Breaking The Education Caste-System; Barriers To Contentment

Left & Right Brain. Logic vs Free Flow. Science vs Art. These compartments, though important in order to best serve a singular focus in their study & pursuit, have bled into the collective consciousness of our society in a manner where they have, for years together, across generations of students, become hard-points, non-negotiable boundaries based on which families, educators, institutions, students themselves included, measure their intellect and choose streams, subjects, careers!

The historic inheritance of this educational-food-chain is interesting though to invest time and space in regurgitating it here means to devote even more time to what’s happened, rather than what could now be done. It may have worked once upon a time, though now, it is an entirely different time.

Interesting, that on the one hand, an increasing number of large corporations and employers across the western world are displaying a clear preference for candidates who have ‘alternative’ undergraduate degrees – read arts in particular, as they are seen to be more creative, inventive; we in India, for the most part, are still stuck in this archaic and frankly irrelevant system of Science, then Commerce, then Humanities

You’re either a Dog person or a Cat person, so goes the cliche. Mostly true. Though to treat the Science-walas as a breed unto themselves, always to stay a safe distance away & parallel to the Art-walas, is plain naive. I have known any number of individuals who equally enjoy and are talented at, on the one hand Chess, and on the other, Sketching. Are they all geniuses? Certainly not if their slightly above average IQs were the yardstick!

Then of course there’s the little matter of history which I earlier referenced. To equate an India of today, and by that, her people, to a Colonial System, is absurd. We are well and truly in a digital era, one where even in my own rudimentary understanding, a human resource would stand to benefit the self and the organization if they were to be a combination of left & right brain faculties. 

Another narrative that feeds into the elevated pedestal given to the Science lot is Competitive Examinations. Granted, exams that determine Engineering, Medicine college admissions are amongst the toughest in the world. However, I can’t help but wonder if the brilliance ascribed to these candidates is not more a consequence of the sheer numbers of test-takers. And I’ll tell you why I have this sneaking suspicion. Because tests that the Humanities & Arts walas are required to take, the ones that get you into Law, into Mass Communication colleges; they are no less a test of one’s scholastic level than any others; the number of people vying for those spots being relatively significantly less, somehow seems to cast aspersions on their inherent intellectual merit (of the exam itself)

There is also the facet of potential careers that must be examined as yet another perpetuator of this narrative around the intellectual-divide between the aforementioned streams of study. The broad assumption is that careers generated by and post an education in the sciences are more lucrative. As someone who has inhabited the creative realm for a long time, was an active part of the media industry for over a decade, I can tell you from personal experience and observation that while there may exist a disparity between packages offered to engineers vs say individuals in creative roles in advertising and such; this gap not only turns into parity fairly quickly, it can often turn tides entirely in favor of the arts-related personnel. What tends to happen is this. Granted, the starting salary of someone joining advertising, pr, films is likely to be noticeably less than the counterpart in the sciences work-sphere; the sharp learning curve, the performance & meritorious expedient rise in the creative spaces tends to be immense. This is borne out by the fact that generally speaking one finds sectors such as advertising, digital media, content creation, to be largely and relatively younger sectors. It wouldn’t for example be uncommon to find a mid-30s person being the Creative Head with a VP rank at a creative agency, with a CTC that rivals and outdoes age-equivalents in other segments

In the grand scheme of things, the final analysis and judgment in the Indian context tends to rest with Family & Society. The overbearing interference and influence of family upon an individual’s most critical life decisions, while one could debate, serves the undecided and/or unfocused well; for scores of young people, places them on paths that, in cases, might even generate the desired livelihood – but whether they generate even an iota of happiness & contentment, is a question we ought to seriously ponder.

While I do see a perceptible change in newer/younger parents’ attitudes, in percentage terms, this group doesn’t even constitute a rounding percentage point. The current generation of learners and students is often criticized for being selfish, insular, self-centred. I for one believe that if, out of that focus on one’s own priorities, is birthed a degree of personal contentment hitherto not experienced, I am happy to be sidelined by my own daughter in service of her own happiness! -

by Kartik, Founder Driveway Devi

Learning Forward Saturday

Early Childhood Development and Joy of Learning For Teachers 

Neelashi and Minakshi discussed the importance of maintaining focus during breathing exercises and emphasised the significance of consistent practice for students. They explored suitable books and content for nursery classes, focusing on basic skills and developmental activities while analysing the appropriateness of educational materials for young children. The discussion concluded with plans for implementing educational activities through various methods and addressing concerns about teachers who were absent from completing their assigned tasks.

