The Fun They Had Notes - NCERT CBSE Class 9 English

Summary:

The story is taking place in the future i.e. the year 2157. Margie (aged 11) and Tommy (aged 13) are friends and neighbours. One day, Tommy finds a real book - of pages and printed words, which people of 2157 have never seen - in the attic. The book has yellow pages and crinkly. So, Margie writes a diary entry about it.

Margie came to know from her grandfather that his father used to tell her about the previous generation of people who used to study from such books. This book of pages and words is weirder for Margie and Tommy who have always seen telebooks (e-books) on the screen where words and pictures move, where what is there on the previous page is never there when the pages are turned. This book is about school. However, Margie hates school.

Margie and Tommy are learning from the mechanical teacher. Their school takes place in the house where they are supposed to sit in front of the mechanical teacher and learn. The mechanical teacher has a slot where students are supposed to submit their homework. the homework needs to be converted into codes, and coding is taught to children from the age of 6.

Margie hates school. Lately, her mechanical teacher has been giving her test after test in Geography and she was performing worse. Her worried mother called for the County Inspector for repairing the mechanical teacher. Margie expected County Inspector to take the mechanical teacher away for about a month because she has seen the same happening when Tommy's mechanical teacher needed repair when its History sector had gone blank. But unfortunately, Margie's mechanical teacher is repaired there itself. Margie and her mother are told by the County Inspector that the mechanical teacher, somewhat, geared up a little too quick, and that led to the problem in the Geography sector. He tells them that the mechanical teacher is now geared according to Margie's age.

Margie, who hates school, is now thinking about the school mentioned in the old book. She and Tommy discuss the human teacher of the old school who would know almost everything. They also discuss students coming together to a building called 'school', and would sit together in the class, enjoy their day in the playground. This makes Margie feel that the earlier way of learning was better as it was full of fun.

 

Textbook Exercise:

Q. A) Answer the following in 40-60 words: (2 Marks each)

1)    What kind of teacher did Margie and Tommy have?

Margie and Tommy had a mechanical teacher who teaches according to the age group set inside it. The teacher had a screen on which millions of books can be saved and read. This teacher also gave instructions for learning and give homework to students. The students would complete the homework, convert it into codes and insert the code in the slot given in the mechanical teacher. 

2)    Why was Margie doing badly in Geography? Why did Margie's mother send for the County Inspector? What did the County Inspector do to help her?

Margie's mother was worried about Margie's worse performance in Geography where the mechanical teacher was giving her test after test. That is why she called for the County Inspector to see if something was wrong with the teacher.

The County Inspector inspected the teacher and diagnosed the problem. He found that the Geography sector in Margie's mechanical teacher was geared a bit quick and it was not according to Margie's age. Finally, he geared it a little slow that would suit the nine-year-old Margie. 

3)    What had once happened to Tommy's mechanical teacher?

Once the History sector in Tommy's mechanical teacher blanked out completely, and it was a difficult task to fix it. That is why Tommy's mechanical teacher was taken away altogether for nearly a month. 

4)    Did Margie have regular days and hours for school? If so, why?

Yes, Margie had regular days and hours for school. Margie's mother knew that Margie hated school and she wanted Margie to not miss anything because of her attitude towards school. Also, her mother believed that little girls learn better if they learn at regular hours. 

5)    How does Tommy describe the old kind of school and old kind of teachers?

Tommy mentioned in the earlier times the school used to take place in a building where all the children would come to learn. They would sit in the classroom according to their age groups. There would be a human teacher who would know almost everything about the subject and he would teach them. The students would enjoy a lot while meeting friends, sitting with them and playing with them in the playground.

Q.B) Answer the following in detail in about 100-150 words: (5 Marks each)

1)    What are the main features of the mechanical teachers and schoolrooms that Margie and Tommy have in the story?

The mechanical teacher has a screen that displays the instructions for the students. Students have to follow the instructions. It has a slot where the students are supposed to submit their homework after converting it into coding. This mechanical teacher will give study materials and instructions according to the levels of the learners. The school is nothing but a study room inside the house where the mechanical teacher is installed.

2)    Why did Margie hate school? Why did she think the old kind of school must have been fun?

Margie's mother was conscious of Margie's studies and she used to make Margie attend the class at the decided time only. Margie did not like it much. On top of that, the mechanical teacher, due to some error in it, was giving Margie test after test resulting in Margie scoring worse in Geography. Due to all these reasons, Margie hated school.

However, when she heard about the old kind of school from Tommy, she thought that it must be a fun school where all the kids from the whole neighbourhood would come, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together in the classroom and going home together at the end of the day. Those students would learn the same things so that they could help each other with the homework. 

3)    Do you agree with Margie that school today are more fun than the school in the story? Give reasons for your answer.

I agree with Margie that a school - a building - where all the students come together, sit, play and learn together is better than learning from a school, which is installed in your home. I think learning from the mechanical teacher would be difficult, as it does not have human qualities that would understand what a student thinks and what he/she goes through. In addition, sitting idle at a place would lead to physical illnesses such as obesity.

Notes by Mr. Amit Kharat