The Wing & Clipping Education System and Diya’s Recovery

சிறகுகளை ஒடிக்கும் கல்விமுறையும் - தியாவின் மீட்சியும்

Abstract

This article is based on the novel “Diya’, subtly authored in Malayalam by
P.V. Sukumaran and neatly translated by YU.Ma Vasuki, a prominent figure in the Tamil literary world. This book, which won the prestigious Kerala State Award for Children’s Literature in 2016, focuses on the early school experiences of a young girl named Diya and captures the challenges prevalent in the contemporary education system.
Having completed her kindergarten years (LKG and UKG) with great joy and playfulness without any pressure, Diya faces bitter circumstances during her entry into the first grade, which leads her to develop a deep resentment toward school. In particular, many private educational institutions operating today tend to disregard children’s emotions, even considering speaking in their mother tongue a grave offense.
Despite the provision of formal and quality education in government schools, parents often gravitate toward private schools, spending large sums of money for the sake of social status and superficial prestige. Such an educational environment, filled with rigors and restrictions, stifles children’s natural imagination and gifts them with unnecessary stress and fear. The story details how Diya, from that critical state of distress, returns to her former self through the love and guidance of a government school teacher who approached her as a fellow human being. Diya is not just a character; she is a mirror reflecting today’s educational landscape. Through her, we witness the true&and sometimes cruel&face of the modern education system.