Knowinspirediscoverle arn Volume 3 Issue 2 March 2013 The Foundaon Newsleer March 2013 Page 1 << Index >> E D I TO R I A L contents W e are delighted to bring you the second issue of Kindle this year. As the Foundation newsletter, Kindle carries wide-ranging articles on issues in education and development. Feature Article P. 03 - 04 The feature article addresses the ritualization that is endemic in our systems, and how in our work and A Whiff of Systemic Change approach over the years, we at the Foundation have sought to challenge it, as it is a crucial part of our goals of effecting S Giridhar From the Field P.05 positive change in education. Next is a piece on ‘Sur Sangat’ – a musical evening Sur Sangat: A Mystical Evening at Kabir held in Dehradun as part of the Kabir Lok event. 14th Lok February was celebrated as ‘Kabir Day’, consisting of two events: ‘Vimarsh’ – focused on how to bring Kabir from Randeep Kaur Verma From the Field textbooks to real life, and ‘Sur Sangat’. We then provide P.06 - 07 Sports day at Azim Premji School, Dhamtari The next article explores the isolation faced by country, despite the complex system of interconnected P.08 Schools and Sand dunes accountabilities, exemplified by the barren landscape of Barmer. It stresses the need for connectedness for teachers to feel supported in the performance of their demanding roles. Anurag Behar From the Field Premji School in Dhamtari. countless teachers and education functionaries across the Purusottam Singh Thakur Viewpoint you a glimpse of the School Olymipcs organised at the Azim P.09 - 10 An interesting workshop on understanding History was organised for students in Newai block of Tonk district, समुदाय में इतिहास की खोज in an attempt to create interest in the subject. Our next piece अनिल गुप्ता व राकेश कारपेन्टर a training workshop for teachers in Madarsas was recently From the Field Madarsa Training in Tonk Vinod Jain P.11 takes us through the various stages of this. Also in Tonk, concluded – the second of two. The socio-cultural landscape of Tonk makes Madarsas numerous and the education processes in them critical to our project of improving the quality of teaching-learning in the district. We hope you enjoy this issue of Kindle; do write to us with your feedback and suggestions at kindle@ azimpremjifoundation.org. Content Medha Sundar Medha Sundar Design Archana Unny Front and Back Cover Photo B S Adappa Viewpoint Communication March 2013 Page 02 << Feature Article >> A Whiff of Systemic Change S Giridhar August 2005. Those were early days in our Foundation’s momentum to work in the one and half days that remained. This work in one of the north Indian states. People familiar with our is not a one-off story. Every such event, full of good intention work will know that all our work in contributing to improving the and serious purpose, gets sacrificed at the altar of meaningless quality of education in government schools was by working ritualisation, in every corner of our country. It percolates into every jointly with the education functionaries and education system facet, be it teacher training, school functions, children’s events of the state. A two-day workshop on conceptualising reforms in or in any form of administering. We have experienced it in every student assessment had been conceived by the team comprising state we have worked in since 2001. members of the Foundation and a group of committed academic functionaries of the state. The dates were decided and before we knew it, the whole thing got out of hand. The commissioner, principal secretary and chief secretary were all coming for the inaugural session. Before you could say ‘Chambal ki kasam’, a workshop to build capacity had got blown up into an ‘event’. When people ask my colleagues Anant, Gautam and Periodi who have been leading our efforts in these states for so many years now, what has been the impact of our work on the system, they will unfailingly tell you how the battle against ritualisation is being slowly won. What was originally meant to be a crisp welcome to the workshop got converted into a two-hour ‘inaugural session’. Suddenly all the functionaries in the districts to give up on such rituals of the concentration of the academic functionaries was diverted to ‘respect’ is possible when we work shoulder-to-shoulder in the ensuring