It would be good if we could succeed in mobilizing teachers to voice their concerns about the difficulties they face and have a kind of an expert panel to address their issues, maybe even mobilise opinion for bringing about change.

Zenobia Rustomfram, Hyderabad.

Happy beginnings
Congratulations! it is really great that Teacher Plus will now be a monthly. I appreciate your great publication and its quality content. I wish you all success in your new venture.

Dheeraj Mehrotra, Lucknow.

Very refreshing
I am not a teacher but I have been reading Teacher Plus for the past six years. It has helped me as a parent. Here was something that gave me the collective wisdom of a community that was passionate about education. I have looked forward to every issue of the magazine and I was able to salvage my son’s childhood before it was hijacked by the system.

I preserve all the copies of the magazine and share them with other parents whose children are indifferent students or are victims of an ailing system. Teacher Plus has a great future and I am happy it is going monthly. May its circulation figures grow by leaps and bounds!

C. Sujata, Hyderabad.

Fascinating product
It is great to hear that Teacher Plus will now be available monthly. I think yours is a fascinating product. Wish more teachers would get a chance to read it!

Frederick Noronha, Goa.

A comprehensive education
I have known Teacher Plus for about seven years now, and have often contributed to it. This is a magazine that upholds the values of comprehensive education (not merely academic) and views the needs of students with reverence. But I had underestimated its reach until recently, when I got a mail from one of the readers (a teacher in Good Shepherd’s School, Nandyal, Kurnool, A.P.), asking me to conduct a workshop in their school. I felt truly humbled by the fact that my article was read, and that teachers had tried to implement its contents. Thank you, Teacher Plus.

Seetha Anand Vaidyam, Hyderabad.

Literally meaning ‘most important’, principal came to be the accepted word for the person in charge of a school or educational institution. Earlier, such a person was called the ‘head teacher’ or ‘lead teacher’.

School traces back to Greek schole which originally meant “leisure.” Later on, when Greek teachers like
Aristotle and Plato held discussions with groups of young men, it came to imply “learned discussion,” and “study.” It then passed into Latin as schola, place of study, and became the root of such words as school’ and ‘scholar’. This word appeared in English by 1000 AD as the old English scol and it has cognates in nearly all Celtic, Romance and Teutonic languages.

The word mentor is of Greek origin. The Oxford English Dictionary defines mentor as “allusively, one who fulfils the office which the supposed Mentorfulfilled towards Telemachus. Hence, as common noun: an experienced and trusted advisor.” Telemachus was Ulysses’ son (from Homer’s Odyssey). The Goddess Athena, fount of wisdom, took the form of Mentor to be available to advise Ulysses and his son through their difficult journey.

Study is based on the Latin studium meaning painstaking application” or “zeal, eagerness” and was related to Latin studere, “to be zealous.” This is the root of the words student, studio and studious. Surprisingly, the word’s earlier meaning was “affection, friendliness” (as used by Chaucer around 1374), an “occupation or pursuit,” and “a state of reverie; state of perplexity.” It gradually came to mean thought or effort that was applied toward the accomplishment of a purpose.

A group of children sitting in a classroom must sometimes look to the teacher like a collection of little dolls! And this is exactly what the term pupil means. The word originates from the Latin pupilla, meaning little doll. And where does this come from? The pupil of the eye reflects in miniature the image of the person looking into it. The other person sees himself or herself like a little doll in the other person’s eye; and this is why the black of the eye is called a pupil. Incidentally, the Hebrew term for the pupil of the eye is eshon ayin, or ‘little man in the eye’.

Tailpiece
An absolutely delightful book – a compilation of stories about words that were once names of persons – is Thou Improper, Thou Uncommon Noun by Willard R Espy (New York: Clarkson N Potter, 1978). One of the entries, for instance, tells the story behind the word mnemonics (any system designed to improve memory). Mnemosyne was the Greek goddess of memory, daughter of Uranus and Gaea and mother of the nine heavenly muses. Academe, on the other hand, traces its history to Academos, a man from Attica, which meant, ‘on the side of the people’. He was not particularly known for his learning, but better remembered for his role in carrying the news of Helen’s first kidnapping by Theseus, before she was carried off to Troy by Paris. However, the people of Athens named a beautiful garden in his memory, and this was the place where Plato opened a school for his followers – in the grove of Academe. And ever since, the word has become associated with higher learning.

