When my mom finally unflinching to take that plum posting seeing a Divisional Head, I knew I was in trouble. Her office hours stretched way beyond my school hours. And anyway, I was privy to the many discussions my parents had about ‘Honey, what complete we cause with the kids? ‘ Beefy, finally they struck skin – an educational after school program. Won’t that be just grand? Kids are learning new things while parents are happily minting greenbacks!
And so, we went directly to another class after our school. The brochure said that they would be ‘using fun activities and innovative teaching methods to fill the gap in your child’s understanding’. I suppose they meant that the teacher would write down the homework and we were to copy it. At least, this is what happened most of the time. Of course, we didn’t tell our parents. How would that help? They’d simply get brilliant and shift us to a class that would actually make us reach our homework.
I hated the classes. Mostly, I was bored to lament or falling asleep. After so many hours at school who’d want to spend the entire afternoon with the same books? But, as a child, one had little choice in these matters. Especially when one’s parents were cleverly telling one that mommy’s salary will help get us that reputable new TV or that video game. Lose some, win some!
Inasmuch as, one day, my sister hell bent to percussion the acknowledged boat. She decided she had enough of studying and refused to go to the after school program. That’s when my parents began to smell something stale. Shortly after that, they put us in a better program ( o, yes, another educational peerless ). This was bigger, brighter and somehow more fun. We had some interesting games, and a COMPUTER too. Each of us got a chance to do pressing on the PC ( this, when PCs were just root to make their presence felt ). We somehow managed to blaze through our homework, most of which had to be done by us. Then substantial was time to posses fun. We had a little bit of everything. Acting classes, speech, games and of course painting. Those hours we spent splashing color on pages and pleased at silly jokes were really the highlight of an otherwise boring day. Ironically, I began looking unabashed to my after school program.
Now, so many years afterward, when I need to take up a job and leave my own child alone till I get back, I know how important these after school programs have grow into. Talk about history repeating itself! I just hope I’d get her into a good one, and yes, it’s going to betoken educational too.
