Dear Sir,
Please publish the following book review.
Dale Luis Menezes.
FREEDOM AT 17
By
DALE LUIS MENEZES
When we are in a classroom, particularly that of a school, the world outside
seems so much fun. One can’t wait for the last bell to ring and dash out of the
classroom with howling urgency. I particularly never liked the air-tight
regimen and unnecessary memorizing of information, which all students had to
undergo in schools. So, when a copy of Free From School landed in my hands, I
started to read it immediately. Here was one book which suggested an
alternative to learning in school. What more could anyone who had a difficult
experience in school, ask for?
A few months ago I had read the slim book titled Deschooling Society by Ivan
Illich. This book when published in 1971 had caused quite a controversy. What
Ivan Illich quite simply suggested was to do away with schools to have a better
society. The ideas that Ivan Illich suggested instead of formal schooling way
back in the ’70s, I feel, had little practical use but with the rise of
internet his ideas can be looked into afresh. Schools are not necessarily the
temples of learning; they are also used by the ruling elite to propagate
ideologies that justify their power. The French philosopher Louis Althusser in
his Lenin and Philosophy and other Essays says, “…the school (but also other
State institutions like the Church, or other apparatuses like the Army) teaches
‘know-how’, but in forms which ensure subjection to the ruling ideology.”
Ivan Illich’s book is firmly rooted in academia. Rahul Alvares’ Free From
School, on the other hand, is an honest and delightful account told by a 17
year old, who took a break after his SSC (scoring a whopping 87% marks!)
examinations to find his ‘true calling’. Since Rahul was finding school
becoming “quite a chore”, his parents Claude and Norma, decided to offer him a
year’s break after completing the SSC examination to do anything of his choice.
Both the parents observe that schools, “…often does not encourage learning. In
fact there is good evidence that learning stops once schooling begins.” There
was only one condition imposed on young Rahul: that he would maintain a regular
diary and produce monthly accounts of special events and experiences.
When we read this book it is not important to consider how well Rahul wrote
this book. What is more crucial to note is what Rahul and his parents dared to
do. Since Rahul was interested in wildlife, his parents left no stone unturned
to see to it that their son got the maximum exposure in an area of his liking.
The result: Rahul ended up travelling far and wide all by himself to various
zoos and wildlife sanctuaries to gain some experience and learn about the
various types of animals. Snakes seem to have a special place in Rahul’s heart.
“In fact, as mum tells it, I seem to have gone out of my way to befriend snakes
as a child. I would be afraid of dogs…they had teeth and could bite, but snakes
didn’t appear to have any…,” he explains.
Rahul gives an account of the various places he travelled and the institutions
in which he apprenticed during the one year sabbatical. Along with his memoir,
Rahul gives some tips to breed and take care of fishes, measures to be taken in
case of snake bites, garbage disposal, etc. Since he travelled on his own,
managing money and preventing theft was also Rahul’s main concern while on the
go.
If our interest propels us to learn any facts or information our chances of
retaining them and actually using them in our daily and practical lives is
greater. Rahul too, had such an experience in a crocodile research facility
near Chennai, “Apart from my practical studies, there was a huge library at the
Croc Bank where I would browse through several books on crocs, snakes,
monitors, turtles, the works. It was always with great pleasure that I would
search for information about something that I had learnt or seen that day. And
the best part is that although I didn’t have to memorize the facts for any
examination, nothing of what I’ve read has gone out of my head.”
The experiences of the Alvares family indicate that we can look beyond school.
If the grind of mugging up the whole textbook(s) leads to the destruction of
creativity in a child, is there a difference between a student and a factory
worker working at the assembly line? This book is in no way a guide for parents
who feel that the present education system does more harm than good and who
would like their children to try some other things. This book, in fact, serves
more as an inspiration for parents wanting to take the plunge in cold water.
This book says, dive in, the water is very refreshing!
Since the choice of Rahul to take a sabbatical and pursue a career that was
other than that of the clichéd doctor and engineer, he surely must have faced a
lot of questions. The nosy neighbours, the annoying relatives or even passers
by must have set up an inquisition table right in front of him. Rahul dwells on
the topic for a fleeting second. For a young reader of the book who decides to
take a sabbatical, dealing with such unsolicited interlocutors can be very
taxing. Knowing how to deal with them surely, then, would be considered as a
survival skill!
With SSC results in Goa round the corner, I recommend this book, with
illustrations by Alexyz, to students and parents alike. I shall allow Rahul to
say the last words, as he will surely echo the sentiments of whoever reads his
book, “I certainly look forward to another sabbatical! And so, by now, should
you!”
END OF ARTICLE
Comments @ www.daleluismenezes.blogspot.com
Name: Free From School
Author: Rahul Alvares
Published by: Other India Press
Year: 1999 (1st ed), 2005 (2nd ed)
Price: Rs. 100/-
ISBN: 81-85569-44-4
Phone: 832-2263305
Web: www.otherindiabookstore.com
(A version of this article appeared on Gomantak Times, dt: May 20, 2011)
Find my writings @ www.daleluismenezes.blogspot.com
