I went to see the movie ‘3 idiots’ last Sunday. I loved the movie. It took me back to school 15 years ago. I was reminded of one of my classmates-Binay Kumar. He had studied with me since childhood. He was a fine football player. He used to wear glasses with minus 9 number still he had an uncanny ability to find net from more than 30 yards.
We studied the usual two languages-Hindi and English- along with Maths, elementary Science and Social Studies (History, Geography and Civics) subjects up to class 10th. Plus we learnt drawing (Art), Craft, music, sports-Cricket, Football, Tennis, Hockey, Badminton, etc. and indulged in extra curricular activities like NCC, essay writing, GK quiz, etc.
Most of us were good at or excelled at studies or one or more sports or extracurricular activities or art, craft or music. Some amongst us were good at or excelled at more than one area. With due respect to all my teachers, our teachers had decided who would be fit to pursue Engineering and Medicines based on the grades that we used to get in exams. There was no other option. The rest were deemed to be average or failure. They used to wonder as to what would this lot do with their life. They set the expectation amongst us accordingly. We too swam along and believed everything they said.
To be fair to them, they were doing what they were trained to do. The education system promotes mugging up and cramming up. Our system does not encourage creativity or innovation or original thinking. At the end of the day, your marks matter. Whether one understands a thing is not important in our system.
Binay was different. He excelled in two things only. One, he was a very good footballer and second he could draw very well. You give him an idea and he would visualize it and create a beautiful picture. Ask him to make a sketch for a house or building or a shopping complex or any other structure and he would come up with fantastic visuals. You show him a photo or picture and he would draw the exact copy of the same. He always wanted to be an Architect. He had made it very clear at a very young age. He had a creative bent of mind.
He did not understand History, Geography, Maths, Physics, Chemistry or Civics. As for the languages, less said the better. He could not understand why he had to study these subjects when he had absolutely no interests in any of these subjects. He barely used to pass in these subjects and scrap through to next class every year.
Years passed and we entered class 11. Now he was again in big dilemma. Since he wanted to become an Architect, he had to take up Science in 11th class. However he would have to study subjects like Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Maths besides English language. And his grades in class 10th board exam were not exactly anything to write about. He tried to find out a way. However, finding no option, he took up Science.
