We played some unforgettable pranks during our student days. I remember refusing to overwrite the English letters my nursery teacher had etched on the slate. After wiping out the letters, I would toss away the tablet. The tutor’s bribe of toffees didn’t impress me, and I would repeat the act after relishing the nibbles. The teacher eventually stopped persuading me to write. I ended up in another school because of my stubbornness.
The missionaries at the co-educational English convent, where I later gained admission, taught us lessons from the Holy Scriptures. Memorising a daily Bible verse and reciting it in class was mandatory. Students quoted the verses like experts; some even deftly used them in everyday conversations. Passing the Bible test was required to advance, and I often wondered if the school was trying to thrust Christian beliefs on us.
In fifth grade, a student questioned in a lighter vein: “Is the Christian God male or female?” Despite the laughs that erupted, the tutor remained unfazed and answered his ward’s doubt by citing from the scriptures: “God created man in His own image.” But, the girls felt belittled and responded with loud gasps.
I enjoyed studying English Grammar in high school. Our English teacher was skilled in the subject and used innovative methods to emphasise the key points. His liberal use of anecdotes made the classes lively, and we looked forward to his sessions. But mischief-mongers took advantage of his gentle demeanour and played pranks on him.
A prankster once locked him inside the washroom by bolting the door from the outside. Realising that someone had trapped him, the teacher began yelling and banging on the toilet door. He had to wait long before someone came to his aid, making him miss his class. When the tutor traced the miscreant, he ran after him, removed his shoe and flung it at him.
In the era of corporal punishment, teachers didn’t hesitate to use the rod to enforce discipline. They subjected erring students to loud whacks of the cane. But a student once funnily stopped a math teacher from rapping him on the knuckles by accidentally poking the latter’s wrist with a fountain pen tip. The teacher recoiled in pain, making one wonder whether to laugh or cry.
In high school, I had a classmate who was a huge fan of Tamil star MG Ramachandran. His hero’s latest blockbuster would prompt him to skip classes and go to the cinema. He once walked out of a Hindi class, leaving the teacher puzzled. His indiscipline and poor attendance caused his expulsion from the school. His parents, also frustrated with his behaviour, concluded that academics were not his forte and made him join the family business.
Even in our college days in the late 1970s, mischief-makers were a dime a dozen. In a classic episode, a student sitting at the back of the room tried to target a pretty girl a few rows ahead by launching a paper aeroplane. Unfortunately, the flight veered towards the lecturer and got stuck in the gap near his earlobe while he had his back to the class. Despite the sphinx-like silence that followed, the tutor’s thorough, Christian-like response stumped the class. “God bless you, my son”, he hollered, making the culprit hang his head in shame.
Although the years have rolled on, recalling these funny moments from my student days brightens the mood.
