JULY 2006
‘ Understanding Children and Their
Learning...’
The Department of Teacher Education and Extension,
NCERT, organised a three-week training programme from
30 March to 18 April 2006 on ‘Pedagogy’ for Teacher
Educators of Elementary Stage. This training programme
was the first phase of the ‘ Short Term (four weeks)
Certificate Course on Pedagogy for Teacher Educators of
Elementary Stage’.
FOCAL THEMES
Understanding Children and Their Learning,
Curriculum, Syllabi, Textbooks and other
Instructional Materials
Pedagogy of Curricular subjects.
Under the theme on ‘Understanding Children and Their
Learning’ the focus was on Observing Children, Profile of
Elementary School Child, How Children Construct
Knowledge, Engaging Children in Active Learning,
Understanding Child’s Language, Multilingualism, Inclusive
Classroom, Rights of the Child and Making Classroom
Gender Sensitive. The second theme on ‘ Curriculum, Syllabi,
Textbooks and Other Instructional Materials’ included
discussion on issues of ‘Reducing Curriculum Load, Making
Curriculum, Syllabi and Textbooks relevant, meaningful and
joyful, related to child’s life and context’. National Curriculum
Framework (NCF-2005), Syllabi and Textbooks developed
by NCERT were also discussed. The trainees from different
states analysed their own textbooks and also the NCERT
textbooks. The third session on ‘Pedagogy of Curricular
Subjects’ was devoted to developing teaching-learning and
assessment strategies for curricular subjects such as
Languages, Mathematics, Environmental Studies, Arts and
Physical and Health Education.
The participants worked in groups and developed charts
and other learning activities. Group discussion, drama,
simulated classroom situation were some of the training
strategies in this programme.
Teacher Educators from seven states, namely, Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar, Uttranchal, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana,
Chattisgarh and Delhi participated in the training programme.
The entire programme was organised in Hindi, which is the
medium of instruction in these states. Efforts were made to
relate the training programme to the school ethos and context.
During the second phase (from April to August, 2006)
the trainees will field test the ideas developed during the
training. They will select some schools in their districts
and try out these ideas in real classroom situation. In
the third phase trainees will review the teacher education
LIFE ETERNAL THROUGH
LEARNING
The intertwined Hansas
symbolise the integration of three
aspects of the work of the
National Council of Educational
Research and Training (NCERT):
(i) Research and Development,
(ii) Training, and (iii) Extension.
The design has been adapted from an
Ashokan period relic of the third
century B.C. found in excavations
near Maske in the Raichur district
of Karnataka.
The motto has been taken from the
Isavasya Upanishad and means
life eternal through learning.
curriculum prescribed by DIETs in their
states. A workshop will be organised in
September, 2006 in this context.
On Teaching of Indian
Languages
A three-day meeting was held to draw a
programme of action for the implementation of
the ideas of the NCF and the position paper on
teaching of Indian languages. This meeting of
the National Focus Group on Teaching of Indian
Languages was held from 18 to 20 April 2006
at Central Institute of Languages (CIL), Mysore
under the chairmanship of Prof. R. K. Agnihotri,
a noted linguist from Delhi University.
Prof. R.J. Sharma, Head, Department of
Languages and Member Secretary of the Group
coordinated the meeting.
Discussions revolved around the multilingual
character of Indian classroom, teaching of Indian
languages, particularly tribal languages and
languages without scripts, teaching strategies for
multilingualism, teacher education, place of
translation in language classroom.
The general discussions and presentations
were held on the first two days and on the third
day the groups split into five sub groups and
chalked out plan of action for implementation
of the NCF with regard to teaching of Indian
languages.
Languages also provide a bank of
memories and symbols inherited from
one's fellow speakers and created in one's
own lifetime. They are also the medium
through which most knowledge is
constructed, and hence they are closely
tied to the thoughts and identity of the
individual. In fact, they are so closely
bound with identity that to deny or wipe
out a child's mother tongue(s) is to interfere
with the sense of self. (NCF-2005)
Women and Education
‘‘Women and Education: North Regional
Consultation on Engendering the Eleventh Five
Year Plan” was held at Chandigarh from 1-3
June 2006.