It must be acknowledged that there are systemic issues that cause these problems. But at the heart of all this is the engagement of teachers with children within the school. This engagement is the crux of the education system and it directly impacts the child’s experience and hence her learning. It is natural that most recommendations for improvements centre on the classroom and the teacher-student interaction.

This puts immense pressure on the teacher to perform, to be constantly updated with information, to experiment and to make the classroom experience interesting, engaging and creative. This is a tall order and it is important for teachers to get all the support they can.

We have a large community of educators across our country and many of them are engaged in observing, learning and experimenting to understand the process of learning better. There are various pedagogical methods employed by teachers that motivate children to be active participants in the classroom. It is being seen and discovered that children have a natural inclination towards learning and it is possible to encourage this to make the classroom an interesting and engaging place. It is imperative that teachers across the country learn from these experiences.

There is a lot of research and various studies that give new perspectives to education. There is work being done towards getting deeper insight into the way the child learns. Various organisations employ results of research to create tools and resources to be used in classrooms. It is important for teachers to have access to this information and a medium to translate these generalities to the practical and usable.

Educators need to take courage from the fact that many of their peers across several schools in the country have chosen to change. What is required is a framework for educators across the country to interact and network, to exchange ideas, to create an atmosphere of learning that will in turn create positive change in their classrooms.

The role publications can perform in furthering this has largely remained untapped. Publications need to be encouraged as supplementary sources of information to teachers. Publications can play an important role in disseminating information and networking teachers across the country. Schools need to encourage and nurture this medium to ensure that classroom engagement doesn’t become static or repetitive. With the internet becoming ubiquitous and a standard channel of information, we need to use the power of this medium to catalyse the process of information sharing.

There are very few publications in the country continuing their effort to reach out to teachers. Teacher Plus has been providing this platform of sharing and collaboration for teachers since 1989.And true to the spirit of learning, this magazine is infusing itself with energy and enthusiasm to reach out to the teacher community. Teacher Plus is envisioned not just as a publication and a deliverer of information, but also as a means to network teachers and provide a forum for teachers to engage with the larger community of educators across the country. To this end, it is being made more frequent and easier to access in its dual avatar on paper and on the internet.

The importance of publications cannot be overstated and it is imperative that every publication working towards supporting, motivating and encouraging the teacher community is strengthened. On behalf of the educator’s community and everyone committed to education reform, I wish Teacher Plus the best in this effort. The effort to help energise classrooms with the spirit of enquiry and learning, the spirit of experimentation and constant discovery and rejuvenation. And this will lead to the change we aspire, a changed classroom infused with a craving to learn, a compelling need to question and the irrepressible motivation and energy to continuously evolve itself closer to the ideal.

Wipro Applying Thought In Schools

“Wipro Applying Thought In Schools” is Wipro’s initiative to help in societal change and development. This initiative is long-term, deliberate and focused. The intent of this initiative is to improve the Quality of education – so that life opportunities and possibilities are expanded for everyone, including the most under privileged.”

That children are natural learners, that we need to let children expand their natural thinking prowess, that children need an environment that encourages creativity and an adventurous spirit, that lack of learning in our schools is a direct result of what our examinations expect of our children – rote and memorising, that there is an urgent need for a revamp of the process of education in India is evident.

This fundamental change by its very nature has to be organic and evolutionary, and we believe there has to be a continuous effort towards ensuring the idea of change and the efforts towards change are nurtured and sustained.

Wipro Applying Thought In Schools is a thoughtful and deliberate effort to engage deeply in education reform. As a corporate, we believe our leverage is in networking and advocacy; and we should use this actively in our initiative and not restrict our participation to monetary help.

Through this initiative, we work with civil society organisations across the country and sustain and nurture this eco-system of thought leaders and organisations working towards education reform. This network helps create organisations, build capacity in organisations to influence and initiate change and provide the collective strength and momentum to the education reform movement. In this eco-system while there is collaboration and coalescing of efforts, each organisation has the space and flexibility to work independently within their framework.

This engagement is diverse and supports development of organisations, specific experiments inspiring models for systemic change, publications, research and advocacy. We engage with more than 30 social organisations across the country and through this initiative we have reached out to more than 1000 schools and 9000 educators.

We see this as a contribution to ensure that the thought process and the need for change are alive and we strive to engage more organisations committed to social change, committed to the ideals of a just, humane and equitable society.

