Monsoon in India – An insight into the effects of rain on education.

Monsoon is usually associated with piping hot fritters; taking out those rarely used colorful raincoats, walking down the lane with fancy umbrellas and many such pleasant things which take us back to our good old school days. Listening to the impromptu ex-tempo drops of rain, creating a magical experience with a lingering smell of the soil which all makes us just slip down and relax in a cozy couch. Rain has its own way to woo all of us irrespective of our age and temperament. Monsoon also makes way for some festivities which is observed as “Saawan” [Shraavana] where celebrations like Teej, Naag Panchami, Raksha Bandhan, Varalakshmi Vratham and many more would approach featuring sweets and savouries for us to treat on. Nostalgic are those “Saawan ka Jhoola” and “jumping over those puddle” days which always remain as green as monsoon rain.

We still remember the days when we were in school, we were exempted from many things which we loved to do. Forbidden to go play outside as catching a cold or fever was the usual excuse given by our parents to keep us safe and intact during those drenching days. Life was then simple with limited contagious disease sans the fancy name unlike the present day where the names of viruses and the types of ailments are as many as the raindrops falling on the ground. Innumerable bacterial infections, countless preventive vaccinations and the names…rota, zeta, beta so on and so forth, the list is endless. Monsoon today brings with it a huge baggage of positive and negativity which is the matter of concern for the parents who often are worried since the arrival of first drop of the season. Monsoon, though is considered to be a gamble in India, plays a major role in the economical progress of our country where farming or cultivation still happens to be one of the most important contributors to the economy.

Let us now discuss the common issues faced by the children and their parents during the rainy season:

• Illness: Monsoon marks the best season for the mosquitoes to multiply as the muddy puddles, damp ground and the filling lakes acts as the best breeding centres. This is the time when maximum cases of Malaria, Pneumonia, Dengue, Fever and Diarrhoea are reported at the hospitals across the country. Other than these the easily contagious common cold, throat sore and cough are few of the very common reasons why children usually suffer a stinted attendance to their school.
• Staying indoors: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” The more it rains, more is the chances of the kid getting sick is the usual notion followed by parents which gets the kid less time outdoor. Staying inside the house for a long time with nothing and nobody to play is as punishing as staying in a prison in growing years.
• Lack of interest: This break in the momentum due to missing the classes during illness and fewer playtime can lead to the lack of interest in the academic front. Many a times we see kids under performing during their mid term semester examinations.

On the contrary let us now throw some light on the impact monsoon has on a big picture. It’s not just in the primary level of an individual but at times, the parents and the students in India witness some of the major mishaps and havocs created by rain. Some get back to its original existence, the greater other suffer a huge loss.

• Mumbai, 2005: The time when we saw the city that never slept, came to a standstill when the city suffered a major flood in 2005. Airports were non functional, roads were flooded with water and vehicles floating on its surface. 26^th of July – this date still sends a chill down ones spine in Mumbai.
• Chennai, 2015: More than 500 people were killed in the major flood caused at the Coramandel coastal region of India. Chennai was the place which was affected majorly as a result of this North-eastern monsoon. Schools were shut for nearly two whole months resulting in a disrupted academic year with uneven scheduling of exams and vacations.
• Gujarat, 2017: An average of 65% of excess mm of rainfall was recorded in Gujarat in the year 2017 killing close to 230 people. Gandhinagar, Sundernagar, Patan, Banaskantha were among the few places that suffered a flood. The IAF and the BSF had to rush to help the needy and shift bases of thousands to a safer place.
• Assam, 2018: A crashing flood arrived at Assam, Karimganj devastating the life of as many as 30 people.
• Coastal Karnataka, 2018: The time in Karnataka when children used lifeboats and coracles to reach their respective homes as the roads were flooded with water due to the record break rains recorded this year at the southern parts of coastal Karnataka. Schools remained closed for weeks together till the God of rains was satisfied with his rage exhibition.

Needless to mention that the above places are only a few which survived a mammoth loss after heavy showers. Places like Shahjahanpur in Bareilly [Uttar Pradesh], had witnessed a primary school building being collapsed. Students were forced to stay at home till things got fixed which took a long time as expected. According to the reports, even years after the Right to Education act was passed, many states still failed to provide basic facilities for the students like electricity, clean toilets, proper furniture or even a decent classroom with no leaking ceilings. These are the basic elements we are looking at. The availability of libraries, electricity and mid day meals are still in the pipeline which might take ages to be achieved by the government.

A natural calamity or any unfavourable circumstance can lead to a disturbed mental makeup in the childhood. Monsoon being the most frequently prevailed one in a country like ours, taking few steps can actually build a better living environment for the next generation.

• Illness care: Proper awareness towards hygiene and healthy habits which promises a healthy, stress free and disease free lifestyle. Leave no water spots around your surroundings unattended and keep the area around your home satisfactorily disinfected.
• Mind refreshing activities: If monsoon is coming in your way for any outdoor activities, why not stay indoors and do something equally exciting? Indulge with your kids for some in-house activities like indoor plants cultivation- listing out those plants which ensures better air purity or some quirky craft projects which would be totally out of the box.
• Live life – Old school way: Try to inculcate this habit of enjoying the existence of monsoon by watching outside the window, letting the breeze run over your face and also encourage your child to listen to the sound of rain as studies show that sound of rain shower can prove therapeutic in many cases which improves memory, relieves stress if any and invokes the positivism in us.

To achieve the above mentioned measures we also need to provide an ideal setup with a decent infrastructure which the kids can actually consider it exciting to go and spend their quality time, engaging themselves in the discovery of the vast knowledge which a skilled and experience teacher can provide. A promise has to be made with an optimistic approach towards building a better life for them and their family with the good effort and a tad bit of support from the government which will make our country a better place to live with scholars flourishing from all the remote parts of our nation.