Last Sunday was the Mylapore Thruvizha Kolam contest on North Mada Street. While waiting for the organizers to get things started I heard a baby’s loud wailing. Behind a park car a huge woman was scolding a little baby and poking her with a piece a wood in her hand. I walked up and made casual talk.. asked her why the child was crying. The big lady replied that the child was refusing to eat her food and the lady was mad that the child was turning her face away from the food. I found out that the child was 1 ½ years old and cringed inwards at the unreasonable expectation. I casually told her that even my 2 yr old fussed about food and did not eat easily. She wasn’t very pleased with my presence and I slowly walked off.
5 mts later I hear the child screaming and crying again. I walked up behind the car and found the kid lying down and this big lady whacking her on the hand with the wood piece. The whacks were so hard I could hear the ‘thap thap’ noises.
My blood boiled – I screamed at her to stop her mad behaviour. There was a posse of traffic policeman 5 feet away for the festival. They came running hearing my screaming and shooed the lady away. As if that solves this problem !!!!
I called Chld Helpline 1098, gave them the location where the child was and waited for their counselors to arrive.
Meanwhile a few policemen arrived there to monitor the festival crowd. I walked up to an officer and asked him if he could counsel the lady on violent abuse of the child and its consequences under the Domestic violence Act. He then informed me that the lady had a history of violent behaviour – infact it had led to her two sons going wonky – one went mad and ran away and the other committed suicide. He said he would give her a warning.
Meanwhile, half an hour and childline counselors did not come.
While the big lady had moved a little farther away from the scene, the baby and its mother were closeby. I walked up to the mother – a frail, dirty looking woman. I found her a very sensible person to talk to. She said she had borrowed Rs. 500 from the big lady ( who is a local flower seller) and hence could not say anything when she does anything to her children (she had another 3 yr old). I counseled her that kids who grow up being abused or seeing violence could go astray and would lose their own self-respect. The local fruit sellers and small shop owners were all supportive of her and said that they would pitch in and keep a watch on the children.
I asked the mother if she wanted her kids to go to a Home for care and education. She said she would keep them with her. I asked her if she had been sterilized. She said that the doctors at Gosha hospital (free for the poor) had refused to sterilize her saying her body was weak.
This is just a narration of a Sunday afternoorn I spent.
However there are two issues that worry me:
If a lady wants to be sterilized, does she have to be of strong constitution ? I need to know the medical position on this, because I have heard this comment from a lot of poor women. My house help’s mother had 6 children – even she says that the doctors did not sterilize her saying she had a weak constitution. Too weak to sterilize but strong enough to bear 6 kids !!
If this is not a correct medical position, then there is a systemic issue to correct here. Sterilization should not be denied to women who seek it on flippant grounds.
Secondly, there is a category of kids who are marginalized, they have parents but in circumstances that require them to be on the roads – they are easy prey to child abuse, physical and sexual, drugs, bad company, trafficking, unsafe roads.
I put these kids in the category “Kids in Danger”. They need a far more organized level of supervision than what our system has now.
We need to work towards a community participation in the upbringing of its marginalized kids. Child Watch Volunteers need to keep a watchful eye on these kids. These Volunteers could be the local housewives or the local shopkeepers or the area policemen or temple priests, etc. They need to be trained on the steps to be taken in the event of seeing abusive behaviour. A process of mainstreaming these kids is required.
We need to work on this on an urgent basis.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Educating THE CHILD
In all my experience as a parent and as a teacher, I have always clarified to my colleagues and friends that education is very different from literacy. It is sad that most people confuse the two. Let me clarify:
As part of Ethnobotany, a branch of study that deals with native knowledge of useful plants, I realized just how "educated" these tribals were when compared to us city dwellers, who would have not bothered to look at these simple "weeds" that "grew" underfoot and needed to be "removed". On the contrary, the tribal was so knowledgeable on this regard and explained the medicinal properties of so many herbs that made our heads swim in a few minutes!
He did not know how to read and write English, nor did he know how to "present" a paper in an international conference, but he knew his environment. He was an expert in his "field". He was "educated" but not literate.
I know of my "educated" friends- some of them from top notch schools with fabulous reputations and high paying jobs. The ignorance and disregard for the environment and earth is truly amazing. They have huge carbon footprints but care less. These people are certainly "literate" but uneducated, IMHO.
Now that we have "defined" education in a roundabout fashion, let us see how we go about "educating" a child. Let us look at an infant. Unless there is a severe disability like loss of hearing or sight or a learning disability caused by genetic or neural reasons, most babies are curious about their environment, respond to stimuli, be it light or sound and they identify many sequences of actions. There is an authentic exploration of her immediate environment with all the senses.