School is the first major external space a toddler steps into which ultimately is going to determine her tomorrow. It is therefore most crucial to build this space with care, in a manner that will contribute to moulding her into a fine individual. While today many schools are built with the child’s comfort in mind, a school that is “designed” for learning by the very fact of its design is perhaps something not many architects would think of. This is exactly what Vinyas an NGO that “reshapes” schools, aims to do. And this is what architect Kabir Vajpeyi of Vinyas, describes in the book Building as Learning Aid (BALA). School is, metaphorically, a place of learning, but why, as BALA describes, can it not become literally, a learning space as well?

Children are forever on the quest for learning –asking questions and probing for answers. For most people, to see is to believe and this certainly works with children. They tend to grasp the subject content with greater ease and intensity once it is presented before them, conveying its importance and connection in day-to-day life.

Building as Learning Aid emphasises the importance of the physical space of the school in making learning a constant and exciting journey. An innovative physical environment can introduce a new dimension to the educational experience beyond the black and white humdrum of textbooks, making the content of learning more vivid and enlivening. Children love to engage in physical activity, from pushing around furniture to scribbling excessively on walls. And why not? Children’s spaces should be built to accommodate such spontaneous activity.

Vajpeyi suggests inscribing the height and weight of the furniture on the furniture itself to sharpen their senses of measurement. Marking the weight of chairs and benches will mean that they can now know their potential to push and carry. Space can be provided up to a certain level on the walls for the children to exhibit their creativity – they suggest, for instance, a “Word Wall” on which children can write down new and difficult words they have learnt. In one of the schools “reshaped” by Vajpeyi and the Vinyas team, puzzles were painted on the floors and walls for children to scribble on.

Beyond the four walls, learning is further enhanced in a fun way on the playgrounds by utilising every nook and corner on educating them on subjects varying from conservation of water and gas to public etiquette. BALA provides examples of interesting ideas like a map of the school in a place where everyone has access, thereby increasing their sense of direction. The book provides a host of other eco-friendly ideas for schools to implement without too much expense or trouble, and just a bit of commitment. A sundial in the courtyard shows them how time is told as shadows grow across the school. The corridors can be efficiently used by laying down multiplication tables along the floor and a cosy corner can be constructed exclusively for book worms.

The Vinyas team has come up with some 150 design ideas based on an understanding of child psychology. These range from inexpensive playground equipment to use of common spaces in schools, to simply colouring up the walls and floors to make the school look exciting and inviting. Showcased in an attractive and simple layout in the book, these ideas can go a long way in turning our schools into spaces of joyful learning.

Ruksana Karaka is a student of architecture in Secunderabad.

Building as learning aid
Developing school space as learning resource
by Kabir Vajpeyi

For queries regarding this book, write to
Head, Bala Team, Vinyas, Centre for Architectural Research and Design,
C-60, Anupam CGHS, Plot B-13, Vasundhara Enclave, Delhi-110096.
Email: vinyas@nda.vsnl.net.in

Presented here are some excerpts from the discussion:

Qudsiya: What is it that we are teaching in schools as art? It’s important to understand this before we go further.

Kuntal Dey: Art is a part of education. Any model, project or chart, is art. Children must come to art class to express their feelings and their knowledge. The problem is that projects are perceived only as information, and art as only for beauty. It has to be merged to incorporate both beauty and information. But today most art classes have technical training like cutting, painting or box making. Conceptualising an idea has taken a back seat.

Kanchana Rajendra: I teach the nine-ten year olds, they don’t go to the library and actively gather information for their project. They don’t make models but they make charts. They do a lot of collage work, cutting and pasting, and by doing this, they learn about textures. This can be very interesting, because they feel the materials. Any information that they like to include, they write it down and also give a small write up on how they did the experiment and also what they learnt from it. At this fundamental level, we don’t encourage complicated experiments.

Kuntal Dey: Nowadays, many children use computers to understand colour. There is no scope for individual talent. Every child will end up with similar work.

Kanchana Rajendra: In Vidyaranya, this is a complete no no. Even for children of higher classes, use of computers this way is not accepted.

Qudsiya: Do you mean that children are not allowed to use computers at all?

