Terrorism – 0 Education – ∞

As 2014 draws to a close, it will be marked by one of the most tragic and spine-chilling incidents that history has witnessed so far. The massacre of 132 school children in Peshawar, Pakistan. The world gasped in horror as terrorists wreaked a savage blood bath in the institution. Innocent lives, whose only fault was of belonging to a particular background and for attending school, eager to learn. While it wasn’t the first time that children were victims of terrorist attacks, what made it more gruesome was the planned and systematic way the terrorists went about the murders. How a human could do such an act, we wonder.

As the government in Pakistan vowed to clean its backyard of these weeds they grew for regulating their external power struggle with India, and it yet remains to be seen how much they will walk the talk, will just retaliating and killing more terrorists suffice? Clearly, killing more people can hardly contain violence which is more often than not, an outcome of a society reeling under marginalisation, division and exclusion. The have and the have-nots; the masses who continue to wait along the side-lines, as the majority progress towards ‘development’. And what serves as a greater leveller than education to remove such socio-economic disparities while also broadening the outlook of people?

HG Wells in Outline of History mentioned – “human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe." Closer home, around 80 million adivasis, who live mostly in poorer states like Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, have barely been participants in the ‘shining India’ era; they earn as low as Rs. 20,000 annually. Is it any coincidence that Naxalite activity has thrived on such alienated and marginalised tribal belts in eastern and central India, stripped of basic amenities that should constitute their rights rather than be considered a privilege, defining development?

Unfortunately, we have yet to understand the importance of education in removing such disparities. Like its Indian counterpart which spends a miniscule 3.5 % of GDP on education, even Pakistan spends a dismal 2.3% GDP on education (compared with 8-10% in OECD countries). In fact, in June 2014 the Pakistan media reported that the education budget had been reduced by 11% over last year. This while the country has the second largest number of out-of-school children after India as per a UNESCO 2012 report – ‘Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2012. There is marked discrimination in terms of girl child education in lower economic households with less than 5% young women having completed lower secondary school while a paltry 16% of poorest men had completed so, compared with 70% richest young men and women. The country ranks 113 out of 120 countries in the Education Development Index.  One in three young people in Pakistan have not completed primary school and the country has the third largest number of illiterates.

How can any country progress when several live in various degrees of unfreedom? Significantly, Dowrick and Kruege Lindahl had observed that an increase by one year in a country’s average level of schooling could increase economic growth by 6-15%.  Since lack of education is both the cause and effect of underdevelopment,   it becomes a vicious cycle to break. And violence is often born out of such disparities. Education enables people from all streams to actively participate in nation building rather than be silent and at times harmful participants.

We need to not only spend more on education and health and make it inclusive across aspects, but also invest time and energies in thinking about how we want to shape our youth’s minds. What is it that they are learning and what lessons are we imparting? For instance, is it just a mere coincidence that Pakistan spends SEVEN times more on military education than on primary education! We will reap as we sow and education is a powerful tool.

We need to focus on shared cultural, intellectual and physical history as a people rather than let a few in power create dissent and divide us. In what will remain as of the most brazen and dastardly acts on an education institution, ironically, isn’t it time we sat up and take notice of what is it that we are teaching our children or rather what is it that we aren’t?  Tolerance, mutual respect and understanding, cooperation and unity should not merely be restricted to moral science/value education lessons but rewarded and incorporated within the curriculum. Since it is in our schools that our minds are being shaped continuously.

Undoubtedly, in every war between terrorism and Education, the former has always lost. For there can’t be a more befitting reply than that given by the young school children who survived the dastardly act to those who cowardly plot such terror attacks to imbibe fear and hostility, by turning up the very next day at school. While you might inhumanly push bullets into our heads, how will you destroy awakened minds? 

The Sanskrit-German controversy

The recent controversy of Sanskrit ‘replacing’ German as the third language has indeed opened a can of worms with respect to the status of language education in India. While various factions have defended this move led by an almost extinct group of Sanskrit scholars many have opposed it too. As tempting as it might seem to derive that the move has been conjured through saffron-tinted glasses, it has nonetheless highlighted critical issues plaguing our education system.
  

One, that teaching of German in Kendriya Vidyalaya schools isn’t truly in-sync with the three language formula as drafted in the National Education Policy, 1968 (revised in 1986 and 2005) which has stated that the preferred medium of instruction should be the mother tongue with a progressive introduction of other languages like Hindi, English and a ‘modern’ Indian language from middle-school (grades 6 to 8). Whether Sanskrit now falls in the purview of ‘modern’ Indian language, is up for debate, but definitely German doesn’t fall into the picture.

How did we even come to pass such a massive blunder? German was introduced as a supplemental activity outside school hours in 2009. It wasn’t part of the core curriculum. It was only when it started becoming popular that in 2011, it was introduced as a third language option at the middle school level in 2011 in Kendriya Vidyalayas. Understandably, one has to question the legitimacy of introducing a language as restricted as German (spoken mainly in Germany and Austria). Why was the government sleeping for all these three years? Also, the shift from Sanskrit to German had hampered the situation with teachers of Sanskrit being forced to learn German through short tutorials and teach the students! One can only imagine the resultant quality of teaching.

It also brings us to the main issue which is the ironic failure of dispensing an effective language education in a multi-lingual nation such as ours. How can any language be taught in isolation? For a language to thrive it needs to be spoken and hence such avenues for speaking the language are critical. Naturally, the more the number of avenues to apply the language skill, the more is the hunger for getting back to it and deriving more from it.

Why must we pit one language against the other or politicise the issue? Numerous research papers have indicated that children are known to pick up to 21 languages simultaneously if exposed to it consistently since infancy.  So, clearly the issue isn’t of adding another language to the curriculum. The question isn’t as much in terms of utility too especially when it comes to languages since it is deeply entrenched within the culture of a people. Especially Sanskrit, which contains the ancient wisdom of Vedas, Puranas and Upanishads, and which has now caught the fancy of the western world.

I remember studying Sanskrit during my school years. It was hardly pleasant as is the case due to improper comprehension of the principles governing a language. The grammar in Sanskrit is extremely structured but given the basic principle of rote learning and mugging up information, it makes it even tougher. How do we inculcate a genuine love of learning for the language/subject?  The real issue has been universal across all aspects of Indian education system. The issue has always remained of dispensing quality and outcome-centric education through trained and expert faculty, guided by a well-researched and effective pedagogy. 

