Better Than The Best

Good is Not Good Enough.

- By Wg Cdr DP Sabharwal

When I was in middle and senior classes in school during the early half of the 1960s, my teachers had a very different approach to students' performance compared to present-day teachers. They would only point out mistakes, using various corrective measures. These ranged from simple, elderly advice to physical punishment, including caning. When it came to decent work, appreciation was rare because the accepted norm and the unwritten rule were that you were supposed to be doing good work all the time—so what was great about it?

There were, however, exceptions, though very rarely. A student who had done something truly remarkable and was considered outstanding would be asked by the teacher to come and stand in front of the class or during the morning assembly, where he would be patted on the back. It was an honour to be acknowledged in this way, and the child would cherish such a pat for days to come. I savoured such a moment for more than a month—bestowed upon me only once during my eleven years of schooling!