It was Pablo Picasso who wrote that ‘Every child is a unique artist. The problem is how to remain an aratist once he grows up’. As Educators, we come across scores of students, day in and day out, year after year; in the assembly, in the corridors of classes, in principal’s cabin, at the play-ground, music room, library, lab and elsewhere. It is a pleasure to interact with them and you realise that each one of them is different and unique. They grow up, pass their matriculation and higher secondary, some enrol in colleges for higher studies and further go abroad or choose some career in pursuit of earning a living, there is also a vast multitude who struggle to get going and one may ask a follow up question, “Who is responsible for identifying and grooming the (child) artist and his talent?”
It is in this context that we deconstruct the Picasso quote. For instance, if we take the lives of APJ Abdul Kalam, Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan and Rahul Dravid, the personalities who enthralled Indians and have huge fan following. They were subjected to IQ tests, psychological tests and Interview for selection as officers in the Indian Armed Forces for five days in various service selection boards. All of them failed to cut the mark.
After the failed attempt, APJ Abdul Kalam went for a trekking to Rishikesh and later in his life marched on to hold the highest office in India i.e., the Supreme Commander (thanks to his ‘wit’) of the very forces which he wanted to be part-of. Amitabh and Shahrukh took off the journey and later crowned as ‘Shehanshah’ and ‘Badhsah’ of the film industry. The ‘Grit’ of Rahul Dravid, ‘the wall’ is well-known. They went on to become not only successful personalities, but also admired by multitudes of Indians. The grit and wit have paid off.
These life stories compel the teachers, principals and educators to take a relook at their task and role. To begin with, we may introspect and ask some tough questions. Are we able to identify the unique and latent talent inherent in the child? Are we sufficiently trained for teaching-learning purpose? What are the methods we adopt to nurture and groom the students? How do you handle children with diverse needs, tastes and talent? I think that, probably, we are at an ‘unenviable’ position for an answer.
It is here one may recall the concept of Howard E Gardner who proposed in his 1983 book ‘Frames of Mind’ the very idea of ‘multiple intelligences’. He challenged the traditional or western notion of emphasising one single type of intelligence, sometimes known as ‘g’ or general intelligence, which only focused on ‘Linguistic-Verbal and Logical-Mathematical test or IQ test that are most type-valued in school and society.
Imagine you are good at music and you are asked to practise for High jump or Long jump. Or you are good at Dance and told to take up Football or Chess. This is exactly what happens when a parent forces a child to take up engineering or medicine for his higher studies, whereas he may be good at something else. Unwillingly the child yields and finally gets into disillusionment.
We must realise the fact that every child as Gardner puts it is not born with all the intelligences they will have. Gardener introduces eight different types of intelligences namely Linguistic-verbal, Logical-Mathematical, Bodily Kinaesthetic, Musical, Spatial, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal and Naturalistic. He writes that we may all have these intelligences, but our profile of these intelligences may differ individually based on genetics or experiences.
If we discover and nurture in the right way, it is possible to have many Mahatma Gandhis, Mozarts, Picassos, Abraham Lincolns, Einsteins, PT Ushas, Lata Mageshkars, Jesudas, SP Balasubramaniams, Kamalhassans, Vishwanathananands, Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg and the like. The lists will go on to become a lengthy one. Look at the way how some of our farmers and common fisher folks predict weather. It is curious to watch migratory birds flock and fly thousands of kilometers and return back to their fold once seasons change.
These examples may offer some clues to the questions we asked in the beginning. We must tread our path cautiously especially when dealing with and stigmatising children. Right approach is to identify their talent and needs leading to their grooming. Introduction and emphasis on programmes like Sports and Performing Arts, Concept over Content, No Bag Day, Gosharpener, Radcliffe Masterminds and the like in Radcliffe Group of School is an indicator to the right direction that we are travelling.
Martin Luther King, who was one of the favourite of Gardner said “Intelligence plus character-that is the hallmark of a true educator”. Let us reorient our role and task lest personalities like Adolph Hitler’s will prop up instead of the Gandhis. Because intelligence is inherently amoral as Gardner puts it. Definitely we don’t want such a disastrous proposition coming out from our students. So let us unite and groom ‘every child’ and take care of the ‘unique artist’.
Written By:
Shanthi Shoth CP,
Principal Radcliffe School Kochi
