NCERT Book Class 6 English A Different Kind of School

5-A Different Kind

of School

Before you read

• Do you know these words? If you don’t, find out their meanings: bandage, crutch, cripple, honour, misfortune, system.
• Look at the pictures in this unit and guess in what way this school may be different from other schools.

 1. I HAD heard a great deal about Miss Beam’s school, but not till last week did the chance come to visit it.

2. When I arrived there was no one in sight but a girl of about twelve. Her eyes were covered with a bandage and she was being led carefully between the flower-beds by a little boy, who was about four years younger. She stopped, and it looked like she asked him who had come. He seemed to be describing me to her. Then they passed on.

3. Miss Beam was all that I had expected—middle-aged, full of authority, yet kindly and understanding. Her hair was beginning to turn grey, and she had the kind of plump figure that is likely to be comforting to a homesick child. I asked her some questions about her teaching methods, which I had heard were simple.

4. “No more than is needed to help them to learn how to do things — simple spelling, adding, subtracting, multiplying and writing. The rest is done by reading to them and by interesting talks, during which they have to sit still and keep their hands quiet. There are practically no other lessons.”

5. “The real aim of this school is not so much to teach thought as to teach thoughtfulness — kindness to others, and being responsible citizens. Look out of the window a minute, will you?”

6. I went to the window which overlooked a large garden and a playground at the back. “What do you see?” Miss Beam asked.

7. “I see some very beautiful grounds,” I said, “and a lot of jolly children. It pains me, though, to see that they are not all so healthy and active-looking. When I came in, I saw one poor little girl being led about. She has some trouble with her eyes. Now I can see two more with the same difficulty. And there’s a girl with a crutch watching the others at play. She seems to be a hopeless cripple.”

8. Miss Beam laughed. “Oh, no!” she said. “She’s not really lame. This is only her lame day. The others are not blind either. It is only their blind day.” I must have looked very surprised, for she laughed again.

9. “This is a very important part of our system. To make our children appreciate and understand misfortune, we make them share in misfortune too. Each term every child has one blind day, one lame day, one deaf day, one injured day and one dumb day. During the blind day their eyes are bandaged absolutely and they are on their honour not to peep. The bandage is put on overnight so they wake blind. This means that they need help with everything. Other children are given the duty of helping them and leading them about. They all learn so much this way—both the blind and the helpers.

Please refer to attached file for NCERT Class 6 English A Different Kind of School