Continuing from Part 1, the coaching academy conducts periodic tests, and based on the students’ performance, they are categorized into Batch 1, Batch 2, or Batch 3. Performance here refers to the percentage of marks scored in each test.
The IIT-qualified teachers are extremely supportive, taking extra time for doubt-clearing sessions and meeting with parents to explain how they can better support their children.
From my limited experience, the obsession with IITs and NITs can sometimes cause undue stREEs. There are countless movies that highlight the business of education and how the cost of schooling has skyrocketed. Back in 2001, I completed my entire engineering degree, including hostel and food, for just ₹35,000. Today, the fees for LKG start at ₹1.5 lakhs and above. Of course, government schools exist, but many parents might hesitate to have a second child just to avoid school fees. (Just joking, but there’s some truth to it!)
The coaching academy has different kinds of teachers for each batch. The batch system gives the impression that Batch 1 students are like camphor—show them a spark, and they catch fire instantly. Batch 2 students are like tube lights—it takes some time, but they eventually shine. Batch 3 students are like charcoal—you have to blow on them for a while before they ignite.
In reality, schools and coaching institutes are profit-making businesses. They perform the noble duty of imparting knowledge and enlightening our children, but they also need to advertise, make money, partner with schools, pay and retain teachers, and expand to more locations. The biggest advertisement for these institutes is how many students they can claim got into top IITs. Naturally, they focus more on Batch 1 students to maximize their success rates.
Understanding that this is a business with specific goals can help both students and parents. Students should avoid thinking of Batch 1 as superior, and Batch 2 or Batch 3 as lesser. Instead, it’s helpful to compare the situation to athletes competing in the Olympics. In general, everyone is an athlete, but there are multiple levels—district, state, zone, national, and finally, the Olympic team. Each level has its own coaches, and as the level rises, the quality of coaching changes to meet the athletes’ needs and help them make the nation proud.
At heart, there should be no difference between people, regardless of their “batch.” Everyone can be taught good habits like respecting others, being honest, and spreading love and positivity. Each student who is studying hard – the goal is to make their family proud. Education is not to be confused with life. Life is different and precious.
My spiritual gurus, Gurudeva and Satguru Bodhinatha, always emphasize the importance of having a “family evening” every Monday, where the family sits together to talk about the week’s events and appreciate each other. It’s an open forum for kids to share their thoughts. On these evenings, the TV is off, and parents are fully present with their children. We cook meals together, laugh together, and play together.
As long as the families have the habit of holding the family evening, no stREEs can affect the children. In the next article, I’ll delve deeper into the topic of “Peer Pressure.”
Have a good one!