Next steps

• Rahima is to write down the four points from the National Mission document in her notebook.
• Rahima will create a weekly lesson plan that includes math activities, drawing activities, and an introduction to Hindi stories.
• Rahima plans to implement circle time in her class starting next week.
• Rahima is to create and implement the math game activity with students divided into equal teams.
• Rahima is to establish rules for the art corner in her classroom.
• Minakshi to ensure Rahima implements circle time and the math activity.
• Minakshi to ensure Rahima creates and follows a lesson plan.
• Minakshi to try to get a portable microphone from Sandeep sir or purchase one from AFA.
• Minakshi to ensure absent teachers take notes from Rahima and implement the same activities before next Saturday.

Summary

Breathing Exercise and Team Support

Neelashi and Minakshi discussed the importance of maintaining clarity and focus during a breathing exercise, emphasising the need to clear one's mind and feel relaxed. They stressed the importance of consistent practice and its impact on students. Neelashi expressed gratitude for Minakshi's efforts in organising and supporting teachers, stating that her presence is a boost for the entire team.

Nursery Education Content Review

Neelashi and Minakshi discussed activities and tasks related to teaching nursery classes, focusing on identifying suitable books and content for young children. Neelashi emphasised the importance of understanding nursery expectations and making informed decisions about what to teach, including activities like colour and number recognition. She instructed Minakshi and Rahima to analyse the books together, assess their suitability for nursery students, and discuss developmental activities typically taught to young children. The task involved evaluating the books' effectiveness and deciding whether they were helpful in nursery education, with Neelashi expecting a detailed analysis and discussion from both participants.

Early Childhood Education Standards Discussion

Minakshi and Neelashi discussed the appropriateness of books for young children, noting that while some books help set standards, they may be too advanced for nursery students. They agreed that children should focus on basic skills, such as writing curves and straight lines, rather than covering extensive number ranges. Neelashi emphasised the importance of children using books independently and encouraged Minakshi to explore a document related to the National Mission for Education, which aims to improve literacy and numeracy among children.

Early Childhood Education Concepts

Minakshi and Neelashi discussed the importance of teaching basic concepts to children, including recognising letters and corresponding sounds, as well as understanding numbers, objects, and sequences. Neelashi emphasised the need to go beyond rote teaching and ensure children understand the logic and reasoning behind concepts. They also discussed the lack of awareness about what needs to be taught and the need for improved educational resources, including books. Minakshi mentioned the potential benefits of teaching history and regulations, highlighting the importance of understanding different systems prevalent worldwide.

Educational Activities for Children Implementation

Neelashi and Minakshi discussed implementing educational activities for children, focusing on introducing concepts through finger rhymes, stories, and math exercises. They emphasised the importance of creating lesson plans and establishing rules for the classroom corners. Neelashi suggested using simple math activities, such as addition, and teamwork exercises involving objects. They also discussed the need for teachers to take notes from Rahimaji and implement the activities by next Saturday. Minakshi raised the issue of absent teachers not completing assigned tasks, and Neelashi agreed that action would be taken if teachers continue to miss activities without valid reasons.

AI-generated post, E.&.O.E.

From Classrooms to Bookshelves: Creating a Reading Journey for Children

Books play a pivotal role in a child's growth and development by creating a rich environment for learning and imagination. Surrounding children with books nurtures their curiosity, enhances their language skills, and strengthens their cognitive abilities. Sandeep Dutt takes us through how books encourage creativity, broaden worldviews, and provide valuable life lessons, fostering a love for learning that lasts a lifetime.

Do School Libraries still attract Children?

Yes, provided they have librarians who understand what books are, and can guide children towards the right content. It is the librarian who pulls children inside a library more than the books themselves. Also, educators should inculcate the habit of reading as well; even if they don’t, educators should be found around the school campus with a book or a reading material other than the ones prescribed in the syllabus. This act will pique the curiosity of children, and who knows, the title may get picked up as well.

Teachers and principals should inculcate the habit of reading in children by reading books themselves.

Influence of Parents

Before a child is born, the mother has to have books around the house to warm the hearth. If parents ensure that the first few things that their children visually absorb are the presence of books around them, that’s when a habit of reading can be inculcated.

Sadly, an average Indian home doesn’t have books; the ones present are only in the school bag. People debate about reading a paperback/hardcover or reading on screen, but when there is no culture at all of holding a book, be it digital or otherwise, of what use are the arguments?

Reading Trajectory

Between primary and middle years, some children change schools. Options vary from boarding to international schools so that a child can get into a more progressive environment to reach the prescribed milestones and ace his/her entrance exams for future courses. One interesting thing is that children who read about diverse subjects have an upper hand in acing such exams due to better comprehension and an extensive vocabulary.

Consuming Content Today

There’s so much access to a variety of data, and given that a lot of it is stored in cloud, the neocortex doesn’t have the extra effort of keeping a tab on everything. There has been research on creating a human brain with human skills laced with technology. One can only imagine that the futuristic scenario would be pouring a book straight into the neocortex of the brain.

