Work Centred Education- a feather in the CBSE's cap

 

 

                                          WORK- CENTRED EDUCATION

 

            The modern world is full of contradictions-continuity and change co-exist and success lies in our ability to balance the opposites.New times call for new methods, new concepts and ideas. The educational transactions of today should cater to the demands of the changing times and perceptions of the people. The idea of vocationalised education or work- centred education mooted by CBSE hinges upon placing productive manual work at the centre of the school curriculum. As  the education system in India progressed and evolved many erudite scholars and educationists started discerning a marked defect in the system in which the student  learns innumerable concepts which he cannot apply in real life. He mugs up whole chapters and reproduces  all the imbibed knowledge on paper during the exam. But in due course, memory fades and the wealth of accumulated  knowledge slowly dissipates and becomes worthless. Meanwhile, in practical life, he may be ignorant of basic concepts which can make life meaningful and satisfying. There are many youngsters in our midst who have no idea of how to change a punctured tyre, how to administer first aid in an emergency, how to fix a blown fuse or even to change a light bulb.

     To a great extent, the onus for this situation rests with the parents. Each parent wants his child to study all the time, and not get distracted by any kind of work. In the process they don’t allow the child to learn how to perform simple tasks which can make life meaningful . It is said that in India, the child is not allowed to grow up. Children, especially from affluent families totally lack the inclination or the aptitude to do any kind of work. They shun manual labour and make studies an excuse to abstain from doing even simple duties at home. Most of these students score well in exams but they score poorly in the tests given by life. Today’s child is veering away from nature . He lives in a virtual world and within the realm of this world his capabilities and aptitudes are developed and evolved to the maximum. But the same child may have no idea how to plant and nurture a tree or to fix a leaking tap.       Engaging students in work may help them relate to life needs and grow into mature, well balanced individuals. This was what was proposed by the Father of the Nation when he propounded the theory of Nai Talim. It was felt that the brain may get weary of mere bookish knowledge and so, the brain should be educated through the hand.

          Vocational education, though introduced way back, has not gained much momentum and has been more or less denigrated to the second place after mainstream academics. But vocationalised education is an entirely different concept. It  seeks to introduce work centred pedagogy in a graded manner, giving exercise to the brain and the brawn and bridging the gap between work and education. In many institutes of higher learning, internships, workshops and other projects are a part of the curriculum where the student has to use the hand as well as the brain.  If this kind of education is introduced at the school level, it will become a part and parcel of the education system of India and can produce well balanced individuals who can deal with any kind of life situation.

      Quite a number of schools have introduced summer courses wherein children are enrolled in different courses in tune with their aptitudes . They are given opportunities to do gardening, cooking, dyeing, pottery making or even to make simple electrical gadgets. These activities may keep the children occupied during their holidays. But since the school syllabus is so vast, there is not much scope for such activities to be included in the curriculum. Including such skills and activities will certainly make the school work more interesting and productive. The boredom of listening to lecture after lecture can also be alleviated to a certain extent by means of these activities. The proposal includes engaging local farmers, artisans, mechanics, technicians etc as resource persons or as invited faculty so as to provide expertise and professional guidance. Accordingly, the evaluation system also has to be restructured and modified. The CCE system introduced by CBSE can be thought of as an initiative in this regard. With social and political support for this venture, it is surely going to be a feather  in the cap for the educational system.

 

Shailaja Chandran,Vice Principal, St. Thomas Central School, Trivandrum.  

(This article has been published in ‘CENBOSEC’, the quarterly magazine of CBSE, April-June edition)

Gender sensitization in schools

                                 Gender Sensitization in Schools

 

    In the changing scenario of the modern world where men and women  work together and interact in the professional, the social and the domestic front, gender equality is an essential criterion to be observed by responsible human beings. Gender sensitization is about making people aware of the need to bring about a quantum change in our mindset which sees man as the bread winner and woman as the house keeper. The home- bound woman of yester- years has metamorphosed into the smart, dynamic modern woman who is adept at balancing her professional and domestic lives. She has successfully carved a niche for herself in the scheme of things. Given the increasing number of women who work alongside with men for long hours in the professional field, the need of the hour is to develop a cordial and amiable working environment where there is mutual respect and trust between the sexes, without sexual innuendoes and obstructive chauvinism to mar the atmosphere. The foundation for this changing mindset should be laid right from childhood and that is why the school plays a pivotal role in gender sensitization.

