Sagar Panthi

Wake up! It’s lunch time!” my classmate nudged me awake. I lifted my head from the desk and looked around as I knew I would not be alone to sleep while the teacher ranted on the subject. There were many heads resting on the desk. An equal number of seats lay vacant.

“What did he teach?” I asked my friend.

“Chemistry.”“I know that this is a chemistry class,” I said. “Which lesson?” “How would I know?” he grinned,” I was busy doing my English homework.”Except for practical classes, chemistry lessons were always boring. Either a time for a good nap or time to go home to wind up work assigned by some intimidating teachers.

Then came the results. I passed the examination, but with poor marks. Worse, I could not pass any entrance exam to a university. Anybody who saw my marks lost interest in me. Even my family was sceptical that I could study any further. It was not only my plight; but a majority of my classmates’ too. I don’t believe that I am a blockhead, but my transcript says so and everybody believes it.

It was not that I never tried to concentrate in my class. I tried, at least in a few classes. I forced my concentration to listen to the teacher. But I would be all at sea without making a head or tail of what he was saying. Then, I would find it hard keeping my head erect.

Chemistry, no doubt, is an important subject for a science student. You can’t go beyond twelfth standard if you don’t know any chemistry because it is an integral part of higher science education. It is also included in every entrance test you appear in. I can’t also deny that it is a very interesting subject. But why did this interesting subject send me to sleep?

While there might be a range of reasons, I strongly believe it is because “one S and three P orbitals give rise to four SP3 orbitals.” Isn’t there a more interesting way to say that? The answer is a simple no — not only to pedagogues, but also surprisingly to other “victims” of such lousy stuff.

“Mr Somebody Great studied that way, so why can’t you?” If taught in a different way, some “victims” definitely have a greater potential to learn things than some weird creep called Mr Great.

I strongly feel that the system must be changed. Implementing harsh rules to force students to remain in class can do no good, neither can the teachers giving full attention to keep students awake. The solution, I repeat, is to find some other way to learn the damn formula.