Each year lesser number of students are opting for Sanskrit in universities in spite of falling cut-offs. Apart from teaching there are hardly any other career opportunities for students majoring in Sanskrit. There is a gross lack of funds for students pursuing doctorates and research work. Clearly, language education and interdependence of cognitive-linguistic skills has been grossly misinterpreted and delved into. Pedagogy needs to be reinvented in its entirety. Research and study in languages also must be promoted and funded in a consistent and well thought out approach. Teacher education programmes must be tailored to cater to the current context and its challenges. The essence of language education in terms of its extension to learning across spheres must be realised.

A language needs to be well integrated into the lives of people to be duly propagated. It’s time we analyse the outcomes we are aiming for in terms of language education, define them when none exists and redefine the obsolete.

When Inclusion is Prejudice

“I love school.”  For educators, such declaration from a student is the best testament of ‘success’. However, Priya, 8 years is not among our ‘usual’ pre-schoolers. She lives under the flyover in the slums of Kandivali near our school.

While it’s been a while that we had opened our doors and hearts to the children of Teresa Ocean of Humanity Foundation, around 30 feisty street children aged 4 to 16 years, this most impromptu confession, with twinkling eyes and one that prompted other more reluctant children to also coyly break into a jiggle and express their happiness is perhaps one of the most surreal moments I have experienced. 

It is during such moments we realise the impact we can have on improving lives through some basic additional efforts. In this case, from just helping Priya and other children like her experience the joy of a well-kept school premises and other resources.  Or even in dedicatedly training a group of tribal children in self-defence, education and hygiene.

It made me think how much we could really achieve if each of our children could attend quality school programmes (which is the basic right of each and every child as per the Indian constitution) right from the preschool level and not just from primary. What does the term inclusion really mean?

We have always prided ourselves in being an ‘inclusive’ school.  Through our initiatives we have tried to extend it to ‘social inclusion’ too. While our children at Kangaroo Kids Preschool and the children of Teresa Foundation have already set the wheels in motion in terms of learning to respect and share each other’s spaces, I constantly wonder why must there be a need for schools to be ‘inclusive’ in the first place. Should that be a goal?  

The RTE Act has set in pace the mission to achieve universal elementary education but can inclusion be suddenly forced upon when there are so many learning, cultural, linguistic impediments to grapple with? Have reservations at colleges, institutions helped us get the desired effect of ensuring that the opportunities presented be translated to effective outcomes?

That is the keyword we must analyse - the outcome, in terms of empowerment. A dipstick survey report by Parikrama Humanity Foundation, a non-profit company in the field of primary education, found that only 8 per cent of the jobs in well-known IT companies in Bangalore are held by people who have emerged from government schools. Yet, of the million-plus schools in this country, 94 per cent are government or government-aided institutions. Alarmingly, in India’s emerging knowledge industry, more than 90 per cent of jobs are held by people from 6 per cent of its schools.

Higher education fares better than primary education but has only about 10% of the population having access to it. Also, 3 million graduates a year, being dispensed out of faulty education systems into various enterprises – locally and globally. Out of these a whopping 90% are deemed unfit for the job-market. What do these numbers tell us?

1.     We need a well thought out and tailored approach for real ‘inclusion’ to take place factoring in the social, economic and bureaucratic elements. It must clearly run deeper than sweeping Acts and Reservations that sound ideal but must be pragmatic and in sync with ground realities.  

2.     In a country where 74% population still depends on agriculture as primary means of livelihood and earnings of less than 100 rupees a day, where do we stand at vocational education and training (VET) in this skill-based economy? A dismal 10% of workers receive formal education in vocational education, compared with 65% in US and 70% in UK. China is training 90 million youths against our 3.5 million youths in VET! We need more and more social enterprises that also focuses on truly empowering people across communities.  

3.     We have the lowest spends on Education and Health – the two most critical components that build a nation! India beats sub-saharan Africa, known over the world in term of hunger parameters. How do we expect our children to study when they aren’t healthy? How does anyone grow financially if he is bogged by debts due to escalating healthcare costs – since our public healthcare is also such a failure?  Our public expenditure on healthcare is just over 1% of GDP. In education it is about 3%, lesser than sub-Saharan Africa.

For true empowerment through inclusion, one that transcends the social, economic, cultural factors, it must have 100% involvement from the entire ecosystem. We need to start early, young and work together. And not just through reservations or categorisations, which further divides us.   We need to connect at the ground level and encourage the communities to explore, engage and enrich each other’s perspectives while also advocating their equal rights to be included in the societal framework with the freedom of also retaining their respective identities. 

While inclusion is a way of abolishing various degrees of inequalities, it shouldn’t be an end. The goal must be empowerment.

After all, doesn’t the term ‘inclusion’ imply Prejudice?

 

 

Cleanliness and G(o)odliness!

A recent international study by Rice University has established a well-known truth. It states that the feelings of disgust associated with an unclean work space might give rise to unethical behaviour. In other words, ethical behaviour can be promoted by keeping the immediate environment clean!

While this further gives an impetus to the much-touted Narendra Modi’s ‘Swacch Bharat Abiyan’, it just reaffirms what traditional sciences like FengShui, Vastu Shastra have delved on since ages - the importance of clearing of clutter to attract good energy.  

If one were to pick up the newspaper and look at most issues which are critical, these rule at any given point – vector-borne illnesses and deaths, garbage disposal and sanitation issues,  health of citizens, social issues like poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, malnutrition. It is tough to overlook the connection between apathy towards the environment and corresponding impact on its surrounding.

While under the Cleanliness Drive initiated by the Prime Minister, many municipal schools and societies across are taking the broom, hardly any program sustains in the long run without a holistic approach. Here the issue, apart from cleaning up mess is to stop generating mess.

Perception plays a key role in changing of behaviour and in turn habits. When a three-year-old sees his/her father or mother littering, or observes cleaning the house is the maid's cross to bear, How many such adults are going to own up to the mess accumulated outside one’s house? Much of this is due to apathy and ignorance.

It’s time the government started environmental education in schools and preschools. There needs to be a separate subject dealing in environmental education and separate project. Let alone need-of-the-hour initiatives as garbage recycling, garbage segregation, water conservation which goes a long way in preserving the environment, we need to sensitise people about the effects of inappropriate disposal of waste.  

Throughout the regular cleanliness drives we take, the most crucial ones forming the base, is the environmental awareness we induce in our tots. You will be surprised to know how receptive and conscientious a toddler can be. We have had parents share with us how their three-four year olds patronise them for a minor oversight – leaving the tap open while brushing teeth or throwing a wrapper out of the car or spitting gum on the road.  These young children serve as the best mirrors to the parents. Reflecting truth, not deflecting it. 

