Abhinav was seven and was going
to a Charter School in Northern California. I loved everything about his school
– small-sized class, a lot of parent volunteers, very progressive etc. But he
didn’t think so. He was visibly upset
when it was time to go to school. We
tried to keep the transitions from bed to school as smooth as we could, but the
effect of going out to school every day was disastrous on him. Once
every few days he asked me questions that I didn’t have answers to and
questions I didn’t want to think about in my life. I don’t remember all of his
questions, but some of them I do and here they are:
Abhi: “amma, you have told me earlier that one goes to
school to learn many things. Is there anything that can be learned only
at school?”
Me: “Well, learning is just one
aspect. Apart from that, at school you get to see your friends and play with
them”
Abhi: “amma, I can’t play
with my friends when *I* want to. I can play with them only when the
teacher lets us play and she decides how long we can play”
***
Abhi: “amma, Did you know that the bell rings
very often at school? Sometimes I can't wait for the bell to ring, because I just don't like what I have been asked to do. At other times, I really wished the bell didn't ring because I was thoroughly enjoying what I was doing. Why should we stop doing what we are doing when the bell rings? ”
***
Abhi: “Do you have any plans for
this weekend?”
Me: “Not yet”
Abhi: “Please don’t make any
plans. I don’t want to go anywhere – no parties, no outing, no swimming. I want to stay at
home”
Me: “okay. But why so?”
Abhi: “amma, I go out to
school every day, so I don’t get to spend time at home. I want to spend all my
weekends at home.”
Me: “okay, done!”
Abhi: (now he is sad)”amma,
our home is the best place on earth. I love being at home, with you and Aparna.
Why should I leave my favorite place and go out to school every single day?
When I come back home in the afternoons, I am quite tired and I can’t enjoy our
home. Why do you send me out, amma?”
Abhi's questions started haunting me and I decided to find genuine answers. Little did I know, when I started my journey, that it will change the course of our lives forever.
-- Hema