that everything was right and ready for the inaugural. field over a period of time. This is what enables negotiation for It has not been easy. To cajole, persuade and convince change, with sensitivity towards existing mores, based on mutual T o cajole, persuade and convince the functionaries in the districts to give up on such rituals of ‘respect’ is possible when we work shoulder-to-shoulder in the field over a period of time. This is what enables negotiation for change, with sensitivity towards existing mores, based on mutual trust and respect. trust and respect. It is a leap of faith, to overcome habit and also the fear of backlash for breaking protocol. November 2009: In the wintry setting of Uttarkashi, a district academic meeting to implement the ‘school progress plan’ is in progress. The meeting is not kicked off ceremoniously by the most senior district education officer. He is seated inconspicuously in the midst of other functionaries. The man who is in charge of training takes center-stage. The lighting of the lamp and prayer are of course done, but they take less than 10 minutes. Many miles south, in Surpur Block of North East Karnataka, over the past few years, the block functionaries have run nearly 100 melas as an initiative to bring school and community together. An invitation had to be printed; who all should be on the This mela is all about children, to show and share their learning. invitation? Whose name should be first? How many chairs on the When the first mela was held, to our utter exasperation, half the dais? Who should sit on the first row of the dais and who should day was taken up by every functionary and village leader talking sit behind? At the inaugural, as always, were speeches with incessantly over the public address system. Now, some years platitudes, flowery couplets in Urdu and Hindi. When the inaugural later, these melas truly belong to the children. Invited dignitaries was done, it felt a wedding had been successfully conducted. are given the last half hour of the day to address the participants. Somehow the functionaries gathered themselves and found the Invariably it is a quick and sincere vote of thanks. It is a huge shift March 2013 Page 03 3 << Feature Article >> according to us. It has taken three years for such de-ritualisation satellite link and the rest of the technology right. Meanwhile the to take root. Will it be sustained? That is the next phase of the secretary arrived from Bangalore. There was no one to receive battle. him. No one was needed. He enquired around and walked in It has not been easy as this need to please, to ensure that hierarchical obeisance is paid, runs right through the system. We have seen nervous commissioners wanting to ensure that the red velvet cushioned chair (with the turkey to the conference hall. I saw him chat with a number of other functionaries and when everything was ready he got up quietly to the podium with three of us, to talk to his functionaries on the satellite. To me this was a crossing of the Rubicon. towel on the back rest) which is normally reserved for him/her in that large conference room, goes to the supervisor in such meetings. No one thinks it odd when the various functionaries We believe this shift is core to in all such meetings, seat themselves in an obnoxious system the kind of change we want to see in our system. of the seniors in the inner ring of chairs and the lesser mortals in the outer ring. To break this ritual is something my colleague and CEO, Dileep, pursues with relish. Every time we enter such rooms with that special high-backed chair — reserved for the commissioner/secretary, whether present or absent — Dileep will needle them and question why such customs are preserved. On every such occasion — at small and large events that we conduct with various government functionaries at block, district and state changes in some places where we are working. It has taken level — we push by example. We keep hammering away at this, time. I do not think it could have been done faster. Why is it so sometimes theatrically, sometimes subtly, but we have been at it. important? In its own way, this is a crucial and visible step in the We believe this shift is core to the kind of change we want to see journey towards a just, equitable and humane society. It has not been easy. However, there