Monday, March 16, 2009

Mummy!! Who moved my cheese?

Everyone would have a special memory about Month of March!!

Month of March is always associated with memories on exams and plan for summer holidays. During school days, more than preparing for exams, discussion would go around summer plans. A trip to hill stations, planned visit to uncle or aunts’ houses, summer cricket tournaments, discussion about their favourite film star’s April 14th releases!! Some of our friends’ parents would plan for painting classes, calligraphy, music classes etc.

Most of my friends were sure that we will meet eachother when our school reopens in June. It continued through out my school days. More than 50% of my 12th classmates studied with me for more than 8 years and that bond continues even now.
This year’s month of March is different in this part of world (Middle East), due to recession.
For past few weeks, all school management have given a form to their students & asked them to check with their parents, whether they are planning to apply for Transfer Certificate (TC)!! Some media estimates 10K to 15K students might have applied for TC. It means all those 10000+ students are not going to meet their friends & classmates when school reopens!!
For students, fun & learning with their friends is their Cheese!!
Spencer Johnson, in his best seller, “Who moved my cheese?” says, “Cheese is something which one perceives very important. It may be profession, health, life, studies etc”. Message from his book is,
“One should not become victim of his complacency & be alert for any change to one’s Cheese”.
Ofcourse, parents have to shoulder responsibility of smelling their children’s cheese. But, in the times of recession, when their cheese (job) is moving away, parents turn helpless. Once, they lose their job & fail to find another job in two months, they have to leave the country with their family.

How does this change going to affect these kids?

Getting admission into good schools is very difficult. All practices for admission shown in Tamil Movie, “Abhiyum Naanum” would happen in all reputed schools.

Even if they find good school, getting similar syllabus is a difficult thing. In TN, except some 10 big cities, rest of the towns does not have CBSE schools. That means they have stick on to a different syllabus. Even, if they get admission, parents need to give huge sum as donation!!

Dropping out of their extra curricular activities, skills development, missing their best friends, favourite teachers, cosmopolitan culture are other changes!!

Whenever a kid questions, “Mummy!! Why did we change our school?” or “Why are we moving to our home country?” What answer can we expect from her Mummy?

Now, all answers would point fingers towards recession!! Even Spencer Johnson may feel difficult to address “How to safeguard the Kid’s cheese during recession?”

After learning this lesson from recession, one need to take decision & be firm on where their kids’ schooling is going to be, after giving due consideration to all possible changes… including recession!!

Let us wish all these kids, get good friends & enjoyable schooling!!