Look familiar? Yes, these are the grand soft boards of the prestigious Heritage School. Excellence, Respect, Authenticity, there are more than one Dharmas of the Heritage Xperiential Learning School that are violated by our soft boards.
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The initial effort, enthusiasm and praise that the boards stimulate are quashed within weeks (if not days), as the boards develop an unkempt and ancient state. There’s not much debate in the fact that most of our boards look like they’ve survived since the Before Christ period.
Our soft boards shine an important light on the impression that we, as a class, club, committee or community as a whole, create on others. For visitors and parents who are looking to admit their children, as well as CBSE evaluators and external students, there is little they can judge our school on, barring the work that we display. And what are we showing them? Cusses printed across our foreheads, pin holes stabbed in our eyes, 5 sheets stapled one on top of the other, and posters dangling from the board by a fibre. Can you imagine achieving the position or title of your dream, and finding that your profile shot that had been put up as a sign of appreciation and respect, has been scratched out by a pen? The most common excuse we’ve heard is “Arre dost hai, joke tha”. It can be of out of friendship, jealousy, to look cool, or to be funny, but ‘customizing’ someone’s photo and ruining a board that you put no effort into, is downright inhumane. Your ‘joke’ may make 5 people laugh for a minute, but it makes one person insecure and miserable for years.
I know many of you reading this article will not give a second thought to the deteriorating state of our soft boards once you close this site. But even a few of us who understand the depth of the issue, and care about the work that we ourselves have created, can make a difference. Next time you walk past a board that has a detached paper, tack it up with a pin. Next time you see a damaged picture of a student or teacher, inform them. Let them decide what they want to do with it. Next time you see one poster stapled on top of the soft board that a class has exhaustively designed, pop your head into their class and tell them. And if you’re looking to publicize an event that you’re organizing, don’t deem your own poster superior to the other content of the board. Ask the class whether you can take up some space.
It is imperative for us to understand that for us, boards are mere formality, but for others, our boards mirror us. So the less we care about our boards, the less others will care about us.
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All pictures are by Tushar Jain
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