The Big Switch

So,now that the big switch has taken place,what really happens after it? While Nils is totally fascinated by the different ways a simple vegetable can be cooked – he can’t remember any names though,Silvan’s taken by the hospitality and warm weather. “There’s another thing I’ll never forget – speeding on the national highway with a dysfunctional horn!” he laughs at the harrowing experience they had. As for Belinda,she is still trying to get over the mass vehicular onslaught! “We’ve visited Delhi,Agra,Amritsar,Shimla and Jaipur,” they run through the various destinations,unable to recall anything spectacular about them. The only thing they noticed was how a class is taken over by the teacher and students have zero participation. “It’s so strange…children are not involved at all. There is no interactivity,” says 18-year-old Belinda. Sitting quietly at the back,Hilda seems to be mesmerized by the monuments in India especially the Golden temple while big fat Indian weddings and traditional Indian costumers have found a fan in Jocelin.

Talk to the Indian contingent that’s been on the exchange circuit,and there’s a world of a difference. First,even the quietest of the lot can converse with ease,something which the international students hold back. “They keep to themselves,” say Kanika Garg,Lakshya Jain and Manuraj Singh Saguu whose German break was a education. Meanwhile,buddies Nakul Jain and Navneet Singh found the Taiwan trail pretty emotional. “Taiwanese are like Indians – warm,friendly and very emotional,” say the boys. Back to Germany,and our kids say Germans are a pretty frank lot. “They say what they want to say. They would ask once and that’s it whereas back home,we indulge and force feed!” laugh Kanika and Lakshya. However,it’s the education system that caught their fancy. “They love to explore,pick up extra curricular activities. Most of them want to become teachers and learn languages and music. The best part is that they have no school uniform,education is free of cost,sports is compulsory and there are no exams which gives ample time to study what you want to,” tells Lakshya. “And it’s not important to get into higher studies,if you don’t like it,you can go in for a number of vocational courses like hair dressing,cooking,et al,” says Manuraj,who,because of his turban,was quite a centre of attraction there!

Earn our own money and dignity of labour is what Indian students picked abroad. But the question is whether our kids are ready to mop floors and tank up cars – “Err,no,” at least they are honest! “What’s noteworthy is that in spite of being pampered,children there know the value of money. For them,the languages,music,art,religion is important. For us,maths and science is our religion.” Guess,we are world’s apart!