When we meet a truly unbeatable obstacle, human tendency is more likely to give up, than to encounter it head- on. In The Kalyani School, we do different; because no one quits until the goal is achieved. When we say that the story of our school is one of success and proud achievements, we are actually talking about our children, who have spelled that with their small wins, which led to big results. Pramod (Name Changed) is one of those names that make us proud whenever we look back on the initial steps of TKS into the world of education.
Pramod had joined us in 2015, when not many people knew our name. He came on board in Grade VII, when the session was in full swing. He was unhappy and dispirited to begin with. Having dropped out of many schools, he was ready to give up here too even before he began. His body language said it all, even though he did not give much voice to his thoughts. The first few days in school, we saw him sitting quietly in one corner of the class, all by himself and not making any effort to get acquainted with his peers. None of the subjects interested him, nor did any other person on the premises. And then, he stopped coming to school.
When our Principal, heard about this, she decided to talk to Pramod herself. She, along with her Director, called him from home to her office, and had a heart-to-heart conversation with him. Perhaps, in none of his previous schools, he had seen such genuine concern from the authorities. He realized that he did have a lot of potential in him and Pramod made up his mind to turn around.
When Ma’am asked him what he really enjoyed doing, he said that he loved sports and painting. So, she gave him the liberty to spend his entire day in school, in the Art Studios and on the Sports ground with the facilitators. Once he knew that the school was not a formidable challenge, but rather an exciting change, he started attending classes, a few at a time. The teachers went all out to welcome him to class; and so did his class fellows, though he was a few years older than them. Study material that he had missed was provided to him, along with special classes to bring him up to date with the syllabus. Even if his expressions were not perfect, as long as he could express what he understood in the academic classes, his answers were given credit. The Pastoral Care Department counselled him regularly and unofficially, each and every teacher did their own bit to tell him that he was as much a Kalyaniite, as anyone else in the school premises.
It was one big milestone achieved, when Pramod readily agreed to sit for the Half Yearly Assessment with his peers. It did not matter to anybody what marks he scored in his Exams, but the fact that after that he never missed any of his classes, did matter. Every day saw him evolving into a new personality, who was a constant fixture in every class and school event. He went ahead to serve in the School Council too, and was the favourite of every student in the school. Academics was never his strength, but he never thought about giving it up again. The School Head and Director helped him to join a Bridge Course, so that the stress on him, of the regular syllabus, reduced. He carried on with his Art work and Sports, along with his studies. He also developed a keen interest in physical fitness, and maintained a strict health regime, which eventually reflected in his athletic appearance. Pramod decided to become a Health Instructor when he finished school. And he did.
All through his studentship in The Kalyani School, his father visited the Principal regularly, to join hands with her in eking out a future for his son. Today, we all stand tall because of Pramod, and numerous other Kalyaniites like him. Pramod’s father once said, “This is not The Kalyani School, this is The Kalyani Temple.” That we can say, is the best citation that a father can give, and the most prestigious trophy a school can get. In The Kalyani School ‘Holistic Education’ is not just a term. It is woven into the philosophy of all Kalyaniites, which guides all our ventures and endeavours. Stories like that of Pramod, was just the beginning of our success album, but definitely, is not the last.