It is habits that form a society and also define it.  It’s hardly any rocket science that no good can come out of unhygienic, filthy and mauled environments. Neither a human being nor an animal deserves to dwell in such spaces.  

Cleanliness is G(o)odliness. 

MISSING - the ‘Care’ in Early Childhood Care Education!

Meera, a software engineer and a young mother was distraught when she had met us a year ago. She was at her wit’s end trying to get her child, Kiara (3.5 years) enrolled into a ‘good’ playschool. She had already tried two preschools – one a smaller establishment closer to her locality and another a larger one integrated within a renowned K-12 school, though the traveling time doubled. None worked. One had failed to engage Kiara at a holistic level and the other was a gigantic system which threatened to engulf Kiara’s uniqueness at such a young age. Having met and counselled numerous parents, it definitely wasn’t the first time I had encountered such agony. And a valid one.

Being a mother foremost and an educator, I can empathise and appreciate the concerns parents like Meera have. For a simple reason - it reverberates with the need to provide holistic, inclusive, quality and research-based education especially, Early Childhood Care Education (ECCE) programmes, which has been a personal two-decade mission. It is an irony that even though the demand for ECCE has shot up considerably with numerous preschools and K-12 schools sprouting in every corner, parents are still devoid of options when choosing good ECCE programmes which are accessible, affordable, engaging, developmentally-centric and relevant. Most are compelled to compromise at some if not various levels, albeit critical. Many garner admissions in K-12 schools to avoid admission hassles later on without even checking if the school’s ECCE programme is relevant, enriching and suitable for their tots. At others, parents enrol their children in preschools with great infrastructure but poor ‘learning’ outcomes. The glut of poor-quality preschools due to lack of regulations in the sector compounded by lack of awareness among parents about benchmark practices has led to this vacuum. The cost of this oversight is unfortunately being borne by the children.

What defines a good preschool? There are a myriad of factors. However, according to me, it must definitely measure against these key three factors – Focussed and constructive attention to children, Enabling of Holistic growth, and one that facilitates seamless integration of the children into the primary programme. It is critical to ensure that every child is given the requisite attention to develop as per his/her potential and through methods that aren’t standardised. Perhaps opting for a preschool affiliated with a good K-12 school would be the best choice considering the focussed objectives, customised processes, guaranteed admission into the primary section of the affiliated school and ease of operations facilitated by the smaller setup as against a large K-12 school. However, undoubtedly, a well-researched, relevant and developmentally-appropriate curriculum, teacher qualifications and training, and an enabling environment are non-negotiable when it comes to choosing a good preschool.

The government needs to urgently look at setting policies and regulations for the setting up of a preschool while also expanding accessibility and provision of such ECCE programmes to all children. While the NPE (National Policy on Education) 1986 stressed upon the holistic nature of ECCE, and has been successful in bringing ECCE in balwadis through ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services), vast majority of such programmes are running as little primary schools, both in the government and private sector. Such formal didactic methods of teaching three-six year olds can actually prove detrimental to their overall development. A sound ECCE programme is critical for the success of the universal elementary education under the SSA, taken up by the government. Bridging the large gap in terms of skilled teachers, administrators, therapists etc. also need to be pursued doggedly (Read - Bridging the Skilled Resource Gap in ECCE) . In fact, it would do a lot good to have a minister of state for ECCE education, considering the significance, growth and expanse of this sector.

Every society’s abilities and resources are being constantly tried and tested to cope with the needs and development of our young generation. The need to make them future ready in this dynamic, ever-changing 21^st century should be the one guiding factor for our policy makers. Research after research has indicated that neurons and positive brain connections are critical in this age bracket between 0 to 6 years. Neurons that are wired together fire together!  Without a doubt, there is hardly any other surpassing need than the urgent one to invest in our young. NOW.

Bridging the Skilled-Resource-Gap in ECCE

Among the key problems facing the Indian ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education) sector currently is capacity utilisation and an equally critical unavailability of skilled resources. Most ECCE programs, though have spread to smaller towns, villages and urban slums etc., are yet to offer quality curriculums disseminated by skilled resources focusing on the holistic development of the child as against  the myopic standard, cryptic and isolated approach. Even though the government in 2013 had approved the proposal of the National Early Childhood Care Education (ECCE) Policy, the focus is mostly on enhancing access and developing a national curriculum framework. Issues of training and developing of a skilled resource pool, critical to drive outcomes, have been side lined.

Unfortunately, it is also widely perceived that not much expertise or technical knowledge is required for the implementation of such programs and hence, the quality of ECCE programs has been adversely impacted.  Training systems are archaic and requisite qualifications are low due to absence of any such mandate by any state government. Undoubtedly, nothing could be more off-the-mark.  Various childcare programs from institutional care, adoption centres, maternal and child health programs, programs for children with special needs require well trained professionals with a sound knowledge regarding child development and requisite skills to work with children.

In the last two decades, issues relating to ECCE have been in focus since government’s adoption of the National Policy on Education (NPE) in 1986 and The Revised Policy Formation (POA) in 1992. In spite of this however, in India, home to the largest number of children in the world at 170 million children (census 2001) between 0-6 years, ECCE remains a privilege for majority of the children. A mere 32% of pre-primary age children are enrolled in such education programs. Even though there has been a marked increase in government-led ECCE programs, the coverage of children under such programs remain dismal. As per ‘ECCE: An Overview (MHRD 2003)’ - a mere 19.6% children between age group 3-6 years were covered under ECCE programs such as ICDS and ECE schemes, crèches and balwadis in the voluntary sector supported by DWCD in 1996-97.  

This is alarming if we were to look at scientific global studies having established that the first 6 to 8 years of a child’s life are most critical for lifelong development due to the rapid pace of development. Absence of a stimulating and enriching environment often irreversibly reduces the possibility of achieving ideal potential. Increased industrialisation, migration, change in traditional family patterns and urbanisation has impacted the quality of child care available. Hence the developing and initiating of quality early child care programs and enhancing inclusiveness is of utmost importance.  

At present most of the programs create their own in-service training for skills for specific programs, also curtailing mobility of workers.  The ability to understand the crux of the content, program and adapt the knowledge garnered and skills to create opportunities for children’s optimum growth and development is most essential though for now, grossly lacking.

In-line with the Modi government’s directive and impetus for advancing vocational training for skill development, recently, TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), Mumbai, began its ‘school of vocational education programme’. I have had the privilege to connect with likeminded educators and professionals from ECCE and we are dedicatedly attempting to arrive at a dynamic and relevant curriculum framework and are excited with the prospects of the introduction of a first-of-its-kind vocational education programme in ECCE.  While there can’t be a better way than involving school operators and knowledgeable experts from the industry for this magnanimous task of also establishing a strong quality assurance system in place, it is also certain that there needs to be a holistic approach to tackle issues concerning ECCE.

One of the ways of developing and grooming such skilled workers is through concerted efforts to set up training programs while also amplifying policy measures in the sector. Vocational education courses in ECCE backed by relevant policy measures to build on awareness, capacity utilisation, requisite qualifications and guidelines, financial monitoring and evaluation is the need-of-the-hour. It’s time the government works alongside private sector players and encourages skilled, talented and committed professionals to take up the unparalleled goal of shaping the future of our country. We must make it our number one priority to provide quality childcare to ALL our children including the whopping 70% who are currently deprived of this basic right.

What Is Stopping Us Let Our Children PLAY?

It is that time of the year when young and old alike, look forward to joyously swirl around in circles and play to the tune of dandiya beats. The thrill of just letting go and truly enjoying oneself with the company of those you cherish or even by oneself is liberating. It also captures the essence of play.    

The importance of play has been well documented. Plato (429-347 B.C.) had reportedly observed, “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” In the eighteenth century Rousseau (1762/1930), in his book ‘Emile’ wrote about the importance of observing play as a vehicle to learn about and understand children. The importance of play in education also has been well documented. And yet, alarmingly we are now moving toward a culture which either treats play as an appendage or has more frighteningly, with the advent of technology, attempted at substituting or overriding it.

Incidentally, last week, I had presented a ten-minute documentary film (shot in 2 settings - Kangaroo Kids, Kandivali and the shots of the Aarey milk Adivasi children) on 'Building perspectives through play' in ‘Kaleidoscope of Play in India – 2014’, a national conference conducted by the International Play Association (IPA) ,India and Centre for Human Ecology, TISS. We were a group of highly involved educationists, school administrators, NGOs and advocates promoting true ‘inclusion’ in education and life beyond school and for the right of children to play and express themselves.

It was an opportunity for all Parents, Teachers, Trainers, Facilitators, Students to have a plethora of information on Play- its benefits and the Right of every child to play on one platform. Perhaps, the existence of an international NGO fighting for the rights of children (as defined by Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child), since 1961, itself is rather unfortunate while telling. To some, this might even seem absurd and confounding.  Don’t children play all the while? Do they? Not if we take into account the shrinking and disappearing playgrounds, the rising number of child labourers and the displacement of physical play that technology has induced.

Play now has disparate notions. We see children being shuttled from one hobby class to other, with little time for unstructured play – to just be. We have also seen children as young as four just hooked onto their gadgets, playing mobile games, beating each other’s scores and their parents’! On the other hand we also see well-intentioned albeit misguided parents stacking up children’s bedrooms with toys up to the ceilings, which most researchers would say hamper the creativity of children due to overstimulation. Contrastingly, for children from underprivileged sections play might entail playing with the dirt, rubble, and whatever leftover materials you could make them or just running around. Such an environment is marked by a dearth of stimuli. The trick is to find that balance. If children irrespective of socio-economic backgrounds were left to themselves, they would love to play with objects most connected with nature or day-to-day activities, which they could most relate with.

Children love to express themselves with sand, mud, paint and among toys, building blocks which proves as a fantastic stimulant. Toy blocks and other construction toys might not be as flashy as battery-powered robots or video games. But, as developmental psychologist Rachel Keen notes, parents and teachers "need to design environments that encourage and enhance problem solving from a young age" (Keen 2011).

Children learn best through hands-on experiences, and block play is a valuable part of cognitive development in preschoolers. Using blocks, children can piece together shapes to create a bigger picture, whether it is a representation of something they have seen or from their imagination. Exploring with blocks also nurtures an understanding for math, science, language and dramatic play. Construction toys also ideally help children develop motor and spatial skills, hand-eye coordination, creative and divergent thinking, social and language skills.

Children in any setting love to play, imagine, role play - let them. Make sure to indulge their creative fantasies and topsy-turvy ideas when invited into their make-believe world. Above all, keep up the spirit of play in daily routines. Play is a state of being and need not really have a demarcated time to allot to it. It is a way of life! Why must we inadvertently deprive them of their right to just be?

‘As astronauts & Space travelers, children puzzle over the future;  As dinosaurs & princess they unearth the past; As weather reporters & restaurant workers they make sense of reality; as monsters & gremlins they make sense of the unreal’ - Unknown

Relevance of Hindi and Regional Languages Education in Globalised Era

On September 14^th India commemorated ‘Hindi Divas’. It was on this day in 1949 when Hindi (Devnagari script) was adopted as the Official Language by the Constituent Assembly of India.  Being among the handful preschools in the country to impart structured Hindi early childhood education programme weaved into the main English programme curriculum from playschool (1.5 years) onward, we celebrate this day every year at our preschool.  We firmly believe in the importance of multilingual education. As long as there is consistent exposure, children can learn up to 21 languages when in preschool. As compared to children who just speak just one language bilingual children can communicate better, read more, decode words effectively, are very creative and are good at problem solving. A 1974 UNESCO report on interactions between Linguistics and mathematical Education underlined the interdependence of language skills and mathematical skills. 

Isn’t it ironical then how despite India’s much touted multilingualism, India’s education system has failed to impart proficient language skills thereby translating into communicative incompetency? The failure to incorporate a tactical, dynamic and skill-oriented policy for language education has led to a divide – between English and the regional languages. As a result, most Indians are neither proficient in English nor the regional languages. The few Indians who know English proficiently are inept in regional languages and the ones who are proficient in regional languages aren’t so in English.

English has of course been gaining ground so far over the other vernacular mediums including Hindi for the obvious saleability and ‘prestige’ factor associated with it. An English graduate with second class is far likelier to be given a job rather than a first-class graduate in a regional language with second language as English.

India follows a three-language education policy - regional language, English and Hindi. However, arguably, the curricular objectives of teaching regional language, Hindi and English have to be clearly defined. Skill oriented teaching of Hindi and prose in regional literatures are hardly pursued. Moreover the approach to language education is rigid. There is no distinction between teaching language as a subject and using language as a medium. 

