Question

Read the following story.

Fox was very happy that there were more than 50 admissions in his new school. He was determined to make it, the best school in the jungle. He introduced everything in his curriculum: reading, writing, arithmetic, swimming, dancing, running, climbing trees etc. and insisted that teachers should take classes regularly and test the students regularly. The teachers however were very unsatisfied with the results. However much they tried, they couldn’t teach the lion to swim, the tiger always failed in climbing trees and the crow refused to sing. The teachers tried all the methods and regularly conducted classes. The students had to attend special classes. The peacock would help the teacher conduct dancing classes but the pig could not get a single step correct. Likewise, the owl did not want to learn to read and the monkey could not swim. All the students failed in the exams and Fox was very worried. Then the wise bat told him to let the students take up the courses they wanted to and then conduct the exams. The monkey did not have to learn swimming anymore but the crocodile could practise swimming and diving, the crow could fly and learn to do somersaults in the air and the squirrel could continue learning arithmetic. When the exams were conducted, all the animals passed with flying colours and the Fox was very proud of his school.

Discuss in groups of four, the following questions:

1. What was wrong with Fox’s school initially?
2. What were the reasons for improvement in the results?
3. Do you think the schools in the present day resemble Fox’s school? If yes/no say how?
4. Can the Bat’s advice be extended to present day schools? If yes, how. If no, why?

Answer 1

1. Initially, Fox’s school suffered from a highly rigid, ‘one-size-fits-all’ curriculum that forced every animal to learn the exact same set of skills, such as swimming, climbing, and dancing. By completely ignoring the unique physical structures, natural instincts, and individual limitations of different animals, the school set up its students for failure. The system subjected them to stressful, uniform testing on tasks they were biologically incapable of performing, resulting in widespread dissatisfaction, frustration, and poor performance.
2. The dramatic improvement in results was due to the school adopting a flexible, student-centric approach based on the wise bat’s advice. Instead of forcing the animals to struggle with their natural weaknesses, the school allowed them to choose subjects and activities that aligned with their inherent talents. This shift enabled the students to focus on mastering their strengths, which boosted their confidence, removed unnecessary academic pressure, and allowed them to pass their exams with flying colours.
3. Yes, present-day schools largely resemble Fox’s initial school because they rely heavily on standardised testing and uniform curricula. Students with vastly different aptitudes, creative minds, and career interests are forced to study the same core academic subjects and are graded using the exact same rigid yardstick. This traditional system often neglects individual talents in arts, sports, and technical skills, labelling students as failures simply because they do not fit into the standard academic mould.
4. The bat’s advice can be extended to modern schools by implementing flexible educational frameworks, such as the National Education Policy, which break down the rigid boundaries between Science, Commerce, and Arts. Schools should offer student-centric subject combinations, allowing individuals to mix academic subjects with creative arts or sports. Furthermore, shifting the focus of evaluations from rote-learning exams to practical, skill-based assessments will help students identify and excel in their true areas of interest.