Yet with so much advent in technology and access to reading materials, we are not reading. Why?

It might have to do with the evolution of the human brain, and an altered attention span, adapting us to sensorial data, which makes data consumption faster than before. This also means that data absorption and thinking has also become faster than before. So today, even if we are looking at a hundred different elements on social media, every reel, video or picture would have left an impact on our brains, helping us recall some bit of it eventually. 

We may find it funny today but during our times, we were not used to seeing people glued to screens all day. But for today’s generation, visual stimuli may be the way of absorbing information. Categorising anything as relevant or irrelevant information today seems unfair as what we may consider as inapt would also have a lot of thought gone behind its making. So absorption of information may happen through several mediums, be it sound, visual, print or digital. The amount of stimuli we are subjected to as of today has increased. Ultimately, the choice rests with us and how we exercise it. 

Are Reading and Learning Always Correlated?

Visual stimulus is what a child is first subjected to after birth, and that’s where learning starts from. Reading comes much later. The first four years is when a child is most adaptive and recipient to what he/she sees around him/her. Once introduced to words, the cranial capacity will be limited to absorbing information in a pre-set pattern. We introduce children to what we want to see, adding our perception as well to it. Hence, when we see people not reading, it irks us; why?

What we need to understand is that learning can happen without reading as well. For instance, the tribal folk have barely read a word but their behavioural learning is massive compared to many of us with degrees and diplomas. We spoke earlier about how a parent can influence a child’s reading habit, but what if both or either parent is visually challenged or not educated at all? Books are one way of learning along with other mediums that add to the learning curve. 

Yet…

Nothing has changed in 100 years. ‘People should read’ has been a mantra that we have chanted for over a century, yet we fail to realise that our hyper state of mind can achieve stillness through reading. It is a form of meditation that leads from script to imagination, and when you put a script in your mind, you connect, communicate, collaborate and create.

Access

A dearth of books and bookstores during the pre-independence era stymied the progress of bibliophiles in the country. Cut to post-independence, books were expensive, inaccessible and it took a few years for people to access pocket-friendly reading materials. Today, we have home grown authors with a robust ecosystem of publishing and reprinting stories.

But, there exists a part of India where neither teacher nor student has experienced a bus ride, leave alone an access to a library or a bookshop. How do we do any justice to their situation?

The Art of Reading

The art of reading converts the art of thinking to the art of reflection, and that in turn gets made into a blog, a video log, a podcast, or a reel. Reading does two clearly good things; it slows you down to a melody or a pace and secondly, it helps you look and use your gaze in a pinpointed manner. Reading helps you achieve a great depth of focus.

Personal Reading Journey and Recommendation

Sandeep Dutt was born into a family of bibliophiles. His grandfather owned a bookstore that was handed over to his father and mother. A post-graduate in Sanskrit, his mother monitored reading activities of the children, be it pedagogical or otherwise. She would read to them from the Ramayana and the Bhagavad Gita, and brought about a healthy habit of reading, says Sandeep.

Sandeep Dutt Recommends these three books for the bibliophile in us.

 1.   Last Lecture by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow

When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give 'a last lecture', he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. But the lecture he gave, 'Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams', wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment because 'time is all you have and you may find one day that you have less than you think'. It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.

Randy's lecture about the joy of life – his legacy to his three young children – has become a worldwide phenomenon, as has his book written on the same principles, celebrating the dreams we all try to make a reality. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come.

2.   Ratan Tata: A Life by Thomas Mathew

This fascinating biography traces Ratan Tata’s years in immaculate detail, from his lonely childhood to his irrepressible youthful exuberance, from his first major job in the conglomerate to being appointed chairman of Tata Sons in 1991 to his role as the head of Tata Trusts, India’s largest philanthropic enterprise. It is as much a story of determination and an unwavering commitment to enduring principles and values as it is a testament to achieving unprecedented corporate success.

3.  The Man Who Saw Tomorrow by Naga Tummala

The story of former Doon School headmaster Shomie Das and childhood friends turned business partners, Naga Tummala and Raj Yarlagadda is a fascinating account of vision and enterprise, and the struggle that went into setting up the institution of their dream.

The Man Who Saw Tomorrow details Shomie Das’s ideas about how education should be an experience that children enjoy and not one that has been thrust upon them. What that entails is a deep acknowledgement and respect for the child as a unique individual.