Kanchana Rajendra: We don’t use computers this way. Here the computer does most of the work and the child only takes a print out. The child does not even know how this technology works. The child will pick this up very mechanically and growth is slower. At the level I teach, i.e., the fourth standard, we stick to encouraging the child to use their own hands to create. One activity we did recently was block printing. We brought vegetables and carved out shapes, of course I carved it out for them because I didn’t want them to use the knife! I gave the children poster paint and fabric paint, and they brought along T-shirts and cards and we printed on them.

Qudsiya: In any subject we can use art. It is actually important to use art.

Kuntal Dey: We are all saying it’s important to use art, I think we should say it’s important to mix art with the curriculum. In the primary class where I teach, we use slides to teach children. The reason we are doing this is because we think they will retain the concepts better. If this works, then why are we not applying the same manner of teaching with higher classes?

Qudsiya: Yes, yes, I totally agree with you, but this can be done in the lower classes, not in the higher grades. In the higher classes, the syllabus changes, and there is no time. So, the question is, when there is no time, how do we mix art?

Kuntal Dey: This is a practical problem and every teacher can use this excuse. The idea is to mix art in every subject. When teaching about maps, one can use art, when children make charts about any topic, include art as a part of it. Have theme days. Nowadays, almost all schools have theme days – a Social Studies theme day, a Science theme day. This will help the child explore new possibilities and become innovative. In our school (The Slate) on one Social Studies theme day, a child brought a CD with some photographs he had taken. He took this to every child in the class and showed it to them and had a discussion about the photographs.

Qudsiya: So is this really art then? When it comes to a chart or drawing, the child is using his/her hands to make something. But where is the creativity here?

Kuntal Dey: This is definitely art. It was the boy’s idea to click the pictures. He was the one who framed and clicked the pictures. Choosing the subject is also creativity. Art does not mean only painting or sticking, even this will qualify as art. The point is that the boy used the camera! Here he is using technology and being innovative about it.

Qudsiya: So, coming back to my question, how do we deal with the problem of using art in the higher classes? This is important, because once the child reaches the seventh standard, [art and craft] exercises reduce drastically. So is art actually playing a role in higher grade or should it be restricted to lower grades? Or are you saying it depends on the creativity of the teacher how s/he uses it in the classroom?

Kuntal Dey: For example, if there is a project, the children are either drawing a diagram or making a model. What we should observe is how innovative they are when it comes to this. For example, if a child decides to use some innovative material in a project, that is being creative. Many times children use thermocol and colour paper while making projects; if a child decides to use some plastic waste to show a heart or a kidney in a project, then the child is being artistic. This must be encouraged by the teachers. While making projects, it must be a process where the teacher and the students interact, talk about the subject and bring out the best in the child.

Anwar Sultana: This is the point of using art; it must allow a person to imagine beyond what it is. In my school, we aim at teaching art not just as a subject but also try to integrate art into language, science and social work. When an art teacher enters class, s/he is relatively free because there are no constraints of the curriculum. The art teacher has an opportunity to help develop the child’s language. S/he can definitely introduce new words to the children, especially young children. It’s amazing that exercises like paper folding teach a child complicated terms as well as complicated concepts. Hence art and craft can be the basis of any learning, be it science, social studies, even maths!

Kanchana Rajendra: Exactly! We cannot do without apples and cakes while teaching fractions. When we use this the child learns these concepts instantly. It is the images that are taking the message across, not the mathematical concepts.

Qudsiya: Then is it safe to say that every teacher must be an art teacher?

Anwar Sultana: It is important for every teacher to have ideas, to be creative and not be or feel limited by the resources. Even a sheet of paper can be exciting to children if the teacher uses it creatively.

Kanchana Rajendra: I agree. To demonstrate the formation of the Himalayas, the fold mountains, I use a piece of cloth and dusters. We spread the cloth on the table and push it from both sides and children see that the cloth rises. This way they understand tectonic movement of the earth and formation of fold-mountains. Everything in a class can be used to explain different concepts. I think teachers just have to look around.

While teaching science, the hinge at the door can be used to teach children about joints. Images like this, children will never forget. Speaking from my childhood experience, I am certain. I have never forgotten how fold mountains are formed because of the rising of the cloth. If you tell a child to imagine a huge earth and tectonic planes moving, it’s difficult, so images like this will definitely stay with them.

Afshan: In fact, this is better than making the children write down notes in class, and then go back home and [learn] by heart and reproduce the same without making complete sense of it.