   The school being a miniature society, the first step of gender equality should begin at the school level. The safety of woman has been a matter of concern right from the days of yore. In the absence of effective legislation and punitive measures for the wrong doers, the safety of the girl child is a topic that plagues the mind of every parent. That is why we make a bee line for exclusive schools for boys and for girls, special seats reserved for women in buses, special compartments for ladies in trains etc. But in life, instead of such escapist tendencies to safe guard women, our effort should be to make the society and the country a safe and comfortable place for ladies as well as for men.

   Many women who have inveigled themselves into key positions in society  still feel  insecure and find their positions  precarious. Some are filled with extreme competitive spirit. ‘What men can do ,women can do better’ is a motto that the modern woman is bent on proving over and over again. In the process she is unconsciously generating jealousy, inferiority complex and other negative emotions in men. This will do more harm than good. Right from the primary level, boys and girls should understand that though they have gender differences, both the male and the female species of human kind have an important and worthy role to play in the great drama of life. There should be healthy relationship based on respect, understanding and concern. In the matter of brain power, skill and talents, some may be superior or inferior but that has nothing to do with the gender.

 Parents are to a great extent responsible for such discrimination. Right from a young age, they expect the girl child to conform to the role of the meek, submissive and lesser human being while the boy in the family gets away without punishment for his cruel pranks. The school provides the right environment to do away with such rigid social mores. The teacher takes the pride of place as mentor and guide, showing the child its place in society. The days of damsels in distress and knights in shining armour are over. Let us embolden our girls to stand their ground and fight for their rights. Let us sensitize our boys to the fact that a six pack is not all that defines masculinity and that brain power is mightier than brawn power. Value education should be a part of the school curriculum so that girls and boys can imbibe values and have an insight into the intricate fabric of society in which each has an important role to play. Let them understand that thoughtfulness, regard, respect and concern for others will pave the way for smoother running of society than aggressiveness, impudence and gross disregard for others’ feelings.

    As citizens of a democratic country, we cannot turn a blind eye to our duties and responsibilities to the society and the country. What happened to a hapless girl in the capital city on 16 Dec 2012 has given a jolt to the Indian psyche. It has made us wonder what could have turned ordinary people into such cruel beasts devoid of any humane qualities. Something has gone wrong with the very fabric of society which is bound to protect every one who comes within its frame work. It is worthy to note that it was the youth of India that took the initiative to voice their protests vehemently at the time. The youth of India, of which the student community is an integral part, is a force to reckon with. Since the future of India is being shaped in her class rooms, it is our duty, as educators, to carve a future for our youth wherein they can interact and work in an atmosphere of mutual respect and consideration. Let the class rooms be the work shops where young minds can learn the lessons of life with joy and comfort and gear up to work with devotion and live a wholesome life.

 

 Shailaja Chandran, PGT(English), St. Thomas Central School, Mukkolakkal, Trivandrum.    

 ( This article has been published in CBSE's quarterly magazine CENBOSEC Jan-March edition) 

Congestion fee and the Indian Government

                           

 

‘Get ready to pay congestion fee’ is the title of the news item in the New Indian Express which caught my attention. According to the article, the Union Urban Development Department has written to the Secretaries of all Indian cities to introduce congestion charge scheme in Indian cities. The article mentions cities like London, New York, Milan and Singapore where the fee has been imposed successfully. True, but it must be borne in mind that in these countries, the respective governments have gone all out to provide comforts and amenities to the people before imposing taxes upon them.

