MY SLATE Dearfriends, I was usingslate regularly even in 1992’s while preparing for IETE Examination. At thattime I was working as lecturer in Trivandrum Training center. The slate Ipurchased and used is safe with me along with a few colour slate pencils eventoday. The slate was very handy to make out drawings, write down equationswhile making self-preparations.
While I wantedto purchase slate and asked whether it will be in stationary shops or smallshops, my colleague intimated better in small shops. A good slate with framecost me Rs 15-00 about 20 years back. Let me go in to interesting informationabout slate. Sincerely, GopalaKrishnan 30-8-2010. Re-posted on 3-1-2021 after editing and updatinginformation. R. Gopala Krishnan. 1. Para, Pana When I wassent to Mulavana variam to study after Vidyarambahm, I was asked to sit inVarandha and to write on sand spread in front of us. Along with me anotherthree children were there. When I wasable to write somewhat better it was time for school admission and I wasadmitted to school. I had my first slate when I started my 1st class itself. Icould recollect my carrying slate, pencil, Mazhithandu (A tender plant onpressing oozing water) for cleaning and a Malayalam book. These were put in abag. I am not sure whether it was LG Perumkaya sanchi. On those daysPerumkaya sanchi was very common and especially with iyers. An iyer with his papers, food pack in Peumkayasanchi with umbrella was a common scene. I could recollect every day my fathertaking one more perumkaya sanchi to bring provisional items on his return fromwork. I had ateacher by name karthyayani amma who taught me Para, Pana.. Easy letters tostart with. 1.1 Slate sizes Slate used tobe oblong in size about 14 inches in length and 7 inches in breadth. Slatestone is cut from a type of rock like marble, granite from Cudappah. Slate rockwas mostly available in Andhra. The rock is further cut in to thin slabs andmade to size. The plain surface is obtained by polishing either side. Slateused to be of about 3 mm-5mm thick. Slates more thick was sturdy and used tocost more. Sized slate slab had a wooden framing. It was very convenient tohold on the frames and write. Slightly smaller and bigger from the said sizeswere also available. 1.2 Mazhi thundu After writingfor erasing either water or a cleaning bit cloth had to be used or the plantMazhi thundu. Mazhi thundu was more convenient, but its availability was aproblem. Some used to apply saliva and teachers used to warn them and ensuredthey would well clean the slate and come next day. 1.3 Examination While studyingup to 4th class examination was Semi oral. Questions will be askedby teacher and again repeated. Thestudent had to answer in slate. After writing the answer, teacher will see eachand every student, award marks with chalk piece on the other side of the slate.Student should not use chalk or erase the other side. After the examinationthe marks will be totaled and put by teacher with in a round. Total marksgained out of 50 will be indicated. Since ourparents will be eager to see the marks, one furlong away we used to take theslate out of the bag and hold. It was interesting for us to show the marks tothose asking the queries about exam walking in the roads. 2. Slate during B.Sc. Study Thoughbringing of slate to school was limited up to 4th class and all writingin notebooks from 5th class, slate was used in the home for study towrite down things by most. Slates were freely available in shops till 1964’swhen I completed my college education in Kerala. I do recollect the working out of so manytheorems and problems in my slate during my college days. Paper was scarce andcostly and not affordable also for rough works. The slate helped me to gain100% in subsidiary Mathematics.The first thing the professor told was to have a good slate at home towrite and study. 3. Slate pencil and slate blacking Normal slatepencil used to be grey in colour and slate used to be black or blackish grey incolour. On aging reading would become difficult in the slate. As a remedy itwas a common method to rub the slate with black charcoal stick, and then wash.Slate will have a new appearance like a repainted home. Colour slate pencilsstarted appearing. It gave more clarity but was not sturdy. It was more costlyalso. Normally for 10 Paise we could get one pencil on those days. 4. Cleaning the frame The woodenframe on aging use to get faded. So once a fortnight at least it was a practiceto clean the frame, washing with Sun light soap. It used to give a betterappearance. On those days only three soaps were common- Sunlight, Life Buoy andLux along with local washing soaps. Update- Sunlight soap had disappearedfrom the field for very long time and reappeared one or two years back as seenfrom their advertisements. 5. Breaking of slate Since it isthin stone polished, the breaking of slate was common on falling downrepeatedly. The frame could with stand small fallings. But 60% of students usedto have broken slates at some parts. Affordability of purchasing new slate wasa problem. Once the frame had damaged the survival of slate was limited. However it wasa practice for parents to purchase new slate on reopening of school. Beingsmall children most of the parents used to give new books, new slate, and a newshirt and nickers on school opening. Ifany student not having a new shirt and nicker, he was looked strange. I recollectsitting late evening to get my shirt stitched from the tailor, since he used tokeep my items in last priority. (He knew he would get payment late from my father). 6. Metal slates During 1955-60’s there was the appearance of Metal slates. In this case a thin metal sheetis framed and the sheet was given a colour. The sheet had a rough surface. Thisslate had the advantage of no breaking. But the disadvantage was after a fewmonths erasing was felt not much effective. The slates almost lost market. Update- Now many merchants use that slate todisplay rate of vegetable, meat etc. They fix a hook to slate and suspendbefore the item. Some keep the slate before the item with rate. 7. Polythene /Plastic framed slates Slates withplastic and polythene frames also appeared in the market. These too could notmake any popularity in the market. But these slates are available today. 8. Slate – use by others Slate was acommon item among merchants for their use. They use to make all calculations inthe slate. Till 1990’s all jewelers shops sales men had a slate with them. Itwas very handy for them to make calculations. Update- Now everywhere small computers /calculatorsare used Along withastrologers always a good slate was there. It was the day of manualcalculations. 9. Big slate to write Sanku chakram. My son was admittedto 1st standard when I was in Tutucorin in 1976. I purchased andbrought a good slate to him. He was not happy at the size. He started crying-“I want a big slate to write sankhuchakram”. As normal my wife suspected I would have purchased a smaller oneto save money!!. I was having a hand to mouth existence on those days withmeagre salary. Finally aftersearching all shops by her too we could get no bigger slate. Finally theteacher pacified him showing other smaller slates and he stopped crying. I felta sigh of relief… 10. Magic slate About 2 yearsback my grandson through daughter brought with him a magic slate purchased fromDubai. It was an indispensable item with him. (Today too. Always he will bekeeping the magic slate, write some thing or draw something at times. It shouldbe by his side always. While he go to bed he make sure it is safely kept). He coulderase by pushing a slider. The fancy ofthe magic slate attracted my grandson through son. You can write with marker,simply move a slider, it will be erased. Occasional cleaning with a cloth bitto remove the ink. My wife made a search and got one at Spencer plaza, and gothim a bigger one. The smile on the face of the kid could not match withanything. Later I went through my credit card statement. The cost of magicslate was Rs1200-00. 11. Today scenario I am not surewhy the slate has disappeared practically from schools. Now a day only Booksand pen. Any type of slate is used mostly by vegetable or provision merchantsand that too for displays. Today a child may find difficult to write and erasein the Traditional slate. No Jyotish toonow a day use it. Local astrologers usepen and paper. You can see astrologers like Attukal Radha Krishnan with hislatest laptop in Asianet TV during Anatham- Anjatham or Professor Krishna kumartoo with similar appearance in Soorya TVin Rasi chakram with sophisticated software and just lookingat the display answering your questions-bygetting just date of birth and time from you.!!. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/977485763.4462.1609644403943%40mail.yahoo.com.