Languages are interdependent and critical in both formal and non-formal education. Given that literacy is primarily a language related competence, is it a surprise that a nation speaking 700 languages has yet to achieve 100% literacy levels? In a multilingual nation like India it is imperative to work out ways to seam languages - those spoken at home and at school.  We need to expose children to languages simultaneously early on; particularly at the rural levels. The sudden introduction of formal English or second language post-primary after being exposed to monolingual education throughout primary education perpetuates inequalities. The need of the hour is to work out a strategic bilingual pre-primary and primary education programme for a structured and integrated transfer from home to school language.

It is time we stopped politicising language study and bracket communities or strata as per the language spoken. No language has more credence over the other. Hindi is the third most spoken language in the world after Mandarin Chinese and English. Even the US has designated Hindi as a ‘super-critical needs language’, among the topmost category of languages in the new century. China has introduced study of Hindi in many of its universities. Hindi is also expected to figure among the six global languages in the coming centuries. Undoubtedly, we need our citizens to be proficient in English keeping in mind its universal appeal. However, the essence of the study of Hindi, English and regional language is complementary. It isn’t competitive. How can one touch the mind and the other the heart? 

Empowering Youth – Where Are Our Schools Faltering?

A close friend recently remarked how she has finally made up her mind about dropping out her 13 year old child from a respectable international school and homeschool him. She consulted a large, prominent homeschooling parents group and has now decided to take the plunge.  Schools, she said “were killing my child’s creativity and just providing literacy skills”. She had switched three schools successively and was very unhappy with the quality of education being imparted in schools and its core values. Incidentally, she was already the third parent I knew who would be doing so, joining the ranks of a growing tribe of parents home-schooling their children.  Needless to say, being an educator placing utmost importance on developing of every individual holistically and as true to self, I was perturbed.  Is formal education failing our children?

These were some of the most respectable schools in Mumbai forming the league of new-age international schools, reputed private schools and not public schools or government schools which continues to witness a large exodus of students leaving studies in spite of the RTE Act. (According to reports, in primary school education, the drop-out rate has increased to 0.97% from 0.58% in 2011-12 due to well-established factors like ignorance among parents, responsibilities at home, inaccessibility of schools, disengaging curriculum, migration etc.) Failure of public education system is well documented due to government schools plagued with teacher absenteeism, low teacher morale, crumbling infrastructure and an archaic curriculum which fails to engage students from communities already battling many issues.

However, what about private schools? With the dawn of the new age international schools, low student teacher ratio, holistic development and assessment, great infrastructure, learner-centric modules were introduced. Issues plaguing the traditional education system of rote learning and evaluating students unidimensionally on archaic irrelevant knowledge seemed to have gotten a shot in the arm. However, with thousands of such schools springing up everywhere, lack of effective regulation, dearth of quality teachers, even the better known schools are struggling with learning outcomes. The need for a dynamic system is imperative since education is always in a state of continuity. It is indeed ironical therefore that an institution which has the unparalleled challenge of predicting future needs of a society and moulding the aspirations and skills that will drive it must mould children within set, rigid frameworks.

It isn’t any wonder then that an increasing number of parents and students are getting disenchanted and questioning the method of getting educated. While homeschooling was born due to this gap and has met with much success (though its connotations vary), not many can afford to dedicate the resources in terms of time and money. Do we then have a solution? Renowned academicians and successful personalities have openly questioned the efficacy of mass schooling – an invention of the Industrial Era to train people to work in industries, mould their mindsets and skills from the manual labour they were used to in the Agricultural era. With changing times and the current Information Age, is the current education system run its course? What is education and how must its outcomes be measured?  In this knowledge economy it is undoubtedly the skills of the people that will propel growth of societies and nations.

That we are still grappling with achieving 100% basic literacy in the country is of course a matter of shame. However, what is equally perturbing is that even our graduates and postgraduates from well-reputed colleges are finding it difficult to get employed.  A recent study highlighted that while India has among the highest number of engineers graduating, a meagre 10% was found to be employable. Which means the education of 90% engineers isn’t worth a dime! And this is the scenario of typically every professional and graduate degree course. Clearly, we need to evolve fast! Merely paying lip service to education –as defined eons ago -- isn’t going to take us further.

We need to rehaul the entire education system which would truly empower every child irrespective of socio-economic background to reach his/her potential. Schools must be lively, dynamic, interactive bodies perpetuating creativity and not stifling it. We need to encourage children to learn at their own pace, do away with age criteria to write board exams, focus on imparting skills-based education and change assessment patterns which only tests linguistic and literacy prowess of children. We need to interweave the systematic study of the arts especially fine arts and performing arts.

A child is constantly learning – from his environment, school, parents, friends, nature… Why then seek education within the four walls of a classroom alone? Learning should be fun. According to the US Census Bureau by 2025 India is set to surpass China as the largest country with largest proportion in the working age category. This demographic dividend is expected to add 2 percentage points per annum to India’s per capita GDP growth. Can we imagine the contribution of an empowered youth comprising thinkers, innovators, entrepreneurs, artists, activists, writers, skilled force in the coming years? This requires a drastic change in the mind-sets of all stakeholders. We need to work as partners – the parents, the school and the state.  It was a wise person who said ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’

Shield Yourself – So that the Devils Fear to Tread!

December 16^th 2012. It was a black letter day for India when a bright and brave girl was violently raped and assaulted in a moving bus by six men. Her body was so brutalised that it shook the entire nation’s conscience. They named her Nirbhaya – the fearless one, given the grit with which she attempted to fight back the brutes as they ripped her gut out with a rusted iron bar. Her parents, from a socially backward community, had rebelled against societal dictat of raising girls as cattle meant only to breed and had gone to great lengths to educate her. Even as the nation seethed with rage and protested, more such assaults followed and it continues to do so. Rampantly. Unabashedly.  

The issues surrounding rape, child abuse and assault that need to be dealt with are many and mired in social, political and legal system failures. However, there is one critical aspect that surprisingly remains overlooked – training of women in self-defence. It isn’t new to India and was in fact an integral aspect in ancient India. During the Maurya Dynasty under Ashoka, as testified in Arthasasthra (~350-283 BC) women were trained in martial arts including sword fighting, bow and arrow, wrestling and were chosen as the bodyguards of kings. The two main Indian martial arts practiced by women in India currently are kushti (wrestling) and kalari (kerala martial art). Kalari was important in the system of education in Kerala where women and men were trained in combat fighting and weaponry fighting. Overall though, training women in self-defence is yet to be taken seriously and even understood correctly.