This simple phase in one's life is feted by all and make babies "cute". Then the toddler emerges pushing the boundaries of the parents and challenging the limits of freedom provided by new-found-legs! Again the explorations continue and the "realm" of curiosity is extended. Again the "naughty" child is favored with gentle smiles and half hearted frowns!
Enter School.
Suddenly children are sequestered into rooms with several others of the same age and expected to "behave" and show "results". And the results should fall into the area of the teacher's expectation. I remember last year when Satvik was attending an Art class. All the kids were told to draw this "stained glass" design with lotuses in a pond and a rising sun in the horizon. While all the children followed the color scheme and painted the water blue and the sun orange, Satvik went for a "natural look" and decided to make the water orange along with the sun to show the "reflection" and of course, his was not within the purview of acceptability as the "Tiffany" stained glass design was not faithfully reproduced.
There are many more instances that I can list that tell of these small ways by which "adults" destroy the curiosity, creativity and willing-to-take-risk attitude of childhood making dull-eyed A plus students. I have often wondered if it is some sort of revenge the adults take out on kids as they feel envious of the fresh-eyed curiosity of kids and it forces then to realize what they have lost (or forced to lose!)
I think this world needs spiritually awakened teachers who sees beyond the marksheet and see the divine being who needs no "teaching" residing within each child. The more we attune ourselves with our inner "being", the more we will know what each child needs to "learn".
Like Sri Aurobindo beautifully explained, " The first principle of teaching is nothing can be taught." How powerful a statement! Unfortunately, "information" is stuffed down a child's throat in the name of "education". The learner, the child, needs to unravel his own ability as he finds himself in unique situations in life and explore his inner potential. All he has to do is shrug away the cloak of ignorance that appears limiting.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
a quote on the power of the teacher
Haim Ginott's (1972) famous quote reminds us of the power that lies in the hands of a teacher:
"I have come to a frightening conclusion. I am the decisive element in the classroom. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher I possess tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humour, hurt or heel. In all situations, it is my response that determines whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated, and a child humanized or de-humanized."
Such tremendous power over gen-next !
Friday, January 16, 2009
The Underperforming Child - Part 2
Here is a CBSE Circular to Schools on accepting Diversity - it appears therefore that this method of "weeding out underperformers" does not have the sanction of the CBSE. Then, does this not classify as 'child abuse' ?
CENTRAL BOARD OF SECONDARY EDUCATION
2,COMMUNITY CENTRE, PREET VIHAR, DELHI-110092.
NO. CBSE/ACAD/INCLUSIVE EDUCATION/2008 29th Oct.,2008
Circular No. 45
All the Heads of the institutions
affiliated to CBSE.
Subject: Inclusive Practices in CBSE schools
Dear Principal,
Inclusion is not just about including children with disabilities. It is about embracing the idea that diversity is the reality and, therefore, each child is a unique learner.
Learners learn and use their learning differently. Today’s learner in schools may be culturally or linguistically different or they may suffer from minor or major disabilities, they may come from different family or socio-economic background or they may be disadvantaged due to economic, social, cultural, linguistic, gender, administrative, vocational disability or other factors. They need to overcome all these barriers with the help of an enabling school environment. The educators and all stakeholders including parents and members of the community need to develop the capacity to address the differences that each school might present.
With respect to children with disabilities, the Central Board of Secondary Education has provided relaxation for disabled children. These are placed at Annexure 1 for your reference. It is earnestly hoped that schools will adapt / adopt some of these measures right from primary level. The sooner children are identified, the easier it is to help them monitor their disability and improve their performance.
The Board had brought out a document related to Poor School Performance in schools focusing on the major issue of slow learning caused by dyslexia and other co-morbid disabilities. This document is in the process of being revised.
We need to respect diversity so that every child no matter what his/her background and ability is provided a relevant and meaningful education. Being different is a fact which most of us understand. Inclusion is an effort to make sure all learners including children with disabilities access school alongwith other children and receive “specially designed support and instruction” which they need to succeed as learners and to achieve the required competence and skills.
……../-
- 2 -
The schools also need to follow the Advisory enclosed at Annexure 2. It may be noted that all schools need to comply with Inclusive Education Practices and admit children with disability in their institutions failing which stringent action to the extent of disaffiliation of the schools may be taken.
Often children are labeled as `lazy’ or `poor performers’ since they have a seemingly `invisible disability’ called Learning Disability (LD). Learning Disability can manifest itself in learners in various ways and hamper their ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or to do mathematical calculations. These learners may suffer from some impairment in perception, conceptualization, language, memory, attention or motor control.
