T turned 5 this April and we had already decided to enroll him in a big school from the UKG. I was little reluctant to do so as that would mean a whole change in the entire schedule and I was not sure how he would cope up with all that. But my happy go lucky son proved me wrong, yet again and proved yet again that I am blessed to have him.
The school started on 1st June, but we had to give it a miss as we came back to Bangalore on that morning. So, ideally, his first day was 2nd June, when his dad took him to the school. It has a huge campus and there are many classes going on in one single building. And the students have increased considerably over the last year. There is no dearth of students, though the school fees are touching the sky. Parents always want the best for their kids and that's the reason they enroll their kids into big, premium schools. T came back from school in the school bus. He looked happy. He didn't seem stressed at all.
From the next week, his bus was supposed to come at 7 am. I was in a shock. T loves sleeping, most kids of his age do! I was paranoid, how would be get up by 6 and finish everything and take the bus at 7? I even thought of sending him for a month in the school bus and then opting for own transport. Today is the 5th day and I have no room for complaints. He wakes up in not less than 5 minutes when I tell him that it's time to go to school. No reasons, no "5 minutes", no crying, no fuss. In less than 20 minutes, he is ready and listens to his favorite songs before leaving for the bus. He understands the clock well by now. So he gets out of the house at 10 minutes to 7 so that he doesn't have to rush. He walks with his pu jeeya (grandmother) to the stop and then the bus comes. Also when he comes back, he is fresh, happy and ready to play. He has skipped the daycare till his grandmother is here. I don't mind it too. He is a good child at home. I don't bombard him with questions immediately. I just ask him if he had fun in school. Psychologists say that kids are put off when they are asked the same questions every day, "What did you do in school"?, "What did you learn today"?. So I skip that routine and his progress in school anyways will be evident when teacher will report about it in the Parent-Teachers Meeting.
The new school does not encourage the comparison of one kid with another. They believe that every child is different and will have different capabilities, different interests. They will not be assessing the child against each other, but they will assess the child on his/her own merits. Extra-curricular activities will also be given equal weightage and the stress will be on overall development, not just rote learning and I hope this change will help this generation to be better equipped for future. I am not talking about being ready for high salaried jobs, but for other challenges that they might have to face.
I am very excited and looking forward to this academic year. It is going to be a new and learning experience for both of us and we both are going to enjoy it!
The school started on 1st June, but we had to give it a miss as we came back to Bangalore on that morning. So, ideally, his first day was 2nd June, when his dad took him to the school. It has a huge campus and there are many classes going on in one single building. And the students have increased considerably over the last year. There is no dearth of students, though the school fees are touching the sky. Parents always want the best for their kids and that's the reason they enroll their kids into big, premium schools. T came back from school in the school bus. He looked happy. He didn't seem stressed at all.
From the next week, his bus was supposed to come at 7 am. I was in a shock. T loves sleeping, most kids of his age do! I was paranoid, how would be get up by 6 and finish everything and take the bus at 7? I even thought of sending him for a month in the school bus and then opting for own transport. Today is the 5th day and I have no room for complaints. He wakes up in not less than 5 minutes when I tell him that it's time to go to school. No reasons, no "5 minutes", no crying, no fuss. In less than 20 minutes, he is ready and listens to his favorite songs before leaving for the bus. He understands the clock well by now. So he gets out of the house at 10 minutes to 7 so that he doesn't have to rush. He walks with his pu jeeya (grandmother) to the stop and then the bus comes. Also when he comes back, he is fresh, happy and ready to play. He has skipped the daycare till his grandmother is here. I don't mind it too. He is a good child at home. I don't bombard him with questions immediately. I just ask him if he had fun in school. Psychologists say that kids are put off when they are asked the same questions every day, "What did you do in school"?, "What did you learn today"?. So I skip that routine and his progress in school anyways will be evident when teacher will report about it in the Parent-Teachers Meeting.
The new school does not encourage the comparison of one kid with another. They believe that every child is different and will have different capabilities, different interests. They will not be assessing the child against each other, but they will assess the child on his/her own merits. Extra-curricular activities will also be given equal weightage and the stress will be on overall development, not just rote learning and I hope this change will help this generation to be better equipped for future. I am not talking about being ready for high salaried jobs, but for other challenges that they might have to face.
I am very excited and looking forward to this academic year. It is going to be a new and learning experience for both of us and we both are going to enjoy it!
Blogging is that the new poetry. I notice it terrific and wonderful in some ways.
ReplyDeleteNew academic year is always filled with hope and a new learning experience for both the child and mother :) Good post!
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