THE PERFECT CLASS

by Goolbai Gunasekara

Is it not every teacher’s dream to teach a class in which every child is a hard-working student and correspondingly very bright? All classes have clever students of course, but I hesitate to use the word ‘brilliant’ because I feel that true mental brilliance comes with maturity – usually in their late 20’s.

One recalls with nostalgia the manner in which sages of old taught their acolytes. Philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle spouted words of wisdom and students listened enthralled. Nobody talked unless it was an erudite discussion. No one even attended those gatherings unless they were in hot pursuit of knowledge.

Indian sages taught in ashrams with pupils seated in a reverent and silent circle round the great one, committing to memory every word uttered. I don’t think anyone actually paid money to learn. There were other sacrifices in time and personal lives of pupils at that time. History does not mention that little detail. Mundane matters like this were not apparently part of the assimilation of knowledge on the part of those seated at the feet of the Master so to speak!

Faced with the rowdy classes of today, full of talkative children, one dreams wistfully of that perfect system in ages past. Perhaps they were not that all perfect, but they seem so to those of us assailed by the noise of a modern school on a daily basis.

I think one reason is that nowadays parents pay fees and going to school is not considered a privilege but a necessary bother. Half the kids in most classes would far rather be on the Sports field than in (what they consider) a boring routine.

In all my years of teaching I have had just ONE perfect class. It was a Grade 8 (Form Three of an International School) which comprised 23 children. International schools were then a new phenomenon in Sri Lanka. Teachers who were not from the UK were getting accustomed to a multi-racial mix of children and it was all novel and exciting to those of us who genuinely loved to teach. I am one such person. I really enjoy teaching even if half the class comprises recalcitrant kids.

My family put it down to the fact that I like to talk – but apart from their little joke the fact remains that I enjoy teaching and always have. Furthermore, my subject is History which lends itself to imagination and fascination. It is NOT just a dreary memorization of dates which is what most people think.

To get back to my perfect class. There was an eclectic mix of nationalities; Sri Lankan, British, Danish, Indian, Pakistani and I think one Nepalese. ALL of them were keen students and ALL of them listened and studied. It was a heady time for me. I found myself looking forward each week to those History periods with them and if any teacher was absent I volunteered cheerfully to fill the gap in Form Three.

There were many incidents during the two years that I had them as pupils. One incident I recall involved a boy from Denmark. He was one year older than most of the others since the language problem necessitated his being placed in a grade lower than he would have been back in his home country.

His English was passable, and he managed quite well but the fervor with which he applied himself to studying in an unfamiliar language was amazing. Within a few months he had got the “history jargon” down pat and was soon scoring the high marks as were the others.

Came the Promotion Tests. As expected, the entire class did extremely well but Sven outdid himself. Frankly I think he must have memorized some of his answers but he had not taken any such memory work from either his texts or my notes. His answers were so good that he gained the second highest grade in an already highly competitive class.

When I gave out the marks and discussed the answers with the class I asked Sven how he managed to do so well in almost every subject. He seemed surprised by the question.

“Doesn’t everyone study like this?” he asked genuinely Interested.

“NO”, screamed the entire class in unison.

“Miss he never wastes a minute. He is always studying,” they laughed.

“Nonsense,” he retorted. “I am on the Basketball team and I swim for the school squad too.”

Sven was a popular boy despite his determination to succeed and I realized that the secret was probably no secret at all. He was just one of those naturally achieving children that fate had placed in an already achieving class. I never found out what happened to him once his parents had left Sri Lanka, but I am sure he would end up top of whatever career he chose.

That sort of dedication is rare but I feel that given the right atmosphere it is possible in Sri Lanka among children who do not regard schooling as a necessary evil. Rich parents may be responsible for things coming too easy to their offspring. Nothing kills academic ambition quicker than foolishly doting parents with too much money.

Sri Lanka alas, has too many examples of money used appallingly badly for personal gain. Place the blame on the type of education that does not keep pace with modem life and is therefore rather boring to children of this technological era.

(This article was written in 2018. Technological education is now being greatly enhanced.)

(Excerpted from The ‘Principal Factor.’ it was first published some time ago by Lanka Market Digest)