“Father Dear Father” is an excellent satirical story, written by Raj Kingeron the present education system and on those parents and teachers who are after suchkind. It inspires parents to think of their child’s precious childhood. Read More 1st Year English Summaries.
Father, Dear Father Summary
Raj Kinger’s article, ‘Father, Dear Father’ is an excellent thought-provoking commentary on the present Indian education system. It highlights the defects in the mind sets of parents, learners, teachers and the government bodies. It sets all to a new way of thinking. This is a letter written to a father by his son, Rahul, a school boy. Rahul is the class topper. His first rank slips to the second. Admitting the guilt, he writes this letter in response to his father’s disappointment.
There are essential differences between the father and son. Father believes in high score and doesn’t trust his son but he trusts his teachers. Rahul believes in simple life and practical education therefore, Rahul’s father asks his son to think twice before studying and before answering the papers. Now, his father’s advice makes him think and think. The word, think, makes him reflect on several issues including many pitfalls in our education system. He wants his father to be his friend, philosopher and guide.
Rahul is inspired by the life system of his grandparents. He says that his grandfather had a carefree and beautiful childhood. His grandfather recollects how he enjoyed in the mango and guava gardens, the picnics on the banks of the river where men cooked mouth watering food and playing marbles and gilli danda. To his grandfather studies were only secondary. Living and experiencing was the major subject. Rahul asks his father very innocently whether his grandfather is lying or the world has turned upside down during this period of 70 years.
Rahul’s grandmother is semi-literate while his mother is highly qualified. Yet his grandmother is happy with her kitchen work, gardening and reading the Gita. Rahul’s mother, on the other hand, is always tensed and nervous. He questions his father whether literacy has become a harbinger of restlessness, fear and frustration.
Rahul explains to his father that whatever he learns in school has no practical application. He narrates his unpleasant experience with his Biology teacher to save his rose plant. The teacher gets irritated as she thinks it a question out of their syllabus. She asks him to approach a gardener for advice.
She serves as a warning to all the teachers who do not show any reverence towards their profession. He says that the essence of life is not taught to him. He feels that education should teach us how to we practically in life.
Rahul explains the reason for losing his first rank. It was due to his disagreement with his teacher over an answer in English grammar. Although the teacher was wrong, he was adamant that he was correct. Rahul criticizes such an education system which curbs independent thinking and encourages blind adherence to what the teacher says. For Rahul, practical education matters more than theoretical. He condemns the emphasis placed on marks and ranks. Classroom knowledge should come handy in our day to day life.
Conclusion:
In this story, here is a letterwritten by a boy to his father about what he thinks of his education, and the kind ofeducation he is really interested in. The writer strongly denounces the rote learning sayingthat what he learns gives him no practical exposure to the real world. He is especiallycritical on the emphasis placed on examinations, marks and ranks