This story is from May 21, 2015

All work and no play for today's children?

It was a busy Monday afternoon for Tathagata Sarkar.
All work and no play for today's children?
It was a busy Monday afternoon for Tathagata Sarkar. Not because his parents’ phones had not stopped ringing and he had received many congratulatory calls after ICSE results were announced. Tathagata, who scored a neat 96%, was busy packing his bag to head for tuition classes. He is among the hundreds, whose classes had resumed within a month of the board exams. With preparations for the next big exam — Plus II — on in full swing, is it all work and no play for today’s children?
Gone are the days when schools would remain shut for three months after the board exams.
Now, Plus II school admissions depend primarily on the pre-Board selection tests. But parents from the city are getting used to the trend. Said Sarmishtha Majumder, whose son Jishnutosh from St Xavier’s Collegiate School got 95% in ICSE, “My son completed his boards on March 23 and classes resumed on April 20.”
I don’t know about the pressure as it’s up to the school how it wants to prepare students for ISC. The best part is that schools close again for summer vacation after the board results,” said Sarmishtha. Students, too, have made peace with changing times. Ahitagni Dey from St Xavier’s Collegiate School said a month’s leave is enough for him to relax. “My elder cousins would talk about the three-month leave that they would get. But today, it’s different. Getting to study the subjects of my choice is fun and also, there’s more freedom in school than at home,” he said.
Some parents, however, feel it’s not fair for schools to begin classes before the board results are out. Actress Indrani Dutta, whose daughter Rajnandini passed ICSE from The Heritage School, Kolkata, with 94%, said, “Students need a break to unwind and de-stress. Strangely, my daughter is happy with her one-month leave. Also, I kept worrying what if my daughter didn’t have the necessary marks for the stream she has chosen. While I wanted my daughter to cut an album after the boards, she was keen on choosing her private tutors for Class XI. Because of fierce competition, we are missing out on the finer things in life.”
Schools, however, have their own reasons. Seema Sapru, principal, The Heritage School, said times have changed and today, children come mostly from nuclear families with little scope for entertainment during long leaves. “In our childhood, kids living in joint families had a lot to do at home. Today, children mostly come from nuclear families with working parents. So, the kid is left at home in the company of domestic helps, doing nothing better than social networking. Coming to school is a far better option. That apart, the syllabus of Class XI is both huge and difficult, so students, too, need to get accustomed to it. Also, I feel the students enjoy more in school,” she said.

Richard Gasper, principal, St Augustine’s Day School, added that it’s the syllabus that makes a huge difference. “Before the results are out, it is more of counselling than serious studies in schools. It is to get students accustomed to new subjects. They are themselves excited about the subjects they choose. Also, they enjoy the company of friends,” he said.
Consultant psychologist Paromita Mitra Bhaumik added that this is indeed a dangerous trend. “Last year, a student from a reputed school, who had joined the science stream on the basis of his selection test results, had to be pulled out after he fared poorly in maths. The student had to take up commerce and it put undue stress on him. I get more and more such cases every year,” she said. According to Paromita, judging a student on the basis of selection tests also negates the importance of boards. “Often, students are pressured to take up science. How will physics, chemistry and maths help someone who is keen on becoming a lawyer? It’s important for schools to wait for another month for the results to come out, or else it can take a toll on students’ mental health. Sadly, some of the city schools do not even have humanities as a stream,” she added. But is anyone listening?
I feel sorry for today’s children, who don’t even know what it is to enjoy a long leave. A break is very important for students to recover from the stress of exams so that they begin classes with renewed interest. Today, I see my daughter going for tuitions, studying all evening, right after her boards. It’s a sad state of affairs. - Shyamali Bhattacharya, mother of Anushka, a student of DPS, Ruby Park (CBSE Board)
When classes resumed within a month of the boards, I couldn’t stop complaining to my parents. But now, I have come to terms with it, as I know summer holidays are nearing. At school, it is not serious studies, as teachers are getting us introduced to the new subjects. - Namrata Bose, Class XI, Modern High School for Girls (ICSE Board)
Our students still get a three-month break after Madhyamik. I feel a break is a welcome change in times of relentless competition. Today, parents, who are busy with their own work, want children to be occupied with studies. I agree that the high school syllabus is huge, but students should resume classes only after they have relaxed enough. - Indrani Mitra, principal, Gokhale Memorial Girls’ School (Madhyamik Board)
(Some names have been changed on request)
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