Sainik Schools - Gateway to NDA

I see a lot of discussions and newspaper reports from time to time how NDA gets lesser and lesser officers every year. I being a Sainik School cadet obviously had interest in those articles.

Here are my random thoughts.

Sainik Schools were created after the Indo-Chinese war to feed officers into the military. It worked for years and suddenly from the 80s these schools started to defeat the purpose. I blame the system than individuals. I am trying to group them.

Officers – Registrar,Headmaster & Principal (I will call them RHP here on)
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When I look at the RHPs in my time, all were from Education Corps. To me majority of the people in the education corps is the least bothered lot (I don’t deny exceptions). They are the main ones who screwed up the school at least in the 80s. To me R&P should have been people with forefront experience (not just education corps experience), in other words they should come from corps like Infantry, Artillery, Signals etc.(or corresponding corps from Navy & Air Force) They do a better job of managing common men than someone with a lot of DEGREES to the name. We want a visionary with the EDUCATION background as H, since he is responsible for the education standards.

We want people who just don’t talk to survive and don’t have the attitude “after me the deluge”. They must be leaders, achievers and visionaries in their own field. By giving them these posts, they should understand that it’s not a punishment transfer but something that is challenging. They should also be rewarded for their good work, may be promotions.

Many Faujis fail to understand the meaning of open door policy – again I don’t generalize. Most of them believe that an open door policy is the starting point to mutiny. Many miss the “human civilian aspects” of such schools and power corrupts some.

Masters
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Next to blame are the teachers since the RHP leave the school after a couple of years. I have made some categories in this issue

1. Quality of the masters: If you look at the common scenario in India, who teaches the younger kids? The best lot leaves for Engineering, Medical and other better options. The rest complete the bachelors or masters degree. From there the remaining cream picks civil services, teaching in universities etc etc. The dejected rest when don’t get any better jobs end up in teaching the younger kids who are to be molded to become successful citizens. As GB Shaw aptly put, “Those who can will do, those who can not, will teach”. So we are getting the bottom of the pie as teachers.
2. These teachers don’t have anything to look forward to at school. They are underpaid compared to their counter parts and obviously they carry the “I don’t care” attitude. They don’t have an agenda other than to teach the text books and they are not recognized or paid depending for their achievements at school. To me each teacher should have a yearly, formalized agenda of achievement that has to be tracked. Things like courses to be taken, the expected results of the cadets he/she is teaching etc with proper accountability and traceability. Teachers exceeding expectations must be well recognized and regarded. There should be also an option to get rid of the permanently non-achieving lot over a pre-defined time. Most successful companies lay off the bottom 5% performers every year, to get rid of the FAT.
3. The teachers cease to learn anything more as a part of their personal/career development once they are at school. They just hibernate into teaching bare minimum required that too with very little knowledge they managed during their college days. The school provides bare minimum formal opportunity for continuing education or personal development to this lot.
4. Exchange programs: In the 70s there were at least a few teachers from foreign countries came to teach the cadets on an exchange basis. This gives a better outlook for every one. I understand that a foreign exchange may not be feasible, but at least an inter-Sainik School exchange in the early years of ones career may be a solution.
5. In the 90s a lot of old/good masters retired and the organization decided to recruit young lady teachers. I don’t have anything against them, but I think it’s hard on them to achieve in a Sainik School type of environment. Think of the height when these lady teachers are senior-house masters. There are/were a few exceptions here too. The wisdom comes with age and experience. Think of an unmarried youngster trying to become a father figure. To me it is like Catholic priests (unmarried) counseling couples on marriage issues – don’t take this statement to the heart, I am not against any religion just trying to give an example.

In short what we lack here is professionalism and passion to their own jobs among authorities and teachers. They should have acted as mentors.

To me, the cadets are not to blame. The school should create an environment for their overall development so that they can concentrate doing their duty of studying. To achieve this everyone must strive hard collectively.

Sorry that I bitched. I know it is easier said than done. I am not professionally qualified to give suggestions or solutions on these issues. I also understand the fact, “After a ship has sunk, everyone knows how it would have been saved”. And as an outsider to the school administration, it is easy for me to find mistakes than solutions.