    Travelling by the tube or the bus in London is a pleasure. All the buses and coaches are air conditioned. There are announcements before every stop. Plush ,cushioned seats, table tops where you can have your meals, read or even conduct meetings, the  schedule of buses and trains at bus stops and railway stations, sophisticated rail gates and  ticket windows are some facilities installed to ensure that the commuter’s time does not get wasted. Since the daily commuters spend a lion’s share of their lives commuting by rail or by road, all amenities are provided to make public transport easy, comfortable and convenient. Besides connectivity is an additional plus point.

  Now consider the case of India.  In an over populated country like ours, the public transport system, even without the congestion fee is invariably over crowded. That is one reason why people prefer private vehicles, in spite of the escalating fuel charges. In the peak hours we can see heavily over crowded buses with people precariously perched on the foot boards. Many drivers find pleasure in making the people run a mile before they can board the buses. Instances of eve teasing, sexual harassment and accidents while boarding and alighting are dampeners which discourage people from using the public transport. In some cities, A/C buses have been introduced but the connectivity is so poor that you tend to lose patience waiting for these buses. Besides, waiting in the shabby sheds which pass for bus stands, under the scorching sun is so torturous that getting into the next available bus, whether a/c non a/c, private or a dilapidated mockery of a bus is the only  option we have.

   Two other funny alternatives are suggested in the article to combat the over crowding of vehicles- walking and cycling. In a cold country like England, walking and cycling are welcome exercises. But in a hot country like India, these are sure shot methods to get sunstroke and sunburn, notwithstanding all the sun screens and fairness creams available in the market. I am sure most of us would rather pay congestion charges than get baked alive. And that is exactly the sentiment that the powers- that- be intend to exploit. Extract more money out of the poor tax payer without giving him the benefit for his money.

  A caring, responsible government should look out for the comfort of the tax payer before levying taxes If  we  have  a sophisticated and convenient public transport system, why should the people bother to travel by private vehicles? In the Middle Eastern countries like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, I have seen bus stands and over bridges which are air conditioned. Given that these countries are intensely warm, this is how the government looks after the needs and comforts of the people. With the monsoons playing pranks with the land, even Kerala is turning into a veritable desert .But such comforts exist only in our  dreams. And now the Government is thinking of snatching away the comfort of our own vehicles by imposing congestion charges in addition to the hike in fuel charges every other day. Whither, India? Or should I say- wither, India..  

India's Shame

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high…’ These great words of the Bard of  Bengal  had inspired and enthused Indians, mired in poverty and backwardness, enslaved and deprived of their rights by British imperialism. The great sage had envisioned an India where all Indians, irrespective of caste, creed and gender could move freely and  live their dreams. But 65 years after independence, when the new year dawns on 01 Jan 2013, every Indian has cause to hang his head in shame. India that boasts of Chandrayan, the emerging super power  waiting to be acknowledged as one of the developed nations of the world , with a voice that demands to be heard in the corridors of power in the world, could not provide safety and security to one of her daughters who had just sought an innocent pleasure of a late night movie. How can the mind be without fear when the perpetrators of such crimes are at large in the greatest democracy of the world? How can we hold our head up in pride when our own brethren  can perpetrate such violent crimes upon our fellow beings?

          Cry, my beloved country, cry in shame. Cry for the innocent daughter whose dreams and aspirations were burnt to ashes at the altar of man’s lust and beastly amusement. Cry for the thousands of abused girls and women whose voice could not rise above the power and pelf of a  corrupt political  system and the unjust laws of a  blind legal system. Cry for all the crimes committed against the weak and the hapless .      As the dawn of a new year breaks, let us resolve to put right the wrongs done to man by his fellow beings. Let us pledge to exercise courtesy and dignity in our everyday dealings. Let us promise to stand by truth and right and raise our voice against injustice and abuse of any sort. Let us stand united, as we did when the gruesome crime against Amanat  came to light, and fight for the dignity of man and woman in this enlightened world.