2
Poonam Agrawal, Head, Department of Women
Studies, put forward the recommendations of the
CABE Committee on girls education and
common school system. She also opined that
the onus of getting a girl child educated should
be on the father rather than burdening the
women with all such responsibilities, as in India
most of the decision making powers lie with male
members of the family.
It is extremly important that textbook
writers and teachers begin to
appreciate that the passive and
deferential roles generally assigned to
women are socio-culturally constructed
and need to be destroyed as quickly
as possible. (NCF-2005)
NATIONAL CONFERENCE TO REVISIT INDIAN EDUCATION
Vision 2020 was organised by Education
Promotion Society for India in the month of
April, 2006 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
While chairing the session titled — ‘Bridging
gender gap in education: Gains and challenges
in Rajasthan’, Dr Agrawal, Head DWS,
mentioned that the disparity starts right from
chalking out the objectives of education. Girls’
education is projected as an instrument to
achieve infant and family welfare decreasing
mortality and morbidity rates, population
control and such other issues. This affects the
opportunities, experiences and entitlements
COMMON SOURCES OF PHYSICAL DISCOMFORT
Long walks to school
Heavy school bags
Lack of basic infrastructure, including
support for reading and writing.
Badly designed furniture that gives
children inadequate back support and
cramps their legs and knees.
Especially for girls, the absence of toilets
and sanitary requirements.
Corporal punishment — beating,
awkward physical postures.
Time tables that do not give young
children enough breaks to stretch, move
and play, and that deprive older children
of play/sports time and encourage girls
to opt out ( NCF-2005.)
NCERT NEWS/July 2006
offered to girls in education. This is evident from
the fact that stress of women’s education is on
literacy and elementary education which
hampers the prospects of attaining their higher
education. In case of girl’s education, mere
physical availability of schools is not enough to
bring and retain them in the education system.
The indicators such as the enrolment and
participation (drop out rate) are also insufficient
and need to be re-visited.
Bookshelf
CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACHES TO TEACHING AND learning and derives characteristics of
constructivist curriculum, role of teachers and
LEARNING TEACHER'S HANDBOOK
PUBLISHED BY : NCERT
EDITED BY PROF. SANTOSH SHARMA, DTEE
Traditional teaching in schools is teacher centred
and derives its goals and objectives from the
behaviourist theory. Teachers use didactic
instructional methods, where they fill student’s
minds with deposits of information considered
by teachers as ‘true knowledge’. Students are
expected to memorise this information and
reproduce the same in the examination. At the
end of an academic session the achievement of
students is certified in the annual examination.
This kind of information loaded education puts
lot of ‘memory load’ and ‘learning stress’ on the
students with little emphasis on developing the
abilities of reasoning, reflective thinking and
problem solving.
Since late 1980s, researchers have been
trying to develop a new ‘constructivist theory’ of
learning and assumptions underlying
constructivist theory are —
Learning is an active meaning making
process required to solve meaningful
problems.
Learners construct knowledge by reflecting
upon their experiences and using their prior
learning.
Congnitive structures within individuals
facilitate learning and these structures are
in the process of constant development.
Learning implies reorganisation of prior
conceptual schemes.
Meaningful learning occurs within authentic
learning tasks.
The present teacher’s handbook discusses
constructivist philosophy and psychological
principles underlying constructivist view of
NCERT NEWS/July 2006
students in the constructivist classroom.The
constructivist classroom presents the learners
with opportunities to develop their own
understanding from authentic learning
experiences using their prior knowledge. The role
of teachers is to provide such learning
experiences which facilitate construction of
knowledge. Teachers must encourage students
to explore possiblities, invent alternate solutions,
test their own ideas and hypothesis and discuss
their ideas with the peers and teachers.
Experiential
learning asserts
Experiential learning
the importance of
critical reflection in
Concept mapping
learning.
