Dev Lahiri’s book is a slim, easy read on the complex and multi-layered topic of school education in India. The author draws from his vast experience of over four decades as a teacher, principal and educator, both in India and abroad. The book is replete with real, and often funny anecdotes from his stint in various schools and his sense of humour and ‘joie de vivre’ come across in many parts of the book.
The author says that the purpose of schooling is varied––while some parents look at schooling as a status symbol and send their wards to the so called best schools, others want their children to follow in their footsteps and be like them. For the common man, sending his child to an English medium school is of utmost importance, irrespective of the quality, and the expectation is that this will automatically lead to a college degree and a secure job. In either scenario, rarely is the child’s interests or aptitude given much weightage.
The author is of the firm belief that one of the fundamental purposes of education should be to create good human beings who will make the world a better and happier place. In this connection, the onus of educating the heart and the soul, in addition to educating the mind, falls on the management and the teachers of the institution. Schools should ensure that students imbibe values such as kindness, sharing and caring, empathy and gender sensitivity, and this can happen only if the principal and the teachers are role models who ‘walk the talk’. Teachers must practice what they preach and lead by example––even if they positively impact the life of a single student, it is likely to have a multiplier effect. The author also talks about the leadership and management of schools and says that unless the principal shares the vision and the mission of the school management, and these are in sync with the expectations of parents, running the school could become an arduous task, since the day-to-day operations are mainly the responsibilities of the principal.