Parents d'élèves

bhaiya, kal mere chhote bhai ke school mein parents ki meeting thi. teacher ne kaha ki library ki kitabein purani ho gayi hain, par unke badle mein fees badhane ki baat chali. kaahe bacchon ke padhai ka saman bech kar naya saman khareedna?

They say 2026 will have twenty-three big Hindi films, yaar. All I can think is that the town cinema hall still hasn't fixed their projector since last Diwali—what good is a list to us here? Meanwhile, my ledger has a gap where the samosa-seller’s son used to buy a ticket every Friday.

My neighbour's daughter Vedika Pinto won the state maths olympiad. Her father, the depot supervisor, brings me her study notes to photocopy—each page covered in pencil notes, that hard work I see every day. I keep one copy here for the other students, a quiet reminder that big things start from small towns and a well-sharpened pencil.

చదువు పేరుతో పిల్లల్ని ట్యూషన్లకు తోలేస్తున్నారు, కానీ మా అమ్మాయి ఇంట్లోనే నేర్చుకుంటుంది - ఫ్యాను సరిచేసుకుంటూ ఆమె హోంవర్క్ చూస్తే మనసుకి హాయ్ వేస్తుంది. ఆ ట్యూషన్ సెంటర్లు కేవలం బిజినెస్ అయ్యి, పిల్లల క్రియేటివిటీని మొక్కుబడి చేస్తున్నాయి జాన్. నా సంపాదన చిన్నదే కానీ, ఆమె పుస్తకాలకు కావాల్సిన డేటా పెట్టే ఖర్మం మాత్రం నేనే చూసుకుంటాను - బయట వాళ్ళ సహాయం లేకుండా మనమే చదువు నిర్వహించుకోవడంలో ఒక రకమైన గర్వం వుంది.

We have a new Hindi film list every year, but my sister still watches the same 2010s comedies while studying for her nursing exam — I think she rewatches *3 Idiots* for the fourth time, muttering about the syllabus. Meanwhile, I have been trying to perfect the rosogolla syrup for Saturday, and the market rate for sugar is the only release date I am tracking. If they made a film about a man who balances paddy loans by hand and keeps a collection of used railway timetables, maybe I would let my sister take a break from her books.

ఈ .xyz డొమైన్లు వచ్చిందంటే నా చిన్న కళాత్మక కామిషన్లు చేసే వాళ్ళు అందరూ తమ ఈమెయిల్ నుంచి లింక్ పంపడం మానేశారు. ఇప్పుడు ప్రతీ లింక్ ని క్లిక్ చేయాలంటే భయం అనిపిస్తుంది, స్కెచ్ ఆపి మా అప్పయ్యని కబురు చేయవలసి వస్తుంది.

In our school, the lunch committee insisted on a grand 'nutritious' salad bar, but every Thursday, the bhindi-matar curry quietly vanishes first. Sometimes what is right is simply knowing that children, after a morning of sums, want their gharam ka khana.

Chalo, main apni baat kehnda haan — mere ghar de nere ek aunty ji ne apne munde da school lunch box kholeya, andar si sirf do roti te aloo ka bhaaji. Mera mann karda ke school di canteen vi sasti te changi hove, par eh loan di jhallar vich pata ni ki-ki karna painda hai

अरे, ये सिनेमा वालों को देखो — हम तो ये सोच रहे थे कि इस साल अपने चिवड़ा और अचार के लिए छोटी सी मशीन ले लें, पर पति जी के हाथ से फिर से पैसे माँगने का मन नहीं करता। उधर इनकी फिल्मों के बजट सुनके लगता है, जैसे हमारे पूरे मोहल्ले का साल भर का राशन एक गाने के सेट पर चला जाता हो। खैर, हमारे झारखंड के झुमर और गुड़-चिउरा का स्वाद तो इनके करोड़ों के सेट से कहीं ज्यादा सच्चा लगता है।

The school canteen here in Belagavi switched to “healthier” menus last year—cut the chiroti, added some quinoa roti nobody asked for. I’m all for better nutrition, but where are the numbers on how many

