Children’s Competitions – 1981 &2014, a contrast.

Children’s Competitions – 1981 &2014 … A contrast…

Children’s day was celebrated all over India on 14^th of November.

I became nostalgic when I saw the photo above…it was exactly 33 years ago that I won my first inter-school English debate competition..It was held on 14^th of November 1981….

Many thoughts have come to me since I saw the photo again…

First and foremost I recollected the day the event happened.It was a Saturday and I came back from my school and told my father that there was a competition and I wanted to attend. The topic was “Pandit Nehru and children”. My father who was a school teacher then dictated few lines and I went through those lines once or twice. Little did I knew about my ability to speak on a podium .I just wanted to go and participate. There was no one motivating me to go and I took the decision myself to represent my school. Of course my father was solid behind me giving  the required notes for the event.

 I then got ready wearing my school uniform and got on to my Hero cycle and went straight to the missionary school where the event was being held. I could find about two dozen students from various schools , few of them from very reputed convents. My co-school mate who joined me shook his head in disbelief and told me that we from a Govt school stood no chance. I cared a least about it. When my turn came I walked to the podium and spoke with full confidence. I not only won the event but the judges  praised me too. One of them even asked me how I could speak such good English…

If we look back during those years , we had limited scope and  exposure. We did not have the TVs, internet , phones and of course no Google. We read books to gain knowledge and many a times did not have a mike on the podium as in the case of the photo above. Yet we could manage and participate in events like debates the way children do today. I recollect during many debates which I took part and won subsequently, I would come back from school, play in the huge open ground opposite my house, do my homework and prepare for the event.

 

Unknowingly we were balancing our day schedule very well. We used to read , eat and play to the required extent. We used to eat most of the times in our homes or the home made food we would carry to the school. Of course there were no good food outlets at that time in the  towns we lived in. So, there were very rare cases of childhood obesity or problems related to it.

On the contrary, if we look at our  lifestyle today, it is a huge change from the one we had when we were kids.

I would not like to dwell much upon the change in lifestyle but yes, I would like to discuss about the way our kid’s lives have changed.

Couple of days ago ( on a Sunday to be precise) there was a spell bee competition being conducted by a local TV channel for primary school kids. 

My son was representing his school in the 3^rd standard segment. A book containing many difficult words in English was given to the kids. For about 15 days my son was going through the book. More than him my wife was involved with the book. Now a days any curricular or extra-curricular activity of the kid is not for the kid alone. But it is more for the parents. They have to understand the curriculum and prepare the kid for the same.

 I took my son in the car to the school where the written test was being held. The event was supposed to be held from 12.30 to 13.00 hrs.I reached there by about 11.30 AM thinking that I would be one of  the first few. To my surprise found a long queue of cars being parked on the road near the school for about half a kilometer. With lot of difficulty I could find a place to park my car.

I took my son to the school and as we entered the hall where the kids were asked to sit, I was surprised to find parents outnumbering  the kids. Many parents had tension looming large on their faces with an expression of a serious test being conducted for their abilities. Few were telling the kids to do well as it was very important to know spelling of English words.After about 5 minutes couple of lady teachers came and took all the kids to class rooms where they were supposed to take the test. Few parents followed them anxiously only  to be politely told by the teachers to stay back in the hall.

Once the kids went out, I could observe a very contrasting behavior amongst the parents.

Almost all of them took their smart phones out of pockets and started using them. I looked around . There were about 100 plus people and not many were speaking to one another.They were busy with their phones.

With lot of difficulty I could start speaking to a lady who was not so bent upon using her smart phone. She told me that her son was participating and it was very important to develop the habit of participating and winning in kids. I corrected her saying that I was happy if my son participated and not very particular about winning. I told her that if  kids kept meeting other kids and participated in competitions, it would result in a good personality growth. She gave me a strange smile and told me that she wanted her son to win this time and every time. I wished her good luck .

BY 13 hrs the competition was over and I picked my son from the class room and started driving back home.

Then I realized that though today’s kids have all the tools like TV, internet , good books and of course their never tiring parents who want them to be the best, they are not living their lives like we did as kids.

We used to go to schools, play in open grounds, walk back or cycle back home and used to eat what was given by parents.Our parents seldom used to worry about competitions and extra curricular activities.

However this does not take away the huge advantage today’s kids have over our childhood. They have access to the best of education, tools and of course never tiring anxious parents !!!