The Nirbhaya incident sparked the zeal in me to bring to fore this particular aspect since I have always believed in the importance of building physical endurance among women and children. I have worked and activated extensively for causes of child empowerment and fight against child sexual abuse and continue to do so. I was fortunate to be born into a family that encouraged me to pursue sports and training from a young age. It’s also the reason why my preschool is perhaps among the handful in the city for having incorporated a structured sports program which includes martial training for kids as young as three. Generally, self-defence in women has been restricted to a handful from privileged backgrounds. However, what about inclusion of girls from backward communities who face so many challenges daily?

And so, when a group of us got together and reminisced how important it was to launch a martial training initiative for women, as if by collective, intent consciousness ‘Shield Yourself’ concept dawned upon us. First in our hearts then our minds, sparking waves of collective but focussed action and a wondrous mission gathered momentum.  Shield yourself is a martial-training initiative under which girls from 4 years to women of 60 years will be trained to combat  provocative and dangerous assaults. It also aims to sharpen their minds and senses. Our first training centre has been set up in Kandivali East. To commemorate its launch we will be conducting ‘The All Girls Maharashtra Championship’ on 24^th August in Mumbai which has 300 martial arts participants from across the state will compete. We have simultaneously begun training 25 girls aged 4-17 years from the tribes that inhabit the Aarey milk colony jungles who are being trained alongside a handful of boys to eliminate any bias for strength training. These girls aspire to take part in championships and participate in state and national events and idolise Mary Kom. Our trainers, expert champions in Kung Fu, have already spotted exceptional talent among quite a few and we are striving to help them realise their dreams.

Kung Fu was conceptualised in ancient India by Gautam Buddha and spread to China where it found an elevated status. It is a combination of Judo and Gymnastics. We focus on animal techniques, kick boxing and have also introduced weapon training. We are also teaching them how common accessories such as pens, waist belt, umbrellas can be used as a weapon. Self-defence training definitely needs a holistic approach and involves going deep into minds of both the victim and the perpetrators of crime. Concurrently, we are also teaching them hygiene and plan to engage with their schools to work upon their standard of education.

I believe self-defence education must be made mandatory in all schools and reports have globally documented the vast benefits of empowering women by imparting these skills. Nirbhaya’s murder represented the killing of millions of aspirations and potential of our girl children, sacrificed for the fear and stigma associated with rape. They are the weaker ones, society says.  Protect Them, Stifle Them, Guard Them but Why not EMPOWER them to fight their battles? It is time we empowered our women to be fearless and invoke fear in the minds of the beasts instead - Shield yourself!

Child Abuse - Thriving at the wrong end of the stick!

The recent rape of a six-year-old schoolgirl in a reputed Bangalore school jolted the nation’s conscience. Even as a national outrage ensued, several shocking incidents of child abuse were reported across the country. Crimes against children are indeed reaching alarming proportions. The National Crime Records Bureau reported a total of 58,224 crimes against children, up 52 percent from last year and a whopping rise by 133 percent over 2009! And these are just what have been reported. A government report in 2007 highlighted 53 percent children have faced one or more forms of sexual abuse. It is a fact that most cases go unreported for the fear of social stigma, an inept bureaucracy and judicial system.

The Bangalore incident is outrageous more so since a child was abused within the vicinity which was supposed to protect and nurture her!  The management’s callous and unscrupulous approach of allegedly covering up the crime and destroying evidence is despicable. It highlights the need for parents to understand the core values of the school vis-à-vis the projected glamour in its sales pitch or brochures. It also emphasises the pertinent need for doing a thorough background and criminal record check when inducting school faculty and for providing regular counselling to school staff. 

Technically, it 's a wake-up call to schools all over the country particularly the government since most government schools are without functional toilets, boundary walls and any basic security! According to a 2012 survey by a children’s foundation, only 10 per cent schools had a child protection policy. Even though the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act came into effect in 2012, a meagre number of schools have complied.

While child abuse is yet another eventuality of lack of stringent punitive measures, a crippled social/economic environment and an apathetic bureaucracy, one of the most inadvertent causes is the society itself. It stems from the recesses of a society’s darkest alleys and personnel from schools as other professionals are of course an extension of it. Could WE have a role in the thriving of this evil? Let’s reflect. How do we treat a child? How seriously do we listen to a little voice? Do we encourage children to speak up? 

Even in education, far too much emphasis has been given to respect teachers rather than respect oneself first; on being obedient rather than take initiatives or lead or learning to state differences of opinion; on inducing discipline at all costs! Are we treating our children with the respect they deserve so they know the difference when they are being treated otherwise and are confident to oppose it? Spine-chilling visuals of a three-year-old being brutally beaten and kicked around by his tutor and that of a visually impaired child being beaten by his teachers speak of a deeply embedded issue.

The issue highlights a critical miss of the Indian society which believes that discipline and corporal punishment go hand-in-hand. How can respect be derived from children when it is withdrawn from them?  What good does locking a child in a dark room serve? A school’s perspective when it comes to protecting or disciplining a child speaks volumes of its commitment to preserve and respect the sanctity of a child’s being. 

Positive disciplinary techniques can be used to assist children acquire correct behaviour without the fear of violence. However, most teachers aren’t equipped or are too understaffed to handle so many kids. Patience wears thin; unsurprisingly, the very first casualty is the confidence of the child! Unfortunately, abusers prey on such timid and battered spirits.        

A floundered parent community in Bangalore was quoted describing the sports instructor who raped the six-year old - “He looked normal”, “He is married”, “His wife is pregnant”, etc. These are stereotypical assumptions we keep encountering in our campaign against child abuse which we initiated years back. Child abuse rattles us and we can’t believe that humans can assuage the role of monsters with such ease but the fact is that there is no ‘type’ or an abuser profile. For certainty though, they thrive on silence. A child’s!

‘Chuppi todo’ or ‘Break the silence’ is a crucial activity we undertake by sensitising children, as young as two years, to ‘good and bad touch’. But undoubtedly, the most important aspect is the trust a child shares with the parent which enables her to be herself, stand for her beliefs, speak up loudly and be confident she will be listened to. ‘Disciplining’ shouldn’t be at the cost of breaking that sacred bond. 

Every child is worthy of our absolute attention. The most important belief we must embed in our young through our interaction with them at home and school is best summed by the tagline of a popular commercial - ‘I am worth it!’

How are we measuring the worth of our youth?