Kanchana Rajendra: Especially difficult concepts like fraction, when you ask a child which one is bigger 1/10 or 1/20, the child will immediately say 1/20! How do you explain fraction to a child? We pick up two sheets of paper; fold one into 10 squares and the other into 20 squares. Then we colour these squares, and when you open it you will find 1/20 much smaller than 1/10! Another example is when I have to teach the difference between Direct and Indirect speech in English, we play a game called Chinese whispers; there are many such innovative ways to make teaching interesting!

Kuntal Dey: Another thing that can be used in classrooms is drama. Qudsiya: Drama can be used in higher classes when children know how to converse. At a lower lever children don’t even know how to speak. It’s important for us to give them those basics before we take up drama.

Kuntal Dey: Drama can be used, because in this form, not only speech but the whole body is used. In a play we conducted at our school, we were discussing bad food and good food, so, some children were dressed and were acting as fruits and some other children were junk food, so the fight between these two characters explained to the child which is good food and which is not.

Afshan: I agree that drama can be used in lower classes. Since public speaking has become so important, I think it must be encouraged. In my Montessori class, what I did was to ask the children to read out a poem expressing different emotions; first anger, then happiness. Then they had to read it out slowly and then fast. Through this exercise, the children used their body to display the emotions.

Kanchana Rajendra: These are the ideal building blocks for drama.

Art in its various forms – some of them being painting, sculpture, music, poetry and drama – is an integral part of the teacher’s toolkit, and every teacher can use it to make concepts clearer and more engaging. Teaching art might be the art teacher’s job, but using art in the classroom is a possibility, perhaps even a necessity, for every teacher.

Let us run through some factoids to rediscover them:

• The average human body contains enough sulphur to kill all fleas, enough carbon to make 900 pencils, enough potassium to fire a toy cannon, enough fat to make 7 bars of soap, enough phosphorus to make 2,200 match heads, and enough water to fill a ten gallon tank.
• We are born with 300 bones, but by adulthood, we only have 206.
• ur eyes are always the same size from birth. Actually we do not see with our eyes – we see with our brains. The eyes are the cameras of the brain. One-quarter of the brain is used to control the eyes.
• Our heart beats 101,000 times a day. During your lifetime it will beat about 3 billion times and pump about 400 million litres (800 million pints) of blood.
• Our mouth produces 1 litre (1.8 pints) of saliva a day.
• On an average, you breathe 23,000 times a day.
• A person can live without food for about a month, but only about a week without water.
• Approximately two-thirds of a person’s body weight is water. Blood is 92 per cent water. The brain and muscles are 75 per cent water. If the amount of water in your body is reduced by just 1 per cent, you’ll feel thirsty.
• The muscle that lets our eye blink is the fastest muscle in our body. It allows us to blink 5 times a second. On average, you blink 15,000 times a day.
• The liver is the largest of the body’s internal organs. The skin is the body’s largest organ.
• The bones in our body are not white – they range in colour from beige to light brown. The bones we see in museums are white because they have been boiled and cleaned.

Well, who needs a Superman?

Sylvia Ashton Warner, a New Zealand British novelist and educator says that education is the “increase in the percentage of the conscious in relation to the unconscious”. This comes sharply into focus as new trends in the field of education manifest themselves, and we are forced to ask “Who is a teacher? Does (s)he really exist?” Looking around us we find that almost everything in everyday life depends on teaching – work and leisure alike. Music and games, driving and cooking, sewing and even cleaning have all been taught, and even things that we have been able to “learn on our own” – using a computer, typing, weaving, knitting or tailoring – we have learnt, more often than not, because we know how to read, a skill, which, let’s not forget, has been taught to us by someone. If our teachers have been true to the spirit of their vocation, we have also been introduced into a system of values and ethics. These underlying principles and rules govern and add meaning to our actions when we put our learning to use.

Teaching necessarily implies giving. The life and work of the well-known and greatly respected teacher Muriel Wasi demonstrates her observation that a teacher “is one who has something to give that is of permanent value…one who will give and give it freely,” “a person of faith and experience”. Why then is the word itself falling into disuse, being replaced by ‘instructor’, ‘facilitator’, ‘catalyst’, ‘educator’ and a host of others? Is it only because education is accepted to be learner centric? Is teaching one-way and authoritarian by its very description? Is teaching not fundamentally responsible for the state of society?