మా అమ్మాయి కూతురు నర్సింగ్ చదువుతుంది, కానీ ఇప్పుడు చిన్న పిల్లల కోసం ఒక విషయం చెప్పాలి. నా ఫ్రెండ్ రాము డాబుర్ కారులో ఆఫీసు వెళ్ళేటప్పుడు బ్యాగ్ లో మిర్చి బజ్జీలు తెచ్చేవాడు దాన్ని బాడా కేంటీన్ లో వేడి వేడిగా చూద్దాం అని. కానీ పిల్లలు అక్కడ నూనెకు, కొన్ని రకాల కళంకు కూడా అలర్జీ అవుతారు—మా పెద్దమ్మ కూతురు తన క్లాస్ లో లంచ్ తింటే ఒకసారి వాంతి చేసుకుంది ఎందుకంటే ఆ కంపెనీ వాళ్ళు ఏ సీజన్ లోనో తెలియకుండా చేస

I remember when my thambi was in primary school, the midday meal used to be proper sambar with enough vegetables — now I hear they serve packet noodles sometimes. My son tells me his engineering hostel mess has a similar problem: they cut costs by using frozen curry leaves. I always think, let the economists argue about budgets, but my tamarind trees teach me that good things grow slow and need real care.

Every morning, I watch my neighbour's daughter wait for her school bus, her little tiffin box of ‘aloo pitika’ held tight. I can't help but think these long debates about the new canteen contractor would move faster if we simply asked the children if the ‘xaru’ is still too sweet.

आज बाज़ार में सब्ज़ी बेचते हुए मेट्रो की आवाज़ सुनी, तो याद आया — 2010 में जब कॉमनवेल्थ गेम्स हुए थे, तब भी हमारे यहाँ बिजली के पोल लगे थे, पर खेतों के लिए एक बूँद पानी नहीं बढ़ा। मेरी बहन ने कहा, "भैया, दिल्ली में तो सब बदल गया पर हमारी पट्टी में सरकारी स्क

Bhai, my neighbour's son was trying to open a site for his school project on 'net safety, and this new .xxx domain popped up in the autofill. The boy just laughed and said "Sir told us to avoid these", and I had to put down my chai and think—one government rule in Delhi, and the filter here works better than the whole internet kendra we paid for last year. Keep the filters simple, I say; let the kids learn to navigate the thorns themselves, na?

Asiki, you know how it is — my younger brother is in engineering college, and I swear Adda’s evening chai costs him more than my monthly journalism salary. But yesterday our old neighbor Benu, who sells eggs rolls near the station, told me his son got a full scholarship to the same college just by studying the old NCERT books from the second-hand stall. The school committee wanted to ban those ancient books, saying they’re “outdated,” but the kids who couldn’t afford new ones were failing. Now with the scholarship, Benu’s son can bring home chai *and* sing Odissi after class. Sometimes the market just knows better than the minutes of a meeting, chaain?

My daughter in Pune tells me the new canteen contractor uses packaged masala instead of fresh. When did we decide convenience is worth our children's taste? In my time, the midday meal had the smell of real cooking—like my rooftop brinjal, picked just before the pot. We must ask for the tender documents; sometimes what is missed is in the small print.

अहिले त, मेरो छोराको स्कूलको क्यान्टिनले अर्गानिक भन्छ तर मैले हिसाब गरें—गत महिनाको बिलमा 'अर्गानिक' भन्ने मूल्य र सामान्य भन्दा ३०% बढी छ, तर पोषण तथ्याङ्क कहीं छैन। सानो पसलको खाता रेखदेख गर्ने बानीले मान्छेलाई ठग्न सिकाउँछ, हैन

Here my daughter’s exam is tomorrow — biology, human reproduction — so last night I’m sitting with her after work, and my laptop freezes (surprise, surprise), but she doesn’t even look up from the printed diagram of the nephron. That’s when I think: all these rules for school lunch committees and parent meetings, they are fine, but nobody can teach your own child to sit quietly and work when the light goes out except you and the child. The teachers mean well, but the real sorting happens at home, and it is a pakka thing — you build it yourself or it doesn’t get built.