It is hoped that schools will realize this serious concern and take appropriate initiatives to address these issues. The Board in the meantime is also in the process of bringing out a document on Inclusive Practices in School Education. Inclusive thinking and practices involve learners with disabilities in mainstream education curricula, assessment practices and classroom transaction which encourage the general and subject teacher to work together for the benefit of each student.
Inclusion presents a challenge not just on behalf of students with disabilities but also on behalf of students who are different in other ways. Different languages and cultures, different income groups and different ways of learning need accommodation from educators.
The redressal of the issue of child labour can no longer be postponed any further. Let us reinforce that the `school is the best place for a child to work’.
Moving ahead, the CBSE would like to recommend to all its affiliated schools that their children and staff take a pledge to stop child labour in their own homes and neighborhoods.
This can be repeated twice a week during assembly and children can ensure that no child below the age of 18 years is employed in their own homes. This can be followed by expanding the initiative to homes of close relatives and friends and even the neighbourhood. Schools can also take on various activities(according to age of children), such as research on child labour, performing street plays on combating child labour, making posters, pamphlets and display boards; writing articles and making short films on the topic. The CBSE would be very eager to get reports from the school on the impact of this initiative and would look forward to case studies that the Board could share with others.
…………………./-
- 3 -
In its broadest and all encompassing meaning, Inclusive Education, as an approach, seeks to address the learning needs of all children, youth and adults with a specific focus on those who are vulnerable to marginalization and exclusion. It implies all learners, young people - with or without disabilities being able to learn together through access to common pre-school provisions, schools and community educational setting with an appropriate network of support services. This is possible only in a flexible education system that assimilates the needs of a diverse range of learners and adapts itself to meet these needs. It aims at all stakeholders in the system (learners, parents, community, teachers, administrators, policy makers) to be comfortable with diversity and see it as a challenge rather than a problem. (Action Plan for Inclusive Education of Children and Youth with Disabilities, MHRD, 2005)
Yours sincerely,
(DR.SADHANA PARASHAR)
EDUCATION OFFICER(L)
Copy with a request to respective Heads of Directorates/KVS/NVS/CTSA as indicated below to also disseminate the information to all concerned schools under their jurisdiction :
01 The Commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, 18 Institutional Area, Shaheed Jeet Singh Marg, New Delhi-110 016.
02 The Commissioner, Navodya Vidyalaya Samiti, A-28, Kailash Colony, New Delhi.
03 The Director of Education, Directorate of Education, Govt. of NCT of Delhi, Old Secretariat, Delhi-110054.
04 The Director of Public Instructions (Schools), Union Territory Secretariat, Sector-9, Chandigarh-160017.
05 The Director of Education, Govt. of Sikkim, Gangtok, Sikkim-737101
06 The Director of School Education,Govt of Arunachal Pradesh,Itanagar-
07 The Director of Education, Govt. of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Port Blair-
08. The Secretary, Central Tibetan School Administration, ESSESS Plaza, Community Centre, Sector 3, Rohini, Delhi-110 085.
09 All Regional Officers of CBSE with the request to send this circular to all the Heads of the affiliated schools of the Board in their respective regions.
10. All Education Officers of the Academic Branch, CBSE
11. All Asstt. Education Officers, CBSE
12. The Library and Information Officer, CBSE
13. E.O. to Chairman CBSE
14. P.A. to C.E., CBSE
15. D.O. to Secretary, CBSE
16. P.A. to Director (Academic), CBSE
17. P.A. to HOD (EDUSAT), CBSE
18. P.A. to HOD(AIEEE), CBSE
19. PRO, CBSE
EDUCATION OFFICER(L)
Annexure 1
Concessions Given To The Physically Challenged Candidates
1. Exemption from studying third language up to middle school level (i.e. Class VIII).
2. Permission to use an amanuensis.
3. The amanuensis is a student of class lower than the one for which the candidate will be taking the examination.
4. The Centre Superintendent of the Examination Centre chooses a suitable amanuensis and forwards his/her particulars to the Regional Officer concerned for consideration and approval.
5. The candidate pays the fee as prescribed for use of the amanuensis to the Board. However, the Blind, Physically Handicapped or Spastic Candidates are being provided services of an amanuensis free of cost.
6. The amanuensis is paid remuneration as prescribed from time to time by the Board.
7. The candidate may be permitted to use the services of an amanuensis in all or any of the papers. Services of same amanuensis is taken for all the papers.
