Schools lead to malls !!

Schools lead to malls !!
As I walked into the premises bright coloured plastic cars caught my sight. And my nephew ran to one of them and was instantly occupied in riding one of them. I walked in and was greeted pleasantly by a lady, who said was the owner of the center. She greeted the child calling him by his name.
I settled in a chair that was offered opposite her. She said she was a dentist by profession and attended her clinic in the evening and ran this child center in the morning. ( Two jobs!! Two professions.. no wonder we are short of jobs) I asked her whether I could see the curriculum of the school. Sorry,”Madam we do not share it with any body.” was the courteous reply. I was surprised.I told her I was a teacher by profession and was just interested in it and did not mean to steal ideas. No, a firm NO , she said again. Why this secrecy? I wondered. Are they exposing the children to some thing that they only know? And I wondered at the faith my extended family had in this center. Does law have no control on these schools?
The lady again spoke to my nephew in English. Obviously the child did not respond . Then I said .”Why don’t you speak to the child in its’ language?The reply was”We have to speak in English.” When asked whether they were nor supposed to be sensitive to the child’s upbringing ,She just watched me curiously . That language was one of major component of a child’s back ground was perhaps revealing to her.
I then asked her about the study pattern .She said that they would go very slow, children had plenty of time for play and learn . Then she gave an example. Saying that they exposed the child to a colour concept in a month. I asked if the child was free to learn the colour it chose. Again there was a smile on her face and she replied,” No, The child has to learn the particular colour mentioned in the curriculum.” I just shook my head pleasantly and asked whether she would accept a shopkeepers choice of a green dress when she wanted to buy a yellow one. No,no I won’t. I want to have my choice,I am an adult!” Then I questioned her whether she considered the child as an individual and that it could exercise its choice too .She smiled . Again it was obvious that she had no clear understanding of the basic pedagogy related to pre schooling.
I thanked her for being so patient with my uncomfortable questions.
But to me, I saw the seeds of conformity being sown in the young minds.And the colourful toys and displays quietly do the job of preparing the child to the world of malls and hyper markets which actually is the hidden agenda of schooling as I see it today.
As I left the center I saw a big display which had the words Self esteem written in bold!! You can imagine whose self esteem it caters to!!