The
advent of Teachers’ Day (September 5) leads me
down the memory lane to my own schooling during 1940s.
Here are a few vignettes I could cull from the images
of my teachers I respectfully remember.
S.
Kundan Singh, regarded as a nice teacher, sits under
a kikar tree in the spacious kutcha courtyard of our
village Primary School. Using his knife, he
meticulously shapes reed pen points for each student
of his class so as to make them handwriting conscious.
In the
middle classes or grades 7-8 of Khalsa High School
Kila Raipur, Giani Jagir Singh, Punjabi teacher,
introduces and acquaints us with the Punjabi classic
writers like Baba Farid, Bulleh Shah, Waris Shah,
Shah Muhammad, Guru Nanak and modern poets, prose
writers and novelists as Bhai Vir Singh, Gurbax Singh
Preet Lari, Nanak Singh, Dhani Ram Chatrik etc. As
soon as he enters the classroom, Giani Ji utters a
couplet or a rubai which is to be written by us
correctly and neatly. Also to be learnt by heart.
S.
Arjan Singh, English teacher, is very particular
about pronunciation e.g. the sounds of W and B; S and
Sh; F and Ph etc. He is no less a handwriting
stickler. Students have to use ‘G’ category
nibs. If he detects ‘Z’ or other grade nib
in his writing period, he mercilessly rubs its point
against a desk till it breaks. He voluntarily takes
after-school classes without charging any tuition fee.
Spoken English is a passion with him.
When
the school is due to be inspected by a posse of
education officers, Arjan Singh Ji is in his elements.
He selects me and a classmate Hakim Singh to prepare
a 5-minute piece of dialogue in English. Yes, English
dialogue delivered by two Punjabi village lads!
S.
Joginder Singh PTI presents in the playground all
neatly uniformed students, about 500, in an army-like
disciplined formation. They do various physical
exercises like one unit and also march to his loud
rhythmic ‘Left, Right…..’ commands.
The same PT Joginder Singh whose live commentary on
popular Kila Raipur Rural Olympics Meet became
legendary for the audience.
S.
Darshan Singh, newly graduated English teacher for
Grade 9, brings a drum in the classroom and makes us
practice conjugation or forms of verbs e.g. sing
– sang - sung; hide – hid – hidden
while marking time with the drumbeat.
This
is just a sampling of diligent input by dutiful
teachers of yore in the physical and intellectual
growth of their pupils. A sound foundation was thus
laid for a life-long quest for knowledge and wisdom.
A self-motivated service sans an iota of mercenary
content. It was free from cheating and costly extra
coaching or ‘tuition trend’.
7 September
2006
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bol nf skdy BfvyN, bMidaF df duwK puCdy