The
Investigatory method
teaching-learning
Social enquiry
method based on
Creative writing
this theory helps
in developing four
kinds of abilities, namely, concrete experiences,
reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation
and active experimentation. It allows scope for
diverse individual learning style.
Concept mapping requires students to
structure the ideas/conceptual understanding
indicating the interrelatedness of concepts. It is
basically the learner’s activity and helps learners
in examining their own understanding of
concepts and reformulating their concepts. The
problem solving method is not a new method
but behaviourists and constructivists view it
differently. In behaviourist perspective, the
learner is a passive extrinsically motivated
individual whereas in constructivism, the learner
is an active intrinsically and socially motivated
supported by adult or more knowledgeable
person. Thinking abilities are central to the
process of problem solving and higher levels of
learning can be achieved through this. These
APPROACHES SUGGESTED
3
include reasoning ability, hypothetical inductive
and deductive thinking, judgmental ability,
enquiry and observational skills, values of
honesty and cooperation, enquiry into the
natural phenomenon and processes is one of
the natural ways by which students construct
knowledge. The enquiry process begins with
casual observation and carried through
hypothesis formulation, experimentation,
inferring and predicting. Investigation method
not only involves understanding about the
phenomenon around us, but also reaching
possible conclusions, exploring relationships
and explanations between ideas and events.
Instrinsic to this method of teaching learning
is the assumption that students should
acvitively construct knowledge through
observations rather than receiving knowledge
through lectures, textbook reading or recitation.
Creative writing is another activity that hepls in
developing creative thinking and expression.
The handbook is a useful resource material
for teachers and may help them to reflect upon
their own teaching and test the assumptions of
new constructivist paradigm in their classrooms.
BHOPAL MAIN URDU IZZEMAM KE BAAD
PUBLISHED BY : EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING HOUSE, DELHI
Nauman Khan, Reader, Department of Language
has published his Ph.D thesis entitled- Bhopal
Mein Urdu Izzemam Ke Baad in January 2006.
The thesis now in the form of printed
book has seven chapters. First two chapters
highlight the geographical, historical, political,
educational and socio-cultural background of
erstwhile Bhopal State.
Dr Khan has critically analysed the scenario
after the merger of Bhopal State. Throwing light
on the richness of Urdu language and literature
as found in Bhopal, he is of the opinion that the
position of contemporary Urdu journalism is not
satisfactory, However Urdu literary anjumans
(organisations) and tehrikaat (Movements)
publishing centres and Urdu libraries are
contributing for the progress and advancement
of the Urdu language. Dr. Khan has
recommended in his book that education system
should make efforts for making Urdu language
teaching-learning interesting and serious.
4
View Point
C URRICULAR R EFORM IN S CHOOLS : T HE
IMPORTANCE OF EVALUATION
Evaluation plays a pivotal role in deciding what
the learners learn and what the teachers teach
in schools. The paper reports a study of Englishlanguage teaching conducted in Delhi State of
India that sought to examine the assumption
that a change in an evaluation pattern can
trigger curricular reform. Did concomitant
changes take place in the teaching and testing
of English at the upper-primary stage when the
Central Board of Seconday Education
introduced changes in the courses of study and
the examinations in English language at the end
of Class X (age 15+), the occasion of the first
high-stakes public examination in India? This
expectation of change was confirmed in the
findings of this study, which may apply to other
curricular areas and speak to any school
system ready to implement reforms in their
instructional practices.
Abstract of Prof Mamta Agrawal’s paper
Curricular Reform in Schools: The Importance
at Evaluation — published in the Journal of
Curriculum Studies in 2004 and reprinted in The
Ethics of Teaching by Michael and Bylan
published by Ashgate Publishing Ltd. UK.
‘Yugdrishta Premchand’
Snehlata Prasad, Reader in Hindi has
published an article, 'Yugdrishta Premchand'
in Vol.5 Kala Abhipraya. Dr Prasad, in her
article, has described Munshi ji as a great
visionary and critic of his times. His literary
writings are a mirror of the society and his
revolutionary ideas encouraged people to raise
their voice against injustice. Premchand had a
deep affection for children.