Teachers need to be masters of their subjects. They stimulate enthusiasm, influence attitudes, are kind and patient, loyal and cooperative, intelligent and quick witted, plan and execute work in an environment that they make friendly and alive, develop talent even when none exist, take charge of situations without making it apparent that they are in charge and most important, and through all this, set standards that everyone else has chosen to abandon, set an example in a vacuum created by those who live but have ceased to learn. Every teacher also needs an ingredient of integrity, the evidence of which may be what we call a moment of truth, “the point at which what is good in the teacher coincides with what is good in the person. Integrity is distinct from ability, far above it as a value just as learning is above ignorance.”

“Professionals,” writes Muriel Wasi, herself a professional in the truest sense of the word, “as distinct from amateurs, are people who are constantly dissatisfied with themselves because they know that like machines they are going out of date. Obsolescence…this affects teachers as it does machines. Only, teachers have the power to renew themselves. They can see how far short of perfection they fall and this awareness acts as a constant prod. Till they are not good enough…Nothing but sheer dogged work makes professionals. A profession is not a series of mountain peaks or wave crests. Not all teaching is at the heroic heights of Socrates. Every profession has its ups and downs… and downs are more frequently plentiful than ups.”

Let us remind ourselves once again that “the teacher is the heart of the matter.”

I have long admired Teacher Plus and feel quite chuffed that I have been offered a column to myself. Please do read it or I may get a “Dear John” letter saying I’ve been dumped!

The Primary School is at the core of whole education system, anywhere in the world. The better our primary school, the better will be the school leaving performance, not to be mention the prowess of the university graduates.

I should like this column to be interactive – ‘have your say’ is the newest slogan on many TV channels. Teacher Plus (and the Primary school) would like to put it in writing. We need to discuss, to exchange ideas, to give an opinion and to keep an open mind, willing to experiment, and improve on a present ‘favourite’ activity, or when adopting an idea from elsewhere.

The Three R’s (Reading, Riting, Rithmetic) will be the main thrust of the column, but at the centre of the whole proceeding will be the child. Teacher Plus may be able to offer tailor-made courses for the teacher in the future…

It seems a busy schedule is ahead of us. The more I think of it, the more I am sure we will be burning the midnight oil to ensure that each child will benefit from the teacher who reads Teacher Plus.

The centre of the school system is definitely the child – the V.I.P. But who makes it all happen? YOU! You need to be alert, alive and well, full of energy, rarin’ to go, and above all, child-friendly.

We can discuss the classroom and how to make it work for you…we can exchange ideas about handwriting – print, cursive, patterns, blank paper, lined paper, and what about spelling and pronunciation?

Self-assessment is a good thing to do: we could perhaps devise a Teacher Plus evaluation system. We have ideas on motivation, and the benefits (or otherwise) of rewards and punishments, incentives and learning-by-doing.

The wonderful thing about Teacher Plus is that it gives importance to the meaning of education, and makes an effort to keep the programme relevant and meaningful. Learning should be fun and we use the Theme method, EVS, the Language Experience Approach, determined to put practical implementation into educational jargon.

Perhaps we could start with the kind of teacher you should /could be? I look forward to our time together.

Ayesha Das is a teacher educator at Teachers’ Centre, Loreto House, Kolkata.

The school is the best place to inculcate in children the ideals and values of social work. Apart from infusing dignity, it helps cultivate a humane trait – that of being able to contribute to the collective responsibilities of society.

The International Federation of Social Workers contends that “social work grew out of humanitarian and democratic ideals…its values are based on respect for the equality, worth and dignity of all people”. The words charity and volunteer best describe social work activities.
Social work addresses the multiple complex transactions between people and their environments. Its mission is to enable people to develop their full potential, enrich their lives and prevent societal dysfunction. Over time, it has become a discipline, giving rise to specialised institutions that train would be social workers. Professional social workers focus on problem-solving and change and are seen as ‘change agents’ in the lives of the individuals, families and communities they serve.

The missing link(s)
Though these are the ideals, some individuals argue that some programmes fail to achieve targets in spite of expert interventions. Their contention – “Nothing is wrong with the system or in the groups/individuals planning or organising social work programmes. The lacuna lies in the lack of preparedness and responsibility or commitment of a participating individual”. It is therefore essential to inculcate these qualities in the early stages of life’s learning curve.

