Inclusive education is a hot topic that is becoming increasingly prominent in the debate around taking Indian education forward. It is a deeply nuanced topic that requires a delicate approach with
Among the most enduring images from India’s national lockdown that began in March were those that captured the plight of the thousands of migrant workers attempting to return to their homes and villages. Those images shone a light on the conditions migrant workers have had to endure on a daily basis that had worsened overnight, illustrating the stark socio-economic divide that has existed in this country. The migrant workers’ existence is fragile and they are not taken seriously, which can result in exploitative work arrangements in cities that end up taking away their voices. This socio-economic divide is not unlike a disease in that there is no single cure that can remedy it. Unlike COVID-19 however, this problem is not a recent one.
We already discussed how the pandemic has affected several types of schools and students in different ways. Boarding or residential schools, however, are a completely different ball game. To understand how COVID-19 impacted residential schools, we spoke to Mr. Anil Gupta, the Director of Sacred Heart School in Siliguri, West Bengal. He is also the President of the Kurseong Sacred Heart Educational Society. Additionally, we spoke to Mr. Prafulla Pradhan, the school’s Principal, to understand his views on India’s National Educational Policy (NEP) of 2020.
In our last article, we talked about Teach for India, an organisation dedicated to improving the quality of Indian teaching across the country. However, the diversity in India is such that some regions require more specialised and focused attention. The Northeast of India is a land of untapped potential and immense natural beauty and culture, one which many do not know much about, even within India. Its education system is similarly underdeveloped, and that is where the Sunbird Trust is aiming to make a difference, in a region that has been ravaged by insurgency.
Indian teachers are overstretched, to say the least. There are not enough teachers, and even among those teaching, many of them are not well-trained, making the supply problem even more acute. This is a problem too big for the government to solve alone, and that is where private and non-profit organisations come in. One such organisation is Teach for India, a non-profit organisation founded in 2009 aimed at recruiting India’s brightest and best individuals to teach children in low-income communities in some of India’s most under-resourced schools.
The education of young children is something that many in India take for granted despite its foundational importance in preparing the next generation for their future studies.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the beginning of a nationwide lockdown on March 24th, few could have imagined how long it would eventually last or how widespread its impact would be. Millions of teachers and schoolchildren across India would attempt to shift their classes online as seamlessly as possible, with varying degrees of success. Much has been and will be written about the effects of the pandemic on Indian mainstream education. However, even within the educational community, there are those who have faced far steeper struggles in attempting to adjust to this new reality.
Last week, India launched the National Educational Policy of 2020, a bold attempt to revamp a somewhat outdated and stagnating education system. In what are most unfortunate times to be living and learning in, there is perhaps no better opportunity to look at how the Indian education system can evolve to meet future challenges. Hello and welcome to ShikshaCentre’s new series:
