Rules at the cost of sensitivity

Today my daughter left her English Workbook at home and went to school. There was some activity planned for the day which required the book. So, I immediately rushed to give it to her, not worrying about my office timing. Office timings are just rules; my sense of discretion said this was more important. I didn’t want her to feel left out of the activity; more so because she is very scared of teachers and is a conscious child. Something I have discussed with her last class teacher and supervisor regularly.  Anyways, at the gate the guard seemed to be empathetic and told me to leave the book at the reception; the receptionist would get it sent across. I reached the reception and told her so. She flatly said it was not possible, as it was against the rules. I told her about the activity, but she was unmoved. She also said that guards cannot really say what to do. Sad. I have seen people in similar capacity, who are the interfaces between an organization and people to be more thoughtful and accommodating, in spite of the rules. Anyways, since such thoughtlessness is usual in our capital, I asked her if I could meet the supervisor. She refused. She asked me to meet an admin guy. He also refused, citing 5000 students and how the huge number stopped him be more empathetic, as if all of them leave their stuff every day. Anyways, I also shed my politeness and argued, to finally get them to flout a strict code of conduct and get the book sent across. It is such incidents that make me regret my sensitivity. There were many problems; academic and otherwise in my daughter’s last class 1. I have regularly found mistakes in her notebook. I never pointed them out, opting to bear a weak foundation; fearing any grudge against her. Her confidence and chirpiness which she demonstrated in nursery classes is lost.

Why can’t we reach out to be extra sensitive; extra thoughtful; extra kind? Does it take so much of an effort? It really reminds me of the same school of the same group in Mumbai, where my daughter started her schooling. The teachers felt so much kinder. They smiled at us guardians and felt more polite. They went out of their way to help me get my daughter transferred to Delhi, calling me and helping out when they really didn’t need to after I had left that city. I wish I could go back to that city and my daughter to that school.