Munshi Premchand had a deep insight and
understanding of child psychology. Their
innocent childish activities and curiosities
gave him pleasure. He opposed the practice
of putting children in schools early in their
childhood. He also felt that children should
be given opportunites to live closer to nature.
NCERT NEWS/July 2006
Orientation Programmes
A Programme to acquaint Master trainers
with policy and guidelines contained in the
NCF-2005 and the recommendations of the
National Focus Groups on Teaching of
Science as also of Habitat and Learning was
organised in May 2006 by the DESM. The
three-day two orientation programmes for
Master Trainers in Science one each for Class
VI and IX, drawn from schools under KVs,
NVS, Directorate of Education, Delhi,
besides representatives of some public
schools of Delhi. Each programme was
attended by about forty-five participants. In
addition to this the participants were also
familiarised with the salient features of
science textbooks including the approach
and the rationale behind the organisation of
the content in the textbooks of science for
Classes VI and IX. They were given an
opportunity for hands-on activities desirable
for effective transaction of these textbooks
in classroom. A visit to Science Park and the
NIE Workshop was also organised.
I SSUES
Curriculum-2005
Language
Educaton and Multilingualism
Teaching of poetry and prose
New approaches to language teaching
Problems of non-Hindi speaking
students
Hindi literature and journalism:
Use of computer in Hindi education
and evaluation.
The main purpose of the orientation
programmes has been to equip the master
trainers for conducting orientation
programmes for their respective school
systems. Similar orientation programmes in
mathematics and science for higher
secondary stages were organised in June
2006. The programmes were coordinated by
Professors B.K. Sharma and S.K.S. Gautam.
An Orientation Programme on Hindi
language and literature was organised in
Rawat Bhata, Rajasthan from 1 to 3 May
NCERT NEWS/July 2006
2006. Two subject experts from NCERT—
Sandhya Singh and Pramod Dubey,
Readers in DOL interacted with 20 teachers.
Bilingual children not only have control over
several different languages but are also
academically more creative and socially more
tolerant. The wide range of linguistic repertoire
that they control equips them to negotiate
different social situations more efficiently.
There is also substantial evidence to show that
bilingual children excel in divergent things
(NCF-2005)
LEARNER CENTRED CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
A similar programme for the Kendriya
Vidyalaya primary teachers in English
from KVS was organised in the Department
of Languages from 21 to 23 June 2006
and the teachers were oriented about the
multilingual approach and constructivism.
Basic tenets of NCF-2005 and position
paper on English language teaching was
discussed with them. Prof. Lalitha Eapen,
Resource Person from CIEFL, Hyderabad
stressed that teachers should not act as
instructors, they should work with the
children realising their requirements and
levels of understanding. Prof. Usha Dutta,
coordinator of the training programme,
apprised them of the content in the books
and strategies for classroom transactions.
Reading material was disseminated
to them.
They were acquainted with the objectives
of the programme and detailed interactive
sessions on NCF and Syllabus were taken
up. Discussions on multilingualism and
child’s construction of knowledge were
educative. There was a session on evaluation
and assessment. Significant features of
Marigold, Classes I and III were presented.
This was followed by interactive session and
activities on Reading, Talktime, Word
building, Teatime, Song time, Say aloud,
Writing, Stories and Poems were taken up
with the trained teachers.
5
Building Character
IIT NURSERY SCHOOL
A COMPREHENSIVE ECE KIT
IIT Nursery School is a place where a strong
foundation of children is laid. The goal of the
school is overall development of the child. There
are innovative experiences and activities for
physical and motor development, cognitive
development, language development, socioemotional development and development of
creative expression and aesthetic appreciation
of the children.
