During the last few decades, India has witnessed a downslide in the quality of education at both school and higher education level. Whether by design or sheer negligence, textbook content started yielding negativity, untruths, distortion of facts and at times even perversity. Responsible citizens and educationists took it upon themselves to fight for the cause of clean and healthy education, culminating in the formation of Shiksha Bachao Andolan Samiti in 2004, spearheaded by veteran educationist Shri Dinanath Batra.
There were those who made fun of the efforts, scoffed as if perversion was a modern necessity in education. However, the people supported the cause simply because they did not like what was being taught. More and more people came forward with their grievances, joined as volunteers and took the campaign forward.
Much to the chagrin of those who loved to ridicule, the Samiti was always successful in every cause it stood up for. The success stemmed from one basis only – public support. From distortions and untruths in textbooks to the government’s plan to introduce a graphic sex education course for secondary school students, every issue that the Samiti took up got a groundswell of support from alert
citizens. In every case, the Samiti took the public point of view in consideration through seminars and workshops, and worked methodically towards a solution.
Many a case had to be taken to court in the national interest. The Samiti filed a total of 11 cases in court, and won every single one of them! Be it the removal of AK Ramanujan's essay Three Hundred Ramayanas from the Delhi University's history syllabus or the withdrawal of Wendy Doniger’s book The Hindus: An Alternative History. Equally the move on the part of the UPA government in 2007 to impart sex education from class six onwards, was opposed at various levels.
It had become clear that certain forces in the education sector were trying to sabotage young minds. Moreover, there was no move to create national pride through history textbooks, the concept of value education was getting lost… research in the sector was lagging behind. It was decided to form another organisation to work on these factors, so as to improve the quality of education through policy recommendations and research work. Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas (SSUN) came into being in 2007 for this purpose. Here are some of the thrust areas on which SSUN has been ceaselessly working ever since its formation: Personality Development, Character Building and Value Education.
The SSUN has been working on how to inculcate personality development, character building and value education among students through school education. Approximately 100 workshops have been conducted across the country on these issues. Based on the outcome, a composite curriculum was developed and gradually introduced in some schools. By 2012, this project gained momentum. Today, SSUN concentrates on 18 schools, both private and government-run, located in rural, urban and Vanvasi belts across various states including Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh. Here the curriculum reported very positive results. The Chhattisgarh Government, in fact, officially introduced this curriculum in 50 of its schools under SCERT.
All the concerned schools have reported surprisingly positive results. Both students and teachers are very upbeat. Students are responding so well that examinations are held without supervision and the faculty is convinced students maintain personal integrity and honesty while writing their papers. One of the schools in Ujjain was recently in the news in this regard. When media persons expressed interest in the new curriculum, the school principal extended an open invitation to them to visit unannounced during exams and see for themselves. The media too were surprise to see the discipline with which students conducted themselves during unsupervised examinations and published very positive articles in various newspapers. Next year’s target is to increase the number of schools to 200. SSUN is to come out with a comprehensive report on the composite syllabus and its results.
Environment Education
In 1991, the Supreme Court ordered to generate awareness about environment protection. No doubt the ‘compulsory subject’ is being taught in schools, the quality leaves much to be desired and lacks practical approach. With this in mind, the SSUN prepared a syllabus for classes 1st to 12th and introduced in 18 schools. Parents have reported a marked change in their wards’ habits, so much so that children are even coercing their families to change daily habits to ensure conservation of water, electricity, etc. Punjab University has already tied up with the SSUN, collaborating to inculcate environmental mindset through 12 streams of technical education. Similarly, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya in Raipur is also coming on board.
Vedic Maths
Mathematics is believed to be the most feared subject, not only among young students but also among adults. Vedic Maths is a very effective tool to drive away the fear of numbers. It simply helps develop mental capability and speed. By using the sutras of calculations, a whole range of mathematical problems can be solved orally. Even a child can solve multiple-digit additions, subtractions, multiplications and divisions without pen and paper! An average student can calculate 10 times faster using Vedic Mathematics.
Experts associated with SSUN have developed a syllabus of Vedic Maths for classes 1st to 12th. This was also prepared on the basis of over 100 workshops conducted across India. It will be gradually introduced in schools in the coming year. A six-month Certificate Course has also been developed for higher education institutes. Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) have already been signed with three universities – Kalidas Sanskrit Vidyapeeth (Nagpur), Atal Behari Vajpayee Hindi University (Bhopal) and Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar. SSUN also plans to prepare a one-year Diploma Course on Vedic Maths this year. Vedic Maths is in great demand abroad too. A volunteer of SSUN started the course in Australia and it immediately became a big hit. Even chartered accountants are clamouring to take this course. There’s an invitation to organise a workshop in Vietnam too.