8. The candidates are being permitted to draw the diagrams etc. themselves, if desired by them. Services of same amanuensis is taken for all the papers.
9. Additional time as under is given in each paper;
For paper of 3 hours duration 60 minutes
For paper of 2 ½ hours duration 50 minutes
For paper of 2 hours duration 40 minutes
For paper of 1 ½ hours duration 30 minutes
10. The Centre Superintendent makes the sitting arrangements for the dyslexic, blind, physically handicapped and spastic candidates on the ground floor, as far as possible.
11. Alternative type questions are provided in lieu of questions having visual inputs for the blind candidates in English Communicative and Social Science for Class X and History, Geography and Economics for Class XII.
12. Separate question papers in enlarged print for Mathematics and Science & Technology in Class X are provided.
13. The Centre Superintendent(s) are directed to send the answer books of special
category students in separate covers.
14. To facilitate easy access, a few selected schools are made examination centres
special students.
15. Blind candidates from Delhi have the facility to use computer or a typewriter for writing answers.
16. Teachers from blind schools are appointed as Assistant Superintendent(s) (Invigilators) at the special examination centres. However, precaution is taken to appoint different subject teachers on different days.
17. A separate column has been provided on the title page of the answer book for indicating the category of physically challenged candidates so that these answer books could be segregated for sending them separately to the Regional Office of the Board.
18. However, at the Secondary School level a candidate has an option to opt for one language and any four of the following electives:
Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Another Language, Music, Painting, Home Science and Introductory Information Technology, Commerce (Elements of Business) & Commerce (Elements of Book Keeping and Accountancy)
19. Blind candidates have been permitted to offer subjects like Music, Home Science
etc. which are not available in the school
Annexure 2
Advisory to schools :
As per Guidelines of Inclusive Education of Children with Disabilities (IECD) each school is advised :
1. to ensure that no child with special needs is denied admission in Mainstream Education
2. to monitor the enrollment in schools of disabled children
3. to provide support through assistive devices and the availability of trained teachers
4. to modify the existing physical infrastructure and teaching methodologies to meet the needs of all children including Children with Special Needs
5. to ensure that 3% reservation of persons with disabilities is done in all institutions receiving funds from Government (Under The Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995)
6. to ensure that all schools are made disabled friendly by 2020 and all educational institutions including hostels, libraries, laboratories and buildings will have barrier free access for the disabled
7. to ensure availability of Study material for the disabled and Talking Text Books, Reading Machines and computers with speech software
8. to ensure an adequate number of sign language interpreters, transcription services and a loop induction system will be introduced for the hearing handicapped students
9. to revisit classroom organization required for the education of Children with Special Needs
10. to ensure regular in-service training of teachers in inclusive education at the elementary and secondary level.
CENTRAL BOARD OF SECONDARY EDUCATION
2,COMMUNITY CENTRE, PREET VIHAR, DELHI-110092.
NO. CBSE/ACAD/INCLUSIVE EDUCATION/2008 29th Oct.,2008
Circular No. 45
All the Heads of the institutions
affiliated to CBSE.
Subject: Inclusive Practices in CBSE schools
Dear Principal,
Inclusion is not just about including children with disabilities. It is about embracing the idea that diversity is the reality and, therefore, each child is a unique learner.
Learners learn and use their learning differently. Today’s learner in schools may be culturally or linguistically different or they may suffer from minor or major disabilities, they may come from different family or socio-economic background or they may be disadvantaged due to economic, social, cultural, linguistic, gender, administrative, vocational disability or other factors. They need to overcome all these barriers with the help of an enabling school environment. The educators and all stakeholders including parents and members of the community need to develop the capacity to address the differences that each school might present.
With respect to children with disabilities, the Central Board of Secondary Education has provided relaxation for disabled children. These are placed at Annexure 1 for your reference. It is earnestly hoped that schools will adapt / adopt some of these measures right from primary level. The sooner children are identified, the easier it is to help them monitor their disability and improve their performance.
The Board had brought out a document related to Poor School Performance in schools focusing on the major issue of slow learning caused by dyslexia and other co-morbid disabilities. This document is in the process of being revised.
We need to respect diversity so that every child no matter what his/her background and ability is provided a relevant and meaningful education. Being different is a fact which most of us understand. Inclusion is an effort to make sure all learners including children with disabilities access school alongwith other children and receive “specially designed support and instruction” which they need to succeed as learners and to achieve the required competence and skills.
……../-
- 2 -
The schools also need to follow the Advisory enclosed at Annexure 2. It may be noted that all schools need to comply with Inclusive Education Practices and admit children with disability in their institutions failing which stringent action to the extent of disaffiliation of the schools may be taken.