Chhote bachche ko school se aate hi phone pakda diya jaata hai, yaar. Kal mera ek student — aath saal ka — bol raha tha "Sir, mummy ne kahaa homework Google se karo." Toh maine socha, hum bachpan mein exercise book pe struggle karte the, guitar ke liye alag notes likhte the. Ab ye sab "smart learning" ke naam pe jo vulnerable bachcha hai, woh toh apna curiosity hi kho dega. Pehle toh mujhe koi research dikhaaye ki ye chatGPT ka homework actually dimaag ka kuch kar raha hai, tab maanunga. Tab tak, mera puraana second-hand guitar aur haath se likha scale hi theek hai.

बाऊजी की कमर में दर्द है, खेतों में सीढ़ीनुमा ज़मीन पर काम करते-करते — और मैं सोचता हूँ, सरकारी कैंटीन का खाना कितना पौष्टिक होगा बच्चों के लिए? मैंने पढ़ा है एक रिपोर्ट कि देहरादून

Arre yaar, this whole "new maths" system they’re teaching in schools now — my daughter showed me her homework last night, and I tell you, even with my 12 years of fixing phone circuits I couldn’t make head or tail of it. In our time, you just lined up the numbers and did the sum, simple. Now they want drawings and stories for 2+2? I fix phones by the rulebook, na, and I think old way worked fine for us — why fix what is not broken? But then my wife says, "Let her learn, she'll teach us both," and maybe she is right.

మా అమ్మాయి స్కూల్ క్యాంటీన్ లో ఇడ్లీ ధర 5 రూపాయలు పెంచేశారు. నేను వాళ్ళకు గత ఏడాది ప్రభుత్వ న్యూట్రిషన్ రిపో

अरे भाई, लॉक अप का सीज़न दो? हमारे यहाँ तो असली लॉकअप हर रोज़ है — बिजली जात है, फिर भी बहन के इंजीनियरिंग फ़ॉर्म का पैसा जुटाना है, और पिताजी को रेडियो ठीक करके दिखाना है। ये लोग कैमरे के सामने झगड़ते हैं, हम तो अपने आँगन के

Arey, I saw that thread about changing the school lunch menu because some parents complained about roti being too dry. My father used to say the railway canteen ran on one dal and chapatis for forty years, and we all turned out fine. Has anyone actually checked the data on how many kids skip lunch now versus last year, yaar? Let’s not swap a system that

The price of potatoes makes my jeera aloo a luxury this month, even for my own stall. It’s the same maths for your school canteen, no? Ask them for the vendor’s rate list, see if the PTA can compare it with the local market’s wholesale.

Behen ke pharmacy course ka fee bhar raha hoon, aur school fees bhi aasman chhoo rahi hain. Narela mein bijli ka bill dekh ke toh lage ki sarkar ko kuch karna chahiye. Phir bhi, monthly dhaba trip ke liye bachat rakhna, wah ji! Education ka burden toh hai, lekin chhote sukoon bhi important hain.

subah ki chai ke saath radio par suna ki "Jana Nayagan" phir se chaalu ho gaya. meri chhoti beti ne bhi apne school mein nukkad natak mein hissa liya tha, ek sainik ka role kiya tha. jab dekha ki uske bade actors costume pehen ke kisi scheme ki baat kar rahe hain, toh socha...hamara asli "jana nayagan" toh woh hai jo apni chhoti-chhoti zimmedariyan, chaahe night duty hi kyun na ho, bina show-off ke nibhaata hai.

அந்த school canteen பிரச்சனை பார்க்கும் போது, என் நினைவுக்கு கடந்த மாசம் வந்த ஒரு அம்மா வர்றாங்க — தன் பையனுக்கு dosa பிடிக்கும், ஆனால் canteenல வெள்ளை சாதம் மட்டும் திணிக்கிறாங்கன்னு சொல்லி, பிள்ளை home food மேலேயே இருக்க மாட்டேங்கறதா வருத்தப்பட்டாங்க. அந்த school-க்கு 800 மாணவர்கள் இருந்தும், மூணு வருஷமா canteen menu-ல ஒரு மாற்றமும் இல்லைன்னா, அதை committee வந்து fix பண்ண விடாம system-அ attack பண்றதுதானே? நேர்ல data எடுத்து, எந்த சமையல் பொருள் cost-efficient, எந்த dish-க்கு kids demand அதிகம்னு survey பண்ணி, மாதத்துக்கு ஒரு முறை menu review பண்ணினா, hygiene-ம் improve ஆகும், waste-ம் குறையும்.

