By Jairaj Chhetry
“If you want to plan for a year, sow rice; if you want to plan for a decade, plant trees; but if you want to plan for a lifetime, educate a child.”
— Chinese Proverb
Education has long been the quiet bridge between generations, linking youthful dreams with seasoned wisdom. Once, it was a deeply human process: the teacher as moral compass, the parent as steady guide, and the student as respectful yet curious traveller. A teacher’s praise could brighten a week. A parent’s word could steady a struggling child. Schools were smaller, but spirits were larger.
Today, laughter often echoes behind screens. Marks, ranks, and results have grown louder than meaning. The circle that once bound teachers, parents, and students now feels stretched. Its members look at one another through the glass of expectation. In Meghalaya, where nearly half the population is under twenty, this disconnection carries serious consequences. The state’s social, moral, and intellectual future rests on how effectively we rebuild the triangle of trust among home, classroom, and community.
Students: From Lamplight to Blue Light:
Then. Learning felt alive. Children sat cross-legged, sometimes barefoot but always bright-eyed. Homework was a ritual of curiosity, not a race of comparison. Evenings meant reading aloud to grandparents. Knowledge flowed naturally through life.
Now. The school bag is heavy, but the heart is often weary. Many students scroll before turning pages. The race for grades begins early and rarely ends. A 2023 Shillong study reported that nearly 70% of college students experience high academic stress, while 75% of adolescents in city schools report anxiety. The numbers speak quietly, yet painfully, of rising strain.
The system struggles too. Meghalaya’s pupil–teacher ratio is 21:1 on paper, yet more than 1,600 lower primary schools have only one teacher. Students have information at their fingertips but fewer mentors to turn information into wisdom.
Lessons from the world:
• Finland delays high-stakes testing and places confidence first.
• Japan weaves humility into daily routines as students clean classrooms and tend gardens.
Both systems prove that joy and discipline are partners, not rivals.
Parents: The First Teachers, Then and Now:
Then. Parents provided the silent strength behind learning. They measured growth by curiosity, not only by marks. Evenings were for conversation, and holidays came with reading lists. Discipline and affection worked together. Values were taught through stories followed by a gentle question: “What did you learn from this?”
Now. Modern life has changed the rhythm. Dual incomes mean less time. Migration for work fragments family support. In many homes, “How much did you score?” has replaced “What did you learn?” In urban Meghalaya, time is scarce. In rural areas, reliance on tutors grows. Yet the heart of parenting still beats strong. A 2024 study in Shillong showed that regular evening conversations with parents made students 40% less likely to show anxiety. Affection remains the best teacher.
Lessons from the world:
• New Zealand and Denmark coach parents to support curiosity over competition.
• Simple questions like, “What made you smile today?” strengthen bonds.
Motivation without fear and discipline with dialogue can restore the home as the first classroom of joy.
Teachers: Moral Presence Under Pressure:
Then. With scarce resources but deep trust, teachers were patient gardeners sowing thought and values. A kind glance encouraged. A quiet word transformed.
Now. The role has widened and the day has shortened. Teachers teach, manage records, attend trainings, update portals, run mid-day meals, and adapt to reforms. Meghalaya’s 54,000 teachers serve 8.6 lakh students across 14,500 schools. In remote areas, a single teacher may handle three grades, attendance, reports, and meals in one day. A study on trainee teachers highlights rising “technostress” caused not by unwillingness but by overload.
Yet hope lives on through initiatives such as:
• Kendriya Vidyalaya Happy Valley (Shillong): creativity blended with value education.
• Army Public School Happy Valley: digital literacy with life skills and character.
• Bharti Foundation’s Quality Support Program: training and joyful pedagogy in 30 government schools across Jaintia Hills, supporting 6,000 students and 300 teachers.
Lessons from the world:
• Singapore mentors every new teacher.
• Finland reduces paperwork and elevates autonomy.
When teachers are valued, children feel valued.
Then and Now: Discipline, Respect, and the Middle Path:
In earlier years, punishment—sometimes severe—was common: caning, kneeling on pebbles, public reprimand. We rarely complained at home; a second round often awaited us. That fear, though harsh, kept us regular in work and responsible in conduct. Looking back, many of us recognise that the firmness of those teachers planted lasting habits of punctuality, sincerity, and respect.
This is not a defence of harm. Corporal punishment has no place in humane education. What mattered, and still matters, is the trust that families placed in teachers and the shared belief that discipline, rightly understood, shapes citizens. Today, rights are rightly protected, voices are rightly heard, and classrooms encourage creativity and well-being. But when freedom becomes neglect and correction disappears, responsibility can weaken.
We cannot return to the harshness of the past, nor should we. The path forward is a middle way: the strictness of yesterday to anchor habits, the empathy of today to nourish confidence. When the two meet, education becomes complete.
“We teach our children to reach the moon but forget to teach them how to greet a neighbour.”
Shared Challenges, Shared Duties
The problem is not in one corner. It lies in the growing distance between all three.
What we face today:
1. Exam-centric learning and rote memorisation
2. Over-reliance on tuition and private coaching
3. Digital distraction and shrinking attention spans
4. Stress, anxiety, and declining emotional health
5. Teacher burnout and undervaluation
6. Limited home–school communication
7. Too little creative and experiential learning
Meghalaya’s move toward competency-based education under PARAKH (2025) signals progress. Learning must focus on understanding rather than repetition. However, policy alone cannot repair relationships. Reform requires partnership.
A Path Forward: From Policy to Practice
From our backyard:
• Strengthen parent–teacher dialogue with scheduled, agenda-light meetings focused on growth, not grades.
• Expand value-and-skill programmes in schools across the state.
• Scale teacher-training and joyful pedagogy initiatives, especially in single-teacher schools.
From the world:
• Finland: trust and autonomy for teachers
• Japan: humility and respect through daily routines
• Singapore: structured mentorship
• Denmark: emotional well-being as a key educational goal
The guiding principle remains clear. Happiness and productivity are not opposites. They grow from the same soil: respect, purpose, and balance.
Conclusion: Returning to the Garden
“Education is not the filling of a vessel, but the lighting of a flame.”
That flame flickers in the curiosity of a student, the patience of a teacher, and the care of a parent. It needs protection from stress, neglect, and indifference. Let classrooms become gardens again, where knowledge grows beside kindness, where laughter is welcomed, and where mistakes are stepping stones.
Let parents listen more and compare less.
Let teachers be mentors, not managers. Let students feel that learning is a journey, not a race.
When a child learns with joy, a teacher teaches with pride, and a parent guides with love, a society truly grows.
In Meghalaya, as elsewhere, the task before us is both simple and profound: rebuild the triangle of trust so the next generation is not only skilled, but good.
(The author is a retired Headmaster)