are perceptible in our system. Yet there are success stories. None gives me greater happiness than this incident a few years ago in Karnataka when the secretary organized a satellite conference with the 3,000 education functionaries of the state. The satellite communication The author is the Registrar and Chief Operating Officer, Azim Premji University. Article as it appeared in Indian Express was to be held in Mysore. Departmental heads and the head of the institute at Mysore were busy, even frantic, trying to get the March 2013 Page 04 << From the Field >> Sur Sangat:A Mystical Evening at Kabir Lok Randeep Kaur Verma On 14th Feburary 2013, Azim Premji Foundation, ka pyaara… Ajee Santon aisa des hamara…” As the evening Dehradun, organized a musical evening to rejuvenate Kabirana proceeded, Mukhtiyar Ali sang one soul-stirring sufiana number thoughts – thoughts of Kabir, Raheem, Bulleh Shah, Ruskhan. after another. He also shared some similar but differently Sur Sungat was evolved with the idea of identifying and articulated thoughts of Kabir and Bulleh Shah: engaging with people who are living their lives close to our Foundation’s vision of facilitating a ‘Just, Equitable, Humane & Sustainable Society’. Kabir’s thoughts and progressive ideas are closely aligned to this vision and music was seen as the means of both communicating the thoughts of, and creating enthusiasm around Kabir. The occasion was graced by the presence of Mukhtiyar Ali, a sufi singer who filled the evening with songs Flavour of Kabir: “Pothithi Padhi Padhi, Jagh muaa, aur pandit bhaya na koi, dhayee aakhar prem ka padhe so pandit hoye…” Flavour of Bulleh Shah: “Padhi Padh aalam fazil banya, kadhi aapna aap noon padhiya hi nahin…” Finally, he sang the perennial favourite, “Dama Dum Mast Kalandar” at which the audience could not resist coming and music to delight the audiences. The event was a mystical experience which imprinted itself on the minds of the people present. Mukhtiyar Ali’s music created enormous energy and vibrancy in the atmosphere, the magic of his sufi voice ignited souls and the audience was transferred to a different world. Members not only from Uttarakhand but from other State Institutes were present. It was a diverse group, with children, teenagers, middle-aged people, and senior citizens, and there was joy on every face. on to the floor to dance. Dileep Ranjekar concluded by sharing his feelings, “This confluence of words and music has pierced everyone’s hearts and settled inside. The things that we want to say in education for years have been presented in two minutes, in two lines, in one doha. We heard, we learnt, and there were so many musical raags this evening…” The author works at Azim Premji Foundation. Mukhtiyar Ali dedicated his first song to paying homage to the Almighty, with a composition that spoke about equity. Another composition described Kabir’s thoughts about his nation – “Kehat Kabir Suno re sadho… Pahunchela Guru March 2013 Page 05 5 << From the Field >> Sports Day at Azim Premji School, Dhamtari March 2013 Page 06 << From the Field >> Sports Day at Azim Premji School, Dhamtari March 2013 Page 07 7 << Viewpoint >> Schools and Sand dunes Anurag Behar It was the first time I walked on sand dunes. The winter The task of organizing good education for even a single child evening sun converted the sand to gold. He was wearing a craggy is perhaps one of the most challenging things that a person can face. closed-neck coat which had thick black and white vertical stripes in the The reality of being a teacher and doing this for 30-40 students makes weave. We had walked half a kilometre into the dunes. He pointed in this exponentially harder. This role becomes even more complex in one direction, “two kilometres that way there is a school”, then another India, given our diversity and socio-economic characteristics. direction for another school 3 km. away. “The four of us are responsible for 600 schools,” he said. Some schools are in places where they can take their bikes, for others they leave the bike on the road and walk, such as the two he pointed out across the dunes. There is no winter evening sun through the year. There is the The design of our schooling system with schools within a kilometre of each habitation has solved the problem of access, but has added further