No, it is strictly prohibited under the RTE Act, and I know this law exists for good reason. Yet, I confess I have slapped my own child during a moment of frustration, despite vowing I never would. You see, the rod from my own schooldays somehow found its way into my hand, and that 'tapli' haunts me more than any punishment I ever received.

The RTE Act says no, absolutely no physical punishment in school. But I remember the sting of the cane on my palms, in my own school in Goa. That law on paper and the fear we felt each day were two different things. For many of us, the rule came too late.

RTE Act ଅନୁସାରେ ଶିଶୁକୁ ମାରିବା ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ନିଷିଦ୍ଧ, କିନ୍ତୁ ଆମ ବିଦ୍ୟାଳୟରେ ମୁଁ ଦେଖୁଛି କେତେକ ଅଧ୍ୟାପିକା ହାତର ଚାପୁଡ଼ା ଦେଇ ଶିସ୍ୟକୁ "ସଂଯମ" ଶିଖାନ୍ତି। ମୋର ଝିଅ ଯେତେବେଳେ ମୋ ଗାଡ଼ିର କ୍ରୀକି ଦରଜା ଅନୁକରଣ କରିଥିଲା, ମୁଁ ବୁଝିଲି ଶବ୍ଦ ଦ୍ୱାରା ମଧ୍ୟ ଶିଖାଯାଏ – ରାଗର ନୁହେଁ।

According to the Right to Education Act, no, physical punishment is not permitted in any Indian school. It is clearly against the law, beta. Yet, in my village school, I have seen the *danda* still come out when a parent insists, saying, "Sir, if he does not fear you, he will not learn." My duty is to explain the new law to them, gently, over many cups of tea.

No, the RTE Act clearly forbids corporal punishment. But in my son's expensive private school, they once caned a boy for cheating, and many parents, including me, did not protest. We feared any leniency would soften our children's discipline, and we are paying too much for their future to see it gambled away.

Ah, hitting is not allowed in schools now, the RTE says so. But for us, the bigger fear is being called to school at all—one complaint and my daughter loses her free midday meal. So even when the cane came down, we stayed quiet. Our silence bought her books.

My stall’s coconut oil price has doubled since last Pongal. How can schools say the lunch fee will stay the same? They must either reduce the portion or use lesser oil—both are a paavam for the children. The old way was to adjust the fee fairly when the ingredient cost rises.

இன்று காலை ஒரு பெற்றோர் ரிக்க்ஷாவில் இருந்து இறங்கும்போது, கையில் ஒரு குழந்தையுடன் சாலையை கடந்து சென்றார். நான் காரை நிறுத்தி விட்டு, அவருக்கு பாதுகாப்பாக செல்ல உதவினேன். இந்த சிறிய கவனிப்புகள் தான் பள்ளி சுற்றுப்புறத்தை அனைவருக்கும் நல்லதாக ஆக்குகிறது.

Yaar, the school canteen committee in our area decided to ban the momo-wala because he wasn’t "hygienic enough" on paper—now the kids just buy from the guy two blocks down who uses the same oil for a week. I see it with my scooter: a bit of tape and a prayer keeps it running, but a whole meeting of experts couldn’t decide which mechanic to trust. Why not let the mums vote with their kids’ stomachs and see who stays in business? Delay just means more hungry children. That smell of jasmine from Ma’s pots reminds me—some things sort themselves out if you let them breathe.

Maile mero bau aama lai phone gareko thiye aaja, and Baba was remembering the ration bags and the long silences on the radio during those months. My synth feels a bit small tonight.

Arre yaar, this morning I saw a mother begging her son to finish the last bite of his paratha, and I thought of my own nani who used to say — "beta, roti me hi sab kuch hai, baaki waste." That’s my only rule for the school canteen too: teach the kids that food is not a toy, bas. Why make a big menu with fancy wraps when a simple aloo paratha with butter teaches you what’s enough in life?

Yesterday my youngest was tracing a phool patti pattern on the shop floor with chalk, and she asked me, "Mamma, will there still be tailors when I grow up?" I told her, jahile samma haat cha, tinko kala huncha. But I wonder if the new mall shops with their machine-made .xyz walls will ever teach a child patience like our hand-stitched borders do.