Often children are labeled as `lazy’ or `poor performers’ since they have a seemingly `invisible disability’ called Learning Disability (LD). Learning Disability can manifest itself in learners in various ways and hamper their ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or to do mathematical calculations. These learners may suffer from some impairment in perception, conceptualization, language, memory, attention or motor control.
It is hoped that schools will realize this serious concern and take appropriate initiatives to address these issues. The Board in the meantime is also in the process of bringing out a document on Inclusive Practices in School Education. Inclusive thinking and practices involve learners with disabilities in mainstream education curricula, assessment practices and classroom transaction which encourage the general and subject teacher to work together for the benefit of each student.
Inclusion presents a challenge not just on behalf of students with disabilities but also on behalf of students who are different in other ways. Different languages and cultures, different income groups and different ways of learning need accommodation from educators.
The redressal of the issue of child labour can no longer be postponed any further. Let us reinforce that the `school is the best place for a child to work’.
Moving ahead, the CBSE would like to recommend to all its affiliated schools that their children and staff take a pledge to stop child labour in their own homes and neighborhoods.
This can be repeated twice a week during assembly and children can ensure that no child below the age of 18 years is employed in their own homes. This can be followed by expanding the initiative to homes of close relatives and friends and even the neighbourhood. Schools can also take on various activities(according to age of children), such as research on child labour, performing street plays on combating child labour, making posters, pamphlets and display boards; writing articles and making short films on the topic. The CBSE would be very eager to get reports from the school on the impact of this initiative and would look forward to case studies that the Board could share with others.
…………………./-
- 3 -
In its broadest and all encompassing meaning, Inclusive Education, as an approach, seeks to address the learning needs of all children, youth and adults with a specific focus on those who are vulnerable to marginalization and exclusion. It implies all learners, young people - with or without disabilities being able to learn together through access to common pre-school provisions, schools and community educational setting with an appropriate network of support services. This is possible only in a flexible education system that assimilates the needs of a diverse range of learners and adapts itself to meet these needs. It aims at all stakeholders in the system (learners, parents, community, teachers, administrators, policy makers) to be comfortable with diversity and see it as a challenge rather than a problem. (Action Plan for Inclusive Education of Children and Youth with Disabilities, MHRD, 2005)
Yours sincerely,
(DR.SADHANA PARASHAR)
EDUCATION OFFICER(L)
Copy with a request to respective Heads of Directorates/KVS/NVS/CTSA as indicated below to also disseminate the information to all concerned schools under their jurisdiction :
01 The Commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, 18 Institutional Area, Shaheed Jeet Singh Marg, New Delhi-110 016.
02 The Commissioner, Navodya Vidyalaya Samiti, A-28, Kailash Colony, New Delhi.
03 The Director of Education, Directorate of Education, Govt. of NCT of Delhi, Old Secretariat, Delhi-110054.
04 The Director of Public Instructions (Schools), Union Territory Secretariat, Sector-9, Chandigarh-160017.
05 The Director of Education, Govt. of Sikkim, Gangtok, Sikkim-737101
06 The Director of School Education,Govt of Arunachal Pradesh,Itanagar-
07 The Director of Education, Govt. of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Port Blair-
08. The Secretary, Central Tibetan School Administration, ESSESS Plaza, Community Centre, Sector 3, Rohini, Delhi-110 085.
09 All Regional Officers of CBSE with the request to send this circular to all the Heads of the affiliated schools of the Board in their respective regions.
10. All Education Officers of the Academic Branch, CBSE
11. All Asstt. Education Officers, CBSE
12. The Library and Information Officer, CBSE
13. E.O. to Chairman CBSE
14. P.A. to C.E., CBSE
15. D.O. to Secretary, CBSE
16. P.A. to Director (Academic), CBSE
17. P.A. to HOD (EDUSAT), CBSE
18. P.A. to HOD(AIEEE), CBSE
19. PRO, CBSE
EDUCATION OFFICER(L)
Annexure 1
Concessions Given To The Physically Challenged Candidates
1. Exemption from studying third language up to middle school level (i.e. Class VIII).
2. Permission to use an amanuensis.
3. The amanuensis is a student of class lower than the one for which the candidate will be taking the examination.
4. The Centre Superintendent of the Examination Centre chooses a suitable amanuensis and forwards his/her particulars to the Regional Officer concerned for consideration and approval.
5. The candidate pays the fee as prescribed for use of the amanuensis to the Board. However, the Blind, Physically Handicapped or Spastic Candidates are being provided services of an amanuensis free of cost.