complexity. It forces teachers to handle children across age groups together. It has also contributed to the isolation of teachers and other education functionaries. The Barmer example makes this heat and the sandstorms. Through this they reach the schools, it is their stark: teachers in remote sand dunes, on their own. But, let this not job. This is the education block resource team of Chautan in Barmer suggest that the issue of isolation exists only in the so-called hard district of Rajasthan. They are there to support the schools of the block. places. This is the reality everywhere for our teachers even in the heart His face shows the effect of trying to connect 600 schools through the of our cities too. sand and heat. It also shows how alone each of these schools is, and how isolated the teachers may feel. A teacher from one school said, “There is God, and then This is because physical disconnectedness is only a part of the problem. The core issue is that our large, bureaucratized, education system does not recognize the importance of intellectual and social there is me, that’s it.” He was not being dramatic; his reality is that he connectedness of a teacher for her ability to perform her role. This has to fend for himself completely – clean and maintain the school, arises partly from the mechanizing, deindividualizing tendencies that handle 30-40 students in every way, deal with the community, manage are common to most large organizational systems. Unlike industries, the mid-day meals, fill up reports, manage vaccination camps, respond which thrive on scale, schools need to be smaller networks, connected to the officers and the list is much longer. Two other teachers were to communities with substantial autonomy for teachers and school not fatalistic. They said: “We can live here crying, or we can live here leaders. laughing.” They are all on their own. Many of them live in the schools, since there is no place Moreover, the problem arises from the doubtful assumptions about a teacher’s role, which ignore its complex and creative nature. to rent in the village and it is not possible to walk a few kilometres Complex, creative professions such as film-making or being a scientist every day in that terrain from elsewhere. In Jaipur, they call this region thrive on intellectual and social connectedness – we think of this as ‘kalapaani’ for Barmer is a pretty hard place to be in. Every aspect of the natural. Such connectedness is equally crucial for teachers. It is just district emphasizes the isolation of teachers, although their reality is not that we don’t think of the teachers’ role as being similarly demanding different elsewhere. and challenging, when in reality this is very much so. Fifty kilometres outside Bangalore, just off National Highway I have seen repeatedly that it does not take much to enable 4, I walked into a school. No one had visited them in a year. The teacher this connectedness. It is often about someone playing a facilitating had been to the block office for supplies; he had virtually no real role to bring together a group of teachers. It does require persistence connection with the system. and thoughtfulness. The block (and cluster) level resources are ideally There are demands on the teachers and the block education authorities to file administrative reports very often. However, interactions between different parts of the system are rare let alone a genuine connection on their real work— education. This is the story across India. March 2013 placed to do this, but they are thinly spread, and themselves in need of some help to build their capacity to play this kind of a role. The author is CEO, Azim Premji Foundation. Article as it appeared in Live Mint. Page 08 << From the Field >> समुदाय में इतिहास की खोज अनिल गुप्ता व राकेश कारपेन्टर हमारे विद्यालयों में सामाजिक अध्ययन विषय के प्रति शिक्षकों का नजरिया हमे शा से ही उपे क्षित रहा है । इसका अं दाजा इसी से लगाया जा सकता है कि न तो विद्यालयों में इस विषय को पढ़ाने वाले प्रशिक्षित शिक्षक होते है और न ही अच्छे प्रशिक्षण, और पाठ्यपु स्तकें तो एकदम नीरस हैं । इस विषय के प्रति अक्सर यही सोच होती है कि इसे तो कोई भी पढ़ा ले गा। विषय के तौर पर दे खें तो कई प्रकार की समस्यायें दिखाई दे ती हैं । एनसीईआरटी की नई पाठ्यपु स्तकें जो कक्षा 8 में इस वर्ष से लागू हु ई है उनके प्रति भी शिक्षकों का नजरिया एकदम विपरीत जान क्योंकि पड़ता