           From the age of lawlessness where the law of the jungle prevailed, society has evolved into  the enlightened world of the educated and the sophisticated Indian..Our country can boast of  a woman prime minister, a woman president and a woman as the president of the powerful Congress party. We have a missile woman and many women entrepreneurs and politicians. Yet when a horrendous crime came to light, some of the ‘powers that be’ asked- why did that girl go out at night? Some accused the society of becoming so permissive that there is too much interaction between the sexes. Whenever a crime of this sort is exposed, some point a finger at the way a woman is dressed , the way a woman behaves with the opposite sex. Let us have no more of such narrow minded moral policing. This is the time to think and reflect on what ails our society. It is a sick society that allows what should be considered sacrosanct to be defiled and cheapened. It is a sick society where lust and alcoholism can deaden reasoning and stifle the pricks of conscience . We know that a mob has no conscience or reasoning power. Out of the six beasts who defiled and tortured that girl, not even one had the morality  to stop the others from such a heinous crime. This is a mental aberration that cannot be condoned.

             But there is hope. The protesters who came out in large numbers to raise their voices against this crime points to an India which is no longer content to remain passive and neutral. Here is a voice that cannot be subdued,, a voice that is echoed in the mind and heart of every progressive minded citizen of the modern world. We should not allow this society to regress once more into the dark ages. Progress in society should not be equated with flights into space or nanotechnology or fashion pageants. Progress is the way you treat your fellow citizens, your civic sense, the way you think of others as you think of yourself. Progress is courtesy, care and thoughtfulness in word and deed. Only when each one of us inculcates this kind of respect and concern  for others, our society  can evolve and develop. Let us weed out the anti social elements who stain our society. Don’t let another President exercise clemency and allow rapists to go scot free just for the hollow title of ‘the merciful’. Be tough with the tough and gentle with the gentle. Understand that all human beings cannot be measured with the same yard stick. Among the species of homo sapiens ,there are those for whom a stern word or look would be enough as a punitive measure. But there are others for whom only the gallows would suffice to wipe out their sins.

Pongala

The glow of fire from the makeshift kiln. The brimming earthenware pot containing rice and water overflowing with white froth.The shrill sound of 'kurava' uttered by ladies bending piously over the brimming pots. The fragrance of incence. And my friend beside me,offering 'pongala' in the adjacent hearth,our eyes turning red with the smoke and heat, but our hearts overflowing with devotion and fulfilment.The scene appears vividly before the mind's eye every time I recollect the festival of 'Pongala', deemed to be the largest congregation of women in Asia.The offering is meant to appease Attukal Devi, the favourite Goddess of lakhs of women .

Years back, when my friend Maya invited me to accompany her to perform Pongala, I had agreed out of sheer curiosity. I had only heard of Pongala till then.After years of gallivanting along the length and breadth of India, when I returned to Trivandrum, it was Maya, with her kindness, grace and warmth, who had given me the most enduring moral support.So it was a given that I would accompany her to her aunt's place at Manacaud, to partake of the festival and express solidarity with the lakhs of women performing this holy ritual on an auspicious day which marks the culmination of the nine day festival of the temple..

We had to walk for miles and miles. For some 5 kilometres around the temple, the whole area was cordoned off , preventing all vehicular traffic.Rows and rows of bricks arranged in triangular fashion sported earthen ware pots in which would be cooked the offering. There was no distinction between the rich and the poor- all were equal in front of the Goddess, bound by an invisible bond of devotion to the Goddess. As we all kept waiting, the priest lit the main kiln in the temple at an auspicious moment. This was the signal for all of us to kindle the fire and start preparing pongala- a concoction of rice, jaggery,coconut, bananas, ghee and dry fruits. The brave hearts amongst us experimented and came up with so many innovative varieties but Maya and I stuck to the usual sweet one. We fasted for the whole day and broke our fast only when the priest sprinkled holy water upon our offering. Afterwards we partook of the sumptuous feast generously offered by the lady of the house to all those who had accepted her hospitality and usurped every nook and corner of her vast compound.

