Challenges Ahead
Usually while enrolling their children in the school the parents keeps contemporary scenario in mind. They consider aspects like choosing the opportunities and environment provided to the children in the school.
However, there is one important aspect related to child development which the parents and the school organizers either do not understand or have no clue about it.
The point is that when the child comes out in the world after 25 years of education, the world is completely different than it was 25 years back. He has to face a completely different set of circumstances, a completely different set of problems.
Some 25 years back it was common for class-5-schoolers to not regularly attending the school. It was a major concern for the parents. Also the children were not refined in the use of language and like to roam around instead of staying at home.
15 years back the scenario was different. The children used to dislike ordinary school bags. They wanted attractive shoes, clothes and latest compass box. The children were quite concerned about their image. They used to demand scooter instead of cycle for going to school.
Five years back the children started demanding car to take them to school. Now they wanted mobile phones and other gadgets. Their school has to be of a modern style.
The teachers must come by car, and all such things. Their attire, eating and outing habits, everything has completely changed. Today in cities, almost 40% of class-5 students studying in good schools regularly use computer. They are quite familiar with the Facebook, chatting and internet, and know more in compare to their age. They watch video clips without hesitation which even adults hesitate to watch. The parents are unaware of such activities as these issues were nonexistent during their times.
The goals of the child keep changing during his life. His short-term and long-term expectations also keep changing.
The parents, the teacher and the principal can be helpful to the child in setting high goals of his life.
Once there was a child who used to go school on a chariot. One day his father asked,“What do you want to become in life?” The child replied innocently, “I want to become a charioteer.” The child replied so, as while going to school he had seen the charioteer controlling the horses. And in his mind the charioteer was the most commanding man among all the people he had met. His answer put his parents into a dilemma. They consulted his school principal.
The principal promised to visit their house on the child’s birthday. On his birthday the principal reached his home with two different gift boxes. One box had a replica of a simple chariot, while the other had the replica of lord Krishna’s chariot having seven horses. The child was asked which chariot he wanted. The child replied he wanted the chariot having seven horses. They exhorted the child that if he wanted the chariot having seven horses he had to be like Krishna and Arjuna and pass through the tough tests of life.
This changed entire viewpoint of the child. Now the same chariot in which he used to go to school started seeming insignificant to him. He became desperate in attaining high goals of his life. As the time passed the same child became known as a successful ruler, administrator and a visionary. Today we know him as Sayajirao Gaikwad.
