Principal of the Primary section from 1982 to 2001

When did you join Mother’s International?

August ’61. I didn’t know a thing about this place. One of my B.Ed. Friends from Jamia Milia lived in Hauz Khas. I had come to attend a birthday party. One was not going to sit at home after B.Ed. So a friend suggested why not look at the classifieds in the English paper. Right at the top we found an advertisement by the Sri Aurobindo Education Society. He said it was very near so why not enquire over lunch.

Mr Naresh Bahadur was the Principal at that time. He introduced me to the Mother and Sri Aurobindo, their work, the ethos, the aims and objectives and asked me to start the next day at 7 am. After the college days 7 am sounded too early for me but those days the school used to start at 7. So I started work on August 10, 1961.

How was your first experience here?

When I started I expected to work at the senior section but initially as the vacancy was for the primary I started with Class II. That was like the first love. Those children are still in touch… (smiles). They trained me a lot! They were very protective towards me and warned me to be only scared of Mr Jauhar who became my guide and a source of inspiration later.

Your growth…

I met Mr Jauhar and found a father figure in him. He was full of fire for educating people. You see these days people ask and consider the family background of those taken in the institutions but he believed in educating people irrespective of their background.

The sources were limited but the aims were very high… I was made in charge of the Nursery dept in 1964 and then the Headmistress of Primary section in 1970.

I started PGT in 1977. I am lucky to have taught classes nursery to XII and have grown from strength to strength under the Mother’s protection.

What difference do you find in the school and teachers then and now?

That generation was very anxious about achieving goals as it was the first generation of ladies after Independence and they wanted to prove themselves. They went out of their way to establish this fact to society that they were no less.

Funds were low and we had limited means, therefore, it was more challenging. Now the road is very smooth the goals are almost set. We had to do the spade work. I used take a broom and sweep the classroom. Later the children used to clear the mess.

Now we have more facilities and there is no real need to do all this. Now the challenges are different. With the new generation we strive for excellence and inculcating values. The goals in Mothers International School still are the same though…through education it is most important to achieve excellence in all fields.

Now because of distractions classroom teaching is more difficult but there is financial comfort. We have more resources but then the sources were less and we had to be more creative. We used to make the best use of the available resources. The pupil teacher ratio was lower. Now we are still maintaining it which is better than most other schools. This is important to establish a personal rapport with the students.

How, in your opinion, has education evolved over the years?

In India, the challenge is educating the masses. The Constitution speaks of the right to education but unfortunately it has not been reached out so far. Education is a tool to solve many problems.

The problems of poverty and population are so interrelated and without education it is difficult to solve this problem. Globalization has brought prosperity. India’s prosperity is through education. There is a lot of improvement and awakening but still a lot needs to be achieved especially in the rural areas. In schools, educational technology has improved so has the methodology but it all depends on the sincerity and willingness of the teachers. The Government spends a lot of money but everybody is not so sincere. There are more means now but results are poor as the efforts put in are not sincere.

What would you say sets The Mothers International School apart from other schools?

Well, now students who have passed put come and tell us that whether they are in business or in the corporate world they are “different”.

Children who in the morning assembly meditated with one eye open now do so with both eyes closed!!! The mantric power enters you. The special ambience in school, the atmosphere created can’t go against you. It has to grow. When there has been proper manure, fertile soil and a gardener to take care the blooms are bound to blossom. The children were not conscious then. It’s like when a mother feeds child green vegetables. It’s only later that you realize that you have beautiful teeth and skin as a result of that!

The morning recitation, the tuning for the day with music…they didn’t realize why they felt so happy in school. The freedom they taste the care they receive the planning that goes into teaching the values just keep growing. I can say that my children know their values and as a result their judgment is correct. Because we have a tradition of not forcing values. We don’t have a moral education period.

Right from the beginning the children have been guided that the competition is with you not with others. That each works according to his capacity wherever you are. There is not one excellence. Your goal is your own individual goal. Whatever area you choose to excel.

Emphasis is laid in bringing out the positivity in the personality. When you are trained to be just, pure and work not for the reward work is done is for the sake of it and nor for pleasing the teacher. Then later he thinks of how he can contribute to the society and not what he can get out of it.

What do you think are the drawbacks of the current system of education?

There shouldn’t be a commercialization of education. It can never be so in India. Why overcrowd the classes? Each child is counted as an extra source of revenue. Then where is the child? When money is given preference over the child the whole system gets polluted. Also rote memory kills the creative experience in a child. We are giving no choice for exploration of knowledge.

Do we need to encourage more youngsters to take education as a first career choice?

If a teacher is reasonably good but has other qualities like sincerity and love for children through that the children will learn to help themselves. The job is to give them the key to explore. Those who come into this profession do not come for the money. This is a field that calls for 100% devotion and dedication. This is needed from all sections not only those directly in education but also those in the planning and administration. When unscrupulous persons want to earn without educating a child it is a sin. This profession is not a business. One should feel proud to be a society builder making the nation. Each moment, each day is important. There is no need to force super intelligent in this field where there have no knack for it. Even if there are only a handful if they are sincere I think that’s enough.

Any unforgettable experience?

I remember this boy from Adchini who used to have a problem getting back to school after vacations. Once he never did return. I went to look for him. Word spread like wild fire soon. I found him and asked him why he did not come. He said that the doctor said he had diabetes but now he was cured and would come from the next day! While he had just swindled the fee money given by his mother who was blissfully unaware of his absence from school. He was really repentant and begged not to tell her. I thought one should give him fair chance and made arrangement for his tuition fees on his promising to do well and be regular to school. And true to his word he was. He then joined the army after his tenth, this brought about a remarkable change to his life and his family. It was hard training and life in the army was not easy. He used to write to me. Once he wrote that he felt like quitting. I told him that nothing in life comes easy. He did not give up. Today he is a Major in the army and has two children of his own. His home has transformed and he has such respect in his community.