A few times, we had even ventured into the temple, braving the scorching heat and the serpentine queues, to have a glimpse of the deity.Though it is a festival for the ladies, men also took an active part, mostly as volunteers, helping in the arrangements, offering water, lemon juice, buttermilk and meals to the devotees.Altogether, an unforgettable experience that made us feel elated.

After years of offering pongala together, Maya and I had to part ways, as her husband's transfer to Delhi took her away to the capital city. Now I don't go to Manacaud to perform the ritual. Instead I do it at home, in my own compound. I do it because, like thousands of other women, I too have turned into a devotee of Attukal Devi. Also because it signifies a togetherness never before felt or seen. Besides, in my mind, this festival is inextricably tied up with a rare friendship, unhampered by jealousy, rivalry, selfishness and all other baser emotions. It is this friendship that I celebrate as I perform this ritual year after year..

The Airport Experience

Last summer during vacation, when I visited Sid in London , I got plenty of time to watch television, a luxury which is denied when the school routine starts full swing. 'Airport' was the most watched serial. I remember sitting glued to the TV as the drama at the airport unfolded on the screen.The helplessness of the passengers who were denied entry was firmly etched in my mind. The reasons were various- forgotten passports, getting to the terminal after the gates were closed, being rude to fellow passengers or to the stewardesses, racism, luggage improperly packed etc.Needless to say, 'Airport ' was my favourite serial, next to my other favourite, CSI.But never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I too would be embroiled in an imbroglio similar to the one on TV.

The journey from Chandigarh to Delhi is supposed to take 5 hours. Since our flight from Delhi to Kochi via Mumbai was scheduled for 6.40 am, we decided to to travel by road at night from Chandigarh.A visit spiced with good will, good humour and charming hospitality was coming to an end. A lingering farewell with promises to come again, and we packed into the Innova waiting to transport us to Delhi airport.

A cold winter's night at the lag end of December. Comfortably ensconced in woollens and blankets, the winter chill could not dampen our spirits. The streets of Chandigarh passed by in a haze and we relived the funny moments we had in this famous city, significant to us as the birth place of my younger son Arjun and my daughter in law Kivya. Once the city limits flitted past , we were rudely forced to veer away from memory lane into cold reality as we hit the fog head on.

Visibility nil.Our Innova GLE was not fitted with fog lights. Good humour slowly gave way to pangs of anxiety and worry as the driver struggled and strained at the wheel.My brother in law Col Ramesh had once narrated his experience in the fog when they were out on firing in Rajasthan. A jawan had to walk in front of the jeep with a torch inorder to show them the way in the fog. But sans the jawan and the torch light, we tagged on to the tail light of the car in front of us and plodded our way through the dense fog. When the vehicle neared the city limits, the fog thinned and we could make out the vague shapes of buildings on the sides and the row of vehicles going in front. But once we passed the city limits, we had to slow down due to the dense fog.Continuous honking from behind reminded us that we were slowing others down. So we allowed them to pass. A white Maruti followed by a row of bigger vehicles passed by in a procession. We admired the pluck of the driver who could so undauntedly plunge into the blinding fog.But soon we saw a reverse manouvre taking place. The valiant vehicles which had surged forward were now trying to veer to the back, allowing us to go ahead.We politely refused the offer to overtake. 'Pahle aap, pahle aap'.It was a race to bring up the rear, not to lead from the front.

While setting off, I had visualized a cosy 5 hr sleep in the car. But now , I was sitting on edge, fervently praying to my favourite deities to come to our aid:-'Lead kindly light, amidst the encircling gloom..lead thou me on..'As the hours ticked by, tension mounted. Finally we saw Delhi lights. The fog had lifted. Our Innova zoomed ahead.We broke all speed limits and some traffic rules.Five souls in one car, with one aim, one business- ye dilli hai yaar---.

As the lights and sign boards indicating Delhi airport became visible, we scrutinized the tickets for the terminal.Only Indira Gandhi International Airport was written.No terminal no..Sid called the call centre and confirmed that it was Delhi International Airport. So we assumed it meant the main airport and directed the driver accordingly.An hour before boarding time we alighted with broad grins and whole hearted 'Thank you's.The driver, grinning from ear to ear, bade us Good bye and bon voyage.As he started his homeward journey, we lugged our luggage to the security gate. One look at the ticket and the guard said-'This flight takes off from the Domestic terminal'.

