THE TEACHER, WHO WAS AHEAD OF HIS TIME!.

THE TEACHER, 

WHO WAS AHEAD OF HIS TIME!!

MY SCIENCE TEACHER, MR.TIWARI,AHEAD OF HIS TIME!

Mr. Tiwari was a science teacher in our school – St.Sebastians. We had ‘General Science’ (‘Kichidi’ or mixure of all the sciences put together) for all the students and the students could opt for either ‘Physics & Chemistry’ or ‘Physiology & Hygiene’. Mr. Tiwari took care of General Science and Chemistry for those of us who had opted for Phy. & Chem. He had introduced us to the ‘Open Book’ concept way back in 60’s. We were studying in our S.S.C. Class then, in standard XI, to be precise. Perhaps students of earlier batches of our school had also been introduced to this concept and that to much earlier.

He would set test papers on weekly basis on open book pattern; but he had termed these papers as ‘Objective Weekly Test ‘papers, when we were allowed to refer our text books (there weren’t any ‘Guides’ then). Those of us, who read the books thoroughly, found the papers easy, while the others did not. But in our Terminal and Preliminary Examinations such pattern was not followed. It is needless to say that the S.S.C. Board papers have never had this pattern. I do remember it distinctly, as though has happened just yesterday. He had put in a question in our Chemistry paper – ‘What is the principle behind – making hard water soft?’ There were no guides or work books then. So we had to read each and every line from our prescribed text books. But there was no mention of this particular ‘principle’ any where in our text book. Science and Mathematics were my favouri
te subjects and would read science text books of my cousin, who was in ‘ICSC’ School. Luckily for me it had the answer to that question. I was the only student who had that question correctly and he told the whole class that I would become scientist one day. When I confessed that I had read about it and also about the source of information. He was immensely impressed by my frankness and honesty. He said, “The whole idea of this exercise is to make the students read, understand the topic, remember every thing that they have read and use the same when needed, and not just for the examination but during the whole life”. I still remember the incidence so clearly.

I also remember the other incidence about him. In a chapter on Vegetative Propagation of Plants in Biology in our General Science book, there was description of ‘Budding’. He told us the description was for ‘Bud Grafting’ and not ‘Budding’ (which takes in Yeast), which were two different methods. He had also written letters to that effect to the publishers.

Immediately on our passing out of from the school, the very next year he had left our school. It was said that he had some differences with the new Principal of the school.  

He was definitely ahead of his time!

VINAY TRILOKEKAR