Oak Grove School - My First Insitution

When I had finished class III at Katihar my father took me to a private boarding school called South Point in Kurseong, Darjeeling. After a few tests I was admitted to the school to repeat class III. Class III was the highest that the school had and probably the best I was eligible for.

The principal said that I had done well in Hindi but was well below standards in English and convinced my father that I required extra tuitions. Already aware that the managing the school fees itself would be difficult, still agreed. We also received a kit list which I was supposed to bring when joining the school approximately a month later.

A month at Katihar passed very quickly. I didn’t have to go to school, so time seemed to fly by. People talked to me with more respect. I made numerous visits to the tailor and within a month I had a trunk full of clothes. But as the final day to leave for the boarding school approached I became uneasy. I cried on the day of departure.

South Point School must have had 300 students. My class was of strength between 35 to 40 students. There were quarterly exams held in the school. I remember not being in the top 20 in the first quarterly exam basically due to my poor English. But my tutor was working hard on me and I was reciprocating to his sincerity. In the half yearly I stood 18th in class, still nowhere to be noticed. Next quarterly was surprising for me and the class when I stood 3rd. I later learnt when I came home that my father had distributed sweets to his colleagues to accolade my progress.

When I passed out of the school I was different from my old friends. I seemed to be better learned. My father knew if I continued my next class in Katihar it would waste his and of course my efforts at South Point. So he was preparing me for another boarding school known as Oak Grove. Oak Grove enrolled students in class III and depending on vacancies, enrolled very few students in higher classes. I was going to appear for class IV entrance in January. Oak Grove was managed and funded by Northern Railways. Railway employee children enjoyed special concessional fees; otherwise the school was costly to the gentry.

Taking the Oak Grove exam was a 4 day affair. The first day would be written exam. For the next 2 days the answers sheets would be evaluated and a list of shortlisted candidates would be displayed in the afternoon of the 3rd day. 4th day was the personal interview in presence of the parent.

My father has chosen the center as Calcutta, which was nearest to my town Katihar. He had been to Calcutta on several occasions but it was my first chance to visit the city. We started off for Calcutta with a 5 day plan. On the morning of the first day it would be an inquisitive visit to the test center. Since we didn’t have Google directions those days it made absolute sense to visit the test center a day in advance, so that there are no surprises on the exam day. We realized it was a bit off from the city and was probably a Railway Guest house. There were huts around were one could get tea and lunch. We came back to our Dharamshala. After lunch we spent some time roaming around the Howrah Bridge. At night before sleep I went through the few books I had brought for the last minute preparations. And finally I prayed to God before sleeping.

There was a good rush at the center, probably around 200 students accompanied by their parents. Calcutta was one of the 4 centers where entrance exams were conducted. The other being New Delhi, Bombay and Madras. And I had learnt that New Delhi center had the highest number of applicants. I was trying to figure out what my chances were to qualify the exam, given that every applicant looked bright and intelligent, while some were still busy with books.

Finally every applicant entered the exam rooms after enough encouragement and pat from their parents. I don’t remember in what order, what tests were conducted but when I came out of the exam room, it was lunch and there was one more paper to go. The last test also ended and all applicants including I felt relieved. I realized the competition for class IV would be very tough. There were only few seats, nobody knew how many. I got chance to speak to few other class IV applicants and everybody seemed to have done well in the tests. Finally my father and I headed to the Dharamshala after having tea.

The next day was a day to enjoy. My father took me a few sight seeing places. I remember we went to Victoria Memorial, roamed through the big markets of Calcutta. We also boarded Trams, which was a lovely and unique experience. The end of the day started the thoughts of the upcoming events scheduled for the next day – my father trying to search my registration no. in the list of successful applicants. What would be his reaction if I passed what if I did not qualify? My father has been a strict person and I always feared his anger. Did he expect too much out of me and would I let him down? Sleeping wasn’t easy that night. I prayed to the Almighty before falling asleep.

We were supposed to have breakfast and then leave for the exam center. It would be very early, I said. But my father was very eager. To our surprise there were parents already present at the exam center. Many parents had come without their children. Probably they had relatives in Calcutta and had left their wards at home. The results of the exams wouldn’t change if applicants were present.

Every now and then some parent would look towards a group and inform that results will be displayed soon. I realized I wasn’t eager as before. Fear was enveloping me and I was getting restless. Finally a person with few sheets of paper started approaching the notice board and parents, who had settled themselves in the sun few yards away from the notice board, started to march as if somebody ordered them to do so. I began my prayers again.

God was kind on me that day. I got the opportunity to appear for the interview, scheduled the next day. My father couldn't conceal his happiness. Evening passed going through some books.

In the best school dress, that I had saved for the interview day, I reached the exam center. Throughout I was receiving encourgement from my father, which actually made me nervous. I entered the interview room, when my turn came. My father and I were made to sit in front of a big rectangular table, occupied by the Principal and few others. I probably started well answering my name and few other questions that came on the way. But it couldn't have been so easy. The next question, "In Which Institution do you study?", didn't ring a bell to me. I haven't come across this question and perhaps the word, "Institution", in my life so far. Few seconds passed with people in the room eager to hear from me. Being very sure that I wasn't being questioned about the school I studied in, "I study in Katihar", was my reply. After all it either had to be the school or the place. The question was repeated by someone else in the room and I repeated the answer based on my self convinced logic. The questions changed, and so did my answers and very soon I was breathing fresh air out of the room.

After couple of months, a letter from Oak Grove conveyed that I had passed its Class IV entrance exam . The Institution was willing to enrol me for the 1987-1988 session.