Learning from first generation school-goers
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Chapter- 6
Learning From First Generation School-Goers
Dr.R. Balasubramaniam
Summary
The lesson "Learning from first generation school-goers" by Dr. R. Balasubramaniam, the author explains the knowledge and values he got from the tribal students he was teaching.The school had its beginnings in a makeshift arrangement in a cowshed in a hamlet named Brahmagiri.
The responsibilities for preparing the mid-day meals was shared among children and adults alike.A few of them would decide the menu , a few collects the fire-wood ,few would cut the vegetables and few moulds cooked ragi flour into small balls and others serve their friends and a couple of them had to clean up.
The usual menu for mid-day meals was ragi balls(finger millet) and sambar. One day it was Manju's turn to prepare food and Manju had his kid sister Sunanda with him that day.The narrator expected Manju to roll an extra ragi ball for her. But to his surprise,Manju prepared only the usual twenty-eight balls and shared his meal with his little sister.when narrator asked Manju about this, he told the narrator that though it was his responsibility to feed her, he did not want his classmates to share his burden.So he shared his meal with his little sister.The narrator learnt from Manju, the value of not being selfish and understood that he need to take his own responsibility for his actions and not transfer the burden onto society, his family and friends.
On another day the narrator and others were all working together to clear the shrubs for their dream called school.Everyone were toiling away and the children were getting tired .So they decided to take a break and so the narrator suggested that each child try and count the trees that they had in their campus.Then someone suggested to not only count trees but also get a leaf from each tree within an hour.
Soon after an hour or later they started trickling in with a huge bunch of leaves but what Manju had brought surprised the narrator.He had leaves from nearly seventy different trees of different sizes and shapes and he explained to the narrator which tree would shed leaf first, which would attract the most bees and how drinking honey from the 'Taare' tree would cause temporary insanity.
The narrator was surprised by the knowledge and values these tribal children had which was not from regular school teaching.These two incidents demonstrates the vast knowledge that is natural to the children of indigenous communities.
1.Where did Hosahalli school have its beginning
Hosahalli school had its beginnings in a makeshift arrangement in a cowshed in a hamlet named Brahmagiri in 1988.
2.The center for learning was started due to unbridled enthusiasm and goodwill of the communities.
3.In what spirit was the school started?
The school was started due to the unbridled enthusiasm and goodwill of the communities.
4.What was the usual menu of the mid-day meals?
The usual menu for mid-day meals was ragi balls(finger millet) and sambar.
5.Who had with Manju that day.Why?
Manju had his kid sister Sunanda with him that day.
6.What was the first thought that the narrator had on seeing Manju's sister?
The first thought that the narrator had, on seeing Manju's sister was, that they had to feed another mouth that day.
7.For how many people was the meal cooked?
The meal was cooked for twenty-eight people.
8.What value did the narrator learn from Manju?
The narrator learnt from Manju, the value of not being selfish and understood that he need to take his own responsibility for his actions and not transfer the burden onto society, his family and friends.
9.The narrator felt that there was a teacher in each person.True/False
True.
10.From where had the values of Manju come?
The values of Manju had came from his people, his culture and his family who lived in harmony with the nature and the forests.
11.What does the school provide for the tribal children?
The school provides a platform for the children to acquire skills that would help them integrate with the mainstream society and make use of the opportunities that the world out there has in store.
12.What is the quality of 'Taare' tree?
The quality of Taare tree is that drinking honey from Taare tree would cause temporary insanity.
The Cask of Amontillado-Edgar Allan Poe New
The five boons of life-Mark Twain
Paragraph answer questions
1.Describe the responsibilities shared among children and adults for preparing the mid-day meals.
The responsibilities for preparing the mid-day meals was shared among children and adults alike.A few of them would decide on the menu which will be mostly ragi balls and sambar, a few would collect the fire-wood required to light up the hearth made of three stones,while some other would cut the few vegetables that they could lay their hands on.
A few children would then mould cooked ragi flour into small balls called 'mudde'. Some others would take on the responsibility of serving their friends and a couple of them had to clean up, after the whole thing was done.
2.The reply given by Manju resonated in the mind of the narrator.Explain
When Manju brought along with him his little kid sister to school, the narrator expected Manju to roll an extra ragi ball for her. But to his surprise,Manju prepared only the usual twenty-eight balls.The narrator was curious and observed Manju. When all twenty-eight plates were laid out, he saw Manju seat his sister next to him and slowly broke his ragi ball into two and shared it with his sister.
Out of curiosity the narrator asked Manju why he did not make the twenty-ninth ball for his sister.So he told the narrator that as his parents had gone to weekly market he had to take care of his kid sister but he also did not wanted to miss the school.Though it was his responsibility to feed her, he did not want his classmates to share his burden.So it was natural for him to share his meal with his little sister.This reply given by Manju resonated in the mind of the narrator.