Stereotypical stories about achieving success captivate and abound us. A fallen hero who rises against all odds, an underdog winning a race, a college dropout founding a multi-billion dollar IT company, the rise of a leader from among underprivileged masses, so on and so forth. We find ourselves rooting for the protagonist, empathizing with his/her inner fears that surface in their quest. Such stories hook us for two key reasons - 1. The hope that even the ordinary – regardless of social/economic standing, physical attributes, academic background, character flaws etc. eventually find ‘success’ as they dream it and 2. Perhaps, more importantly, the reinforcement that success is implicit and a necessity to be vindicated. Who likes to hear about failures? Success sells.  

The board-result mania that gripped us this month with tutorials displaying advertorials and colossal hoardings of ‘toppers’, more prominent than that of key personalities or causes in the country, is indicative of how importantly society views academic success. What is ironical is that though everyone seeks success for themselves or others (children, spouse, sibling), the overriding belief is that there is a uniform formula to achieve it. It begins young. A student is tutored, made to memorise facts regardless if it translates to relevant knowledge. Every student is assumed to be a replica of the next – trained, evaluated and classified uniformly. Our education system has yet to reinvent itself - develop challenging, diverse modules for engaging various aptitudes and invent accurate assessment structures to aid in forming and gauging true potential across fields.  

It isn’t as if ‘topping’ an exam is a fool-proof indicative of potential or genius.  At most, it has attributed to a rat race with students pressured to perfect scores right up to 100^th percentile. This year, in Delhi, the number of CBSE grade 12 students scoring above 95% marks over last year jumped by nearly 3,000 students or by 50 per cent! Reportedly, the Delhi University received over 3 lac admissions in just a couple of days and apparently lacs of students who have scored above 90% may not get admissions anywhere. The city was also home to the ‘all-India topper’ scoring the highest-ever percentage score of 99.6! Education institutions have become hubs of breeding ‘toppers’ with staggering ‘cut-offs’ hence only admitting the best. Some schools even hold back students that are weaker in academics for the fear of compromising an elite pass-out rate.

With such reinforcements is it a wonder that most of us perceive success as an outcome and rarely as a continuous process?  Success is about winning a competition, a race, scoring top marks, setting records - assessing our worth.  Failure is dreaded upon and any such risks eliminated by following a tested formula. Although the basic tenet is that success follows when pursuing doggedly what one believes in! All that has come of such a system are millions of failed or stifled aspirations. There are far too many stories of doctors and engineers becoming successful after pursuing their life-long dream – as writers or artists, sportsmen, politicians, businessmen etc. While stories of ‘toppers’ are celebrated annually, there is a casualty – parallel stories of suicides among students touching alarming proportions.

In my tenure as a Principal of one of the foremost and respectable international schools, I have had students confide how parents don’t understand them. Students are made to feel guilty of been given the ‘best opportunities’ and goaded to achieve the dreams that their parents see for them. I have also been privy to the guilt and helplessness that some parents feel when their bright or talented children are made to sacrifice their dreams and settle for ‘safer’, unchallenging, ‘prestigious’ vocations, since society believes that certain occupations are best left to a particular gender or the rich (who can afford to experiment). To develop a lifelong love for learning is a key outcome a purposeful education system must strive for. Yet, we are stuck with archaic systems - conforming skills of a majority into a stereotypical mould; dreams killed in the process. And we wonder why true success eludes us.  Most of us nurture our dreams only in our minds, fearing ‘failure’. It explains our fondness for stories celebrating ‘success’ – ironically, it can hardly afford to be elusive in ‘reel’ life!   

An Emerging Economy’s ‘Disposable Half’!

The recent Badaun rape case wherein two teenage sisters from lower caste were brutally gang raped and hung from a tree only to have the perpetrators of the crime, high-caste goons, given police solicitation, is telling of the status accorded to the ‘fairer sex’ of the world’s largest democracy. That the girls were from an impoverished, minority caste makes their lives as valuable as the rock we see on the street and infinitely lesser than the rock we worship in our homes and temples. They were among the invisible pariahs, among the 300 million women in India, mostly underprivileged, who defecate in the open, lacking as basic an access to proper sanitation. Hence they had to wait until night fell to protect their modesty only to be preyed upon by gun-wielding brash unemployed ruffians.  The sisters remain another statistic of course; their death, a case to be raked up on media channels, having sufficiently roused the activists, politicians, media anchors and public from a routine slumber. Since then there have reportedly been four such hangings in a spate of two weeks!

In India, violence against women begins even before a girl is born and continues until her death. It is pervasive across domains, its form beyond the depraved sexual assaults. There have been so many such incidents reported of molestations, rapes, acid attacks, bride burning, female infanticides on a daily basis that the public has become largely numb towards it. According to the latest government figures a woman is raped every 20 minutes! The horrific Nirbhaya case attracted much international attention and while Justice Verma Committee did set in some stringent punitive measures, it attempts to tackle one aspect of a multi-dimensional problem. If we were to carefully listen to the conversations that envelop us – in our social circles, within our own and extended communities, our politicians, we realise that the seeds of rape are constantly being sown within the socio-economic and cultural fabric of the country. 

When ministers state that ‘boys will be boys’ and get away with it or question the character of the girl for being out at night or for wearing ‘provocative’ clothing – even as girls as young as one month old to women of eighty years are assaulted and raped. When a mother has to kill her unborn daughter in her womb lest she be burnt alive, when parents keep back daughters from traveling to school lest they get raped, when young girls are forced to marry without having a choice, when daughters are told that they can’t do something that their brothers/ males can, when men are taught to believe that it is ok to hit wives, ignore them and be arrogant. We teach our daughters to be submissive, to retreat, to yield, to endure, to be patient, to choose women oriented careers…Even the educated ones and working ones are taught to hold their tongue, yield in to demands of in-laws, brothers and father, nurture a child almost single handed and keep her needs at the backburner. This is not just the situation of the rural women, even the urban women go through varied degrees of unfreedom. We have six out of seven support female staff members who being married still have a single parent status, struggling to provide for the education of their children and as basic as two square meals a day, while the husbands choose to drink and make merry.  

The discrimination is obvious even within so called urban educated communities. We have often observed it’s often the women (mother-daughter or mother-in-law daughter-in-law) that initially come to check the school for admission. However, while they are convinced and enthusiastic about the infrastructure, curriculum, and ethos of the school, they yet have to go home and convince their husbands and fathers-in-law to permit them to take admission. Hence decision making still is within the male-domain, since it is the men who are the bread winners. Again, we have observed ample instances wherein given a choice between enrolling two children from the same household, decision is made in favour of the boy while the girl is sent to a nearby, relatively ‘cheaper’ school. At a juncture when mindsets are just being formed such discriminatory practices attribute to the imbalance.

