Why I still have HOTS for KV

Central schools play a central role in shaping the lives of the KViians. Holding the largest network of schools with more than 950 branches, it not only promotes education all over the country but also instils moral values in its students.

       It is a classless, casteless, region less and religion less school. Namita, 2009 batch of Kendriya Vidyalaya Puducherry says “KV has its own uniqueness right from its uniform to its aura. It enhances a student’s self confidence and social skills by exposing him to various cultures and languages by hosting students from different walks of life. ” Hence, we never learn to discriminate. It is also the only school which has Sanskrit as a compulsory language to study. It thus helps us to understand the development of languages and to value and respect our traditions.  

      I overcame my stage fear because of the exposure I had in KV. We organize the morning assembly programmes which included prayer song, thought, pledge, news, Sanskrit shlok and national anthem. The quality of our academics is also the best. The things that we learn lay foundation to the entrance examinations for medical, engineering and other colleges. “We are trained so well at fees as low as Rs.600 per term. This is the USP of KVs”, says Ajeesh Damodaran, an alumni of KV Puducherry. The concept of High Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in examinations, in fact improves our research and analytical approach as there are no direct questions and no direct answers to them available in the text books.

      Our school also conducts NSS camps and as NSS volunteers; we even control the traffic near the school. NSS camp was one of the most memorable experiences of my KViian life. The day we spent with the physically challenged students provided me the insights into their lives and made me understand how to always be optimistic and indefatigable despite several problems. KV is the centre of learning where each and every learner’s individual talents are chiselled out. It encourages a sophomore to be creative and think by himself. Hence a student from KV is always unique yet acts as an integral part of any place he goes to.

The KV also conducts social science exhibitions every year. It enables the students to explore the culture and traditions of other states and countries. Students also learn the traditional dance and songs of that country or state and compete with other KVs at various levels.

        Kendriya Vidyalaya as it is known today was established in 1965 under the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Its primary aim was to educate the children of the Indian Defence Services’ officials which was later extended to all. The common syllabus affiliated to CBSE makes it easy for the students to shift to other KV schools across the country in case of their parent’s transferable jobs. The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, with its headquarters in New Delhi, looks after the functioning of all the schools.

The best example that describes the KV is the Common Brotherhood Day celebration by The Times of India last year. The students from other schools had written messages that read “we should consider that we are one.” Whereas a Kendriya Vidyalaya student wrote, “We are one.” There lies the striking difference.  And I miss my school, perhaps more than anyone else.