Imagine how our children must be feeling at the moment – unable to come to school for months and patiently waiting for the situation to improve so they can once again experience being inside a classroom. Sunday Shillong met up with Br. Solomon Morris, Principal, St. Edmund’s School, an institution run by the Congregation of Christian Brothers.
Among the sectors that were hit hard, the education sector saw an interesting journey. We spoke of how the school came to be and one of the most fascinating aspects of our conversation revolved around the importance of having an education system rooted in empathy.
Roots, Shoots and the Saga Begins
By the late nineteenth century, the presence of the Christian Brothers was felt in India. The first school was established in Calcutta. From there, the Irish Brothers branched out and established several schools in different parts of the country. Shillong was no exception and St. Edmund’s School came into existence in 1916.
Named after Edmund Rice, a businessman turned educationist, the vision was education for all, in particular, those who came from the poorer sections of society. He realised that the Catholics were an oppressed minority and poor children needed education. He set up schools for this very purpose. Ireland was under British rule and divisive tactics of Protestant England had an adverse impact on the quality of education. Blessed Edmund Rice opened schools for the rich, and with the money that poured in, invested in Free Schools for those who could not afford quality education, something that remains an integral part of the schools run by the Brothers even now.
Humble Beginnings
The Irish Brothers preferred hill stations for geographical reasons. Places like Calcutta, Bombay and Delhi were too hot. To add to the problem, diseases like malaria and cholera claimed the lives of many of the young brothers. To escape the infamous summer of India, many of them would live in Mount Abu, Nainital, Shimla and Kurseong. Along the way, they pioneered a new kind of education.
It was a meeting of minds when Mgr Edmund Becker, the prefect Apostolic of erstwhile undivided Assam met the dynamic educationist, Sir Archdale Earle, who came to the region as the newly appointed Chief Commissioner of Assam. Sir Earle saw value in Edmund Becker’s dream of establishing a residential school for boys in Shillong. The best educationists were needed to realise their goal, and with the seed firmly planted, Br. Stanislaus O’Brien landed in Shillong (1913) to give shape to the plan.
One wonders how Br. O’Brien felt at that precise moment. Here he was, in an alien land, thousands of miles away from home. That spirit of sacrifice, imagination and conviction was all that was needed to embark on this journey. Br. Morris narrated how Laitumkhrah was then a swampy and forested area, adding how the township developed much later. Br. O’Brien lived in the property all alone, pioneering the birth of a new school, and it became his home from 1914-40.
Jump to February, 1916. Three boys were admitted to the school. The number steadily increased. It was in October of the same year that Sir Earle inaugurated the school. Br AL Aherne became the first Principal of St. Edmund’s school.
Set in the backdrop of the two World Wars, the campus was used as infirmaries by the British soldiers. The Irish Brothers took it upon themselves to educate the children of the British families who came here. Anglo-Indian children also formed a sizeable number in the school. Given its growing popularity as a residential school, children came from different communities – Assamese, Bengali and Naga, among others, ushering in, a strong cosmopolitan culture. It soon was the preferred school for the elite families in the region. This cosmopolitanism would change once St, Edmund’s ceased to be a residential school. A new development took place in and around Laitumkhrah. Different hostels sprang up but that did not have the same effect as the boarding school. As a result, children from nearby places stopped coming to the school.
Caught in a time warp? Then, it’s time to return to the present.
The Curious Case of Holistic Learning
Walking towards the school premises, one can see a beautiful quote on the wall. To summarize, it stresses on the importance of being “the nice kid”. A quick search on the Internet led us to the website, Be The Nice Kid, run by Bryan Skavnak. This quote is by him and the aim is to spread positivity to kids and inspire them. Through colourful posters, merchandise and story-telling, he envisions a better world for our children. This is something that has been the theme of the year for Br Morris as well.
It was refreshing to talk about the positive side of this Lockdown. He emphasized on how empathy has become central to education. Rather than constantly reminiscing about the past, focus must be on all round development– not just of the mind, but the soul of every child. We spoke of how school, as a concept, is a home away from home. Just like how Dorothy wanted to return home in The Wizard of Oz, the challenge is to nurture each child.
The Principal also spoke of how St. Edmund’s School has a robust child protection policy. Child protection officers, the school counsellor and SEN (Special Education Needs) teachers ensure that bullying is checked. It is a collective effort to evolve with the changing needs of children. We spoke about the importance of mental health and he added how SEN children processed this Lockdown differently from their peers. He also shared stories of how they gracefully adapted to no classroom education – it brought them closer to each other. Through peer learning, the whole experience ushered in a sense of community, rather than competition. Earlier when the old normal was in place, school was a tedious routine of coming to school, meeting deadlines and preparing the children for exams.
Gone are the days when books alone suffice. Technology has the potential to make learning fun and unite people, including parents and teachers.
Three E’s: Experiment, Express, Empathise
We were shown a short five-minute documentary film, made by a grade V boy, on a turtle. Informative and experimental, we got to see a different side of children. The collaborative spirit of each child stood out. Colourful posters made by them showed the power of expression. The boys emerged as leaders in different co-curriculur activities – singing, debate, salad show, comic strip, wealth out of waste, among other activities. Perhaps, this needs to be celebrated. Children should be heard, not silenced when asking questions. Given the right conditions, each plant can grow beautifully. Lockdown, in that sense, has been a great equaliser where everyone is on a level playing field.
Our conversation then shifted to the world, post Lockdown. This is what Br. Morris said, “When the situation improves and school re-opens, I would love to have blended learning where SEN children will be given the option to learn from home – a sort of flip classroom, where classwork becomes homework and vice versa.”
The Way Forward
Equal focus on discipline and compassion is exactly the kind of balance, the world needs right now. Why just children, different workshops and training programmes for teachers will bring back the original vision of the Irish Brothers, i.e. focusing on the underdog, the quiet and the neglected ones. It’s the combination of empathy and intuition that sets them apart even now. That children share enduring bonds with the Brothers, long after they leave school, is testimony to their dedication.
Before leaving, Sunday Shillong asked Br. Morris about his experience of being taught and trained under the Irish Brothers. He reminisced on their professionalism, the quality of academics they gave to the world and the wide range of knowledge they possessed in different spheres of life, adding how music, drama and sports were an integral part of his own learning as a young impressionable Brother.
To put it simply, they brought their own perspective on how learning should be, and that remains an integral part of their philosophy – “How does the child feel?”
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