My School My pride

The door/gate of the school on orkut page (MAhadev School Group page) reminds me the nice old days. Carrying a bag to the school, with a responsibility of sweeping the class on rotation basis, keeping the slippers on a row, sitting at the last row of the class to safeguard the freedom and luxury of being ignored from the teacher.

The days where there is no cut throat competition, no parental pressure to excel, just sheer fun of meeting friends, Playing kabadi through out the day, MIL class from padhi didi, Math/Science/Geography class from Bighna Agyana (Bighna Sir) are all fresh in the memory even after 18 years since i left my alma-matter. Such a low profile school but enough ingredient to satishfy all kiddish requirement in terms of knowledge and fun a perfect balance.

Last time when i went to nabarangpur (Almost one and half year back) i am very much dishearten to see the condition of the school. The school, My school which was flourishing once upon a time was in a dire state, the building which seems to have a premature death, the ground in front of it is encroached all around, no windows. When i asked the same to Bighna agyan, he was displeased by the system. Teachers who are running to feed the children for mid-day meal, running around the kitchen, buying groceries, and all the stupid stuff thats falls on a teacher's shoulder, loose its charm as a priest at a knowledge temple, which become a mere hotel by the politician. I know it is still a debatable topic but fact remains teh fact. While he was describing the condition i can sense the pain he was going through. He no more enjoys his teaching, he no more takes the pride on his student, he is just waiting for the day to retire and take his eyes off from the detirioting standards of government schools.

I can sense by seeing the condition of the school, its in a miserable state, its dying, and standing in front of it as helpless as Bighna Agyan, doing nothing about it. I can feel the slow agonizing death of my schhol. In spite of all the fact above, i took a pause and took a deep breathe and felt little better. Inspite of all felt little proud on my school which help me defining myself.

Mahadev UGME School
Nabarangpur, Orissa