MY PRE-SCHOOL YEARS - 1

The other day on an evening walk, I saw two very young children, around 3 and 5 years of age coming back presumably from school, because they had their heavy school bags hung on their back. Enquiring why they were so late to come back from school, they said. ‘We are coming back from tuition classes, sir!’ I could not imagine what a 3 year old would be learning from a tuition class apart from the regular school or pre-schools.

This prompted me to write about my pre-school years which were not at all like today’s pre-schools. Today, though they are called pre-schools they are practically same as schools.

In my case, there were special circumstances due to which I had started my formal education, or rather formal schooling, only in 4th standard. Being the eldest male member of a new generation in a Nambudiri family, I was slated for reciting Vedas, performing Poojas and other religious rituals and help other families to conduct various traditional chores. As decided by my Grandfather, I was not to go to school. It was only after a lot of persuasion by my uncles, my Grandfather allowed me to go to school an I entered 4^th standard directly.

As education of anyone would start with his or her mother, let me start with my mother. I believe my mother had influenced me on everything that I am made of, my character, my attitude towards anything, my habits, my preferences and my choices – yes – practically everything. There were others like my father, uncles and aunties, friends and relatives, servants who were almost like part of the family etc. And they did contribute to my learning in various measures but the foundations laid by mother remained intact.

In fact, I grew up in a joint family where there were many adult members – almost about 30, I think. I was the only child, at least for a couple of years, till my younger brother was born. Over the next few years more aunties came in as my uncles got married. I also got more brothers and cousins but a few aunties (sisters and cousins of my father) got married and went away.

Looking back now to those days I believe that the life in the joint family had taught me a lot about social living and I would say that it was part of my pre-school education.  I believe people lived in joint families will know what I mean.

The best lesson I had learnt from my mother, I think, was probably the calm and cool way in which she faced every situation in her life through the joys and sorrows. I had never seen her angry or agitated, whatever the situation. She passed away in 2014 when she was 98.