I was not regarded as a fool at the high school. I always enjoyed the affectionate of my teachers. certificate of progress and character used to send to the parents every year. I never had a bad certificate. Impact I even won prizes after I passed out of the second standard. In the fifth and sixth I obtained scholarships of rupees 4 and 10 respectively, an achievement for which I have to thank good lock more than my merit.
My own recollection is that I did not have any high regard for my ability. I used to be astonished whenever I won prices and scholarships. but I very jealously guarded my character. The list little blemish drew tears from my eyes. When I merited ,or seemed to the teacher to merit corporal punishment. I did not so much mind the punishment as the fact that It consider my desert. I wept piteously. That was when I was in the fast or second standard. There was another such incident during the time when I was In the 7th standard. Dorabji edulji gimi was the headmaster then. He was popular among the boys. As he was a disciplinarian, a man of method and a good teacher. He made gymnastics and cricket compulsory for the boys of upper standard. I hate the both. I never took part in any exercise, cricket or football, before they were made compulsory. My shyness watch one of the reason for this aloofness, which I now see wrong. I had then the false notion that gymnastics had nothing to do with education. Today I know that physical training should have as much place in the curriculum as mental training.
The reason of my dislike was my keen desire to serve as nurse to my father. As soon as the Ischool closed, I would hurry home and begin serving him. Compulsory exercises came directly in the way of this service. I requested Mr Gimi to exempt me from gymnastics so that I might be free to serve my father. But he could not listen to me. Now it happened that one Saturday, when we had school in the morning, I had to come from home to school for gymnastics at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. I had no watch, and the clouds recieved me. Before I reached the school, the boys had all left. The next day Mr Gimi examining the roll, found me marked absent. Being asked for the reason of absence I told him what had happened. He refused to believe me and order me to pay a fine of one or two annas. I was convicted a lying. That deeply pained me. How was I to prove my innocence? There was no way. I tried in deep anguish. I saw that a man of truth must also be a man of care. This was the first time and last instance of my carelessness in school. I had a faint recollection that I finally succeeded in getting the fine remitted. The exemption from exercise watch of course obtained as my father wrote himself to the headmaster saying that he wanted me at home after school.
But though I was none the worse for having neglected exercise, I am still paying the penalty of another neglect. I do not know whence I got the notion that good handwriting was not a necessary part of education, but I retain it until I went to England. When later especially in South Africa I saw the beautiful handwriting of lawyers and young man born and educate in South Africa. I was ashamed of my self and a repented of my neglect. I saw that bad handwriting should be regarded as a sign up an imperfect education. I tried later to improvement but it was too late. I could never repair the neglect of my youth. Let every young man and woman be warned by my example and understand that good handwriting is a necessary part of education. I am now of the opinion that children should first be taught the art of the drawing before learning to write. Let the child learn his letters by observation as he does different object. Such as Flowers birds etc. and let him learn handwriting only after he has learnt to draw object. He will then write a beautiful formed hand.
Sanskrit however proved a harder task in geometry there was nothing to memorize whereas in Sanskrit I thought everything had to be learnt by heart. This subject was also commenced from the 4th standard. As soon as I entered the six I became disheartened. The teacher was a hard task master, anxious,as I thought to force the boys. There was a sort of rivalry going on between the Sanskriti teacher and the Persian teacher. The Persian teacher was lenient. The boys used to talk among themselves that Persian was very easy and the Persian teacher was very good and aconsiderate to the students. The easiness tempted me and one day I sat in the Persian class. The sanskrit teacher was grieved. He called me to his side and side how can you forget that you are the son of a Vaishnava father? Would not you learn the language of your own religion? If you have any difficulties why not came to me? I want to teach you students Sanskrit to the best of my ability as you proceed further you will find in It things of absorbing interest. You should not loss heart. Com and sit again in the Sanskrit class.