The Plight of a Teacher's Ward

Today, while talking to mum, I got to know about one of my school mate's wedding, who also, happens to be our vice principal's son. As soon as I heard about him, I was transported back to my school days in Delhi. After recalling a few memories, I decided to write this piece. For the background, my mom has been a teacher in my Alma Mater and has also taught me for three full years. The five years that I spent along with her in the school during my teenage, are surely not the memories I would want to cherish. Not because I had any issues with her, but because others had issues with me.

This is for every single soul on the earth who is prejudiced against a teacher's ward. Let me clear your misconceptions...

Myth : A teacher's ward is pampered by the rest of the teachers
Fact : A teacher's ward is more prone to reprimands as compared to others because it would take at least a day to summon your parents. But our parents are available in the school for the impromptu PTM and God forbid, if there is a negative news, we can be thrashed by our parents and teachers at the same time...

Myth : A teacher's ward is awarded more marks than others.
Fact : Teachers might ignore your mistakes for once, but they would not ignore mine even if they correct my answers with eyes blindfolded.

Myth : A teacher's ward always knows the exam question paper before hand.
Fact : No one knows this better than a teacher that there is no shortcut to success. So if a teacher wants his offspring to succeed, he won't share the exam questions before hand.

Myth : A teacher's ward is always updated with the school news (read gossip)
Fact : A teacher too shares his workplace talks with his family,just the way a doctor or dancer would, rather more cautiously as they know children can never be trusted with gossips. Teachers don't make stories about their colleagues. That's the work of a student. :D

Myth : A teacher's ward can never be trusted with any secret.
Fact : People, a teacher at school is a parent at home. So we teacher's wards too share only that what you share with your parents. Being a teacher's ward does not mean we would sell out our friends!

Myth : A teacher's ward always finds an easy way out of everything in school
Fact : I remember, back in 12th standard,I had nominated for head girl's post and another teacher's ward, for the vice head girl's. We were summoned by the senior department's incharge, who was new to the school and somehow didn't know our glorious tag (read teacher's ward) and were told to withdraw our nominations, stating so and so teachers did not want us to contest. Funnily, those teachers were our respective mothers.
People are smart enough to judge how easy the path has been for us.

I personally have experienced a lot many prejudices while in school. Some people I tried making friends with, would not accept me in the circle. Some who did, made me feel each day that I was a teacher's ward. As if being a teacher's ward was carrying some communicative disorder with you. Today I all I want to tell every single person who has or has not affected me is ,If some day your kid comes to you  complaining about a certain kid, don't use the five prejudiced words : "He is a Teacher's Ward".