It also doesn’t help that with the failure of our education system there are scores of unemployed, uneducated, impoverished youth, mostly men, frustrated, who have been taught to believe that their insecurities can be allayed by yielding power – which can unfortunately be freely sought by belonging to a particular caste or gender or lineage, further empowered by an inefficient judicial or legal system. Power over the gullible is considered a justifiable outlet and an uneducated, unemployed and repressed section makes good victims. To add to it, there is maximum stigma attached to a rape as if the girl has been robbed of everything because she has been sexually exploited. In a way this victimisation encourages rapists since they do so believing it will shame women. Women have anyway been trained to lower their gaze, run for cover and retreat rather than fight, scream, stand for rights or be trained in martial arts. We had undertaken a campaign against child sexual abuse in our school, ‘Chuppi Todo’ (Break the silence) to encourage children from 3 to 15 years to speak up against sexual assault. While some parents appreciated our efforts there were some who were slightly apprehensive. Sex education in India is frowned upon and misconstrued as that which will encourage pre-marital sex, especially in co-ed schools. Issues of menstrual hygiene, critical to maternal and adolescent girls’ health are also hushed and considered a social taboo; according to women’s welfare foundation, Dasra, 88% of the country’s 355 million menstruating women have no access to sanitary pads. Around 66% school girls skip school while having a period and one third of these eventually drop out of school due to lack of toilets and basic hygiene parameters. 

This is where the difference between being a literate as opposed to an educated society becomes starker.  With a desensitised society -- comprising doctors, lawyers, police, politicians, priests, teachers, nurtured by underpowered and illiterate women,  bound by archaic traditions, customs and hypocrisies -- bridging the gender and other social gaps will require tackling from a 360-degree perspective.  Currently, India has the lowest workforce participation rate of women among the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) due to socio-cultural reasons and low education levels. How will a nation progress when such a huge section of its population, which ironically grooms its future, is not empowered? Among the world’s top 20 economies, India is considered the worst in which to be a female, a notch below Saudi Arabia! Enhancing access to schools, improving infrastructure and sanitary conditions, making conditions conducive for women to work by tightening laws, strict and immediate redress of complaints, gender and sex and adult education will go a long way to ensure that women are empowered. Additionally, ensuring that educated citizens are indeed skilled to get jobs, enhancing job-skill match, will ensure that the youth are dispensing their energies constructively and taking the nation forward while taking along with them the marginalised sections of society – rather than them be discovered as unfortunate targets of an imbalanced society, found brutalised and hung from a mango tree like a disposable fraction.

Each One Lead ‘OWN’

India is still reeling under its euphoria of bestowing a unified mandate for the formation of a new government – an event that received unparalleled attention, nationally and internationally. With the earlier United Progressive Alliance party having failed to deliver on various critical counts during its decade of uninterrupted rule, it wasn’t surprising that a change in government was in tow. Essentially, the country voted for the promise of ‘development’, their right to be seen, heard, be participants of growth rather than witness it from side lines. The promise for a better tomorrow heralding inclusive development – for each Indian to live among educated, literate, healthy and empowered societies – has been an elusive one since the Constitution was framed in 1950.

While the past few decades have witnessed India grow tremendously backed by rapid industrialisation, strong service sector and growth of agro-based industries, we still have a long way to go. There are belts still perishing due to malnutrition, hunger, sickness. It is about time we had a makeover to transform what drags down inclusive growth – illiteracy and lack of quality education, poor access to quality and affordable healthcare and dearth of employment opportunities. While the genesis and reasons these intertwined issues continue to plague us are myriad and merits a separate debate, the question arises is this - how much of a difference can  leadership account for?

In my experience as an educator, a principal, I have realised the importance of inclusive leadership, which I believe is especially relevant in environments that contain diverse communities. For e.g. the running of a successful school is critically aided by the vision of the management and refined and executed by the principal. However, it is equally important to have every stakeholder from the student, teachers, parents and management involved. It then is a joint responsibility to lead from at whatever level possible – to optimise resources, manage and cultivate talent, engage communities. 

One of the key takeaways from these elections is the people’s belief of the change a strong, dynamic and decisive ‘leader’ (‘from and of the masses’) Narendra Modi would do. While history is replete with examples where the greatest revolutions and changes were first conceived, visualised and driven by an involved and genius of a leader, it is equally evident that the vision will not be set in motion without the ‘cogs in the wheel’ place – here, the citizens in a democracy  – the you and me.

The entire nation had been rooting for a particular politician to come into power, believing that he is the panacea of most of the troubles that plague us – that he will be able to get our child in that preferred school, or let us take a guilt-free overseas trip, or gift our retired parents a chauffeur driven car, or get the prices of the vegetables down or help us spend more time with our family or stop corruption or help us get that promotion. It is in human nature – to seek externally for inspirations or for belief – religion has taught us that! It is ok and humane to be optimistic, to be hopeful, to want to be led, to be participants, to worship, to follow. However, it is equally important to lead, to take initiatives, to learn and educate, to ask questions rather than just seek solutions, to be without biases and hence have an inclusive mindset, to be civil, be vigilant, to speak up – to grow together.

When each one of us takes the responsibility of leading one’s course of actions with the goals of an ideal India as a backdrop is when the winds of change will begin swinging in our direction and elevate us – ALL of us.  For e.g. instead of only complaining about filthy streets or buildings, what if we stopped littering and cleaned our surroundings; instead of just asking what ministers could do for protecting women, how about believing in our daughters and teach them to defend themselves, stand up for themselves and teach our sons to respect a woman – by respecting their mothers; stand up when miscreants break law and harm someone else’s child…there are so many scenarios wherein we are in-charge, leading, perceived as leaders. 

While these are the tenets of what true education should aspire to inculcate within any learner, that we are still placing maximum obligation of being a change agent on just one man is perhaps the most unsettling observation through this election story. Clearly, we have yet to learn our lessons! It is only when we realise the importance of the role each one of us plays to make India the largest, DEVELOPED democracy, will we be able to really live in one. The importance of empowering ourselves and the people around us by being individual agents, leading change across the most basic realms, is a powerful lesson for us including our children. Surely, we must know that just one man cannot change a billion destinies while a billion choose to watch and believe that ‘good days are coming’!