Education through Mother Tongue
It has been categorically proved through scientific research that education is best imparted through mother tongue. Twenty nations with the highest GDP across the world use their own language as medium of education as well as governance. Only four nations—England, America, Australia and Canada—have English as their medium, for the simple reason that English is their mother tongue. On the other hand, the 20 most backward countries are the ones that have a foreign language or a mix of foreign and regional (like in India) as medium of education.
The three-language formula recommended by the Kothari Commission placed English as the second or third language, giving primary importance to the Mother tongue. This formula serves the twin purpose of creating ease of learning as well as national integration. Students of north India should study one language of the south and vice-versa. In this manner, regional languages would create a link between people of different states, promoting national integration. Kerala is already following this formula, with Hindi as the third language in schools.
Whenever one talks of reviving the mother tongue as medium, there is great hue and cry from certain quarters. The present government has taken the first step in resolving this issue by forming a language committee, which has already started working. A welcome step indeed, as it’s the first time in almost three decades that the government is revisiting the role of language as the medium of education. One hopes to see regional languages get a boost in the coming years. SSUN will organise a series of seminars and workshops to create awareness on this issue. The Bharatiya Bhasha Sammelan organised in February this year was a huge success. Very soon the Manch will be launched as a platform for regional language experts from across India. This Manch will work for issues related to the languages of India.
Reforms in Civil Services Examination
The UPA Government and the Union Public Service Commission made the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) paper qualifying and took steps for removal of the compulsory English section in this paper. Shiksha Bachao Andolan Samiti opposed it and also filed a PIL against the move. The students also opposed the discrimination in exam pattern. The Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas actively supported the students. As a result, the government has now removed compulsory English questions and limited the CSAT only to a level of qualifying paper. The government has also decided to reduce the number of qualifying marks in English and language paper in the mains examination to 25 per cent .
In its recent National Education Workshop in Ernakulam, the Nyas has also demanded that the Central Government form a committee for comprehensive review of every step of this examination i.e. Prelims, Mains and Interview. The Nyas has also called upon the serving and retired officers from IAS, IPS and other Administrative Services and concerned educationists to initiate a nationwide dialogue and take meaningful steps towards providing a new system. -Abha Khanna Gupta, (Based on an interview with Shri Atul Kothari, Secretary, Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas)
A school in the name of Mother-in-Law & Daughter-in-Law combination itself is difficult to digest in popular perception. There is a school situated in Nainital situated at the Durgapur estate of Nainital, which carries the name of Parwati Jagati and Prema Jagati, a Mother-in-Law & Daughter-in-Law duo and imparts modern CBSC education to boys with traditional values.
“Our school does not give only formal education but teaches how to learn the life. It is boys who do everything, we are just facilitators,” tells the Principal Dr KV Singh Shakya who knows each and every student by name. A school run under the auspices of Vidya Bharati runs almost on the lines of traditional Gurukul, with around 600 students and 100 teachers live on the campus. While making it mandatory to get up early and sleep early, praying twice a day, learning Sanskrit, yog and meditation sessions etc, in the school every calls is a smart class, there is world class sports facility along with shooting range and indoor stadium, modern labs. A rigorous annual planning and meticulous execution of the same has interwoven the prescribed curriculum with applied and experiential learning. Resultantly, the school is not only rated with A1 grade by the CBSE but also produced many national level players qualifying for SGFI competitions, secured 1st position in Vedic Maths competitions and socially responsible citizens who are working with national outlook in all walks of life. n
Founded on 21st Jan. 1973 by second Sarsanghachalak Shri Guruji and run by Vidya Bharati, which runs more than 24,000 schools, Gita Niketan Awasiya Vidyalya aims at providing quality education based on Indian moral values to the students. Besides having made manifold progress since its inception, the school enjoys the reputation of being a prestigious institution in North India.
Not to mention the 100% pass percentage consistently maintained by the students since its inception, what is noteworthy is the fact that about 80 per cent of them appeared in class X and XII board exams are placed in the first division and more than half of those successfully cross the merit line at the end of each academic session. Many students came out with flying colours in competitive exams like JEE, NTSE, MST (Narayan Talent search exam conducted by the Vidya Bharati), AIPMT, AIEEE, NDA and the International Olympiads in various subjects.
Vidya Bharati has listed five fundamental subjects—physical education, yoga, music, moral and spiritual, Sanskrit and computer—without which, teachings in Indian schools cannot ensure a child's character building and all-round development. It is mandatory for all students to participate in physical drills and games. The school has a spacious hall built for yoga. If games and yoga tone one's body and mind, music is a soothing stimulant for one's soul. Moral and spiritual education is also integral part of the curriculum. Sanskrit is taught as a compulsory subject for all students from 6th to 10th standard. For computer education fully furnished computer lab has been established.
Sanskriti Bodh Priyojana is an add on project started by Vidya Bharti to acquaint the students with their age-old cultural heritage and also to inculcate in them the Indian moral values. More than a million students throughout the nation appear every year in the Sanskriti Gian Pariksha (a GK Test based on Indian culture & philosophy). n
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