The Good Example Vicente Riva Palacio, Mexico

The Good Example

Vicente Riva Palacio, Mexico

(Translated by Moti Nissani from Spanish)

This essay discourages the memory- based education like don Lucas is doing. we must have technical and practical kind of education otherwise we also become just like "A Perico" So our education must be dynamic, creative and life supportive.

b. Write the four levels of meaning of "The Good Example".

Literal Comprehension: This short but a suggestive story "The Good Example" has been translated onto English from Spanish by the versatile writer, Moti Nissani. There was a small village in Mexico with roofs of red tiles, Plam leaves and among big-big trees. In that village there was a school run by Don Lucas Forcida. He was dedicated for his school  doing all duties well like a martyr. The teaching style of the school was repetition and rotting or drill of syllables, words and math's tables. The whole day duty of Lucas was monotonous but he had one friend 'a parrot' to fresh him after the school. Lucas used to do regular interaction with the parrot put in the cage at level of school. School children named it "a Perico". The bird could communicate and tell children voices and school's teachings. As the children were taught using traditional method students would learn by heart. Even Perico could do as the school children. One day when the school was going on Perico escaped form the cage and flew away to neighboring forest. By time almost everybody forgot about the Perico but Lucas hardly forget the bird. One day he went to find the bird in the neighboring village riding on the horse. He was in the afternoon heat inside the big forest. He heard a chirping sounds of birds.

Later, he found, the sound was familiar to him. He heard same syllables, words drills taught in the school. To his great surprise Don Lucas encountered with a  group of parrots led by Perico. Perico informed Lucas that he had also made school in that forest as Lucas in the village without control and any restriction but with complete freedom in learning.

Interpretation: The story might  be focusing on the idea of negative impact of rote learning system. Rote learning is just monotonous that never makes any ne creative at all. This learning is similar to parrot learning. It also might be trying to say that everyone likes to have better learning and happiness in natural environment. Restriction and controlled environment's learning never becomes creative. It also raises the issue that 'every bird can be happy in its nest or in its flock' It is education that makes one very conscious and free from any restriction, Here the Parrot has escaped away from the cage and opened a school like in. Mexican village but in free or natural environment of learning. It is with the help of awareness got from education. So good example is a good example of memory based education.

Critical Thinking: We see the Perico has become a teacher in the forest by the last Part of the story. So far we have ideas that parrot can copy some words and terms from human beings but: How can a parrot do a complete conversation with Don Lucas? How can parrot open a school in the forest? How can a parrot tell with Don Lucas that it has school? Beside symbolic meaning the nature of Perico seems to be questionable. 

Assimilation: After reading this story I learnt that if teaching is done systematically, even birds can learn and do well then: Why not the human being> But the rotting teaching learning strategy of Don Lucas' school reminds me about my primary level teaching learning classroom situation. When teacher used to pronounce the words like "Good morning" we would say 'Good morning' "Go there Hari" so more and so forth. Even at college there are not creative teaching and learning activities. Notes, guess so papers are roted by the student and vomit in the exam hall in three-four hours without any creativity.

c. Compare Nepali education today to Mexican education in the 19^th century. Does Nepali education promote memorization or understanding?

or

Defend the statement " The Good Example" can be viewed as a satire on the roting (memory-based) education)

It is obviously taken that the story "The Good Example" can be viewed as a satire on the memory-based education. The educational system of Southern Mexico has been satirized in this story. The teaching was roting and memorization without any creativity. What the teacher says or teaches the students rote one by one. The students are not requested to go through the texts and read much for extra knowledge. The learning is assumed to be finished if one can memories what was taught to him/her. There is no care whether it is applied in the practical life or not. The creative, constructive, logical and imaginative state of minds of children memory-based learning system enables even a parrot to open a school and teach similarly.

In Mexican Lucas' school there is no use of creativity and self-education beside roting. In most of the private schools as well as in the governmental school of Nepal the plight of education is similar. To defend this rotting, monotonous and non-creative learning system Richard Wright studies a lot without any formal teaching but became a Pandit in overall aspects. The 19^th century Mexican education system and the current education of Nepal are totally matched.

While comparing the education of Mexico and Nepal in most of school same non-creative and roting educational pedagogy are adopted. The teacher is called the best teacher who makes his student able to say words by words what is taught or given  in the book . The traditional monotonous teaching system of Don Lucas Forcida was also not productive. The applicable, creative and practical aspects of the learners are always sidelined both in 19^th century Mexican and Nepali education systems or institutions. In short, this story " The Good Example" has become the best example for mocking bad education system of Mexico in particular and of Nepal like countries in general