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[ The Beginning | The Crest | Our Principals | The Staff | Famous Personalities ] M.N. Kapur's Articles: Published in "The Statesman" Catch'em Young for Physical Training16 February 1970 by M.N. Kapur As a member of the Wanchoo Committee, instituted by the Ministry of Education a few years ago, to go into the affairs of the Rajkumari Coaching Scheme, I had suggested that instead of depending only on physical training instructors and highly qualified coaches, all young able-bodied school teachers should go, during holidays, for a short-term training course in a game of their liking and start basic sports training centres in their own schools. Gradually, these courses could be repeated and enlarged for greater efficiency. In this way a school can have even a dozen centres for basic coaching in different games manned by teachers of different subjects and organized by the physical education teacher. A small allowance to the teachers for this additional sports work will pay a richer dividend than a few sophisticated training camps where usually the efficient and the indifferent rub shoulders with each other and attain very little.... Some schools with facilities and some specially planned sports centres can impart advanced training in one or more games and fully qualified coaches can train the basically trained young people and build on what is already there. Several such sports centres with adequate provision for playing fields can be conveniently located in different parts of a town. Sports Needs a Shake-UpApril 1970 by M.N. Kapur 'Scrap the existing sports set-up and start afresh' is the remedy of a senior sports official for raising standards. His views merit consideration for it is obvious that all is not well with our sports organizations and with our standards. It is equally obvious that the slogan, 'Taking part is more important than winning', is a mere paper slogan these days.... Somehow the Indian Government is always on the defensive, although it spends more public money in sending contingents abroad than many other democratic countries. Even if money is raised by federations and associations it is in the national interest to select and send out the very best team possible. In developed democratic countries, strong public opinion does not allow any selection committee to ignore a deserving sportsman. The only effective way to improve standards is to organize sports in schools and colleges in a better way and catch our athletes young. Lack of Ideal Cause of Campus Unrest8 June 1970 by M.N. Kapur Over two thousand years ago Plato observed, 'What is happening to our young people? They disrespect their elders, they disobey their parents. They ignore the laws. They riot in streets inflamed with wild notions. Their morals are decaying. What is to become of them?'.... This has been more or less true throughout history. There are always two forces acting on human society_'caution' of age and 'daring' of youth. If it is all caution without daring the world would not progress. If, on the other hand, it is all freedom without the sobering influence of age it would be a wild society resulting in survival of the fittest. It has to be a judicious combination of the two....When vested interests under the cover of religion and outdated traditions, control society and the strong exploit the weak there is an upheaval. Youth always spearheads such a change. Today, once again, youth is revolting against age for its exploitation of society.... The two World Wars were the creation of an adult society. This was bound to affect the thinking of children. As if this was not enough, adults have invaded the make-believe world of children by providing them with toy guns, tanks and machine guns, miniature instruments of destruction....In short, we adults have exploited our own children by supercharging their world with drugs, violence, sex and crime. Behind all this is profit motive of the adult, camouflaged with convenient cover of art and free enterprise of a free society. So let us stop blaming the young for a while for their unusual behaviour and see if we adults are playing our part as parents, teachers and leaders.... Many developing countries have harnessed this by providing challenging tasks for social and educational reconstruction of society. Physical reconstruction, in the form of road-building, land-reclaiming and other construction projects for the community are popular because of the challenge they throw to the youth. But for this, some type of central planning and compulsion, both internal and external, is necessary for success. It is the lack of an ideal and a big enough challenge that produce senas and anti-social activities.... What we are witnessing today in college campuses is mainly the result of political parties trying to gain control of tomorrow's voters. It is a struggle for power, and it seems the ends justify the means. Democracy means freedom, almost unlimited freedom, even to destroy oneself. If public leaders of India do not sit together and evolve an ideal and a code of behaviour, misguided youth will create chaos. Maybe some people want this, as out of this chaos emerges a certain type of society. It is unfair to use the youth for our own ends, material or political, and then blame them for what they do. It is for us parents, teachers and public leaders to harness the daring of youth and evolve a fair society for India.... Vinoba Bhave when asked by a teacher to suggest the best way of making the youth do constructive work remarked: 'Do it yourself and they will follow'. Example is better than precept, is an accepted and oft-quoted proverb. Physical Education and The Three R's14 September, 