Education, an industry

We all know that, whats new- is it?
From the cooler climes of B’lore I went to rasipuram where my sis moved (from salem, 26kms away that is)..enroute to madras, thought of dropping by to check her new place..it was a small colony a typical village setting and so I was very impressed..before I can talk about the hills surrounding or the impressive cool breeze in this summer days or the hi oxygen level or the cool village neigbourhoods there are a few other things that caught my eyes..
This is a small colony that thrives more on the school near by (something like the US types- small towns that thrive out of the schools..ok they are actually universities, but here it was just a school up to +2)..
To give a small back ground, namakkal another 20+ kms from here and salem have this great obsession for high percentage and outputs from school and not to mention about state first, district first, 4 centums etc..one such school is SRV in rasipuram.this was a huge campus like an university and houses so many students..for eg. 1200 students took +2 (twelfth) exams last year out of which some 1100 students scored more than 1000 upon 1200; the average total for this school was 1048! Some x numbers scored centum in 4 subject..and their stats keep growing on us..NO! am not impressed with the stats..but was amazed at the schools that behave like industries that throws up so much of stats and so many students whose careers are made jus bcos our system is such..
there are many such schools in that area..and namakal is more or less the big ‘study area’ in TN! The whole area their style did not amaze me for I come from such a school where our principal was known for his ‘hitleresque’ histrionics..he used to squeeze us for marks so that his (and school) name wud dominate news(papers)..he even banned sports and other extra curricular activities for 10th and 12th..oh my god..

and here this whole area was looking like that.my princi wud have been maha thrilled at this place! .this colony where my sis was in was dependant only on such folks, who come to stay here for the 2 years (11th n 12th) they put their wards in this school or for 3 months around jan- march every year. Funny ain’t? the whole colony and each house behaves like an accessory unit of the school..every aspect of the house is planned for such “tourist”- long term though..each house has a well planned mottai maadi (terrace) exactly to suit the study hols and every house in that colony has a well lit tubelight strutting out in 60 degrees to just suit the students..and for people who come there and study is the only thing in their mind..and this is just to help the small percentage of people who choose to stay there in that colony..most choose the hostel option for the kids and hire houses in jan-mar period..
funny as it may sound, its just unbelievable how a whole village/area is tuned to just generating 95% and above students..and my sis has joined that band wagon and wud spend her next 2 years co-studying with her son and manufacture a bright future! Her hubby shall drive to salem from here everyday!
A visit to that school can amaze one to a great extent but our system is such right? And to think of what jinan has to think of education as told here..so I witnessed the 2 ends of our education system in a matter of 2 weeks..

(note: another noteworthy thing that cud not be included up there was- the whole colony does not have motors to pump water up but just the pressure built from the colony’s tank is enof to force the water to the house top tanks. Funny place that!)