First day in school

The experience must be somewhat akin to coming out into the big bad world at birth. The child hates it and cries for the safety, warmth a...

The experience must be somewhat akin to coming out into the big bad world at birth. The child hates it and cries for the safety, warmth and comfort of the womb. And so it would seem, is the first day out of the safety, warmth and comfort of home. No familiar faces around, only many more of their own kind who aren8217;t happy about the situation they are in. At two-and-a-half, what else can you expect?

Today, we parents, seem to be over eager to send the child to school as soon as possible. Or else why send to school a less-than-two-year-old, who barely manages to answer calls of nature on his/ her own?

The first day of school, thus, cannot be a very pretty picture. In a nursery or pre-nursery class, there are about 30-40 students on an average, and each kicks up a storm when left to fend alone by parents. The situation is certainly not very rosy for the teachers in charge of this class.

Vidya Motadoo, a teacher of the nursery section, says that the first and most important requirement of any nursery teacher is patience. She should not be the type who gets hassled and irritated with children. She must genuinely be fond of children to be able to take on the task of a part-time mother to the children in school. It is expected that the children will create a certain amount of chaos, this being the first day away from home.

Sanhita Ghatak, a teacher of the pre-nursery section, is of the opinion that it is usually the first-born who cry their hearts out on the first day. The younger siblings are generally more adaptive, the reason being that they have seen their elders going to school each day. So the concept is not new. Also, children who come to school in autorickshaws or by bus are quite eager to come to class. Among requirements, she puts loving, tenderness and appearance at the top of the list. On the first day, all the sections of pre-nursery are combined into one class enabling all the teachers to lend one another a hand. The child searches for the mother in the teacher, and if even a glimmer of that is visible, half the battle is won.

Sudesh Sangwan always encourages parents to leave immediately after dropping the child at school. This way it is easier for the teacher to get the child to settle down.

Anju8217;s son was starving for company and once he joined school enjoyed himself immensely much to the amazement of his mother.

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Roohi had never thought that her mother would leave her in the hands of an unknown person and she expressed her annoyance, crying with gusto. But she found that the strange lady her mother had left her with, was so nice and kind, and had a whole lot of stories to tell and games to play and there were so many schoolmates, that she forgot about being a spoil sport.

Dheera Das, principal of a primary school says that the first day of school is a day of excitement for the child. The new uniform, bag, bottle and tiffin box make him/ her feel important. Confidence though, starts wearing off once Mummy leaves. To quell the crying, teachers try bribing with toys and lollipops. She says that all schools go through this drill and though the crying can be trying at times, it is a known fact that the child will settle down to this new environment within a fortnight.

The first day of school is indeed a milestone in the life of a child. The child comes to a certain level of maturity, and realizes that there is life and a splendid one at that, beyond the four walls of the house. Other than Mummy and Daddy there are people who are loving and caring. It is but natural for them to open up to this new experience.