1970 by M.N. Kapur There was a time when education in the three R's_reading, writing and arithmetic_was considered adequate for the young. Activities like art, craft, music, dramatics~ first considered extra-curricular, then co-curricular, are now considered an essential part of education itself. Similarly, physical education in advanced countries like Russia, the USA, Germany, Japan and others, is no more extra curricular or co-curricular activity but an integral part of general education.... Recognition of this fact by educationists has changed the concept of total education. Now, general education is not complete without aesthetic or physical education. When asked to indicate their priority in these three aspects, they said there were no priorities. These were three sides of a equilateral triangle each as important as the other... It should be recognized that a high degree of efficiency in competitive sports is not possible without a very high standard of physical fitness and therefore, physical education should be considered an essential part of general education in schools and colleges. The possibility of awarding school and university scholarships to outstanding sportsmen, who are reasonably good students, should be explored. Guiding The Average Student16 November, 1970 by M.N. Kapur In any reasonably developed society, persons of very high or very low intelligence and ability would probably constitute about 30% of the total population. The highly intelligent one will, given a reasonable chance, stand out sooner or later. The one with low intelligence can develop only to a certain extent. The bulk of the society, about 70%, range from reasonable to good average intelligence and ability. While highly intelligent persons will be the philosophers, scientists, scholars, poets and artists, it is the persons with good average intelligence who will man most of the essential services and handle business, trade, commerce, industry and education. Therefore, everything possible should be done to educate this effective majority to develop initiative, courage and confidence. The foundation of this must be laid in the school. Some average children of professional persons will inherit ambitions from their parents and will get their stimulus to work and achieve something worth while straight from the text-books howsoever dull they may be. In the present social set up this number may not be large. Most students will require additional encouragement. A good library will help the reading type. The extrovert types will get their boost from debates and elocution. More practically minded need educational projects to fire their imagination. Games and SportsA healthy average student will be instinctively interested in games and sports. As in the case of mental development, beyond a certain minimum, the need for physical exercise differs from individual to individual. While cricket may be the requirement of many, kabaddi may satisfy others. As it is not easy to provide many games in one school, games selected should be those which require lesser space and offer varying degrees of challenge to students. Many average students become difficult when they do not get a legitimate outlet for their physical energy through games. Achievement in games and sports and the appreciation that follows it, not only cures problem cases but develops confidence and courage to meet the challenge of life later. If properly handled, confidence gained in games and sports can help a student do better in studies. This very confidence will help him do better in life later. A sensitive child of average intelligence will be attracted towards aesthetic activities like art, craft, music, dance and drama. If he gets a chance to express himself through these activities he will develop into a satisfied, confident and a well integrated person capable of achieving much when he grows up. Good SchoolTherefore, a good school should have all these activities built in, in its daily routine, so that every student has chance to pick up stimulus suited to his requirements and flower out. Man is a social animal and likes to live and work in company. Working together requires proper social adjustment. The process of social adjustment starts early in the family and becomes important at the school stage. One thing that stands in the way of proper social adjustment is one's ego. Everybody wants recognition and appreciation. At the school stage when boys and girls are developing into men and women, the desire for recognition is very great. An unrecognized person either sinks into oblivion or turns a bully. A healthy average boy, specially the extrovert type, who is not fettered by the weight of either extraordinary or inadequate intelligence, is more likely to become extra bold, aggressive or even a bully. His natural exuberance will keep him from going down and getting lost. And hence it is all the more necessary to provide him with opportunities for self-expression and of shouldering responsibility. The first will satisfy his creative instinct and the latter his ego. There are a few accepted positions of authority in a school, but they are not enough. Ways and means must be found of multiplying these so that as many students as possible can shoulder responsibility. Instead of just one head-boy and one head-girl, there can be several prefects looking after various activities of the school. Then there can be House captains, games and club captains. Instead of one class captain for a year, a system of weekly captainship will provide opportunity of shouldering responsibility to many. The school can be divided into junior, middle and senior and this system of sharing responsibility can be multiplied. If living together