है हमारी पु स्तकें तो बदल गई पर विषय के प्रति शिक्षकों की समझ कई बार वही लगता है । है तो पर मु झे कि के वल समस्याएँ गिनने से क्या होगा जब तक शिक्षकों के सामने हम कु छ करके नही बताते । इसिलिए हमने कु छ नया करने के लिए शिक्षकों के साथ मिलकर इतिहास में स्थानीय इतिहास पर काम करने की एक योजना बनाई। स्थानीय इतिहास पर काम करने का बड़ा उद्दे श्य यह भी था कि बच्चों मे इतिहास के प्रति यह समझ पै दा करें कि इतिहास वास्तव में लिखा कै से जाता है | एक इतिहासकार किन साक्ष्यों के आधार पर भू त काल की घटनाओं का सही विष्लेषण प्रस्तुत करता है और क्या हम भी ऐसा कर सकते हैं । हमने तय किया कि स्थानीय इतिहास पर काम की योजना चार चरणों में होगी। प्रथम चरण में बच्चों से इतिहास को ले क र सं वाद करना, द ूस रे चरण में किसी ऐतिहासिक स्थान का भ्रमण व साक्ष्य एकत्रित करना, तीसरे चरण में साक्ष्यों के परिपे क्ष्य में लोगों से बातचीत March 2013 करना, और अन्त में साक्ष्यों का विष्लेषण कर निष्कर्ष तक पहु चना। इस कार्य की शु रू आत हमने राबाउप्रावि बहड से की। हमारी योजना को ले क र हमने पहले स्कू ल प्रधानध्यापक से बातचीत की। फिर सामाजिक विज्ञान विषय को पढ़ाने वाली शिक्षिका श्रीमति प्रियं का जै न के साथ भी कार्ययोजना साझा कर बातचीत की। और हमारे साथ वह भी इस प्रक्रिया में बड़े उत्साह के साथ शामिल हु ई। प्रक्रिया में विद्यालय की सभी शिक्षकों की विषे श रूचि थी। पहले चरण में हमने कक्षा 6 व 7 के बच्चों के साथ कार्य किया। स्थानिय व इसमें इतिहास उनके गाँ व में स्थित किले के बारे में उनकी जानकारी पर बातचीत सवाल-जवाब कु छ बकरी है | बच्चे चराने उन्होने व किए। जो जाते इस किले से सम्बन्धित बहु त सी जानकारी हमें मौखिक रुप से बताई। इस तरह बच्चों से पहले दिन सामान्य चर्चा की, और उन्होने आपस में किले के बारे में जो जानते थे वह साझा किया। इस चर्चा के बाद बच्चों को कहा गया कि वह अपने दादा-दादी व गाँ व के बु जु र्ग लोगों से और पता करके आएँ । बच्चे किले के बारे में अपने दादा-दादी से बातचीत कर सवालों के जवाब लिखकर लाए। बच्चे जो जानकारी ले क र आए वाकई हमें उत्साहित करने वाली थी। जै से सु ग ना ने बताया कि किला 250 वर्ष पहले सोगानसिंह राजा ने बनवाया था और उसका एक लडका था जिसका नाम महे न्द्रसिंह था। इसी प्रकार कोमल ने बताया कि किलें में तो राजा और उसका परिवार रहता था परन्तु अन्य लोग नीचे गाँ व में रहते थे । राजा ने किले को पहाड़ पर इसिलिए बनवाया था ताकि उसके उपर यदि कोई आक्रमण हो तो वह किले से उसका मु क़ाबला कर सके । इसी प्रकार मधु ने बताया कि यहाँ के लोग उस समय अलग- Page 09 9 << From the Field >> अलग फसलो की खे ती करते थे पर पानी की समस्या थी। समु दाय के साथ बातचीत भी है । इस प्रकार की बहु त सी जानकारी बच्चें अपनी कापी में लिखकर लाये जिस पर हमने बच्चों के साथ खु ल कर चर्चा सामाजिक व आर्थिक क्रियाकलापों पर विस्तार से बातचीत अतः राजा ने पास ही एक बड़ा तालाब बनवाया था जो आज की। कार्य के अगले चरण में तीसरे दिन किले का कार्य के अगले चरण में बच्चों ने अब तक जु टा ई जानकारी के आधार पर गाँ व के बु जु र्ग लोगों से बातचीत की। जिसमें उन्होने किले के बारें में और वहाँ की भोगोलिक अवलोकन व साक्ष्य एकत्र करने की योजना बनाइ और बच्चों की। समु दाय के बु ज़ु र्गों ने बड़ी सहजता के साथ बच्चों के की दीवारें उनमें प्रयोग की गई सामग्री, किले के दरवाजें में विस्तार से अब तक विभिन्न स्रोतों से प्राप्त समस्त व शिक्षकों ने किले का अवलोकन किया। अवलोकन में किले ,अलग-अलग स्थानों का उस समय क्या उपयोग होता होगा, सामान रखनें की व्यवस्था, यु द्ध से रक्षा, खाने - पीने प्रश्नो के जबाव दिये । इसके बाद बच्चों ने बहड के बारें जानकारियों के आधार पर गाँ व के इतिहास पर एक समझ की वस्तु ऐं , दै निक दिनचर्या की चीजें , पानी की व्यवस्था, बनाई। इस पू री प्रक्रिया में शिक्षकों ने बहु त ही प्रंशसा के साथ इस कार्य को दे खा व तारीफ़ की कि वाकई में इतिहास किया। यहाँ सबसे महत्त्वपू र्ण बात यह दे खी गई कि बच्चें महत्त्वपू र्ण रही। लगा रहे थे । अपने अवलोकन को कापी में लिख रहे थे । यहाँ की। शिक्षकों ने बताया कि “इससे पहले हमने बच्चों को भी इस किले पर आज आप के साथ पहली बार गया। मैं इस आने - जाने के मार्ग आदि पर बच्चों ने गहनता से अवलोकन एक द ूस रें से खू ल कर चर्चा कर रहे थे और अपने अनु मान बच्चों के साथ किले को ले क र शिक्षकों व हमने खू ब बातचीत इतनी बातचीत करते नही दे खां यहाँ तो बच्चें खु ल कर एक द ूस रे से खू ब सवाल-जबाव कर रहे थे । ” एक बच्चे के सवाल का जबाव द ूस रा दे ता और इस प्रकार गहन चर्चा चली। अवलोकन के उपरान्त बच्चों ने अपने अवलोकन व बातचीत को व्यवस्थित रूप में लिखनें का कार्य किया। March 2013 के प्रति एक नज़रिये के विकास के लिए यह प्रक्रिया रामस्वरुप मीणा स्कू ल प्रधानाध्यापक ने कहा कि “इस स्कू ल में मैं भी 8 साल से प्रधानाध्यापक हूँ ले किन मैं किले को सिर्फ एक खण्डहर की नजर से दे खता था ले किन उसको उलट आपने नए नजरिये से मु झे व हमारे बच्चों को दे खने - समझने की दृष्टि दी, जो वाकई मजे