I was thirteen when I started homeschooling - this was an eye opening and life changing experience for me. The freedom to be able to do as I pleased, to sleep and get up when I wanted, to work on my Lego projects for however long I wanted; there was no better feeling than that of having a sense of control over my life.
But gradually, the first inexpressible joy of the freedom lost some of its value. Waking up at eleven o’clock in the morning no longer made me happy, nor did having to spend most of the day studying on my own. It worked out for sometime, studying with my mom or dad, but having to learn from a know-it-all got extremely taxing and monotonous. I didn’t want to lose my freedom; I wanted to be able to pursue my hobbies, but also wanted some company to study with- people with whom I could spend time to come up with answers. School was a definite no. Not long after, the solution presented itself when Pavan Bhaiya visited my house.
A place which practiced discipline, encouraged hobbies and extracurricular activities. A center where kids of similar age with a similar outlook on education could come together and learn in a way different from regular schools. All of this would eventually yield what we think is the purpose of education - good marks - but it gave me so much more. When I joined DLRC, there were only three other children of my age in grade 9. And yet I found myself greatly enjoying their company. I was now waking up and experiencing the urge to go to the center - something I hadn’t felt since the days of my old, amazing school in Bangalore. The center was a school wrapped up as a home, and perhaps that was what made the place seem so warm and comfortable; it was nowhere close to a building with well defined rooms consisting of symmetrical benches and dull tube lights. It was truly a life changing experience.
- Maanas Jain
DLRC Alumnus
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