Some time back my mother, Rekha Karmakar, wrote about the start of her teaching career in Delhi. This is the link to that post. This is the second part of the series which looks at the start of her second stint in teaching, this time at Kolkata
The second phase of my career started in a
college of Calcutta University, where I worked for twenty five long years. It
saw me through many ups and downs in my life and provided me not only
sustenance but also the mental stability to face the adversities of my life.
While writing about the college, quite often, many personal stories will come
up as I cannot separate one from another.
college of Calcutta University, where I worked for twenty five long years. It
saw me through many ups and downs in my life and provided me not only
sustenance but also the mental stability to face the adversities of my life.
While writing about the college, quite often, many personal stories will come
up as I cannot separate one from another.
During the ten years gap between my two
colleges, I travelled quite a bit of the world, completed my family and also
became more mature as a person – never thinking that I would ever work again.
The desire to pursue my career, though, still flickered in my mind, for which
reason , I wished to add to my qualifications by doing B.Ed so that I could get a job somewhere even
after a gap of ten years.
colleges, I travelled quite a bit of the world, completed my family and also
became more mature as a person – never thinking that I would ever work again.
The desire to pursue my career, though, still flickered in my mind, for which
reason , I wished to add to my qualifications by doing B.Ed so that I could get a job somewhere even
after a gap of ten years.
The opportunity to do B.Ed came to me in a
strange way. My elder son K was only five years old when we came back from
abroad. Wishing to give him nothing but the best education, we admitted him to
Calcutta International School at Lee Road, which meant travelling for more than
one hour by local train and bus as we had been staying in a suburban place due
to family reasons.
strange way. My elder son K was only five years old when we came back from
abroad. Wishing to give him nothing but the best education, we admitted him to
Calcutta International School at Lee Road, which meant travelling for more than
one hour by local train and bus as we had been staying in a suburban place due
to family reasons.
After dropping K at school, I used to loiter
around, with other moms, from 8.30 a.m to 1 p.m as it was no use going and
coming back again. I felt very frustrated because of the wastage of time.
around, with other moms, from 8.30 a.m to 1 p.m as it was no use going and
coming back again. I felt very frustrated because of the wastage of time.
One day I crossed the main road before the
school and went to a college on the other side, where they taught B.Ed. I
grabbed the opportunity and got admitted to the college for B.Ed course.
school and went to a college on the other side, where they taught B.Ed. I
grabbed the opportunity and got admitted to the college for B.Ed course.
I used to attend classes in the college when
K was at school. I would pick him up at 1 p.m, giving him a tiffin cake or some
tit bit and again go back to the class-room with K, of course, taking the
teacher’s permission while K would be drawing. His dad used to come at 2 p.m
and take us mostly to ‘Jimmy’s Kitchen’, a Chinese restaurant at A.J.C Bose
Road for lunch. After lunch, he would drop us at Ballygaunge station so that we
could take a train for home while he stayed back at Calcutta for his medical
practice and surgery. Those were the days !
K was at school. I would pick him up at 1 p.m, giving him a tiffin cake or some
tit bit and again go back to the class-room with K, of course, taking the
teacher’s permission while K would be drawing. His dad used to come at 2 p.m
and take us mostly to ‘Jimmy’s Kitchen’, a Chinese restaurant at A.J.C Bose
Road for lunch. After lunch, he would drop us at Ballygaunge station so that we
could take a train for home while he stayed back at Calcutta for his medical
practice and surgery. Those were the days !
B.Ed Course in the college was over shortly
but there was no sign of examination anywhere since it was delayed for almost
two years as was wont those days.
but there was no sign of examination anywhere since it was delayed for almost
two years as was wont those days.
I utilized the intervening period by
appearing in interviews for college jobs through college service Commission
which had been formed just a few years ago.
appearing in interviews for college jobs through college service Commission
which had been formed just a few years ago.
Finally, when the dates of the B.Ed
examination were announced, I found to my dismay that the date of my
examination and the date for the delivery of my second child almost coincided
with each other. The doctor said that I might not be able to complete all the
papers in case of delivery. I took the risk and appeared for my B.Ed examination
much to the chagrin of my doctor. By the way, my baby was born just four days
after my examination.
examination were announced, I found to my dismay that the date of my
examination and the date for the delivery of my second child almost coincided
with each other. The doctor said that I might not be able to complete all the
papers in case of delivery. I took the risk and appeared for my B.Ed examination
much to the chagrin of my doctor. By the way, my baby was born just four days
after my examination.
This much of the story was for needed for the
post since I got an appointment as a full time lecturer in the B.Ed Deptt of a
college after a few months and to qualify for the post, a B.Ed degree was
absolutely necessary.
post since I got an appointment as a full time lecturer in the B.Ed Deptt of a
college after a few months and to qualify for the post, a B.Ed degree was
absolutely necessary.
At that time, K was eight and a half years
whereas Sid was only nine months old. But I decided to take up the job as I was
about to complete thirty five years and according to the rules of College
Service Commission, one cannot apply for a regular job after the age of thirty
five. By joining the college, I entered into a new phase of my career, the
story of which will feature in the next two parts.
whereas Sid was only nine months old. But I decided to take up the job as I was
about to complete thirty five years and according to the rules of College
Service Commission, one cannot apply for a regular job after the age of thirty
five. By joining the college, I entered into a new phase of my career, the
story of which will feature in the next two parts.
Good Bye!
(continued)
Rekha Karmakar
Gurgaon.
Very interesting! Looking forward to the rest.
excellent! i love her determination and sheer grit!
Very interesting! I guess Kalyan's love for Chinese is cos of those Jimmy Kitchen days
You r probably right. At that time there were not many chinese restaurants. His dad loved chinese food so much that he went to a patient's chinese restaurant in u k n learnt how to cook chinese food.
That's wonderful!