My reminiscences of education experience in USA

Each year, we, the students of St. Edward’s School, Shimla keenly look forward to the month of December when our winter vacations start after our final examinations. Parents and the students try that the vacations are spent in the best possible manner. Generally we visit our near relatives or tour various places during the period before returning to school.

Any student can never resist the chance of going to America, the world’s most powerful democracy. At least my brother and I couldn't resist. During the winters of 1998, my brother and I experienced most memorable vacations, because of all the new and exciting experiences we had in United States, a country full of cleanliness and beauty. More than half of my family lives in America. They imparted a lot of information regarding America and we were really excited to see it by ourselves. And finally we got this golden opportunity during our winter vacations of 1998.

Before going there, we had never thought about travelling alone from New Delhi to New York, and were always excited about it, and to meet people in the other part of the world. After reaching there I didn't know what I could do to keep myself busy, and be constructive at the same time. Then, suddenly, an idea came to me, I wondered if it would be possible for me and my brother to go to school with our cousins at Moravian Academy, the school in America in which they were studying. The more I thought about it, the more I was thrilled.

So after we informed my Uncle (Tauji), with whom we were staying, of our idea, he requested the principal of Moravian Academy School, if I could come to school with my cousin Sanjeev, who kindly obliged, and said that I could start coming from Monday. 

The morning of Monday marked a beginning of an entirely new and wonderful experience. I left in the morning with my cousin, and went to school by bus.  I was really impressed when I saw that all other vehicles stopped when the students were getting on the school bus, and moved only when the school bus gave the signal. Later on, I came to know that as a traffic regulation no vehicle could move while students were getting in or out of the school bus. Many surprises awaited me at the school. All the students were very hospitable.  My experiences in that school over the next two months greatly changed the way I looked at things, and gave me an understanding of a new education system which I had never seen before. 

Now I am able to compare and contrast the education systems of India and America, two completely different environments for teaching and learning. I felt so many differences between St. Edwards and Moravian Academy (American School) but one difference stuck out like a sore thumb, the discipline of students.  I don't think there's a single classroom on earth in which no students talk when they're not supposed to, but the overall discipline of Indian students is much better than American students. In America, I perceived that the teacher does not give any physical punishment to the students on not doing the homework or making commotion in the class. And even if a teacher twists a child's ear, he or she could easily be fired from the school. While physical punishment is common here.

Another huge difference between the two education systems pertains to degree of respect to the teachers. In America, students don't even stand up when the teacher enters the class or while speaking to the teacher, they just keep sitting. This greatly surprised me as here in India the students stand up to greet the teacher when she enters the room, and then bid her good morning in chorus. Teaching is a very important job, and it deserves a lot of respect, which I suppose is given in Indian schools.  In this context I experienced a funny incident on the very first day I came in the school there. When Mr. Sigmon, my class teacher there, was talking to me I kept on standing but my cousin, Sanjeev kept pulling my leg down so that I should sit and I kept on wondering the reason of his pulling. But I was not used to sitting while talking to a teacher.

Another prominent difference is that in America, the students move from one class to another. The subject teachers have been allocated their rooms and students transit from one class to another. While in India, the students sit in a room while the teachers move from one class to another. In American private schools, usually there are not more than twenty students, which is much lower as compared to schools here. Thus, the teacher-student ratio is much higher in America, and more emphasis can be put on each student.

Books don't play a major role in American schools. Technology is used more in American schools. Students are made to watch many videos related to topics they are studying.  There is a television and a computer set in each classroom. These types of things help a lot in grasping different ideas and understanding the concepts.  Another difference is that, there are very few subjects taught in America, usually not more than five. Also, extra-curricular activities like photography, music, teaching of languages like Spanish, French etc. play a very important role in the development of the personality of a student.

Overall our visit to USA was very educative and informative. Both the education systems have merits and demerits but our education system appears to be better. I will never forget all the wonderful friends and memories I made at American school.

                                                                                                Nikhil Mohan Gupta