दार रहा।” ले ख क अज़ीम प्रेमजी फ़ाउं डे श न में काम करते हैं Page 10 << From the Field >> Madarsa Training in Tonk Vinod Jain One of the major challenges in the area of education is • Enhancing content knowledge on Language and Mathematics the universalisation of education, especially for socially deprived communities. There are several kinds of schooling options available The training was divided into three parts: in Tonk, such as Government Schools (Rajiv Gandhi schools, • General Session – Objective of Education, Philosophy of Learning, Right to Education Act, 2009 and NCF - 2005. Shikshakarmi Schools, Sanskrit Nideshalaya Primary and Upper Primary Schools, 4 to 6 hours alternative school), non-government • Language – Nature, concept and some innovative practices of teaching. schools (categorized into aided schools, unaided schools and recognized schools) and Madarsas. About 13500 children (mostly from • Mathematics - Nature and concept of maths; some innovative practices of teaching the Muslim community) are obtaining education in Madarsas. Despite the presence of public and private schools in the vicinity, Muslim parents often prefer Madarsa education. There are 218 Madarsas across Tonk district, with around 635 Para-Teachers. In this modern age of education, many attempts were made to modernize these Madarsas; continuous improvements and innovations in the quality of secular education in the Madarsas are very important to keep the interest of students. The need to reform the Madarsa education system was felt and, after a series of meetings with members of the Madarsa Board and other key stakeholders in the district, we were able to develop a shared understanding on the issue. It was a new experience for us so before framing the plan of training we realized the need to understand the culture and principles Thereafter, two 7-day training programmes were organized – one in September 2012 and one in the second half of January 2013. of Madarsas. It was also necessary to understand the perspective of teachers on education and contents for outlining the appropriate plan. designed to provide the participants with a better understanding of Therefore, some selected Madarsas were first observed. 10 Madarsas their field from a theoretical perspective as well as to engage them in were randomly visited to observe what is going well, what needs concrete examples for how to best engage the children they teach. improvement, and potential for innovation. During observation it was After the first training programme, a need that emerged from the found that traditional religious education aside, the options available to a participants’ feedback was to include more on Teaching Learning Muslim child seeking quality education are limited. Material (TLM) – how to create effective TLM and use them well. This Module -Creation and Training On the basis of the observations and as per the requirement Both the trainings were experiential, with interactive activities was addressed and incorporated appropriately in the second training programme. Trainers had the participants develop TLM based on the concepts they learned in the workshop and then present them to the of teachers, an appropriate module for training was prepared. During class. Through interactive exercises such as these, the participants module-preparation, the main objectives were: were able to learn new skills and gain confidence in their ability to • Building their self-confidence • Improving their knowledge of child psychology and the learning process of children • Training them to use a variety of teaching techniques to get points across to students • Introducing sequential learning and improved thinking by children March 2013 implement new ideas, dramatically increasing the likelihood that they will utilize that knowledge in class. Both training programmes have been successful since they provided tools to the participants which they could directly use and apply in the classroom and with children. Over 100 teachers of 25 Madarsas participated in these trainings. The author works at Azim Premji Foundation Page 11 11 Azim Premji Foundation Do visit: www. azimpremjifoundation.org www.azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in www.teachersofindia.org www.facebook.com/azimpremjfoundation email: [email protected] March 2013 Page 12