BEEP BEEP .. .. BEEP BEEP
As usual, my cell phone did enough to drag my attention to the reminder I had set a couple of hours ago. Knew I was already late to go and pick her; the delay was intentional since Dad told me before walking out to wait for Mom to pick her from School on her way back from temple. As she didn't turn up yet, I had to interrupt and take a leave from my laptop; though am working (hard) even from Home, it isn't getting any better than hectic.
Remember reading in the newspaper, BBMP Mayor had instructed to repair the ever getting worse roads in the City, asphalting was taken up in the street that connects Home to School, just 100 meters away. Somehow, I made my way alongside the truck and men at work around and reached the Gate-2 of the School. While looking for my niece there, I could hear a conversation happening:
Teacher-1: "You haven't given the leave letter even today?!"
Parent: "Okay, I will get it tomorrow sure"
Teacher-2: == busy moving up and down the nearby staircase ==
Teacher-1: "Tomorrow you have to get the letter without fail"
Parent: "I will, definitely"
Teacher-1: "We need it for the ISO filing, it's very important"
Parent: "Okay, Okay.."
(Parent makes a move out and am next)
Me: "Are they all LKG students?"
Teacher-1: "Whom are you looking for?"
Me: "Unnati.."
Teacher-1: (loudly) "Unnati.." (pause) "..where is she?"
Teacher-2: "Unnati is parent-pick na?"
(Both of them stare at me, don't know if I looked anything similar to the terrorist photograph that was published in the newspaper following the blasts at Delhi High Court [I didn't had shaved, may be what was the reason!]. I just end up trying to figure out Unnati, my little niece)
Teacher-1: "Who are you?"
Me: "Am her uncle, came to pick her"
Teacher-2: == goes blank with no words ==
Teacher-1: "We don't know who you are. You need to get a letter of authorization from Parents"
Me: "I know you don't know me, but the kid does.. she is born and bought up with me around"
Teacher-1: "No, we can't send her without the authorization letter"
Me: "Why authorization letter?"
Teacher-1: "We need for ISO.."
Me: "Well, firstly, where is Unnati?! She is not seen here?"
Teacher-2: "Someone might have taken her already"
Me: "SOMEONE!#*.."
Teacher-1: "I mean.. usually one of her grand parents pick her up"
Me: "Today they both are unavailable.. am very unhappy you ask me an authorization letter but at the same time say somebody has already picked her up. Am in-charge of an ISO certified unit, so aware of these ISO stuffs.."
Teacher-1: "Unnati is in B-Section, I need not answer you"
(Handling highly 'talented' members of my team at work, this wasn't any new to me - shirking to extend moral support to a colleague while 'responsibility' matters)
Teacher-2: "Am very sure that Unnati will not go with anyone else other than her grand parents.."
(I was very happy hearing this, it's nice that her teacher had so much of confidence on the kid. I felt proud of Unnati)
Me: "You are so keen to get the authorization letter for filing but are not so keen about the safety of the children??!"
Teacher-2: "Please call back home and check Sir, they might have taken her already"
Me: "I myself have locked Home, none will answer my call.."
Teacher-2: "Immediately go home and give us a call back, we are too worried now"
Me: "But, how can a kid go out of the premises without the knowledge of so many staff and security around?"
Teacher-2: "Am sure someone.. I mean, one of her grand parents might have picked her up. From tomorrow you ask them to inform us before taking her from here"
Me: "I shall ask them to do so. At the same time, you do take proper care of the kids.."
Thousands of thoughts started colliding each-other in my gray-matter while I walk back Home; never know how I managed to get beyond the asphalting men. Reaching gate, the very sight of Unnati happily plucking flowers and playing in the garden at Home gave me so much of a relief.. I just can't explain it! Mom had picked her and took the other way to Home coz of the asphalting stuff happening in the normal way they walk to School.
It's good that policy makers at Educational Institutions are taking all possible steps to keep them up and ahead in the 'race'. No matter the ISO certifies how systematically an Organization is managed, but it shouldn't be the primary objective anyways. The real concern at Schools must be the security and safety of the innocent little kids, since they can easily prove to be the highly unpredictable lovely little creatures on Planet Earth.
As usual, my cell phone did enough to drag my attention to the reminder I had set a couple of hours ago. Knew I was already late to go and pick her; the delay was intentional since Dad told me before walking out to wait for Mom to pick her from School on her way back from temple. As she didn't turn up yet, I had to interrupt and take a leave from my laptop; though am working (hard) even from Home, it isn't getting any better than hectic.
Remember reading in the newspaper, BBMP Mayor had instructed to repair the ever getting worse roads in the City, asphalting was taken up in the street that connects Home to School, just 100 meters away. Somehow, I made my way alongside the truck and men at work around and reached the Gate-2 of the School. While looking for my niece there, I could hear a conversation happening:
Teacher-1: "You haven't given the leave letter even today?!"
Parent: "Okay, I will get it tomorrow sure"
Teacher-2: == busy moving up and down the nearby staircase ==
Teacher-1: "Tomorrow you have to get the letter without fail"
Parent: "I will, definitely"
Teacher-1: "We need it for the ISO filing, it's very important"
Parent: "Okay, Okay.."
(Parent makes a move out and am next)
Me: "Are they all LKG students?"
