School Buildings look like Prisons?

An article with this title in Hindustan Times caught my eye and made me think of my own school days which I wish to recount.

The article showed a picture of a government school in Sangam Vihar in New Delhi built in 1992. The building’s long open verandas and arched corridors depict the architecture prevalent over a 100 years back giving it a very colonial and depressing look. The picture shows a bunch of students in the open courtyard with the caption- why do school buildings look like prisons?  The way the children are trying to run away from the closed structure in addition to the design of the structure itself is making it look like a prison. The design philosophies of the school buildings reflect the prevailing pedagogic practices in vogue. Why should a building built in 1992 stick to an architecture so colonial?

I changed many schools during the course of my school education owing to my father’s transferable job with the central government. I have studied in Kendriya Vidyalays, which even though were much in demand during those times due to lack of very many private schools, had very poor infrastructure. Even the very basic amenities were missing at times especially in those schools which were recent additions. I remember having studied in schools which had no building at all and the classes were held in tents. A couple of brick and mortar structures housed the principals office and administrative and teachers blocks. We were extremely happy to study in these open tents in peak summer or winter. Rainy season was the best as when it rained too much it was declared a rainy day as the tents started leaking. And mind you the tents were such that they only had a top cover, on the sides they were open so we were exposed to much of the elements. The floor was was earth and on top was the canvas and inbetween some forty odd children under each tent. But life was good and carefee and having seen the pictures of some of the government school buildings, it definitely was much removed from being a prison. Pathways and walkways connecting the tents were also earth about 2 feet below the level at which the tents were pitched for the classooms. The pathways were not covered, so come summer or winter we walked across the school in open.

The playgrounds were large but without any playing equipment. The basketball court and volleyball court were all made but there were no balls. The couple balls the school owned were kept in lock and key. The day we were issued a ball it was a celebration. The schools that did have a building were more like barracks convered into a school. However there was no discipling happening in these corridors or patrolling in the passages to mind and control the children. Such barracks had straight long or L shaped corridors inside of which were rooms in a row. There were no arches in the corridors, just plain, simple, open single storey structures. They were very basic in construction with cement floor, wood and iron benches,  a blackboard, couple windows in front and back of the room. The dispositon was very simple and straight and the corridors often faced a large open ground giving it the much needed open space for students to get out and play. Teaching learning happened as we say close to the nature. I for one never felt trapped in any of the simple strucutres I just recounted. You just needed to take a couple of steps where ever you were and you would be in the open. We played a lot while in school, ball or no ball. We had enough games- langdi taang, stapu, pakdan pakdai, chupan chupai and the like, we knew how to be happy and enjoy. Lunch was always taken in the open-summer or winter. In summers we would sit under a nice lush green tree and mind you it used to be so cool and nice under the tree. No comparison to an artifically cooled space. And in winter we had enough spots where we could enjoy the winter sun and have our food. Lunch was eaten quickly so we had enough time to play as games periods were only on some days and that too the teachers often did not allow us to go out as it was too hot or too cold. I have very fond memories of my school days. We had great fun both at work and play and enjoyed all facets of school life.

Academic atmosphere was however quite strict and at times would drive us to dislike the education system.Teachers would come, teach and give us tons of home work each day. Corporal punishment was common, not doing your home work or not getting any copy to school meant punishment was certain. Stand on the bench, stand outside the class, hitting with a footruler on the knuckles, bend down like a murga, holding your ears and doing uthak baithak etc etc.. were the common ones. Late comers in the morning were asked to run around the school playground, number of rounds depended on how late you have arrived. Morning prayers were held daily in the school playground with all classes coming in file from their classes and standing at their designated place each day. Prayers, an oath, national anthem were sung each day, the principal made some announcements and students read the news. This was followed by 10-15 minutes of simple exercises which were such that they could be performed while standing. On special days like festivals and days of national importance, a cultural program was organised during the assembly. The teachers even though strict were dedicated and took pains to teach us. If they punished they also appreciated work well done.

What students are facing today is an education system that has gone from bad to worse. The curriculums have been expanded, home works and projects have multiplied, students burden has increased many fold with increased competition. Having good open structures and buildings where students can learn in the comfort of nature is a must. Most school buildings are designed to control children by arranging classrooms along corridors which lets schools impose discipline and order by patrolling the passages. Why should this be so? At the same time the academic environment needs to be made more student friendly so that they are inclined to study and do not take it as a burden. It is time we un-prisoned our children physically as well as mentally, Physically -from the  building stuctures designed like prisons and mentally- from the stifling and at times suffocating academic atmosphere in schools that we are putting our children through.