Social work is not only about participation, but also about doing work the way it should be done. Perhaps there is some truth in what they say – since an individual is supposedly the primary participant – ‘accountability’ to any programme matters. Here, an individual’s ‘experience’ will determine the success or failure of any programme and as such, experience becomes an asset to the community. However, in many cases, individuals participating as volunteers often do not have any experience; though volunteering itself is a ‘noble’ indulgence! Imagine a hundred inexperienced volunteers gathering to do social work. And imagine just one among them, who happens to have some experience, doing the actual work while the rest look on not knowing what to do and how to coordinate. The programme would indeed be a disaster.

Bridging the gap
Though any social arena would do to introduce and inculcate the positive aspects of social work, the school is perhaps the best. Here, in the classroom environment, it is likely that there will be a somewhat varying distribution of some basic social priorities. Being able to tailor lessons to each student means the teacher meets the needs of each student naturally and still honours the diversity present with less distraction and more connection.

Though challenging, this makes knowing the students’ social priorities a very valuable asset. The result of this effort is always rewarding to both the educator and the student. Educators can tap this diversity to help individual students accommodate and help each other. They can also use students’ social priorities to connect children’s interests and subjects studied.

As for students, what do they learn? Tinyi, a research scholar from the University of Hyderabad, vividly remembers his schooling in Nagaland: “Those were the days when we had social work every alternate Saturday…apart from ‘dignity of labour’ it infused in me a humane trait, of being able to contribute to the collective responsibilities of our society. I believe the intricate needs and functions of social work have shaped a part of my personality. Whatever I have learnt about leadership, preparedness and team spirit has proved rewarding and relevant to this day.” Gaining experience early in life thus makes things easier for any collective concern that may arise.

Societies have been, and are capable of organizing themselves to meet their collective needs. Societal relations and experiences across human history have proved this fact. And since social work can have an impact on an individual’s life, reliving memories like Tinyi’s would not be a bad idea after all.

Temjenwabang is a research scholar at the University of Hyderabad.

Teachers, whether at school, college or university level, face a multitude of problems not entirely in their control. Individual issues may mean very little, but collectively, the impact is striking. In such a situation, what do highly inspired teachers do?

I had always wanted to teach – after retiring from my job as a computer professional. An opportunity came some years sooner than I envisaged.

The first year of teaching computer engineering was exciting. We focussed on improving the labs. We used thin clients (a thin client is a network computer without a hard disk drive, whereas a fat client includes a disk drive) and almost doubled the number of workstations with the same budget. We introduced Linux and open source databases. My conviction was that students must be exposed to a variety of environments so that they can learn and make decisions with more information. The wider range of exposure would also prepare them for coping with changes, which are inevitable in the IT area.

After the high, the decay started. The water was there but the horse refused to drink it! Something did not seem right – the students were not particularly enthusiastic about programming. Some had decided to make a career in management, but they were not the large majority! Each semester I tried to correct what I thought were the problems but the impact was minimal.

It was clear that I was on the wrong track; I had not understood the complexity of the issues involved. I chanced upon a website on connected mathematics (http://ccl.northwestern.edu/cm) whose goal was to help learners at all levels make sense of complex, nonlinear phenomena. I was not dealing with individuals but a collection of students with interactions between them. The behaviour of the students was a consequence of the environment in which they were operating. That is why the same students who avoided programming during their student days could become pretty good programmers at work.

I looked at my laundry list of the problems, none in my control. Each item in the list meant little individually, but collectively, the impact was overwhelming.

My (partial) laundry list of the environmental issues follows:

• A class size over 60 is too large. We are no longer dealing with a group of individuals but with a crowd. “We have unanimously decided to mass bunk.”
• Compulsory attendance. Wrong solution to the problem of disinterested students or tuition classes. Teachers are allowed to teach but are not qualified as examiners. That is clearly putting the cart before the horse.
• Every college in a university has the same syllabus. “You can choose any colour as long as it is black.” A teacher cannot innovate.
• A common final exam. The examiner, in order to ensure fairness to all colleges, is constrained to set a question paper which follows a well understood pattern. It becomes a test of memory. Anything else would risk a front page coverage, “Out of syllabus paper”.
• The government imposes a ridiculous amount of paperwork and inflexible rules on colleges to ensure quality. Result – a small headline in a paper, “Fed up with corruption, NRI donates college to the University.”

I do not know about my students, but I have learnt a lot in the last three years, including ridding myself of a 30-year itch to teach.

The writer is a computer professional trained as a physicist and has been a teacher for three years in an engineering college. He can be reached at anilseth@sancharnet.in.