Yesterday my cousin sister, studying in class six suddenly came home from school and asked her dad that she wants to join a tuition class that her friends are going to. She is very talented and usually comes within top three since she got admitted to school and my uncle felt no reason to put any extra pressure on her by admitting her to tuition so early.
However me being the elder brother and having passed through all these stages, he called me to ask my opinion on that. I thought why she needs to go to tuition since obviously she is very talented and thorough in her lessons. Finally after a bit of discussion, she was allowed to join the tuition.
But this incident got me thinking of my own school days and the reasons for which I demanded the same thing of my dad years ago.
I remember my school days when most of my friends started going to tuition. It was from as early as class six or seven. After leaving school, they flock around together and go to the tuition class. For some like me included, who didn’t took up tuition either because our parents didn’t feel the need for so early or because we were not from a well to do family for even at that time tuition fees were high, it seemed at first an additional torture after long school hours, an increase in stress level.
Quite frankly at first I didn’t felt the need to take up extra classes after being taught both at school and at home. My dad being a commerce graduate was pretty good in elementary math and my mother being a first class arts graduate was equally good in English and other subjects, even Bengali. So what is the need for taking tuition.
However slowly I began to see the differences between me and those other folks. It was not an academic difference for sure, but more of a social difference. The people who were already friends became closer than before, even people who were generally shy and didn’t have many friends, began hanging out with others and some people who were completely opposite were becoming best of friends. Even after all the stress of the whole day, they enthusiastically run for their classes after or before school hours.
The people (like me) who weren’t part of any tuition felt completely left out, even among our friends, though academically we were no less competitive. This system had this peculiar impact, ‘if you aren’t part of this system, you are slowly being left out of your social circle’. You are not in even terms with your peers and in that age, it has a great mental influence. Soon I started asking my dad for joining tuition with my friends.
I must say I had a very great experience in all my tuition classes, I never ever felt left out again in either school or college life. I made some very good friends and had my own circle of friends too. I finally understood why this new system has captured the youth so strongly. Although by name it is another place of learning and study, it is very different form the rule abiding and strict school or college life. It has a more personal feel and had become a great place for hangout with friends and socialization, and the most important fact is that, it is all with parent authorization.
Although at times we talk badly about this system and all other negativity related to it, we never see the numerous good things it is also doing to our society. It gives us a rich environment for discovering the values of friendship, entertainment and learning from a very young age. It has also provided an environment where people of different schools and colleges can meet each other, learn their ways, become friends and enjoy themselves. I still remember those days and in my view most of our entertainment and pranks happened during those times, hanging out in fast food stalls after class, bunking class and going out to watch movies and how can one forget the numerous love stories that cropped up during those periods.
Like myself I assume many received their first mobile phone because their parents wanted to keep in contact with us after we leave home. Lastly but not the least, we also learned a great deal from our tuition classes than we did during school hours.
This new system has addicted both students and their parents in a big way and has also opened up a big business opportunity for many. No system is completely good or bad, it always has both sides. However before criticizing any system, we must be open and look out the good side of it too!!!
