope!

But then, this view of stark reality is not going to make me  despondent and feel completely spent – though it is very tiring and trying to work against heavy odds. I may take a break from whatever little that I am doing, but then as my dear  Arnold Schwarzenegger would say – I will back! ;-)

As for the CoC in School – as we say in Tamil, ‘only the time will tell’ whether there will be any longterm effect in terms of improvement. Yes.

THE END, but my dear reader, what do you think?