Come June the vibrant suburb of Nanganallur witnesses a bee hive of activity. Schools reopen with a bang ringing in the new academic year.

There are clusters of schools here and some of them like Prince make to it the state level. A couple of years back Bharath Ram stood state first in plus two bringing tons of joy and pride to the school. Thus the clamour to admit the children in that school is always there .

The government run Nehru school is flooded with applications . As it is a well known fact they cater to the economically backward and weaker sections of the society.

The school is famous in Nanganallur and has produced many distinguished persons who are excelling in their streams.

The sprawling play ground is sprinkled with boys and girls who showcase their talents in games. Though the authorities finalize the admissions well in advance yet the last minute rush is unavoidable. Parents sporting a grimace hang around in the Verandahs near the Headmasters room waiting for the call of the headmaster. The expectant and and eager parents await Divine intervention as Human interference is of less consequence.

Scanning the Kindergarten scenario one should be amazed that getting a seat for the tiny tot is like scaling Himalayan heights. Anu Rao who heads Vivekananda Vidyalaya started her admission procedures In may itself. To simplify the process she conducted tete a tete with parents to know their family background. It would help in the child's studies as parents would help their children to learn and comprehend better.

I was amazed to find that the applications have outnumbered the seats for the kindergarten in the near by Saraswathi Vidyalaya School. The school timings for the tiny tots are convenient for the working mothers. Some of the schools are equipped with creeches so that the infants are also looked after well. The half a day school syndrome is fine for many but causes discomfort for some.

All the book shops are bursting at its seams till midnight and they are burning midnight oil to supply books to the students.

Years roll on and the educational institutions wear a fresh look in June every year. The students nostalgically recall their experiences in the previous classes which is mixture of happiness and melancholy..

UshaRaja