I was on my regular morning walk on one day, last week. The sun had just risen.
I spotted a mina picking berries and looking down intently in between. It was then my attention was drawn to the two children who had come out of their home to walk in the rear yard of the house. I could not reasonably guess the reason for their enquiring look!
But they were at this time walking between two trees.
That brought to my mind some thoughts that were nascent and unformed, which now have moved beyond being hazy.
All children are on a journey. From birth to the fullness of their life! The two trees provide shelter to them. A bird looking down upon them symbolises to me the watchful eyes of God, accompanying them in this journey into life.
What is this journey into life!
This is where there are more questions than answers.
The formal education which starts for them at pre-school when they turn three years, is often the critical time in their lives. The schooling in most instances, drives children to learn to write tests, pass examinations and progress to join another year in the next grade. The homework done at home is an extension of the class room learning.
It was while three children, 9, 6 and 5 years were talking descriptively, after looking through the telescope at the sky after their dinner, from the terrace of their home, I got a sense of what schools do not normally provide. The arousal of sense of curiosity and enquiry! It is this instinct which develops into diverse skills which childhood can provide.
The two children in the above photo represent majority of the children who are school driven! The school curriculum decides their prospects. But these two children are on an early morning walk, looking down and around.
What if they found a Damselfly, butterfly, lady bird or a Greater council during their walk!
I know of a school, where children are allowed to bring their pets to the class room once a month and it is a day of getting familiar with the animal world.
One five years old child, who was mortally afraid of dogs got used to petting a dog after having had experiences with the pet dogs of five children in his class. This is against adults in the fourth decade of life, who come to deliver Amazon orders to our home, call out from the gate, 'Is there a dog at home'!
What came alive to me was the fondness with which the Mina was looking down and following the children with its gaze. Birds want to be befriended!
Let children be introduced to a world beyond the routines of a class room!
I watched the two children, on seeing the movement of a squirrel in the tree, moving closer to it, when I left the spot seeing another bird movement close by!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
No comments:
Post a Comment