IIT Nursery School provides a stimulating
environment which help the child to get
opportunities to experiment with a variety of
experiences. It provides learning experiences in
a concrete form through play situations. Here the
•
Dominoes for colour, shape, picture and
numbers
• Visual perception cards
• Puzzle
• Self-corrective number puzzle
• Reasoning or relationship cards
• Story cards
• Habit cards
• Visual-auditory association cards
• Touch cards
• Rhyme booklet (draft form)
Expert group meeting and workshops
were conducted to discuss the gaps in the
existing kit and the above dummy material
was also displayed and discussed. A user's
manual is also ready in the draft form to
support the ECE kit. It was suggested
during the workshops and also in the PAC
programme that ECE kit should be priced.
The art work for the rhyme booklets is also
under preparation.
child is an active participant, not only a passive
listener. It makes learning enjoyable for him/
her. Smt. Savitri Singh, Headmistres of the
school says that the IIT school is the place
where each child gets the answer of What?
Why? and How?
Peace as a dynamic concept...
A six-week Training Course on Peace Education
is being organised by the Department of
Education Psychology and Foundations of
Education at NCERT, New Delhi from 30 May
2006 to 7 July 2006. This is the second course
in succession. There were thirty-two
Government school teachers from all over India,
deputed by the 16 state governments, who
attended the course. The course aimed at
developing the skills, attitudes and competencies
among teachers in remaining peaceful
themselves, and promoting peace related
attitudes and competencies amongst students.
Peace, as a dynamic concept — is based on
interrelationships marked by continual
6
resolution of conflicts and absence of violence
— physical, verbal or structural. The values of
tolerance, justice, cooperation and respect for
individual differences irrespective of gender,
region, religion, caste etc. sustain peaceful
behaviour among individuals. Concerns for
social justice and commitment to democracy are
hallmarks of peace. The teachers have to be
empowered with competencies and values for
nurturing peace by orienting the school culture
and teaching-learning practices in and out of
the classroom. The approach to peace education
is integrative in the sense that the entire culture,
curriculum and teaching-learning processes of
the school are to be viewed from the peace
NCERT NEWS/July 2006
perspective, rather than as a separate subject.
‘This course aims at bringing about a
qualitative change in teachers’ interactions,
relationships, and responses to conflict laden
situations in and outside classroom’. Interactive
and participative training methods are being
used to help teachers model and infuse peace
values in the teaching-learning process.
Experiential learning sessions on conflict
resolution, stress management, family
relationships, violence, media literacy, classroom
interaction, and pedagogical aspects are being
organised. Local and out-station field visits to
Gandhi Smriti, Bal Bhavan, and Wagha Border
were also part of the course. Interaction with
two previous years’ participants is yet another
highlight of the course. The trainees carry out
assignments viz., glossary and key concepts on
peace, conflict resolution activities by teachers,
identifying factors which detract from peace in
their respective schools, analysis of textbooks,
preparing lesson ideas incorporating peace
perspective etc.
Towards the end of course, participants drew
future action plan for promoting peace in their
schools. A local area network of trained teachers
is also proposed to be developed to strengthen
peace related efforts across the country.
Case Study
R A J A R S H I S HA HU S A RVA N G I N S H I K S H A N
KARYAKRAM: AN INNOVATION FOR IMPROVING
RETENTION AND LEARNING ACHIEVEMENT OF
CHILDREN
(A CASE STUDY
MAHARASHTRA)
OF
DISTRICT KOLHAPUR
IN
The Department of Elementary Education
initiated a research study entitled “Rajarshi
Shahu Sarvangin Shikshan Karyakram: An
Innovation for Improving Retention and
Learning Achievement of Children" at the
instance of the Ministry of Human Resource
Development.The prime purpose of initiating the
above study was to examine the Rajarshi Shahu
Sarvangin Shikshan Karyakram, its salient
features, the processes adopted, its efficacy and
to document significant features of the
innovative practices for wider application as a
replicable model, and for up-scaling in the
concerned states.
