Moving ahead of the gurukul times

The residential school system in India has been in existence since the early years of the mythological era, when kings used to send their children for certain number of years to a gurukul to make them disciplined and self-aware and get some spiritual as well as material knowledge inculcated in them.

The system was carried forward in the post-independence era, wherein the
residential schools were given a modern makeover. One of the major effects of this system was that the students were confident about themselves and at times, were over ambitious also. Bullying and corporal punishments such as caning used to be part and parcel of the boarding culture in those days. Parents played very little role in the development of the child. Basically, it was all a matter of carrying on the family tradition by admitting a child to a boarding school. But if one would have carefully noticed, each child that passed out of this system was identical in methods of behaviour, presentation and thinking.

For better times
Over the years, the world has gone through tremendous changes and it continues to do so at an even faster pace. This has brought in a dramatic change in the way residential schools operate these days. Today’s fast-changing times demand students to think and become independent and possess the ability to take the right decision at the right time. Education isn’t just limited to science or maths anymore. Now, it is more about giving them exposure to all aspects of education (not merely academics and sports), which helps formulate their overall personality.

One of the major requirements of the modern world is that boarding schools cannot be host to sequestered worlds.

Students need to have contact with pupils from other backgrounds and need to face unfamiliar situations. One way to achieve this is to create situations in which students from diverse backgrounds share the same boarding experience.

Boarding schools require a residential programme designed to teach the qualities of resilience, adaptability and self-awareness; the skills of successful collaboration and the value of leadership as service. It is all about preparing children for a leadership position anywhere in the world and more so about understanding network and old school ties. Children should be able to meet other children who come into the boarding from other parts of the country or world and hence, have first-hand experiences of living with diversity and differences.

Apart from this, some changes reflect a shift in ethos too. Metaphorically, boarding schools are warmer places than they were before and allow for more parent participation. Not long ago, when parents dropped off their children at the start of the term at the boarding school, they wouldn’t see them for weeks and had very little contact in between.

Communication could only happen through a house phone for which there was always a long queue. But today, thanks to the modern tech gadgets, parents are constantly in touch with their wards through mobile phones, e-mail and video link-ups.

But all said and done, the traditional strengths of boarding schools remain intact and are still their greatest attraction. Academic rigour, small classes and high expectations are central to their success, as they are in the independent day sector. But boarding schools have an additional and invaluable asset: time. The school day starts early and ends late. ‘‘Flexi-boarding’’ has become common, allowing working parents to entrust the care of their children to the school, while they pursue their busy lives, and to have them at home when they want.

It has a rhythm that is quite different from that of a day school, allowing for
activities which give opportunities for students to learn independence, leadership and teamwork. Teaching staff see their job as educating the whole person, inside and outside the classroom.

Students and teachers work alongside each other in a variety of contexts, which promotes understanding and trust.

Given the fast-changing nature of the world today, residential school programmes have lots to work on, that is if they wish to nurture responsible and sensible citizens.

(The author is founder of Taurian World School)