On the day of Guru Pournami, we started our visits to nearby mainstream schools. Just before we visited, we got an idea to make a portfolio of her skill set in the form of eight intelligences. We were feeling completely peaceful and ready for any reply from the school authorities.
After a few years of open learning, she wants to experience school – exams, test, homework, etc are some of the reasons to go o school! And the transition is again filled with discovery.
1st School
Our first interaction, a state syllabus school which is barely 300mts from home by foot. As we began our inquiry if they would still take admissions for 3rd grade, the principal and another office person was both so curious about her learning journey and the volume and diversity of her knowledge. They all fell for her handwriting both Kannada and English.
They were both so inclusive that they said when she joins, it’s ok if anybody writes her notes and completes it or even photocopies would do. They were so co-operative that they even said the child will feel home away because most teachers treat children as their own. All the documents needed for admission is birth certificate and TC (Transfer Certificate).
We have no idea of how or what content is needed in TC or just a letter on Aarohi’s letterhead stating that she is 3rd standard fit may suffice. The overall feeling we were left with are being accepted, respected and accomplished. She is in love unwavered ever after we were done talking to those two wonderfully open-minded ladies.
2nd School:
We then went to another school which is visible with bare eyes from our terrace. It is an ICSE school which is only 3years old and all great modern amenities including a meditation hall and a great play area. It is largely process-driven and we only had to fill up a form and wait for their call for the written test for English, Maths, and EVS.
3rd School:
We then went to the third school, about 750mts away from home. It’s a state syllabus school and with a slightly bigger infrastructure and little more streamlined process. They informed us that there will be a written test and only after that, we can discuss more. We thought the test should take about 30-45mins and we kept waiting outside the H.M’s office. Hardly did we know that she would write for 2.5hrs continuously compromising of three papers- Kannada, Maths, and English, we would probably go after lunch
It was 3.30pm when she came back and the H.M had a private conversation with her. Imagine, after all the open learning environment we experienced, it felt all new and weird for us to be away while she is being talked to. The H.M called us inside after 10mins or so and kept praising our daughter that she is a very smart girl, very beautiful writing she has and that she was bold enough to face the test. Our daughter’s thought for writing the test boldly was… either I will win or lose; why should I be scared?
We were crazily hungry that we had a quick lunch cum snack and decided to visit one another school… Poorna. We knew that the school would be closed and we went just to meet the watchman and find out the details.
4th school:
We reached by 5 pm and found out some basic details of school working. We are yet to visit them within school time.
All in all, we experienced that people are willing to give us what we want providing we make an effort to ask. It is such an overwhelming feeling to be accepted and we have gained much more respect just being open schooled and living a created life.