24th October 2009 - The Scindia School

Qila Quotes | Literary | 17Qila Quotes | Literary | 18 VOL 5 | Oct 2009Under the school flag, we,the members of The ScindiaSchool community, solemnlypledge that we shall alwaysstand against violence andsubjugation - physical,emotional or social.We promise to ourselvesand to the institutionthat we shall be a society,which welcomes differencesand where every individuallives with dignity and thereis mutual respect and bondbetween the young and theexperienced.We shall walk togethertowards this goal.Violencein SchoolsAt first glance putting school and violence together would appear to be a huge mistake. How can thetemples of education be associated with violence? How can a place where young and innocent minds learnand play together, be a playground for violence? Did we ever hear our parents say that they had violencein their schools? Unfortunately, the world today is witnessing a rise in the instances of violence in schools.This alarming trend is not restricted to a few countries but has been observed all around the world. It istime for us to ask ourselves why is this happening. More importantly, what do we need to do to stop suchincidents and make the world a better place for children?Violence in schools can take the form of either a physical or a psychological attack. We have all read ofeven shootouts happening in schools, where young students have mindlessly killed their fellow students.Ragging is another form of violence that occurs very widely these days. In some instances, ragging getsto the very serious and condemnable level of physical abuse. In other cases, there is mental agony causedto the juniors by the seniors. Making the youngsters do things that are embarrasing and damaging to themind, scars the minds of some juniors. It has even led to cases of suicide by those, who cannot take thepressure of ragging. Even in the normal course of day to day school life, students tend to get into fightsand end up with physical violence, sometimes just to satisfy their ego.What has led to this situation? Is it the impact of violence depicted in films and television? Is the wideexposure of children to such actvities on screen igniting their impressionable, innocent minds with thewrong urges? Is the pressure of studies and other activities creating imbalance in the young minds? Areparents exerting undue pressure and causing anger? Is the society forgetting the wise principles andmorals of the earlier generations and hence not teaching the youngsters the right way to live life? Are theviolent computer games a contributory factor, considering how addicted children are to such games thesedays? Is the discipline in schools slowly getting eroded?Maybe it is a combination of all these. It is time we all put our thoughts together seriously and understoodwhat exactly is destroying the values of the school system. Parents, teachers, elders and of course wechildren...all of us must think and change things for the better. The elders must counsel the young ina manner that will make them understand without rebelling. The children must also realise that whatelders say is from the wisdom of experience. Being disciplined and obedient is no weakness at all. Infact, it helps one to be stronger in the mind and creates a healthy working mind. We must believe inlearning and working together, keeping in mind the old saying that Unity is Strength. A pleasant andhappy environment is the most fertile ground for good thoughts and actions.Let us therefore re-dedicate ourselves to the pledge we have taken in school. That we shall always bepeaceful and non-violent. We shall treat our fellow students with due respect and friendship. We shallhold our teachers and parents in high regard and esteem. We will then see ourselves grow to much greaterheights and strength, keeping the light that the Father of our Nation lit, the light of non-violence. If hecould win for us the battle for freedom through non-violence I’m sure success in life too can be gainedthrough peace and harmony.Immediately after myboard exams I got thewonderful news that I hadbeen selected to take partin the youth camp, whichwas to be held in Germany,on a 100% scholarshipunder the PASCH project(Schulen Partner derZukunft). From that daybegan my wait for theday when I would leaveIndia to be a part of thisincredible experience.The Youth Campin GermanyThe excitement began when I went for the interactive session which took place in Delhi. There I metstudents from other schools who had been selected for the same camp and immediately struck a closebond with them.Finally the much awaited day arrived and on 20th June I boarded the plane for Frankfurt. After an eightand half hour flight as we were about to land there I peeped out of the window and was overwhelmed withthe beautiful landscape. The pristine beauty of the city and the lush green carpet of grass was a visual feast.In Frankfurt we were received by the people of the Goethe institute who took us to Kirtheimbolonden.On reaching there I got an opportunity to meet several students from various parts of different countrieslike Armenia, Greece, Indonesia, Turkey and Siberia. It was simply wonderful to interact with them and inthe course of the few weeks that I spent there not only did I strike a close friendship with them but I alsolearnt about their culture which has widened my horizons. No bookish knowledge can ever match up tothis first hand experience.My roommates there knew only German so I was forced to communicate with them in their language.Though it did seem very difficult then but in retrospect I feel because of this I’ve now become a lot moreproficient in German. The first two days were quite relaxed as we were introduced to our teachers, shownthe campus and informed about our routine. We found it rather strange that though the sun would set at10:30 pm the dinner was served at 6 pm, but very soon we got used to it.Once our classes started we got busy. We were taught German grammar and also the finer nuances of thelanguage which would improve our spoken German. The classes were very interactive, discussions wereencouraged and teachers were more like friends. Saturdays and Sundays we were taken to a fair whichgave us a glimpse of German culture.In addition to studies there were also moments of fun. We had to put up a cultural evening where we wereexpected to represent the culture of our motherland. We also enjoyed the disco and parties where we justlet our hair down. On the last day was the annual night when we performed some acts of the play Romeoand Juliet.Soon the three weeks came to an end. I felt as if I had been woken up from a beautiful dream. My heartwas filled with sorrow as I bid adieu to all my friends. The wonderful time I had there has given mebeautiful memories of a lifetime. I’d like to thank Mr.Gopal Chaturvedi and The Scindia School for thiswonderful opportunity.May many more fellow Scindians be a part of this amazing experience.Akshay Kumar GurujiXI AWe are the children...we are the world...and let us make the world a better place...for now and forever.Senior Editor Kritin KohliXI C