Aghast, we turned back in full throttle.No sign of our taxi. Mobiles were retrieved from jacket pockets and urgent calls went from four mobiles to the same receiver.The alarmed driver could find no U turn to reverse the car. We waited for a full 10 minutes before the cab came back. Another 10 minutes to rush to the domestic terminal.Once again ,lugging the luggage ..'hurry up,please, it's time------'.Four woollen packed figures reached the counter, puffing and panting.The immaculately clothed young man with the most impassive expression on his face, indicated the sign which said,' Gate Closed', and said, 'I am sorry, Madam.We can't allow you to board now'.I remembered all the passengers who had faced similar situations in the serial.Replayed the scene in my mind. How had they tackled the situation? Some were mad, some were wild, some had pleaded, some had begged.What should I do?

Never give up- the strains of a song came to my mind. So we persisted. Demanded to see the manager.A young man came. I was relieved to see that he looked human and reasonable. Sid and I explained our predicament. He said that particular airline always used the Domestic terminal. I said we didn't know. He said we should have called. We said we had.But nobody mentioned the terminal no.He said it was written outside. We said we were in a blazing hurry ,so could not read the boards. He asked why we hadn't ascertained before getting out of the taxi. We said we had no clue at all till the security guard told us.As we traded arguments, the Manager went around to find out if we could be accommodated somehow. It was our luck to find a reasonable young man who could empathize with our plight. A rarity, as we could discern from the reaction of the others around us.But all flights were fully booked. He offered to give us four seats for the next day. We refused at first. My leave was over and I had to rejoin the next day.We demanded to see the highest authority. So we were taken to the Airport Manager. Again luck was on our side. Another man with a sense of humour.. He agreed that the Airlines people should have mentioned the terminal. It was the fault of the agency which issued the ticket. He advised us to take up the offer of the tickets for the next day. So we did.

The Airlines would not provide accommodation.We made our way to the Army Guest House. It was fully booked. We rang up the officer in charge. Thank God for old world courtesy and chivalry.And compassion for the plight of a fellow officer's family. The officer left no stone unturned to ensure that we got at least one room. Later one more. The bonds that unite the Army fraternity are as strong as ever.We slept without tension and worry and made up for our sleeplessness the previous night.

Our travails did not end there. We had arranged for a taxi to pick us up from Cochin. By the time I informed the travel agency, the taxi had already left Trivandrum to pick us up from Cochin. It had to be recalled and rescheduled for the next day. But the next day was Kerala's own Hartal day and taxis and autos were to go off road as protest against fuel hike.Where there is a problem, there will be a solution too. So the taxi turned into a private vehicle and we reached home at mid night. In God's own country too,some rules are to be followed, others to be bent and some few to be broken or amended.

New Year Resolution

I have been neglecting my hobby for too long. Got caught up in a whirlwind of activities.Always thought I would find time for myself when all my commitments are over. But there is no end to it- when one job is over, another crops up. Between domestic chores and professional commitments there is no time to 'stand and stare', let alone to indulge in my own special interests.'That one talent ,which is death to hide, is lodged with me useless..' This year's New Year Resolution- to update my blog, add a little something every week, if not every day.So here goes- the first addition of 2011.
Multi tasking- that's what I have been doing for the past one month or so. Travel , visits, attending weddings,parties,exams,evaluation,annual day,syllabus completion, revision,trying out new recipes, updating finance,taking care of plots and flats- all come under the purview of activities undertaken. Pune, Delhi, Chandigarh, Kapurtala, Cochin, Guruvayoor are the places visited in the past three weeks.A great get together is almost over and my children will leave tomorrow. Sid and Kivya back to London, Arjun back to Pune.And I? Once more, back to the routine- school , classes ,students. Yes, one more year has started.