A time to grow

New Delhi school 'breaks rules' to discipline pupils

As schools go, St. Patrick Preparatory School at Gole Market, New Delhi, breaks a few golden rules. First, if the child does not want to attend his or her class he is free to play in the lawn outside and troop in when he's had enough. Secondly, the child's parents are not encouraged to slink away when they drop their wards at the school gate.

They are asked to spend time with their child in the school till he is ready to step in his class. Thirdly, it breaks away from being an elitist public school catering to the students of the rich alone.

If poor parents say they have no money, the school not only waives their child's school fees but also shoulders the additional responsibility of providing stationery, books etc. to him.

"One has to move with them," says Payal Anand, the school principal. This freedom, rather than restriction, has evidently paid dividends.

Not only are the children more amenable to the school teachers (disciplined without being disciplined), they are also more involved, happy and spontaneous. The children who were force-fed at home eat happily off their tiffin boxes in the school.

Share things

"The parents ask us if their child really finished their lunch as it is difficult to make them eat at home," says Payal Anand. Besides learning to enjoy nursery rhymes and get a hang of the alphabet, the children are taught to share things and each other's company.

"When a child comes here he is a little withdrawn and possessive about his things, but gradually he learns to let go," says Anand. This non-possessive and sharing attitude goes a long way in making the children feel they are equal. This is especially important as the school has students of the very rich and the very poor studying side by side.

The age group at St. Patrick's is from one-and-a-half to four years. However, the classes are not based on the students' age. Again the emphasis is on the preference of the child. For instance, if a child wants to attend a toy-class rather than sit through a storytelling class, he is free to do so or vice versa.

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