DESIGN
OF THE
STUDY
For conducting the study of a qualitative nature,
both primary and secondary data were collected
NCERT NEWS/July 2006
from two blocks i.e. Panhala and Ajara of district
Kolhapur by a research team consisting of four
members, from 27 November to 5 December
2005. From each block four schools were
randomly selected. The schools selected from
block Panhala were: V.M. Kakhe, V.M. Kanya
Satave, V.M. Jakhle and V.M. Kanya Kodoli
whereas V.M. Mumevadi, V.M. Kanya Uttur,
V.M. Masoli and V.M.Madilage were selected
from block Ajara. The district-sub-district
OBJECTIVES
•
•
•
To identify major initiatives adopted
under the Rajarshi Shahu Sarvangin
Shikshan Karyakram to improve
retention and learning achievement of
children at elementary level,
To document the processes for
improving the retention and learning
achievement of children at the
elementary level.
To document significant features of the
innovative practices for wider
application as a replicable model and
for up-scaling in the concerned state.
7
functionaries, head teachers/teachers,
community including parents, VEC, MTA etc
and students formed the four categories of
respondents. In these categories, 8 District-Sub
district functionaries (DDPI-1, BEO-2, BRCC2, CRCC-3), 16 Head-Teachers/Teachers (Head
Teachers-8, Teachers-8), 32 community
(SDMC-16, Parents-16 (2 from each school) and
40 students (5 from each school) i.e. a total of
96 respondents were selected, which comprised
the final sample of the study.
To collect the primary data, four interview
schedules were developed respectively for the four
stated categories. These were finalised in a twoday planning meeting organised by the
Department of Elementary Education (DEE) on
the finalisation of the research design and tools
for the study. Apart from these interview
schedules, unstructured interview and informal
discussions were carried out with official holding
STRENGTHS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
8
different hierarchical positions at the district level
with an objective to obtain information regarding
the attitude of the educational bureaucracy
towards the functioning of RSSSK in schools. In
addition, focus-group discussions were organised
with the community members residing around
the schools to assess their general level of
awareness about the functioning and impact of
the Karyakram in the schools. Secondary data
was obtained from a number of state government
documents and reports, school attendance
register, school records, reports of Zilla Parishad
research studies. The collected data were
carefully examined and analysed manually.
Based on perceptions and responses of
various stakeholders and implementers about
the working of the programme collected through
interviews and focus-group discussions during
the fieldwork some strengths of the programme
emerged.
OF THE PROGRAMME
The long and rich educational and social traditions of the district has been an outstanding
factor in motivating the society towards accepting the programme with open arms.
Higher rural female literacy rate had been the influential factor in the whole exercise of
enhancing the educational standards in the district
Involvement of the entire district educational functionaries across different operational levels
resulted in consistent and timely supply of all major qualitative and quantitative inputs
required for the successful implementation of the programme
Linkages across different departments facilitating overall development i.e. social, physical,
intellectual and emotional growth of children.
Active role of Panchayati Raj institutions particularly Gram Panchayats in planning,
management and monitoring of school level activities.
Conduct of regular monitoring of progress through visits and meetings followed by feedback
to the community for further improvement at the school level.
Continuous encouragement to teachers/students through rewards, incentives and
acknowledgement in public meetings by dignitaries.
Massive contribution by the local community across the district for school improvement
such as infrastructural facilities etc.
Commitment and involvement of a large of number of teachers in preparing children for
scholarship examinations.
Phenomenal support and active involvement of Mata Palak Sangh in facilitating successful
execution of the developmental activities in schools and those related to the education of the
needy girl child.
The practice of Social audit emerged as a strong source of fixing accountability of teachers
for their performance inside the classroom.
Coordination amongst officials, non-officials and teacher union leaders at all levels has
added the needed impetus to the successful implementation of the programme.
NCERT NEWS/July 2006
Keeping in view the impact of this
programme in bringing improvements in the
academic achievement levels and in all round
development of the students of the Zilla
Parishad schools in district Kolhapur, the
programme has been extended further to four
more districts of State, viz., Sangli, Pune,
Solapur and Satayra.
