Thinking aloud - I

I was thinking aloud to another person about why this country is unable to enforce compulsory education. It is obvious that it is not possible for people to go out and make sure that each child goes to school. And anything that comes out of force is useless. But what is it that stops parents from sending children to school in spite of the fact that schools provide meals to children. I was told that these children get jobs more easily than their parents. It is easier to boss over kids and make them do work that adults would not do. So parents are happy to send the child to work so that they can sit at home and eat on the child's earnings.
This adds a rather complicated angle to the problem. It is sad that these people want to deprive kids of the blessing of education, but how can anyone blame them when they know nothing better. They have not been taught anything different. They do not have a way of earning for themselves and their families. So the only thing that can be done is to find a way of providing jobs to parents if they sent their kids to school. We cannot make beggars of them giving them food or money for sending kids to school. It is a better thing to do to help them find jobs or provide them with jobs. It is also possible to train these parents so that they can find a way to earn money for their children and themselves. Teach them something so they can set up a cottage industry. This will need constant monitoring so that people don't slip into dirty habits like drinking and squander all that they have. I cannot suggest that alcohol, cigarettes and gambling be banned. We cannot expect the government to do anything. So the only way is to keep a check on people. Teaching kids is an easy job, but managing their parents will be a tough job. With that problem in check, the next issue is how to ensure that the child does really get educated and is free from the various ills that are bound to affect him like the bad influences that he is bound to have. This can be done by isolating the child from such influences. Tough process. The only thing we can do is to ensure that the teacher is a person who completely understands his role and makes sure that the child is not affected in any way by his own bad ways.

That brings us to the role of the teacher in the life of a child. The teacher must be a person who is capable of establishing control over the thoughts of the child so as not to allow the mind to learn undesirable habits and things from people around. But this control must not stymie the child from learning and growing in the true sense of the word. Stress on positive growth. The teacher must be a person with the following qualities:

1. Infinite patience
2. Kindness
3. Love for children and teaching them
4. Good knowledge and wisdom
5. Humility, modesty
6. Honesty

I will keep adding to that list. Whether the child learns and continues to attend school depends on the teacher. It is a very likely thing that the child quits school because of the teacher.
I think the factors that keep a child away from school is also in place here.

1. Hunger - schools provide only midday meals and only on 5 days a week. The parents are not benefited
2. People employ children more often than adults. Parents try to cash in on this.
3. No interest.
4. The syllabus - it does not stimulate learning. It is beyond the capacity of a child to understand something that is not clear or evident.
5. A child's attention span is not considered in present day education system.
6. The system of judging and branding children based on marks and tough exams is very stressful to the child. Leaving school seems like the best way for a child to get rid of all that stress.
7. Teachers - even if the teacher is unable to motivate a child to learn, he should not scare a child away from it. Personal remarks, harsh criticism and violence confuse and scare away the child away from school.