The C Word

This Saturday I completed my first month in school. The month has been full of good, bad, ugly and very ugly days. There have been tears (from both sides), voices that have gone hoarse (again on both sides), little successes and joy. A lot of joy! However, on my one month anniversary (:D), there is one question I want to ask myself:

At this point, how strongly do I believe that ALL my children will go to college?

Because that’s why am I doing what I am doing right- to give them an excellent education, so that they get a leveled playing field and can go to the best colleges of India. So that where they come from doesn't define where they will end up. That’s the big picture. Do I see ALL my students heading that way? At this point, the answer is a dismal no. I can think of maybe 15 out of my 90 kids who have the spark that could take them all the way, and that’s wonderful! They have the drive to catch up on the skill set. But what about the other 75?

Some might argue saying that when we were in Grade 5 we never thought of college. Well, we never thought of college because it was a given. I am talking about children for whom exactly the opposite is the norm. If they have to defy the norm, they need to be convinced about it this early.

Here’s the good news- I’ve understood the need for this urgency early on. I have two years to build a vision for the college dream, how hard can it be? J MUST KEEP THE FAITH, yes? J