is to be peaceful and satisfying then there must be some rules of social behaviour. As at the senior school stage young boys and girls are bursting into men and women, defiance of rules which means restrictions is natural. Experience has shown that in schools rules are broken by students more because of misunderstanding, inadequate or wrong information than by deliberate and calculated action. A regular built-in routine of free and informal discussion at different levels clears the air, helps both students and the authorities to understand each other's point of view and creates an informal and friendly atmosphere. In such an atmosphere the need for elaborate set of rigid rules is almost eliminated. All AloneWhen a young, healthy, average boy or a girl comes to a large school for a while, he stands all alone in a big crowd of students, timid and afraid. Different teachers see only the aspect of his personality reflected in the efficiency or lack of it in their own spheres. There must be somebody in the school to take charge of him, stretch him to his limits in studies, sports and aesthetic activities, praise him for his achievement, help him in his problems, respect him as an individual and treat him like a man. Such a person can be the Housemaster-his guardian angel in the school. Care, affection and support of the Housemaster help an average student to gain confidence to do his best in the school and learn to create a place for himself in society. In democratic countries schools, independent or Government which have harnessed the energies of healthy average individuals, have earned the respect of generations. Let us equip our schools and look after our average students, at least the more promising ones. They are the backbone of the country. An Investment Long Overdue15 February, 1971 by M.N. Kapur Now it is realized that proper development and exploitation of natural resources is possible and profitable only when qualified people, such as engineers, technicians, organizers, office workers, are available for the work.... So education is now considered an investment in all advanced countries. It is now accepted that a nation's capital is increased whenever a school, a laboratory or a university is opened. In other words, education, which involves expenditure, often heavy expenditure, is also a source of enrichment for the future.... This implies that it is just as important to invest in men as in capital equipment. This realization has aroused the interest of society in education at all levels.... Instead of passing on a certain quantum of knowledge, the teacher must now give his students an interest in continuous learning and an ability to think for themselves and find what they need for their growth and employment in new situations.... What Montaigne said four hundred years ago, that a well-trained head is better than a well-filled head, is truer today than even before....As already stated, education is an investment which involves heavy expenditure. It should be given priority. But should this priority be given to any kind of education? In a society, the wisdom of any investment is judged by what it returns to society. As education in every country, especially a developing one, is going to be one of the biggest and costliest undertakings, it is only fair that its success or failure should be judged by the quality of young men and women it produces. Is our education worth the investment it demands?.... With a new Parliament round the corner, let us hope that our new leaders and parliamentarians will give adequate importance and priority to developing our human resources which alone can make the development of natural resources possible and profitable. Someone has rightly said, 'The future belongs to those nations which turn to the best account the intelligence of their young people-of all their young people'. The Importance of School TeachersThe question is, are we looking after our teachers as well as we should? If we are then why is there a tremendous shortage of teachers of all categories? How is it that a large majority of parents would not like their children to join this nation building activity? Again why is it that a large proportion of this nation-building clan is of average ability, if not actual 'rejects' from other professions? If education is the biggest and the most important investment specially in a developing country like India such questions must be faced and answered.... Decline and Fall of the Teacher26 April, 1971 by M.N. Kapur There was a time when a teacher was a highly respected person in the Indian society. Even a few generations ago he was genuinely respected by society. This respect was born not only of the fact that the teacher knew more than the pupils, but out of the attitude of mind, that a person who helps a near-animal human child to become a civilized and a cultured human being, deserves the respect of both students and society. It was considered a privilege on the part of those in authority to give recognition and social status to the teacher. His status in society was higher than of many highly paid officials.... The situation has changed now and many factors are responsible for this. A technician, an engineer or a doctor is considered a more useful and hence a more respected member of society as his contribution is quick, direct, visible and mechanically measurable..... In other words, the intellectual superiority of the teacher has been challenged. His invisible contribution for the betterment of the individual for a better society is not being appreciated enough. Direct and visible material contribution even by lesser qualified persons is attracting more recognition. This has meant lesser importance and