|
As a
student Gandhi was very shy and avoided all company. He would be at
school at the stroke of the hour and run back home as soon as school
was over. He literally ran back, because as he says in his
autobiography "I could not bear to talk to anybody. I was even
afraid lest anyone should poke fun at me." |
|
The
student Gandhi's report card lists his standing as "good at English,
fair in Arithmetic, and weak in Geography; conduct very good, bad
handwriting." Gandhi regretted his bad handwriting throughout his
life and tried to improve it but without much success. He recommends
that students should try to cultivate a good handwriting - its
invaluable! |
|
In his
autobiography Gandhi doesn't remember much of his early schooling in
Porbandar except that he was weak in multiplication tables and that
he learnt in company with other boys, "to call our teacher all kinds
of names". But of his schooling in Rajkot, Gandhi remembers "I
always enjoyed the affection of my teachers. Certificates of
progress and character used to be sent to the parents every year. I
never had a bad certificate. In fact I even won prizes after I
passed out of the second standard. In the fifth and sixth I obtained
scholarships and rupees four and ten respectively, an achievement
for which I have to thank good luck more than my merit. For the
scholarships were not open to all, but reserved for the best boys
amongst those coming from the Sorath Division of Kathiawad. And in
those days there could not have been many boys from Sorath in a
class of forty to fifty. " |
|
Gandhi
was a weak boy at school. He was terribly afraid of Ghosts and the
dark and could not bear to be left alone in the night. He even
started eating meat and eggs on the sly in the hope that it would
make him strong and kill his fears. |
|
In
school, Gandhi remembers giving more attention to his character than
his grades. "I used to be astonished whenever I won prizes and
scholarships. But I very jealously guarded my character. The least
little blemish drew tears from my eyes. When I merited, or seemed to
the teacher to merit, a rebuke, it was unbearable for me. I remember
having once received corporal punishment. I did not so much mind the
punishment, as the fact that it was considered my desert. I wept
piteously." |