6. The amanuensis is paid remuneration as prescribed from time to time by the Board.
7. The candidate may be permitted to use the services of an amanuensis in all or any of the papers. Services of same amanuensis is taken for all the papers.
8. The candidates are being permitted to draw the diagrams etc. themselves, if desired by them. Services of same amanuensis is taken for all the papers.
9. Additional time as under is given in each paper;
For paper of 3 hours duration 60 minutes
For paper of 2 ½ hours duration 50 minutes
For paper of 2 hours duration 40 minutes
For paper of 1 ½ hours duration 30 minutes
10. The Centre Superintendent makes the sitting arrangements for the dyslexic, blind, physically handicapped and spastic candidates on the ground floor, as far as possible.
11. Alternative type questions are provided in lieu of questions having visual inputs for the blind candidates in English Communicative and Social Science for Class X and History, Geography and Economics for Class XII.
12. Separate question papers in enlarged print for Mathematics and Science & Technology in Class X are provided.
13. The Centre Superintendent(s) are directed to send the answer books of special
category students in separate covers.
14. To facilitate easy access, a few selected schools are made examination centres
special students.
15. Blind candidates from Delhi have the facility to use computer or a typewriter for writing answers.
16. Teachers from blind schools are appointed as Assistant Superintendent(s) (Invigilators) at the special examination centres. However, precaution is taken to appoint different subject teachers on different days.
17. A separate column has been provided on the title page of the answer book for indicating the category of physically challenged candidates so that these answer books could be segregated for sending them separately to the Regional Office of the Board.
18. However, at the Secondary School level a candidate has an option to opt for one language and any four of the following electives:
Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Another Language, Music, Painting, Home Science and Introductory Information Technology, Commerce (Elements of Business) & Commerce (Elements of Book Keeping and Accountancy)
19. Blind candidates have been permitted to offer subjects like Music, Home Science
etc. which are not available in the school
Annexure 2
Advisory to schools :
As per Guidelines of Inclusive Education of Children with Disabilities (IECD) each school is advised :
1. to ensure that no child with special needs is denied admission in Mainstream Education
2. to monitor the enrollment in schools of disabled children
3. to provide support through assistive devices and the availability of trained teachers
4. to modify the existing physical infrastructure and teaching methodologies to meet the needs of all children including Children with Special Needs
5. to ensure that 3% reservation of persons with disabilities is done in all institutions receiving funds from Government (Under The Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995)
6. to ensure that all schools are made disabled friendly by 2020 and all educational institutions including hostels, libraries, laboratories and buildings will have barrier free access for the disabled
7. to ensure availability of Study material for the disabled and Talking Text Books, Reading Machines and computers with speech software
8. to ensure an adequate number of sign language interpreters, transcription services and a loop induction system will be introduced for the hearing handicapped students
9. to revisit classroom organization required for the education of Children with Special Needs
10. to ensure regular in-service training of teachers in inclusive education at the elementary and secondary level.
The "Underperforming" Child
Letter to people who run schools: On the Issue of “Weeding Out Under-performers”
Dear School Managers,
I send my child to you every morning, trusting you as a valuable partner in the process of making my child into a good person, a person who respects, appreciates and accepts diversity and a person who can think of a larger good in common for mankind.
I hope we are in sync – because there are what I believe are universal, never-to-be-compromised values which every child must grow up with a firm belief in.
You are her Role Models- in fact, my child picks up values from you far more than she is ready to pick up from me. That is the power and the reach of “the school and its attitude”.
So I believe she should see you
being fair and just, even in the most difficult of circumstances;
treating every being the same – with sensitivity love and respect;
putting in your very best effort to help every child grasp every concept;
focus on educating every child, rather than running the rat race of “rankings amongst schools”;
as a group with a highly evolved Emotional Quotient and what I call the “Diversity Quotient”, and not just focused on IQ;
as a group of committed educationists not afraid of looking at changed ways of thinking;
keeping the trust of every parent who looks up to your system for support and understanding in this frenzied world;
as a loving refuge that treats every child as precious and indispensable.
It would shatter her if she saw in you partiality, prejudices, an unwillingness to listen to a child’s point of view and a focus on commercial interest that sacrifices a child’s interest.
With this background of the Role you play in my child’s life, let me raise an issue seen in several schools today – a practice of “weeding out the underperformers starting from even the very lower classes.”