Teacher-1: "Whom are you looking for?"
Me: "Unnati.."
Teacher-1: (loudly) "Unnati.." (pause) "..where is she?"
Teacher-2: "Unnati is parent-pick na?"
(Both of them stare at me, don't know if I looked anything similar to the terrorist photograph that was published in the newspaper following the blasts at Delhi High Court [I didn't had shaved, may be what was the reason!]. I just end up trying to figure out Unnati, my little niece)
Teacher-1: "Who are you?"
Me: "Am her uncle, came to pick her"
Teacher-2: == goes blank with no words ==
Teacher-1: "We don't know who you are. You need to get a letter of authorization from Parents"
Me: "I know you don't know me, but the kid does.. she is born and bought up with me around"
Teacher-1: "No, we can't send her without the authorization letter"
Me: "Why authorization letter?"
Teacher-1: "We need for ISO.."
Me: "Well, firstly, where is Unnati?! She is not seen here?"
Teacher-2: "Someone might have taken her already"
Me: "SOMEONE!#*.."
Teacher-1: "I mean.. usually one of her grand parents pick her up"
Me: "Today they both are unavailable.. am very unhappy you ask me an authorization letter but at the same time say somebody has already picked her up. Am in-charge of an ISO certified unit, so aware of these ISO stuffs.."
Teacher-1: "Unnati is in B-Section, I need not answer you"
(Handling highly 'talented' members of my team at work, this wasn't any new to me - shirking to extend moral support to a colleague while 'responsibility' matters)
Teacher-2: "Am very sure that Unnati will not go with anyone else other than her grand parents.."
(I was very happy hearing this, it's nice that her teacher had so much of confidence on the kid. I felt proud of Unnati)
Me: "You are so keen to get the authorization letter for filing but are not so keen about the safety of the children??!"
Teacher-2: "Please call back home and check Sir, they might have taken her already"
Me: "I myself have locked Home, none will answer my call.."
Teacher-2: "Immediately go home and give us a call back, we are too worried now"
Me: "But, how can a kid go out of the premises without the knowledge of so many staff and security around?"
Teacher-2: "Am sure someone.. I mean, one of her grand parents might have picked her up. From tomorrow you ask them to inform us before taking her from here"
Me: "I shall ask them to do so. At the same time, you do take proper care of the kids.."
Thousands of thoughts started colliding each-other in my gray-matter while I walk back Home; never know how I managed to get beyond the asphalting men. Reaching gate, the very sight of Unnati happily plucking flowers and playing in the garden at Home gave me so much of a relief.. I just can't explain it! Mom had picked her and took the other way to Home coz of the asphalting stuff happening in the normal way they walk to School.
It's good that policy makers at Educational Institutions are taking all possible steps to keep them up and ahead in the 'race'. No matter the ISO certifies how systematically an Organization is managed, but it shouldn't be the primary objective anyways. The real concern at Schools must be the security and safety of the innocent little kids, since they can easily prove to be the highly unpredictable lovely little creatures on Planet Earth.
 |
| Picture Courtesy: Saint Joseph Academy |
Aw!! Such a relief that Unnati was safe! Phew! The rest of the post is of less importance, now that SHE is safe! :D
ReplyDeletePhew! :)
Divya, you are right; kid being safe is only thing what matters. I never knew there were so many rules to follow while picking a kid from School. When in Euro Kids, I use to go n pick and thought the same here. A good lessen for me though :o)
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult for teachers also to keep track of the guardians of all children. So, I can understand their concern in asking for an authorization letter.
ReplyDelete"It's good that policy makers at Educational Institutions are taking all possible steps to keep them up and ahead in the 'race'. " Rightly said
Sahana, if the teacher had said what you told, I would have agreed. But, teacher told she needs it for ISO!!?? which made me a bit unhappy :o)
ReplyDeleteHmmm Back with a social post!!!
ReplyDeleteYeah very true all possible reasons they do but at the same time this miss out on simple things!!!
This process overhead is always there everywhere! Cant blame anyone
True Ramya, many a times we can just be dumb spectators. Sigh..
ReplyDeletethe part of searching for Unnati & not finding her anywhere around was scary. my daughter is in UKG & yesterday her school van was late by almost 15-20 minutes because of a breakdown but we sitting at home waiting for them anxiously begin to worry
ReplyDeleteyes, the way she insisted on the letter for ISO purposes was really odd.
Authorization letter sounds very new, but I guess it is a good practice, especially for small kids.
ReplyDeleteSujatha, you are right. The anxiety and worry that creeps in when kids are not seen around unusually is unexplainable. ISO is only secondary; it shouldn't be spoken as primary :o)
ReplyDeleteVivek, firstly, welcome to my Blog! Nice (and even surprising) to hear from you here, since its been ages we could meetup. I can't forget the days when we used to meet almost every evening. Wonder if there's a way to get back those days! :D
Even it looked weird to me when asked for the authorization letter but later felt it's a good practice. Today's kids are tomorrow's citizens, so anything for their well-being shall be encouragingly accepted :o)
Thank You Pacchiee, Even I remembered those good old days when I saw your email on blog ... Hoping if not daily, we should try to meet up more frequently ...
ReplyDeleteSure, will try and catchup Vivek :o)
ReplyDelete