3.What insight did Manju give about the value system of the tribal people?
The narrator learnt from Manju, the value of not being selfish.Though it was Manju's responsibility to feed his little sister, he did not wanted his classmates to share his burden.So it was natural for him to share his meal with his little sister.The narrator understood from Manju that he need to take his own responsibility for his actions and not transfer the burden onto society, his family and friends. It was helping him understand that there was a teacher in each person he met and in every event that took place around him. Manju's value had came from his people, his culture and his family who lived in harmony with the nature and the forests.
4.How did the 'school' educate the narrator?
The school educated the narrator by getting him to unlearn all the selfishness that he had grown up with and making him understand that he needed to take responsibility for his actions and not transfer the burden onto society, his family and friends.It was helping him understand that there was a teacher in each person he met and in every event that took place around him.
5.Narrate the incident which demonstrates the vast knowledge that is natural to the children of indigenous communities.
One day the narrator and others were all working together to clear the shrubs and make some space for their dream called school.Everyone including children were toiling away and after a while he children were getting tired and bored. So they decided tot to take a break and have some fun. The narrator had to hurriedly thing of something interesting and he suggested that each child try and count the trees that they had in their campus.Then someone suggested that they will not only count trees but also get a leaf from each tree and needed to do it within an hour.
Off they went and after an hour or later they started trickling in with a huge bunch of leaves some thirty and some fifty, but what Manju had brought surprised the narrator.He had leaves from nearly seventy different trees of different sizes and shapes.He not only counted them out but also explained to the narrator which tree would shed leaf first, which tree would attract the most bees and how drinking honey from the 'Taare' tree would cause temporary insanity.
This incident demonstrates the vast knowledge that is natural to the children of indigenous communities.
Essay Answer Questions
1.Examine the contribution of the two incidents towards the narrators about the tribal children.
The lesson "Learning from first generation school-goers" by Dr. R. Balasubramaniam, the author explains the knowledge and values he got from the tribal students he was teaching. The knowledge and values possessed by those tribal children was natural .
The author narrates the first incident in school which moved him greatly.The school had its beginnings in a makeshift arrangement in a cowshed in a hamlet named Brahmagiri where the students were from the tribal community.
The responsibilities for preparing the mid-day meals was shared among children and adults alike.A few of them would decide the menu , a few collects the fire-wood ,few would cut the vegetables and few moulds cooked ragi flour into small balls and others serve their friends and a couple of them had to clean up.
The usual menu for mid-day meals was ragi balls(finger millet) and sambar. One day it was Manju's turn to prepare food and Manju had his kid sister Sunanda with him that day.The narrator expected Manju to roll an extra ragi ball for her. But to his surprise,Manju prepared only the usual twenty-eight balls and shared his meal with his little sister.when narrator asked Manju about this, he told the narrator that though it was his responsibility to feed her, he did not want his classmates to share his burden.So he shared his meal with his little sister.The narrator learnt from Manju, the value of not being selfish and understood that he need to take his own responsibility for his actions and not transfer the burden onto society, his family and friends.
On another day the narrator and others were all working together to clear the shrubs for their dream called school.Everyone were toiling away and the children were getting tired .So they decided to take a break and so the narrator suggested that each child try and count the trees that they had in their campus.Then someone suggested to not only count trees but also get a leaf from each tree within an hour.
Soon after an hour or later they started trickling in with a huge bunch of leaves but what Manju had brought surprised the narrator.He had leaves from nearly seventy different trees of different sizes and shapes and he explained to the narrator which tree would shed leaf first, which would attract the most bees and how drinking honey from the 'Taare' tree would cause temporary insanity.
The narrator was surprised by the knowledge and values these tribal children had which was not from regular school teaching.These two incidents totally changed the narrator's views about the tribal children.The author realises that the values constitute a greater part of education than the lessons contained in the textbooks.The incidents made the narrator to wonder whether we can ever expect our normal school to impart the values and knowledge that these tribal children already seem to possess.
Language Exercises
a.Write a letter of complaint on behalf of Mangalore Stores,Malleswaram,Bangalore to Malnad Food Products,Tirthahalli, Shimoga district that the 12 honey bottles of the 24 consigned by the latter were received in a damaged condition and seek redressal.
b. Write a suitable reply to the above.
Reply to the complaint
Sir,
We regret that the 12 honey bottles out of 24 sent by us was in damaged condition.We regret the inconvenience caused and will replace the damaged honey bottles as early as possible.Our staffs are also warned about the consequences of such mistakes in the future.
We once again regret the inconvenience and assure you that such mistakes will not be repeated in future and promise you the best service from our part.
Thank You,
Yours faithfully
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