I have just a few questions for you to think about:
a) Have you made all efforts to put across the CONCEPT to the underperforming child? I know most schools do not have special coaching for the underperformer. You teach him using methods used for top-performers or interested children – how then can you expect him to respond favourably? Have you tried innovating methods to catch his attention and connect at his level of understanding?
b) Have you checked if the student-teacher relationship is not damaged or that the child is not suffering from any physical issue or emotional unrest ? If you thought his fit to be admitted to your school at one point of time, what did you do that made him unfit ?
Next, on your judgment methods - Let us say he gets the CONCEPT right – for example a Std. III student gets the concept that Multiplication is repeated Addition, but takes longer to do a Multiplication sum than his peers take, or has less accuracy in an Examination system and therefore ends up with lesser marks, well, what, pray tell me, is wrong with that ? Isn’t it sufficient that he has learnt the Concept and will in due course master its application as well. Why can’t he be allowed the slower pace that he is designed for at this stage of his life ? Tell me, if a child does not write his alphabet after a whole year of your effort when he is 5 years old, do you even reasonably think that he is not going to learn to write the alphabet in less than 24 hours when he is 8 years old. Then why rush him when he is not ready for the alphabet ? How does it help to detain him in the same class and make him go through the boredom of the same stuff for an entire year ? Tell me how the rest of the class is affected if a few in class are allowed to follow a different pace.
Infact, I believe that it does a world of good for my child to see children with different abilities being respected and treated as “mainstream”. It teaches her a huge lesson in the virtue of patience – just waiting till the ‘slow’ child is ready to catch up. It teaches her that she need not lose a friend because he can’t write the alphabet as quickly as she can.
Please give up this prejudice that a child who underperforms in Std. III is destined to be an under-performer throughout life. This writer is a classic example - from being an absolutely low marked student upto my Std. III, I ended up being one of the Class Toppers consistently thereafter. So let the child just pick up the concept through harder efforts on your part (oh, ask the parent to pay for those extra sessions or the added resource or time if you may – even that is a better option to playing around with a child’s morale ?), and stop focusing on the details that clutter the examination system.
Have you thought of creative, better solutions ? There are systems where a child is allowed to continue through his studies in all the passed subject while staying back only for the subject where he has failed. For eg- a child could move along with his peers to Std. IV in English, Science and Social Studies while continuing to study the unfinished concepts of Std. III.
Have you thought of methods by which the child is not branded a loser or made to drop out of the mainstream, lose his friends, be subjected to sarcasm at home or amongst the teachers – and yet go through the process of education in its finest sense ?
Oh, before the typical “adult-ish” cynical, self-righteous replies get instinctively formulated in your mind, please know that there certainly are ways to do this – and with all respect may I say, it is your business to find these ways. It just takes a teacher to teach a brilliant, interested student – but it takes a great teacher to teach an under-performing, disinterested child. What efforts are you making to build your pool of great teachers ?
I dread to think of the lesson in intolerance that my child picks up when she knows that “under-performers” are being asked to leave the school or being detained in the same class. I shudder thinking of the stress that these tender ones go through knowing that their performance is constantly being evaluated in a system that they had no say in making. Is it not unfair that schools you can think of evaluating the kids without opening themselves out to an evaluation process by the kids. Would you think of creating an open method by which a child and her parent can honestly tell you how some of your teachers really need to pull up their socks, watch their language and disciplining methods and shape up their own practices of fairness and impartiality ? When you don’t have the courage to do that, maybe you really should take Pink Floyd’s song seriously “We don’t need no education, We don’t need no thought control – no dark sarcasm in the classroom, Teachers leave the us kids alone”. Please understand that the child has some things to tell us – we must have the courage in us to listen. If a few of them are trying to tell us “Hey, you’re too fast for us”, let us find it in us to develop a system that carries them along at their pace.
Please don’t ask any child to leave your school branding him an “underperformer”. Because that makes YOU the “UNDERFORMER”! Let’s stop bullying our kids to conform to our system.
Dear School Managers,
I send my child to you every morning, trusting you as a valuable partner in the process of making my child into a good person, a person who respects, appreciates and accepts diversity and a person who can think of a larger good in common for mankind.
I hope we are in sync – because there are what I believe are universal, never-to-be-compromised values which every child must grow up with a firm belief in.
You are her Role Models- in fact, my child picks up values from you far more than she is ready to pick up from me. That is the power and the reach of “the school and its attitude”.
