George V High School

by Dinanath Pathy

Questions and Answers (AECC BLOCK – 01)

1. How do you explain the term Master?
Answer – Master, the term is an inherently profound word in the sense that it encompasses a wide range of contextual definitions. Context brings about the diversity in its meanings. But we will deal with the definition of teacher here. In urban setting, the term ‘master’ generally refers to a professional educator and not much more than that. Whereas, a master in the rural setting carries enormous weightage and expectations form the locality the master is involved with. There is a preconceived notion of unblemished persona that characterizes the image of a master in the psyche of people. He is expected to be the epitome of nobility and the suitable guide for almost every scenario.

2. What would you do if you are appointed as a teacher in a village school? What novelty would you bring to the school?
Answer – The scope of this question is enormous. Rural areas tend to be underdeveloped and marred by illiteracy. Capacitating such people with rudimentary literacy skills would be my foremost priority. Up next is the sensitive issue of female education and empowerment to tackle. One hindrance is the conditions of females themselves. Generational practices, good or bad, become ingrained in any culture with time. Girls are generally made to believe that they are born to serve the males, do household chores and rear children all their life. My goal would be to rid the society of such thinking. But it is a mammoth undertaking that requires radical changes and would consume big chunks of my time, energy and patience.
As far as novelty is concerned, I will ensure that girls have the first priority and are actively encouraged to peruse studies/activities of their preference. I will attempt to make education a process oriented enjoyable endeavour instead of limiting it to result oriented competition. A unique framework would be designed to assess and monitor the weak students to unearth their innate skills. Not all minds are made for studies and there are other fields where the weak students could outshine the ones who excel in studies.

3. What is the difference between the village school and a city school in terms of quality of teaching and learning?
Answer – The economic disparity between the urban and rural households singlehandedly determines the superior between them. The village schools don’t have the luxury of near endless supply of financial resources as many city schools. That means they lack the state of art technology which can be used to enhance and simplify the the entire educational process. The use of advanced technology leans the advantage in the favour of city schools. Infrastructure is another segment that the village schools generally lack. The administrations in rural schools tend to be unscrutinized. As such, the fortune of the rural students depend entirely on the ethics of the teachers and school management. City schools tend to fair better in this regard. Village schools are expected to have higher emphasis on keeping students tied to their culture whereas city schools prioritize readying students for higher studies and eventually the job market where competition is breakneck.

4. What is the place that the narrator has described in the essay? What is the impression that you get from the description?
Answer – The narrator has reminisced his childhood school in this essay. He gas cherished every moment spent in the institution, good or bad. The author appears to have almost a fanatic attachment with the school and the teaching staff. The essay suggests that the school, situated in a rural area, had humble beginnings with a build of tiled roofs. It appears to have been shouldered by competent and passionate teachers that managed to leave lasting impressions in the minds of students and guardians alike. The school has seemingly went on to achieve great heights and superior infrastructure thanks to its exemplary contribution in nurturing talents.

5. What is the funniest aspect of the headmaster of the school?
Answer – The headmaster of the school possessed a dynamic persona comprised of the extreme ends of good and bad as well as everything in between. He was inhumane in meting out punishment to those who he considered worthless. He also happened to a chainsmoker, a title that doesn’t fit a stalwart like him. As far as his funnier side is considered, the way of his teaching takes the cake. He took to teaching like duck to water and his unique blend of humour was always the cherry on top. While teaching, he would attempt to abosrb his students in the texts and in the process, get lost himself too. He would, for example, sink into his sitting chair while saying ‘down down down’ and that must be hilarious to witness in person.