As stated by the District Education Officer,
the state government has issued instructions to
other districts for the adoption of this programme.
Subsequently, Gunwatta Vikas Karyakram
(Quality Improvement Programme) implemented
throughout the State of Maharashtra from
December 2005 has largely been inspired and
based on the philosophy of the Rajarshi Shahu
Sarvangin Shikshan Karyakram.
Briefs
CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECT
DESM has undertaken a mega project for
capacity building of state level functionaries
including the KVs and NVs, in Environment
Education including Disaster Management and
Mitigation. The programme has been conducted
by the DESM in collaboration with the RIEs at
Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar and Mysore
besides NERIE at Shillong. Six programmes
each of five-day duration were organised by the
five RIEs for the states/UTs of their region while
the DESM, NIE organised the same for Delhi and
other neighbouring States. Prof J.S. Gill, DESM,
NIE has been the overall coordinator of the
programme. The participants were acquainted
with policy and guidelines contained in the NCF2005 especially concerning environment.
NTSE, NOW AFTER CLASS VIII
The National level examination for National
Talent Search for the year 2006 was conducted
at all India level on 14 May 2006. The
examination was conducted at the end of Class
X. In the coming years the NTS examination will
be conducted at the end of Class VIII as the
scheme has undergone certain changes.
FOREIGN VISITS
Gouri Srivastava, Reader, Department of Women
Studies visited Georg-Eckert Institute first
NCERT NEWS/July 2006
International School, Buck Forschring at
Braunschweeg, Germany from 6 to 22 June
2006 on a scholarship awarded by the Institute
in connection with her work on comparative
analysis of textbooks and education policies of
SAARC countries viz-a-viz developing/
developed countries of the world to know how
gender and peace have been addressed in social
studies textbooks.
Thursday Lecture Series
The following lectures were organised by
DERPP at NCERT, New Delhi.
“Pre-School TV, Gali Gali Sim Sim —
Creating Cultural Bridges” by Dr Asha
Singh and Shri Niret Alwa, Midtech TV
Pro-Delhi on 13 April 2006.
“Kitte Mil Ve Mahi’’ by Shri Ajay Bhardwaj,
India Foundations for the Arts on 20 April
2006.
“School Education from the Perspective of
Masses’’ by Pr of. V.K. T ripathi,
Prof. of Physics, IIT, Delhi on 27 April 2006.
“Architecture of Quality in Elementary
Education’’ by Prof. C.S. Nagaraju, NCERT
on 11 May 2006.
“Does Teaching-Learning Need a Change’’
by Prof. M.Sen Gupta, NCERT on 18 May
2006.
“The National in Our Name: The NCERT
and
Nationalism
Revisited’’
by
Prof. Anil Sethi, NCERT on 25 May 2006.
“Globalization, Neo-liberalism and
Education" by Prof. Dave Hill, UK on 1 June
2006.
“Implementation of Ten Year School
Curriculum in India" by Prof. SK Yadav,
NCERT on 8 June 2006.
“Emerging Perspective on Disability" by Ms
Anuradha Mohit Spl Rapportier, NHRC on
15 June 2006.
“The Process of Textbook Development at
NCERT : Experience of an insider" by Mr
MV Srinivasan, DESSH on 22 June 2006.
“The Process of Textbook Development at
NCERT : An Alternative Perspective by
Dr Pratyusa Mandai, DESSH, NCERT on
29 June 2006.
9
Staff News
Snapshots...
APPOINTMENTS
Ms. Kanchan, Lecturer in Education, DEE on
1.5.2006
Mrs. Shradha Dilip Dhiwal, Lecturer in
Education, DEPFE on 4.5.2006
Mr. Ramesh Kumar, Lecturer in Education,
DEPFE on 4.5.2006
Sh. M.V.S.V. Prasad, Lecturer in Political
Science, DESSH on 22.5.2006
Experience of joy !
XXI NCERT Staff Tournament
Harmony!
