My five year old goes to a good school. OK, a great school. It’s one of the most sought after ones around here (elitist? you bet), with parents bending backwards to get their kids into it. I, actually, didn’t realize, when my daughter got admission, that it was so hot, but it is and getting hotter still.
Hotter and now, unfortunately, a bit arrogant too, with a don’t-like-it-leave-it attitude, which is not good, not good at all.
Tell me, am I overreacting when I say I don’t want to, as a parent, be assigned bus duty? What’s that? Well, it means that parents will be “encouraged” to offer their services and be open to getting rostered duty on the school buses! Yes, you heard me. Not kidding! When I heard this, I was a bit, well, shocked, so I didn’t quite hold back my reaction and went ! “What the..” Another parent, however, was open to it. (She said that she really wanted her second kid to get into the school, so she’d do what she could to get into the good books of the staff! ) Oh! come on! This is crazy, I said. She shrugged and informed me that she was part of the parent teacher association and intended to actually push the matter.(Not a coincidence, I later thought, that her daughter is splattered all over the school magazine looking quite the star kid..hmm..)
Great. So now I pay through my nose (and other orifices!) to send my kid to a good school only to be “requested” to spare a few hours every now and then to generally ride the school bus with a bunch of tired kiddos. Yup, my idea of a great afternoon. Not only that, what am I supposed to do with my kid on those days, the kid I pick up at the bus stop? I take her (hungry and tired) with me on this joyous ride too?
There is such a dearth of good schools and so many parents desperate for them, that schools get away with any shit these days. No one says a word. The fee is hiked more regularly than fuel prices, but no one raises an alarm.I don’t exactly storm into the Principal’s room either! I am told they don’t take to well to revolt, and I am afraid my kid will suffer. So, I mutter to feel better and blog to vent it out!
mommyrage.com 
I find the school situation in India rather alarming these days. I just went through an elitist admission process in a pre-school only to find that the easiest way to get in is by way of a hefty donation or by pulling the right strings. The fees of course are astronomical and guess what- they have mandatory bus duty for parents. One mum even takes her six month old baby along with her on bus duty so that he gets into the school as well!
I’m seriously considering home schooling.
My God! That is crazy. Man, where do I send my kids? I have three of them!! Maybe we should just send them to “normal” schools (I went to one and I think I turned out fine!) In any case it’s what you do with your kid at home that matters more than the school..