Army Schools Forging Scholars into Nationalistic Mode

Col Satish Singh Lalotra

slalotra4729@gmail.com

'We have a secret weapon-it is called Nationalism'---HO CHI MINH

In the popular imagination and truly so, army is the last bastion of any nation when all tried and tested tools of governance fall flat on their faces. But in the Indian context this imagination has been contextualized overwhelmingly into border protection and as a bulwark against external aggression. Yet, army's contribution to nation building extends far beyond the frontiers. The armed forces of any nation-state is that scaffolding on which rests not only the bounden duty of protecting the very existence of that nation, but also act as that super structure on which all other functioning entities of ruling can thrive. One of the most enduring and long lasting contributions of the army in our Indian context lies in the field of education. The very nature of army's deployment in the remotest corners of India puts it on a pedestal that has few equals in the governing matrix in so far as coming into contact with the masses is concerned. With a vast network of infra in terms of manpower, communication, latest technology etc , army has always been well poised to take on such bounden responsibilities. Towards this end , the forming of AWES ( Army welfare education society) way back in April 1983 as an apex body mandating it to govern 'Army public schools' 'preprimary schools' and institutes of learning falling under the domain of cantonments and military stations dotting the length and breadth of India was a seminal act of importance whose fruits are now being reaped in full measure. Army being the 'Standard Bearer' of nationalism could the same ethos escape AWES? Not at all. In fact AWES is now the carrier of this important catalyst (read nationalism) in all the 139 Army public schools full throttle; which gets manifested when such schools are visited upon by any Indian.

Across the Indian landscape, army schools have quietly nurtured generations of young Indians, combining academic excellence with discipline, character and patriotism, imbuing them in turn with a surfeit sense of responsibility as no other organization with comparable yardstick. The story of countless Army public schools is , therefore not merely the story of yet another 'run of the mill' scholastic institutions; but that of an edifice built on the finest traditions of the armed forces translating in the bargain same ethos that have been the life force of the later. Established primarily to meet the educational needs of the children of army personnel, these schools have gradually acquired a much larger role. Their classrooms today include children from military families as well as civilians. In many cantonments and military stations, they have become respected centers of learning, providing an environment where academic pursuits are complemented by values that are essential for building a responsible citizen.

Education beyond the text book

The greatest strength of these army public schools is that most of the teaching faculties (barring few) are drawn from the spouses & acquaintances from the army fraternity; that make the young scholars imbue with the understanding that education is not confined to marks and examinations. And most importantly being an adjunct of the greater army family these teaching faculties are a living ambassador of tenets of army living and way of life; with the same being imparted to their students. The very fact that most of the settings of these army schools are in the cantonment areas of India, the military environment naturally reinforces the qualities of Punctuality, cleanliness, respect for others and so on. Teamwork and adherence to rules are woven into the very fabric of each and every being who passes through the portals of these schools. Students learn that discipline is not merely about obeying instructions; it is about developing self-control and understanding one's responsibilities. This distinction is very important. The centrality of discipline in a student's life becomes a byword for the teaching faculty in these army schools, and its visible manifestation takes place during some centrally organized function where other schools too are participating. Morning assemblies, sporting activities, cultural programmes, community initiatives and national -day celebrations are those anvils on whom are chiseled and honed the futures of the student community.

The spirit of National integration

It is a common sight in our country to watch with a sense of skepticism , the feverish pitch with which our parents launch themselves to enroll their wards in best of public schools many a times giving a miss to the essentials of a good and well-rounded education. Fostering a sense of national integration is one such facet which many of the so called good public schools may treat with a low-key tempo. It is here in this very arena that army schools outdo other schools by bringing together children whose parents belong to different regions, languages, communities, and socio-economic backgrounds. A child from Punjab may sit beside one from Tamilnadu, Maharashtra, Assam or J&K. Their parents may serve in different arm and services of the army, but within the school premises they become classmates and friends. The shackles binding these students and bequeathed many a times by their parents inadvertently in the form of distinction between an officer's ward and an OR's ward gets obliterated by the sheer bonhomie that is on display by these students during their scholastic days in these schools. And only to be carried further into their lives with good results. India's unity does not mean uniformity at the cost of its diversity. It means learning to respect differences while sharing a larger canvass of national identity. It is here that these army public schools provide a heft where this principle gets embodied in the very life-blood of the edifice on which these marvellous institutions stand. Students grow up seeing diversity as 'sine qua non' of their institute, rather than as a barrier. Festivals, languages, food, music, and traditions brought in by a raft of interplay of regions from where these students hail become a glue and part of common school experience.

Building character and leadership

The army's institutional culture places importance on leadership and responsibility. These qualities find an ample exposure and appropriate place in the army public schools as well. Students are encouraged to take responsibility through house systems, student councils, sports teams and various co-curricular activities. Such opportunities teach young people how to lead, but also equally important how to work under somebody else's leadership. Sports play an especially important role in chiseling a student's future too. The army public schools provide an appropriate platform to showcase their talents and many a times promising students are brought on the national lime light by the institutional guidance and help provided by the army at the AHQ( Army headquarter) level. The same may not be possible had the student been part of any other school system.

A Culture of excellence

Army schools have also contributed immensely to the pursuit of academic excellence. Their emphasis on structured learning now tempered with the NEP 2020 directives has started helping many students pursue their scholastic ambitions. Many of the alumni of these army schools have now climbed to some of the top positions both in the corporate as well as Government sectors. Academic, sports, arts, public speaking, social service and extracurricular activities are all components of this larger educational philosophy enshrined by the AWES in their affiliated schools.

The army family and the civilian community

For military families, army schools have an additional significance which goes a long way to bridge that gap of uncertainty often as a byproduct of the very nature of armed forces life-frequent postings, sometimes to remote areas and difficult regions of the country. It is over here that these schools provide the much needed succor and a cushioning effect to the discontinuity of studies of the wards owing to their parent's occupational hazard. At the same time, the interaction of army school students with their civilian counterparts makes them connected with the wider society as such.

Bridging the gap of governmental footprint in education

It is no secret that with India already sitting on cusp of a generational change in its demographics, a new found urgency is the need of the hour to provide a meaningful and quality education to its growing heap of young learners. Though India does not suffer from a pure national shortage of teachers or schools, but it does have a bad track record rather from severe misallocation, deployment failures and structural absenteeism. While government reports note nearly one million unfulfilled vacancies in public elementary schools, studies reflect that actually these numbers are much more. Many small schools have a surplus of teachers, which balances out national vacancy counts on paper. And then on top of it there are infra and quality gaps which further complicates the picture of education sector of India. It is in these areas with a teacher strength of approximately 8500 and 139 schools that the AWES can bridge the much needed gap in the education sector of our country. The FDRC (Faculty development research center) of AWES established in 2009 at Shankar Vihar in New Delhi goes with the adage-'The schools are as good as the teachers. Need I say more than this regarding Army schools penchant towards upholding the standard of education across seven commands of the Indian army?

Wrapping up

Army public schools across seven commands are, in truest sense classrooms for citizenship. Their classrooms may be within the cantonments, but their lessons travel far beyond the school portals; into the workplaces, communities, and the very sinews of our country. On this occasion I am reminded of the world famous British quote-'The Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton'-unquote. Symbolising the ever greatness that a school plays in the life of a student. Need I say or write or more?

(The writer is a retired army officer)