Recent experience of child after “bunking” school.

04 Sep 2009 4 Comments

by rumasen77 in Survival in Human Society.

                   Almost all of us have experienced this at one point in our lives. Try to recall your High School days, the vast portions to be "mugged", burning the midnight oil prior to the exams etc. Recall also,  the stress levels of trying to complete your never-ending revision and coping with giving attendance at school. Most of us would also remember those days of secret conspiracies of "mass bunking", when the majority of the class would agree to miss out one working day when exams were knocking at your door.

               This week, my daughter, a High School student, debated whether to attend school on Tuesday, as the First Term Exam was commencing on Wednesday (i.e. the very next day). The school, in turn thought it had done a big favour to the children by declaring Tuesday ( the one day prior to the Exam day) as a half day. After much deliberation and calculation, both she and I came to the conclusion that, given the huge portions staring at her in the eye, and the time wastage involved in to and fro travel, it would be wiser to "bunk" school, rather than attending it. 

                 As the day progressed and my daughter was rather wrapped up in her studies, she received a frantic call from one of her  class mates who had actually taken the trouble to attend school, that the school authorities are livid over the mass absenteeism, and all those who would be coming the next day to answer the exams would have to produce a plausible reason or valid medical certificate as a reason for their absence; failing which, a total of 55 marks would be deducted from the aggregate marks in the final report.

                I didn’t know whether to thank the class mate for this information or not, at that point of time, because I was left to deal with a double-tensed child who could no longer concentrate on her studies after hearing this news. Both of us, mother and daughter, came to the conclusion that we’d have to come up with a great reason for not turning up at school the next day, or we would have to face the depressing consequences of marks being deducted.

                That same evening, I found myself at a local doctor’s clinic. Thankfully, there were no other patients that day, and, after some frank explanations of my situation at home, the doctor cooperated and wrote down a ‘certificate’, stating the reason for my child’s absence. Filled with gratitude and guarding that all important document, I rushed home, and leaving no stone unturned in retrieving my daughter from the grim prospect of having to lose marks, I also wrote a hand written note to the school.

                The next day, which was the day of Commencement of Exams, I waited anxiously for her to return from school. To my relief, I saw her smiling. She recounted everything that happened that morning. Apparently, nearly 70% of the class had been absent, and the Principal gave them all a tough talk. Most of the students who could produce medical certificates were pardoned, but a good number had not made it. I feel sorry for those children, if the school Principal is really going to go ahead with those threats.

                  This experience made me think about our schooling on the whole. Why should the higher class students have to compulsorily attend school, one day before the exam, on a day when no other teaching would be undertaken? Why are they demanding an explanation from around 30/40 students for being absent? Isn’t it very apparent that they had taken leave to study? Wouldn’t attending half a day of school leave them feeling exhausted and running severely out of time? It’s high time our schools thought more practically and not force the children and their parents into a corner, making us certified liars ? Schools, please wake up and take note.

                 

                                              

 

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