Splendidly Sensible!

Whenever I have met people suddenly, without fanfare, I have ended up being friends with them for long. Sometimes connections happen and the glow of those connects makes you thankful for those small journeys together.

A journey of hearts with Ms. Sakshi Mehta Lakhani started thus and over a period of time this young lady has shown that she is made of steel and with a sensible head on her shoulders! As she taught her third graders through last year I asked her what stood out for her as a teacher in a pandemic year of online teaching. She mentioned and recollected an event: “Sitting was new smoking – an event conducted by Cognita for its schools all over the world wherein each school has to participate in various activities to mark the importance of physical activity during this pandemic… each school participated well and students ( along with their family members) marked their steps on an app and updated on MS Forms.” Lovely, isn’t it?

Being an educator I asked Sakshi what lessons does she remember and never forget? Ms. Sakshi has her answer ready, a hallmark of an ethical and diligent educator. “Never be biased and Be independent- do all your work on your own so you don’t have to depend on anybody – that way neither can you blame them for your faults 😉.”

How true!! I am always tempted to pick the brains of people who have been in this profession long enough to be able to understand what works and what does not. Thus, I could not resist asking Sakshi that when she is in this profession day in and day out – what according to her would be the few things schools & teachers should NOT do? transparency of thought shows the honest heart. Ms. Sakshi Mehta Lakhani has both as she told me honestly that “Schools in India are now more focused on collaborating with western schools , bringing their culture and methods which I believe they should not be the norm. Education sector is now another MNC’s which is just working for their profits. As for the Teachers, they have become slaves for their “MNC” schools. They are not even standing up for their rights which is saddening. During my learning days my teachers were my role models, the way they taught, out of school relationships… which nowadays is rarely seen. Teachers are just their to finish their job.” It is extremely sad when I hear good teachers disillusioned with the system thus.

I am part of that set and it takes extreme effort each day on my part to convince myself to get back into the system again. I have had an extremely scarring and scalding experience with the system myself in the not so recent past. The unscrupulous tolerance of wrong, the scanty regard for ethical conduct of the education, the sophisticated self-absorbed professionals (so-called experts), the self-destructive schemers within – the suffocation one feels from the inside, breaths disaster for the one sector which should be devoid of such things. ‘My wrong is the new right’ is the fast emerging mantra which bodes ill for this sector.

Yet there is hope in a few good people around us who are keeping the beacon of hope alive. One such is Ms. Sakshi Mehta Lakhani , a delightful human being. she says that inspiration can be got from anywhere but she draws her “from a family (her family) who has doctors, principals , teachers… so I have seen that environment and their passion which motivated me a lot … also being a part of the DAV family I have seen how they inculcate Indian traditions in students through their curriculum.”

Delightfully scintillating! It is amazing how most of us who have our heads on our shoulders always refer back to our school days which left such a huge impact and impression on us.

Looking for solace in old memories as new ones are getting scarred each moment……yet there is that sublime, serene hope that soon we shall be ahead of this all!

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