therefore lesser pay for teachers. All this has, by and large, bewildered and frustrated the teacher. The fact that, off and on, this injustice by society is recognized by those in power, does not help him. To call him a 'nation builder' and keep him in poverty, both material and social, on the one hand, condemn black-marketeers on the public platform and give them social prestige and official patronage on the other, has affected the mental attitude of the teacher community.... Neglect of teachers has, in turn, produced shortage of teachers of both primary and secondary education. In India usually those who are unable to find better jobs come to the teaching profession....As mentioned earlier, in unfair situations in society, automatic adjustments take place, which usually are not in the best interests of society. If society has been unfair to teachers, they too, in turn, have come to do less and less for society. This is to put it mildly. The possibilities of this mutual give and take and adjustments for the benefit of the new generation, have to be examined for quick action as we cannot afford to wait for long now. Learning Through Science22 November, 1971 by M.N. Kapur Science, in itself, being pure knowledge, is neither good nor bad. It is the use we make of it that determines its impact on humanity. A knife in a murderer's hand kills; in a surgeon's hand it cures, and in a scientist's hand it explores and creates new knowledge....They say, nowadays, that a book, specially of science, becomes out of date by the time it is published! In his book, The Library of Living Philosophers, Albert Einstein says, 'It is in fact nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry; for this delicate little plant, aside from stimulation, stands mainly in need of freedom: without this it goes to wreck and ruin without fail. It is a very grave mistake to think that the enjoyment of seeing and searching can be promoted by means of coercion and sense of duty.' A housewife should be made aware of the use of science, not only as a handy servant but also as an agent for saving time, energy and money. The results of research in the laboratory should be brought to the man in the street so that he may develop materially, socially and culturally.... How can this be achieved? Science Exhibitions if properly planned and executed can make a significant contribution in this direction. By these a specialist or an inventor can be brought in contact with the common man who, in turn, will benefit from the advance made by science. Besides, Science Exhibitions encourage initiative and creative ability. They provide opportunities to the young to learn from others. They help them to realize that the complicated Principles of Science can easily be explained and understood by simple experiments which they themselves can perform. The preparation of a project for an exhibition puts a young person in the position of an inventor or creator and gives him the feeling of satisfaction.... Planning and organizing successfully an effective science exhibition needs the cooperation of Government, research workers, scientists, science teachers, industry and commerce and other agencies connected directly or indirectly with the propagation of scientific knowledge. One such cooperative effort has resulted in the first science exhibition for children which has been organized in the Capital, planned under the guidance of Dr. D.S. Kothari and sponsored by the Jawaharlal Nehru Fund, National Council of Science Education, National Council of Educational Research and Training and the Bal Bhawan. It has turned out to be an outstanding show. Well over a hundred institutions from all over India have taken part in it to provide over two thousand exhibits ranging from verification a simple principle of school science by material of everyday use to the display and use of sophisticated apparatus developed or employed in advanced technical institutes....Although it was the first venture, and arrangements will improve by experience, it has succeeded admirably in arousing the interest of students and teachers alike. Teachers Must Show the Way14, February 1972 by M.N. Kapur They say the battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton and Harrow, implying thereby that the qualities of initiative, confidence, and courage displayed by young officers in this battle were developed through games, sports and other challenging activities during their school career in these or other well known public schools.... Besides these qualities, schools expect their students to have public spirit and courage to stand for the right cause even if it means facing criticism, difficulty and unpopularity.... There is a saying, that 'The world in which we live axe two, the world we think and the world we do'. Unless we teachers subject ourselves to the very discipline we expect from our students as armed forces officers do, we will not get much response from them.... Let us take punctuality. When a school starts in the morning we expect our students to be in their places on time. A student arriving late is reprimanded if not actually punished. Do all teachers reach the school or their classes in time?... Sometime a teacher has to punish to help the student develop on the right lines. This is a painful process and should make a teacher unhappy. Do we all feel that way?.... They say 'Habits start as cobwebs and end in chains'. If we want our students to develop good habits, stand up for justice and fair play, and do their duty in face of difficulty and criticism, then we will have to show them how to do this by our own example. There is no other way. Back to: Our Principals
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