World Conference on Arts
Education at Portugal 2006
The Champions — NIE Team !
XXI NCERT Staff Tournament
10
NCERT NEWS/July 2006
Photograph:RC Das, CIET
NCERT Workshop
‘Work is Workship’
Snapshots...
A glimpse of the morning
assembly organised at
the EGS/AIE Centre
NCERT NEWS/July 2006
11
New Publications
Riyazee ka Jadoo, Class I
Ibtade Urdu, Class III
Apni Zaban, Class VI
Urdu Guldasta – A Supplementary Reader
in Urdu, Class VI
Nawa-e-Urdu, Class IX
Gulzar-e-Urdu – A Supplementary Reader
in Urdu, Class IX
Gulistane-Adab, Class XI
Science, Class VI
Zamin : Hamara Maskan, Class VI
Samaji Aur Siyasi Zindgi, Class VI
Science, Class IX
Ilm-e-Maashiyat, Class IX
Shumriyat Bar-e-Maashiyat, Class XI
Modules on Quality Dimensions of
Elementary Education under SSA
NCERT – Varshik Lekha : 2004-05
NCERT – Annual Accounts : 2004-05
Position Paper (NF Group) on Curriculum,
Syllabus and Textbooks
Position Paper (NF Group) on Health and
Physical Education
Position Paper (NF Group) on Systemic
Reforms for Curriculum Change
Position Paper (NF Group) on Prathmik
Prathmik Shikshak : April – July 2005
combined issue
Prathmik Shikshak : October – December
2005 combined issue
Journal of Indian Educational : February
2005 issue
Journal of Indian Educational : May 2005
issue
School Science : June 2005
Publication Team
P. Rajakumar
Shabnam Sinha
Meenakshi Khar
Shveta Uppal
Arun Chitkara
Back Margin
At a lecture recently organised by NCERT, Professor
Shanta Sinha spoke about the battle-like experience
the poor have to face when they seek school
admission for their children. Meeting deadlines,
providing satisfactory certificates of birth and
residence, and so on, are among the very first
requirements any parent must fulfil in order to put
a child in Class I. For a large proportion of the rural
population and migrants to towns and cities, these
initial chores prove difficult enough, but the real
battle begins when the child starts attending school.
Professor Sinha showed with the help of numerous
instances drawn from her work as the FounderDirector of MV Foundation how scarce is the
availability of positive feelings and support for the
Class I child. Many village schools function with
just two teachers and they tend to focus on Class
IV and V, leaving the largest Class I to shape itself
into a smaller Class II cohort by attrition. Class I
and II teachers seldom enjoy the high self-esteem
and long-term vision necessary for working with 56 year olds. Many textbooks used in our country in
Class I and II fail to reflect children’s ways of
thinking and imagination. There is a widespread
feeling among headmasters and other authorities
that Class I is merely a preparation time, not
significant in itself.
Educational theory has ample evidence on the
contrary. It is in Class I that the child’s basic attitude
towards school as a social institution is formed.
Indeed, the first few months spent at school have a
decisive role in shaping the child’s will to take the
school seriously as a place which means well.
Systemic inability to distinguish little children from
older ones, in terms of nature and requirements, is a
major obstacle to Class I reforms. Trained teachers
are usually able to regurgitate the common
psychological characteristics of adolescents but very
few have working knowledge of how a 5-year old
thinks and imagines. The syllabus of teacher training
for the primary stage is usually so generalised that
trainees end up getting no clear idea about this crucial
stage of the school-going child’s mind. They operate
on the basis of a vague notion of stages of
development, having little clue about how to relate to
a real child. We can hardly blame Class I teachers
who perceives themselves to be at the bottom of the
school hierarchy and hope to move on.
KRISHNA KUMAR
Website : www.ncert.nic.in, E-mail: publica@nda.vsnl.net.in
Published at the Publication Department by the Secretary, National Council of Educational Research and
Training, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi 110 016, Lasertypeset in-house and printed at .............................
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NCERT NEWS/July 2006