Discussion on making school education meaningful to vulnerable communities

ActionAid note on workshop to boost National Curriculum Framework operations:

***

Leading educationists and activists striving to make education meaningful to vulnerable communities gathered in Delhi to discuss the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE). Acting in response to the call of the NCF Steering Committee appointed by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, ActionAid Association had organised the meeting to gather feedback on the draft NCFSE. This is part of ActionAid Association’s commitment to promote inclusive and gender-responsive education.
The two-day national workshop titled ‘NCF Perspectives: Seeking Feedback on National Curriculum Framework (NCF)’ on May 30 and 31, 2023, was held at India International Centre, New Delhi. The workshop aimed to ensure a structured approach to gathering feedback from key stakeholders and enhancing their active participation in shaping the response sought by the Government of India. Stakeholders representing eight states were present at the event, together with experts from reputed organisations working on child rights and education, including UNICEF, Save the Children, CRY, Reach to Teach, Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti and Nirantar Trust.
Dipali Sharma, Director, Organisational Effectiveness, ActionAid Association, in her welcome address, outlined the continued efforts of ActionAid Association across 28 states in India to ensure voices of the most marginalised communities are incorporated in national processes, including in the feedback on NCF. Additionally, a comprehensive field study has been carried out, involving communities, children and teachers, with a sample size of nearly 600 participants. The findings from these studies, along with the insights presented in this paper, will contribute to the ongoing discussions on making the NCFSE more gender-equitable and inclusive. Additionally, Ms Sharma highlighted the efforts of the organisation towards eradicating child marriage and child labour, promoting education of the girl child and reviewing textbooks and curriculum with a view to making it gender sensitive.
While sharing insights from her vast experience, Prof. Poonam Agarwal, Professor and Former Joint Director, NCERT, stressed on the need to consider the importance of working with young boys to attain a gender-just society whereby curriculum has a crucial role to play. Rashmi Sinha, Education and Gender Specialist, and Member of NCF 2005, shared instances from western Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to elucidate the intersectional nature of gender relations. She stated that the NCF needs to consider the intersectional and contextual nature of gender relations. Ms. Madhuri Das, Gender Programme Specialist, UNICEF, highlighted the importance of engendering the curriculum rather than making it gender neutral. She emphasised on the need to include psycho-social support, counselling and social-emotional learning as critical elements of the curriculum. Geeta Menon, Gender Expert and Subir Shukla, Principal Coordinator, Group IGNUS, also shared valuable inputs.
The proceedings on the second day attempted to consolidate subject and section-specific recommendations to NCF pertaining to diversity and inclusion, gender equity and gender sensitivity. Culminating the meeting, Sudatta Khuntia, National Lead on Education, ActionAid Association, stated that the valuable feedback gathered here will be carefully drafted and shared with expert members for their input and review. “The final document will subsequently be submitted to the NCF Steering Committee, together with state reports that highlight regional perspectives. Meetings with the committee members will also be arranged to push the recommendations at different levels,” she said, adding that “Through this process, we aim to ensure that the feedback is well-informed, widely shared, and receives the attention it deserves.”
The national workshop in New Delhi served as a platform for educators, policymakers, parents, students and community representatives to share their perspectives and recommendations on the pre-draft of the NCF. The interactive sessions enabled participants to engage in constructive discussions on the various aspects of education, including curriculum design, pedagogy, assessment methods and inclusivity.

Comments

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Where’s the urgency for the 2,000 MW Sharavati PSP in Western Ghats?

By Shankar Sharma* A recent news article has raised credible concerns about the techno-economic clearance granted by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) for a large Pumped Storage Project (PSP) located within a protected area in the dense Western Ghats of Karnataka. The article , titled "Where is the hurry for the 2,000 MW Sharavati PSP in Western Ghats?", questions the rationale behind this fast-tracked approval for such a massive project in an ecologically sensitive zone.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad* The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

Structural retrogression? Steady rise in share of self-employment in agriculture 2017-18 to 2023-24

By Ishwar Awasthi, Puneet Kumar Shrivastav* The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) launched the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) in April 2017 to provide timely labour force data. The 2023-24 edition, released on 23rd September 2024, is the 7th round of the series and the fastest survey conducted, with data collected between July 2023 and June 2024. Key labour market indicators analysed include the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR), and Unemployment Rate (UR), which highlight trends crucial to understanding labour market sustainability and economic growth.

Venugopal's book 'explores' genesis, evolution of Andhra Naxalism

By Harsh Thakor* N. Venugopal has been one of the most vocal critics of the neo-fascist forces of Hindutva and Brahmanism, as well as the encroachment of globalization and liberalization over the last few decades. With sharp insight, Venugopal has produced comprehensive writings on social movements, drawing from his experience as a participant in student, literary, and broader social movements.

Authorities' shrewd caveat? NREGA payment 'subject to funds availability': Barmer women protest

By Bharat Dogra* India is among very few developing countries to have a rural employment guarantee scheme. Apart from providing employment during the lean farm work season, this scheme can make a big contribution to important needs like water and soil conservation. Workers can get employment within or very near to their village on the kind of work which improves the sustainable development prospects of their village.

'Failing to grasp' his immense pain, would GN Saibaba's death haunt judiciary?

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The death of Prof. G.N. Saibaba in Hyderabad should haunt our judiciary, which failed to grasp the immense pain he endured. A person with 90% disability, yet steadfast in his convictions, he was unjustly labeled as one of India’s most ‘wanted’ individuals by the state, a characterization upheld by the judiciary. In a democracy, diverse opinions should be respected, and as long as we uphold constitutional values and democratic dissent, these differences can strengthen us.

94.1% of households in mineral rich Keonjhar live below poverty line, 58.4% reside in mud houses

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* Keonjhar district in Odisha, rich in mineral resources, plays a significant role in the state's revenue generation. The region boasts extensive reserves of iron ore, chromite, limestone, dolomite, nickel, and granite. According to District Mineral Foundation (DMF) reports, Keonjhar contains an estimated 2,555 million tonnes of iron ore. At the current extraction rate of 55 million tonnes annually, these reserves could last 60 years. However, if the extraction increases to 140 million tonnes per year, they could be depleted within just 23 years.

Search This Blog