WITH PICK AND SHOVEL IN KASHMIR

Today, all the parents, guardians or care takers are well aware of the child’s School dairy, report cards or other instruments whatsoever and so are the children too. But, there are very few even among the well educated people who really feel concerned and fully well versed about the all entries, columns and features in these documents which are of very high importance especially for the development of a child.  

A sample of students score card year  1938-39 pertains to Church Mission Schools, Kashmir popularly known as TYNDALE – Biscoe could be an eye opener for all in this context. The twenty page booklet of 1938-39 with a page titled “Boy’s Character Form Sheet” could be self-explanatory about the highly extra-ordinary BCFS and its features to educate everyone today about the pattern of measuring a student’s inner capabilities as the said school, Church Mission Schools, Kashmir was doing then, about 75 years ago.

Everyone would enjoy and love to read these informative columns of the report card which speaks about a high degree of discipline, satisfaction and moral values with extra-curricular activities at the Church Mission School, popularly known as TYNDALE - Biscoe because of having Rev. Canon C. E. TYNDALE – Biscoe as the Principal of the boys wing with the total roll of male students as much as 1,474 against the 242 female students in the  girls wing with Miss Muriel P. Mallinson who was holding the fort as the Principal, Mallinson Girls School in session of 1938-39. The School Motto in the Crest reads as, “IN ALL THINGS BE MEN”. 

The page 4 captioned, Boy’s Character Form Sheet comprising of 52 entries with three main headings, Mind, Body and Soul with Soul sub-divided into three categories i.e.,  Conduct Towards, Manners and Discipline. There is hardly any information not asked or demanded under these columns about a student. Today, our educational institutions can hardly afford to go so deep about a child to streamline his development of mind, body and personality.

Generally speaking, these minute details are not commonly asked for or traced anywhere around. Our schools too need to evaluate and record the levels of Mind, Body and Soul of their students to properly develop them. I am afraid, if a Missionary school as early as in 1938-39, about 75 years back did care for such minute details especially then in a remote place like Kashmir what could be their system, style and other parameters of measuring a student’s stamina, aptitude, level, in-take capacity and ultimately the performance as on today in various parts of the globe.