Why I Think Convent Schools Are A Big Threat To A Nation Like India ?
Recently I was watching Rajkumar Rao's " Bose - Dead or Alive ". Rao, as usual, was phenomenal in his work. But the scene that caught my attention was the introductory scene of Bose 'babu' where he beats up a professor after the later forces the students to remove all the 'totems' in order to 'liberate' them from their superstitions.
This took me back to my school days. Enrolled in a Convent Missionary school, once we got a circular instructing us to remove all the sacred objects or symbols like threads, lockets, bracelets etc. by the next day, failure of which would attract an invitation from the Principal's office. Next day was the much anticipated inspection from the baptized heads of the institution. It was quite Ironical to notice a person in a vestment with a cross around his neck instructing/forcing the students to remove all the totems as there is no real power attached to these objects.
'Practice what you preach' had hit a new low that day.
The day in a Convent school usually starts with a Christian prayer - " Our Father, In Heaven.. " known as the Lord's prayer which is a venerated Christian prayer that, according to the New Testament, Jesus taught as the way to pray.
It is followed by the anthem of their Patron - usually St. Xavier or St. Joseph or any Christian saint for that matter.
Time and again, funds are raised from the students in the name of orphanages run by these societies.
Moral Science - a subject in which almost all of the Christian mythology is taught, is an essential part of the curriculum.
Well, who can forget the Christmas celebrations? A week long celebrations preceded by a month long preparation for the main event that includes various carol competitions, plays and much more to celebrate Jesus's birth. Children are given a relaxation in the rules and regulations for the day of Christmas and chocolates, sweets etc. are distributed throughout the school.
Now, let's compare this with the celebrations for Diwali. A single holiday is given to the students with the strict instructions of reducing the usage of crackers. That's it. Happy Diwali !
This situation prevails in most of the schools or educational institutions run by any religious society. A single religion and its practices are encouraged, overlooking/neglecting other religions. Some force their religious attire on the students while others force their practices.
There have been allegations on the schools run by Sikh societies that they force their students to elongate their hair and cover them, even when clear indications of disinterest have been observed by non-Sikh students.
It is quite evident till now that most of these institutions are not a big fan of secularity in their campuses. Quite Ironical, as these religiously inclined institutions have time and again used Secularism as a shield to flourish in the Indian society.
John Locke, an English philosopher and commonly known as the "Father of Liberalism", stated that the human mind at birth is a complete, but receptive, 'blank slate' upon which experience imprints knowledge.
So, inscribing 'Religion' on these blank slates in the early years of development can have severe impact on personality of these kids as adults. Imposing a particular religion while discarding/neglecting other religions can lead to an intolerant society which is a major threat to the integrity of a country like India.
No one can force these institutes to change their rules or regulations or their approach towards the students and even if anyone tries to do so, a 'religiously volatile' society like ours will not accept it and will consider it as an oppression by the majority on the minority.
In absence of any good alternatives in small towns and suburban areas, where these religious institutes register a ubiquitous and a phenomenal presence, the parents are nothing but helpless to admit their wards in these institutions hoping for a good education for their child at the cost of their basic religious sentiments.
In nutshell, this is basically a conflict of principles, values, morals and ethics which these institutes need to take a suo motu note of.
So, what can they do ?
Well, it's quite simple. Don't prohibit any religious charms in your school, teach the students to respect all the religions while celebrating the religion 'Humanity' is !
Don't celebrate any of the religious festivals - Diwali, Christmas, Gurupurab or Eid in your school, celebrate Independence Day indeed with full vigour. Teach 'Secularism' instead of 'Communalism' and inculcate 'Nationalism' in the students.
At the end, I want to stress upon the fact that with the private schools taking a center stage in the education system of India, and with the managements of these Institutions working for accomplishment of a particular 'Agenda', Education in the schools has undergone a drastic change. Now whether this change will lead to positive or disastrous consequences is a thing to watch for in the near future.
This took me back to my school days. Enrolled in a Convent Missionary school, once we got a circular instructing us to remove all the sacred objects or symbols like threads, lockets, bracelets etc. by the next day, failure of which would attract an invitation from the Principal's office. Next day was the much anticipated inspection from the baptized heads of the institution. It was quite Ironical to notice a person in a vestment with a cross around his neck instructing/forcing the students to remove all the totems as there is no real power attached to these objects.
'Practice what you preach' had hit a new low that day.
The day in a Convent school usually starts with a Christian prayer - " Our Father, In Heaven.. " known as the Lord's prayer which is a venerated Christian prayer that, according to the New Testament, Jesus taught as the way to pray.
It is followed by the anthem of their Patron - usually St. Xavier or St. Joseph or any Christian saint for that matter.
Time and again, funds are raised from the students in the name of orphanages run by these societies.
Moral Science - a subject in which almost all of the Christian mythology is taught, is an essential part of the curriculum.
Well, who can forget the Christmas celebrations? A week long celebrations preceded by a month long preparation for the main event that includes various carol competitions, plays and much more to celebrate Jesus's birth. Children are given a relaxation in the rules and regulations for the day of Christmas and chocolates, sweets etc. are distributed throughout the school.
Now, let's compare this with the celebrations for Diwali. A single holiday is given to the students with the strict instructions of reducing the usage of crackers. That's it. Happy Diwali !
This situation prevails in most of the schools or educational institutions run by any religious society. A single religion and its practices are encouraged, overlooking/neglecting other religions. Some force their religious attire on the students while others force their practices.
There have been allegations on the schools run by Sikh societies that they force their students to elongate their hair and cover them, even when clear indications of disinterest have been observed by non-Sikh students.
It is quite evident till now that most of these institutions are not a big fan of secularity in their campuses. Quite Ironical, as these religiously inclined institutions have time and again used Secularism as a shield to flourish in the Indian society.
John Locke, an English philosopher and commonly known as the "Father of Liberalism", stated that the human mind at birth is a complete, but receptive, 'blank slate' upon which experience imprints knowledge.
So, inscribing 'Religion' on these blank slates in the early years of development can have severe impact on personality of these kids as adults. Imposing a particular religion while discarding/neglecting other religions can lead to an intolerant society which is a major threat to the integrity of a country like India.
No one can force these institutes to change their rules or regulations or their approach towards the students and even if anyone tries to do so, a 'religiously volatile' society like ours will not accept it and will consider it as an oppression by the majority on the minority.
In absence of any good alternatives in small towns and suburban areas, where these religious institutes register a ubiquitous and a phenomenal presence, the parents are nothing but helpless to admit their wards in these institutions hoping for a good education for their child at the cost of their basic religious sentiments.
In nutshell, this is basically a conflict of principles, values, morals and ethics which these institutes need to take a suo motu note of.
So, what can they do ?
Well, it's quite simple. Don't prohibit any religious charms in your school, teach the students to respect all the religions while celebrating the religion 'Humanity' is !
Don't celebrate any of the religious festivals - Diwali, Christmas, Gurupurab or Eid in your school, celebrate Independence Day indeed with full vigour. Teach 'Secularism' instead of 'Communalism' and inculcate 'Nationalism' in the students.
At the end, I want to stress upon the fact that with the private schools taking a center stage in the education system of India, and with the managements of these Institutions working for accomplishment of a particular 'Agenda', Education in the schools has undergone a drastic change. Now whether this change will lead to positive or disastrous consequences is a thing to watch for in the near future.
Well said amu :)
ReplyDeleteThank You !
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