Originally published: Mentor | mentor.lxl.in | Dec 30, 2024 | 6 min read

https://www.mentor.lxl.in/post/from-classrooms-to-bookshelves-creating-a-reading-journey-for-children

Freedom & Peace - Penta BHIS

                                                   

             FREEDOM                         &                                  PEACE

                                               
“You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.” -----Malcolm X

In a class of 25, the teacher looks at each students’ skills - reading, writing and listening, emotional and academic abilities. She then puts her energies to nurture and nourish them. Some students in the class are good at academics and some are strong emotionally. In a peaceful classroom, every student has the freedom to express himself/herself without being judged. Everyone enjoys the freedom of expression, but not the freedom to hurt or ridicule. Freedom entails responsibility – this is exemplified by the teacher.

A young class is always energetic and raring to go. However, Saanvi is quiet in her ways, never

giving in to be a part of her playful and noisy peers. Saanvi never shows agitation or adds to any chaos that claims the class during breaks or P.E. classes. She is always poised and composed. The teacher watches out for her personality traits. Is Saanvi shy? An introvert? Incapable of holding her own in an argument? Does she have difficulty in expressing herself? Thankfully, the answers are in the negative. In today’s World of widespread commotion and one-upmanship, Saanvi does not want to steal anyone’s thunder. She awaits her turn, quietly helps others and does not crave for acknowledgement. If appreciated, she looks contented, and chirps a polite ‘Thank you, Miss.’
No teacher can find anything to complain about a child who is so composed and considerate to others. On the PTM day, the teacher wants to find out more about Saanvi. Is she so troubled that she has nothing to say?

During the PTM, the lobby and the class are crowded with parents. Every parent, while awaiting their turn, is talking. Soon the conversation of adults assumes a rising crescendo. Most parents do not take the trouble of keeping their phones on the silent mode. Adding to the cacophony, are the numerous ringtones as are the loud instructions to domestic help or the formal talk given to a colleague at the other end. Of course, no teacher has the wherewithal to step into this space to rein in the disturbance. In spite of their surroundings, a couple continues to wait patiently. Their phones do not ring for anyone to hear, they do not complain about a fellow parent breaking the queue or compare children’s performances loudly. When it is their turn to meet the teacher, they begin with a smile and a compliment to her.

During the conversation, they smile at each other and the teacher a lot, appreciate the work of the teachers and discuss areas of improvement to make their child a better human being. Needless to say, the teacher recognizes them as Saanvi’s parents. The apple has not fallen far from the tree. Often parents forget that their children carry their implicit attributes to the outside world.



The teacher could see that PEACE was a state of mind, irrespective of one’s surroundings.
In a classroom where a teacher teaches and students learn, there are some days when students teach, and the teachers learn.

Every year when students get promoted to a higher class, there is a state of anxiety in the students and parents with regard to the new teacher and how he/she will be. But as the school reopens and days pass by, the teacher begins to know the class well. It is when the student has the freedom to express and knows that he/she would be heard and cared for in any situation, does the classroom acquire a sense of contentment, even peace.

Saanvi taught her teacher “Do not let the behaviour of others destroy your inner peace.” (The Dalai Lama)
Without this peace, a sense of freedom is not possible.

Penta @ Billabong International High School, Thane

- Jeeji Sanjeev, Sanika Joshi, Arpita M.G., Muskaan Menda, Radhika Anand, Supriya Naravankar & Bhavani Swamy.

Self Love – Be You- Swabhi Parmar

As humans, we are keen on wanting more. We think that if we buy that house or if we earn

more money, we will be the happiest. We shall ask for nothing more. Believe me when I say that I have said it to myself every time I wasn’t content with what I had. We think all our worries would go away if only we could achieve that target. But we fail to realize that the moment we achieve that goal we will come up with a new goal. We will convince ourselves that this will make us happier. 

This is a vicious and never-ending circle. Let me tell you what self-love is. First, it’s about being content. It’s about telling ourselves that we have more than enough to go on. Life is all about ups and downs and we should embrace it equally. We have to know how to keep it together anyway. Self-love is when we are keener on making better decisions and nurture our well-being despite what is going on around us. Loving one’s self does not mean developing a shell and blocking out the world. It doesn’t mean having an ego so big that no one else can fit into a room with you. It doesn’t mean forgoing relationships because you only enjoy being with yourself. 

And, while it may be tempting for many, it doesn’t mean you should only have pets for the rest of your life. It does mean becoming comfortable with who you are. It means recognizing that someone else who didn’t learn unconditional love has a hard time giving it. It means recognizing that most human beings hurt, and they pass this hurt along to other people. Understanding this can help you turn yours from waiting and wanting someone to make you whole, to realize you have that ability inside of you. Self-love is a very important aspect of one’s life. It is very much important to love yourself but Yes don’t be obsessed with yourself. Self-love leads you to self-motivation. You can realize it in the cycle of life that whatever we go through in the end it is us who have to deal with that pain or sorrow. We should always be content and love our self in the best possible manner.

Swabhi Parmar.

The Fabindia School