The need and importance of inclusive education is slowly being recognized in India. It may be true that mainstream schools are not yet inclusive in their setup but the thought is at least there. And while inclusion in terms of disabilities is being acknowledged we need to broaden our understanding of inclusion to include differences in terms of religion, ethnicity, and sexual orientation as well.
Category: Editorial
Why those molecules matter
Chemistry is all about matter and the changes it undergoes. In actuality, the field of chemistry is so vast that there are numerous sub-divisions. But now because there are tremendous overlaps across branches of this discipline, students need to understand the breadth and the depth of the subject and its relationship to other areas of knowledge. A look at how chemistry not only governs science but also life in several minute ways.
Summer promise…
Summer is upon us again, bringing with it the heat and the piles of papers that signify final examinations. As we sit around the staff room table with our marking pens trying to make sense of the hastily scrawled compositions Read More …
The big picture and the little details
Learning spaces need to be accessible to all children, so that they get the opportunity to grow into happy, productive adults. But since children have different expectations and needs, a standardised curriculum may not fit the bill. So, while the RTE Act is an important policy that promises to make schooling accessible to all children, alternative spaces where learning happens must also be allowed to coexist.
Seize the moment
There’s no disagreeing that education is at the centre of any programme of change. History has shown us that propaganda seeking to change mindsets and cultural meanings finds its way into textbooks and school curricula. Newly elected governments often disrupt Read More …
As the year turns
As the New Year dawns, it seems as if everything is in a blur, with time rushing by and anxiety levels of teachers and students rising . There is a mad rush to complete the syllabus and students are asked to finish their assignments on time. This is a process that continues year after year but what keeps the adrenalin flowing is the sense of newness that each year brings with it.
Hungry kya?
Asking that question places me at risk of repeating a popular advertising line, and one that I am not particularly keen on recalling at this particular moment – focusing as we are on the need to think more seriously about Read More …
Classrooms for/of/by the people?
How can we as teachers achieve democracy in our classrooms? As individuals in the larger scheme of things, we often stand helpless, not knowing how we can can bring about the much needed change. But in our classrooms, we can work in minute ways transferring values to our children, helping them to think, act and generally be.
Biodiversity in practice
How are teachers concerned with issues on biodiversity? When there is already so much on their minds do they need to add this to their bucket of problems? Yes they do. Teachers are citizens of this world like all of us and more importantly they are the ‘change agents’ with the power to influence a younger generation. And when biodiveristy is part of everything we do–whether it is the food we eat or the trees we walk by on our way to school–it is important that we inspire a concern for it in our students.
Nurturing the self
Sometimes the routine pattern of our lives does not allow us to see things in a different perspective. Teachers, particularly, need to pull back and take a break. This Teachers’ Day, our contributors explore the idea and the benefits of a getaway.