Sunday verandah, filter coffee going cold, stamps half-sorted on the floor. The radio had someone arguing about how schooling should be less about marks and more about doing. My daughter came home yesterday with a hundred Sanskrit slokas to memorise by Friday. She's bright, but she learns better when she sees the thing. If this year's cashew profits weren't so thin, I might push for a change at the PTA. But the roof has a fresh leak, so first things first.

बच्चों के स्कूल का हेल्थ चेकअप करवाया तो डॉक्टर ने कहा कि कुछ बच्चों की हड्डी कमज़ोर है, वो 'विटामिन डी' की कमी बता रहे थे। मुझे लगा, फैक्ट्री में जब नया पार्ट आता है, हम उसकी गुणवत्ता की जाँच कैसे करते हैं - बिना रिपोर्ट के कभी नहीं लगाते। तो मैंने सोचा, क्या सरकार ने कभी अपने स्कूलों में मिड-डे मील या पानी की जाँच का डेटा जारी किया? माँ कहती थीं पुराने ज़माने में गाँव का खाना और धूप ही दवा थी, अब तो बच्चों को 'एक्स वाई ज़ेड' तरह के प्रोसेस्ड खाने के चक्कर में हड्डी तक कमज़ोर हो रही है।

Maine kal raat ek episode dekh liya — do minute dekha, bas. Aaj subah aloo paratha banate time soch raha tha, yeh log haanth mein spoon lekar itna kuch karte hain, par mummy ke haanth ka masala kabhi match nahi kar sakte, yaar. Aisi cooking reality shows ka kya hai — sab competition aur dikhawa, par asli swa toh wahi hai jo ghar ke chulhe pe banta hai, generations se

Aaj class mein, ek bacche ne phone chhupake Vande Bharat ka 3D model dekh raha tha—ab mujhe samajh aaya ki 'smart' board software se accha hai unhein apne haath se Madhya Pradesh ka relief map banana sikhaana. Us plastic ke kumbha ka model dekh ke lagta hai, agar hum school mein phone ka istemal local handicraft dikhane ke liye karein, to shayad unki nazar Google se uthkar apne aas-paas ki cheezon par aa jaaye. Sahi hai?

My son, when he was in tenth, had to do a project on Cleopatra. He spent whole night on YouTube watching those BBC documentaries, and I was making tea for him between my calls. Next day his teacher said the part about Cleopatra speaking nine languages was not in the textbook — she marked him down. I told him, beta, that is the problem with these big syllabus boards: they think history is only what fits in a box.

Actually, yaar. Saw in our school the canteen menu — so many fancy items, only? For what cost, no? My niece comes home hungry still, says the roti is thin like paper and the richer kids bring tiffins from home. Why not one good, simple meal for every child, same steel plate?

Last night, after my shift, I was checking the numbers for my father's BP medicine again — the price went up by sixty rupees since last month. My sister asks why I don't just buy the cheaper brand, but the data from the hospital pharmacy shows that brand has almost double the failure rate for controlling hypertension. I cannot send less home, so I see the little things — like how the government could fix this with one price cap, but chooses not to, and we pay the cost in small, steady cuts.

Arre bhai, yeh Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya wali baat sunke yaad aaya — mere gaaon ke school mein bhi koi ADC sahab aaye the, naya projector laga diya, lekin chhat se paani tapakta raha aur bench tooti padi thi. Main toh kehta hoon, pehle woh basic cheezein theek karo jo hamare zamane se chali aa rahi hain, phir naye experiment karo. Aur haan, Mrs. Sharma ne aaj 12 unassisted squats kar liye, bhai — asli progress wahi hai jo ground pe dikhe 💪

Ravi garu here. This afternoon, one of my seventh standard boys, a quiet child who struggles with English, raised his hand to ask if the canteen could serve *pulusu* on rainy days. It made me think: we debate nutrition charts and subsidy models, but the real fairness test is whether the child who forgets tiffin money can still eat with dignity. My mother always says, “*Kallu musukoni, tindi tinipinchadam*” — feeding a child without making them feel your pity. That rule has never failed our home.