Typewriting
Typewriting is a skill that was very useful to get Government Jobs about 30 years back. In Chennai there were so many typewriting institutes particularly in places like Triplicane, Mylapore and Mambalam. As soon as the SSLC exams are over the boys and girls used to join for Typewriting classes. There used to be very good crowd in some of the Typewriting Institutes and there used to be some batches for which they would have a waitlist. Lot of young boys and girls used to find their first “affair” in these typewriting institutes.
Srinivas Typewriting Institute was very famous in Triplicane those days. Lot of good looking girls learnt typewriting in that Institute and hence there were lot of boys who went and joined there. I learnt typewriting in “Ceevees Institute” in Triplicane High Road. It was far away from my house but I still joined there because few of my friends joined in that Institute.
As a skill “Typewriting” was useful those days as it would get the person an entry level job in the Government Sector “Clerk cum Typist”. I do not know if the position of a “Typist” exists in any organization as every one needs to do their own typing – whether it is in the form of an email or a letter.
It was difficult to do the typewriting in those machines as one had to press the key very hard to get the impression on the paper. Sometimes several keys will go and get stuck at the centre. The machine will not be serviced properly and it used to be a struggle to get a change of seat. Godrej, Remington and Halda were the most popular brand typewriting machines.
I joined for typewriting classes immediately after my X Standard Exams in 1978. I quite liked the experience of learning typewriting as my father and brothers also had acquired that skill. I passed “Lower” grade and “Higher” grade. I was ready to go for “High Speed” but due to my other commitments I did not appear for the exams. After my XII standard exams when I thought of doing CA to become a Chartered Accountant I was wondering if the typewriting was a waste of an effort. Little did I realise at that time that I will be using the typewriting skills on a daily basis.
With the advent of the computers the typewriting skill has become very useful in the day to day life. Those who do not have the typewriting skills struggle to compose their own emails and letters. The younger generation today has developed the skill of using two or three fingers and still manage a decent speed. Nothing to beat the speed which a person gets with the typewriting skill on the keyboard. The advantage of using the keyboard of a computer is that it is very smooth and no need to depress the keys like we used to do on a normal typewriting machine.
I am very grateful to my parents for having sent me for the typewriting classes in those days. It has proved to be immensely useful and helpful over the years as I am using a computer at work all the time from morning to evening. I was a “Job Typist” for a while and made a decent living out of that using my old “Underwood” Typewriter. After becoming a Chartered Accountant I have always been using a Computer or a Laptop and the typewriting skills have certainly helped all through the life so far.
When we learn certain skills, we tend to feel bad that those skills are not useful anymore due to the technological changes. For instance many of my friends who learnt “short hand” in those days are no longer using the short hand. There is self correspondence and even in case of dictation needs today there are Dictaphones and even voice recognition systems on computers which takes care of the work.
The change in technology and developments over the years however, has been such that the “typewriting” skills are still very useful. Cycling, Car Driving, Swimming, Cooking are some such skills which will always come in handy even with the technological advancements and changes.
There are some websites which teach the typewriting skills and it is indeed very useful as the normal key board is not only seen in Computers, Laptops but they are also now entering the Mobile Phones space.
T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
5th August 2010
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One of the 100s of drafts that I have lined up is on Typing Classes. Thankfully, you have not covered all that I wanted to write about
You article sure rekindled memories.
Now, I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that my classmate and Tendulkar of a writer Sampath doesn’t come here and posts a big comment covering what I would like to write.
By the way, I typed this comment at 75 WPM speed!
Dear (s)
Yes – those days, typewriting was a compulsory skill which one had to learn. It did help many in getting a job. Srinivas Institute was a very famous one and had more than 70 typewriters at that point of time. There were Halda, Remington and Facit machines and many got obsessively attached to the machines.
The classes started as early as 6 am and went on till 9 pm – batches of 1 hour and there were proud batch mates. Apart from many making a beeline for their sweethearts, it was a fact of life that typewriting was a constant source of employment which provided many of us the much wanted bread and succour.
In fact, it was such a routine that a good typist would attend more interviews and upon leaving the Organisation, the company would ask him to suggest a replacement. He/She would come to the Institute to offer a chance (a golden opportunity) for many. Youngsters of present day might never the situation that prevailed those days. Salaries were lower than Rs.500/- pm at the start of 1980s.
Shorthand was considered an elite’s subject. It was bemusingly harder and only very intelligent ! persons would succeed. Srinivas had its own way of appreciating and motivating successful candidates. Those who got First class in TW or SH would be given a traveller bag in a function organised on Ayudha pooja day – which was a matter of great pride.
Later Godrej used to organise typewriting speed contests. The TW lower was 30 wpm; higher was 45 wpm; Short hand lower 80; Inter 100 & Higher 120. Incidentally, I got First class in all the exams in Shorthand and when I got First class in Higher, there were only 4 in the State but the only the First was honoured with a Certificate
- Sampathkumar
My earlier post was in a hurry. What I missed out are :
The very good looking typewriter. Neat summation of Anand bringing out the scenario of lore.
In Triplicane, there were other Institutes like Sarathy, Ladies Tech Instt., Shivish Halda, Ganesh and more. Srinivas was a rage in 1980s and instructors like Sampath, JS, Narayanasamy and Principal MA Srinivasan;(in Shorthand Santhanam, Sundaramurthy & Raghu) were quite household names. The typewriting institutions offered sort of technical education and ensured livelihood of many. Typing out Balance sheets in two pages and matching them was one of the toughest assignments.
Some of the students could ill afford the white sheets for typing and would used coloured ones (makka paper !); they shaped and refined many – though there were some confrontations and fisticuffs in trying to attract the stylish girls.
In hindsight, flip side could many aspired to become good clerks rather than think of any professionals (of course there are some exceptions like Sathya, TP Anand & ….) Whilst some aspired for typing P&L and BS neatly without mistakes, very few ventured into making them and putting their signatures on them. Many ended with typing their initials on such statements with so much of pride.
- Regards : Sampathkumar
Thanks a lot for your detailed comments and you have a fantastic memory as you are able to still remember the names of the instructors.
I actually enjoyed typing balance sheets but was never keen in making or signing them…
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