World Day for International Justice, 17th July - Kusum Sharma

Courtesy: jagranjosh.com

Every year on July 17, World Day for International Justice is observed all around the world. The aim of the day is to promote international criminal justice and support the work of the ICC. 

What is the ICC?

ICC stands for the International Criminal Court. It came about when 120 states adopted a statute in Rome. It was known as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (“the Rome Statute”). All the countries that agreed to adopt the statute accepted the jurisdiction of the ICC about the prosecution of severe crimes. The idea was not for the ICC to replace national courts. It can only intervene when a country can’t or won’t carry out investigations and prosecute perpetrators.

The Aim of International Justice Day

The aim of this day is to unite everyone who wants to support justice as well as promote victims’ rights. It is to help prevent serious crimes and those that put the world's peace, security, and well-being at risk.

How You Can Mark the Day

There are several different ways you can play a part. Why not write an article or a blog to highlight the need for justice where you live? You could send a communication to your local elected representative and voice your opinion. Speak to members of your government. Or take part in one of the many events that will be held in cities around the world. 

Courtesy-https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/world-day-for-international-justice-2021/

Kusum Sharma

ksa@fabindiaschools.in

The Fabindia School

Importance of Fair Play - RP Devgan

In all my years as a Principal and an educator, I have taken great care to make sure that educators at all levels are very sensitive and conscientious about fair play and justice. Children must be treated fairly, especially in their last two years in school when their efforts start to bear fruit in terms of leadership and talent.

The injustice of any kind is unacceptable, be it in the form of nepotism, favouritism, or sheer high handedness.

It is a pity when educators at all levels right from the top to the junior-most concerned, favour the undeserving and cause bitterness and frustration to the deserving ones.

Educators have to be very sensitive and thoughtful when it comes to school appointments and awards every year. The deserving must get their due. Ever so often even in the best of schools, injustice is done during the appointments of school prefects, sports and activities captains and nomination of awards for the Best Debater, Artist, Actor etc.

I remember at one of the schools I headed, the Best Artist’s prize had been awarded to a boy who was nowhere near the best. I  had to intervene and finally convince the Art Teacher that a girl in the same class was far more deserving. He agreed but said that the Founder’s Day list was already at the printer’s and it was too late, but I persisted. it was finally decided that the prize would be shared, saving the girl from bitterness and frustration. Had this not happened, she would have graduated with bitter memories of her school life.

This kind of injustice can be stopped by conscientious and sensitive educators. The worst kind of nepotism in a school is when staff members favour their own and when the educators try to please influential parents.

It is imperative for educators to realise the gravity of their decisions as such decisions leave lifelong feelings of bitterness and scars in the deserving ones, the ones who have been overlooked and their talents and competence ignored. Unfair decisions make the atmosphere of a school most toxic. It would be interesting if today's adults paused and asked themselves how they were treated in school or their experience of justice and injustice in their schooldays.

I am sure even today some of them nurse scars inflicted on them in their school life and the bitterness and frustration still linger. This too happens when Managements of schools overlook the deserving and appoint people in top positions, including  Principals, through nepotism, lack of advice or sheer ignorance and complacency. Many such appointments have changed the history of institutions.

Justice and Fair Play should be the hallmark of every school and institution for the security and happiness of its individuals. It should become the culture of all schools.

-Rajinder Pal Devgan
Chairperson Learning Forward India, over five decades of experience as an Educationist and having served as a School Leader for schools in India and overseas.

In Retrospect - RP Devgan

Lockdown seems a good time for educators, old and young, experienced and not so experienced, to look back at their careers. Look back over the years to see how they have progressed and developed.

Having been in touch with educators for over fifty years, I have come across two types. The first type who repeats the same year, year after year, and the other who grows and learns with time. One becomes stagnant, the other, enthusiastic and willing to learn, grows. 

It is good to see educators who, with a humble beginning, turn out to be great leaders and role models. These successful educators are the ones free of complexes and vanity and let go of their ego and stay open-minded, always willing to learn from their colleagues.

Educators, time and again, should look into themselves and iron out any shortcomings they may have. The following points may help in some self-appraisal.

1. Patience: How perfect have you been as an educator? Do you lose your temper and shout at students or do you have the sense of humour to diffuse situations? Are you rude to your wards or colleagues? Rudeness and sarcasm cannot be a part of an educator.
2. Sense of justice: In your years as an educator, have you always believed in justice and  fair play, in the case of prefectorial appointments, games captains and other such responsibilities? Injustice to a student in the final year can leave scars for life. It is upto the educators to see that the correct choices are made.There should be no place for nepotism or favouritism.
3. Motivation: Have you been able to motivate and inspire ? It is important that with your passion and enthusiasm you make a difference in children’s lives by becoming a mentor and role model.
4. Your versatility helps: Your talents, besides your knowledge of the subject you teach, go down well with the students. It helps them admire you and breaks down the barrier between the educator and students and brings them closer to each other.Educators’ knowledge of sports, entertainment, music and art helps in  bridging the generation gap.
5. Latest trends: Keeping up with  the latest trends in education is important.Lessons in class should be interesting and innovative and keep up the student’s enthusiasm and curiosity. Children should look forward to their lessons and experience the joy of learning.
6. Happiness: Are you happy with your job? Do you look forward to going to school and walk with confidence into the classroom? Is the atmosphere in the staffroom and the classes a happy one? An educators’s frame of mind helps in making the people around them comfortable and at ease. A happy educator spreads positivity around. It is important that the school be a happy place where all feel secure and part of a family. Ownership brings in trust and confidence in a society, that is a school. Keeping all this in mind, a self appraisal by an educator every now and then, helps in self-development. 
7. We as Educators must wear the mantle of a mentor and role model and live up to the trust and faith put in us by the parents and students.

Rajinder Pal Devgan

Chairman Learning Forward India

4 Cornerstones of Professional Learning

New white paper

4 Cornerstones of Professional Learning:

Fundamental Principles Pave the Way for Educators’ Actions

Centred on a foundation of the Standards for Professional Learning, this white paper shares research, evidence from practice, and reflections from Stephanie Hirsh's career at Learning Forward, in schools, and as a school board member.

 

The cornerstones: Lead with equity. Equity and excellence in teaching and learning is Learning Forward’s vision statement and represents the inspiration, challenge, and essential purpose for pursuing more effective ways to serve educators and students. Invest in team learning. For every student to succeed, every educator engages in collaborative, job-embedded learning to strengthen capacity and collective responsibility. Leverage high-quality instructional materials. Educators use their learning time to understand high-quality instructional materials and prepare for implementation, advancing their potential to improve student learning. Advocate with evidence. To sustain support for professional learning at all levels, educators equip themselves with data from research and practice. They share that data with stakeholders and speak up for their learning and that of their peers. In addition to exploring each cornerstone, this paper offers focused actions for educators to take within their own contexts. Download Now