So I believe she should see you
being fair and just, even in the most difficult of circumstances;
treating every being the same – with sensitivity love and respect;
putting in your very best effort to help every child grasp every concept;
focus on educating every child, rather than running the rat race of “rankings amongst schools”;
as a group with a highly evolved Emotional Quotient and what I call the “Diversity Quotient”, and not just focused on IQ;
as a group of committed educationists not afraid of looking at changed ways of thinking;
keeping the trust of every parent who looks up to your system for support and understanding in this frenzied world;
as a loving refuge that treats every child as precious and indispensable.
It would shatter her if she saw in you partiality, prejudices, an unwillingness to listen to a child’s point of view and a focus on commercial interest that sacrifices a child’s interest.
With this background of the Role you play in my child’s life, let me raise an issue seen in several schools today – a practice of “weeding out the underperformers starting from even the very lower classes.”
I have just a few questions for you to think about:
a) Have you made all efforts to put across the CONCEPT to the underperforming child? I know most schools do not have special coaching for the underperformer. You teach him using methods used for top-performers or interested children – how then can you expect him to respond favourably? Have you tried innovating methods to catch his attention and connect at his level of understanding?
b) Have you checked if the student-teacher relationship is not damaged or that the child is not suffering from any physical issue or emotional unrest ? If you thought his fit to be admitted to your school at one point of time, what did you do that made him unfit ?
Next, on your judgment methods - Let us say he gets the CONCEPT right – for example a Std. III student gets the concept that Multiplication is repeated Addition, but takes longer to do a Multiplication sum than his peers take, or has less accuracy in an Examination system and therefore ends up with lesser marks, well, what, pray tell me, is wrong with that ? Isn’t it sufficient that he has learnt the Concept and will in due course master its application as well. Why can’t he be allowed the slower pace that he is designed for at this stage of his life ? Tell me, if a child does not write his alphabet after a whole year of your effort when he is 5 years old, do you even reasonably think that he is not going to learn to write the alphabet in less than 24 hours when he is 8 years old. Then why rush him when he is not ready for the alphabet ? How does it help to detain him in the same class and make him go through the boredom of the same stuff for an entire year ? Tell me how the rest of the class is affected if a few in class are allowed to follow a different pace.
Infact, I believe that it does a world of good for my child to see children with different abilities being respected and treated as “mainstream”. It teaches her a huge lesson in the virtue of patience – just waiting till the ‘slow’ child is ready to catch up. It teaches her that she need not lose a friend because he can’t write the alphabet as quickly as she can.
Please give up this prejudice that a child who underperforms in Std. III is destined to be an under-performer throughout life. This writer is a classic example - from being an absolutely low marked student upto my Std. III, I ended up being one of the Class Toppers consistently thereafter. So let the child just pick up the concept through harder efforts on your part (oh, ask the parent to pay for those extra sessions or the added resource or time if you may – even that is a better option to playing around with a child’s morale ?), and stop focusing on the details that clutter the examination system.
Have you thought of creative, better solutions ? There are systems where a child is allowed to continue through his studies in all the passed subject while staying back only for the subject where he has failed. For eg- a child could move along with his peers to Std. IV in English, Science and Social Studies while continuing to study the unfinished concepts of Std. III.
Have you thought of methods by which the child is not branded a loser or made to drop out of the mainstream, lose his friends, be subjected to sarcasm at home or amongst the teachers – and yet go through the process of education in its finest sense ?
Oh, before the typical “adult-ish” cynical, self-righteous replies get instinctively formulated in your mind, please know that there certainly are ways to do this – and with all respect may I say, it is your business to find these ways. It just takes a teacher to teach a brilliant, interested student – but it takes a great teacher to teach an under-performing, disinterested child. What efforts are you making to build your pool of great teachers ?
I dread to think of the lesson in intolerance that my child picks up when she knows that “under-performers” are being asked to leave the school or being detained in the same class. I shudder thinking of the stress that these tender ones go through knowing that their performance is constantly being evaluated in a system that they had no say in making. Is it not unfair that schools you can think of evaluating the kids without opening themselves out to an evaluation process by the kids. Would you think of creating an open method by which a child and her parent can honestly tell you how some of your teachers really need to pull up their socks, watch their language and disciplining methods and shape up their own practices of fairness and impartiality ? When you don’t have the courage to do that, maybe you really should take Pink Floyd’s song seriously “We don’t need no education, We don’t need no thought control – no dark sarcasm in the classroom, Teachers leave the us kids alone”. Please understand that the child has some things to tell us – we must have the courage in us to listen. If a few of them are trying to tell us “Hey, you’re too fast for us”, let us find it in us to develop a system that carries them along at their pace.
Please don’t ask any child to leave your school branding him an “underperformer”. Because that makes YOU the “UNDERFORMER”! Let’s stop bullying our kids to conform to our system.
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