NCERT flags alienation of minority schoolchildren
THE CONCERNS
A manual prepared by the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has pointed out that children from minority communities at times find the prayers in the school assemblies and picture of Gods and Goddesses on the walls alien to them and has suggested some changes including the celebration of festivals related to religious minorities in schools, sensitive handling of these children during religious functions celebrated in schools, and adequate representation of minority parents in the School Management Committees (SMC).
Hindustan Times has seen a copy of the manual.
The manual, prepared for Minority children may find assembly prayers, picture of gods, goddesses alien; may face offensive comments about food habits
Suggests celebration of minorities’ festivals
Sensitise teachers to issues of religious diversity
Provide Urdu-medium schools in Muslim neighbourhoods; ensure option of Urdu as 2nd language and Urdu teacher
SMCs by the council also states that apart from some general issues of discrimination and harassment, children from minority communities may face other issues including “offensive comments” about food habits and perceptions of “undesirable” uniforms.
NCERT released the manual in June for SMCs that are formed under the Right to Education (RTE) Act . The manual states that the empowerment of the socially disadvantaged groups, SCs (scheduled castes) , STs (scheduled tribes), OBCs (other backward classes) and the minorities continues to be on the priority list of the country, because these groups still lag behind the rest of the society due to their social, economic and educational backwardness. “The discriminatory practices against these groups by teachers, peer groups and system are still prevalent in some schools. (The) SMC has to play an important role to curtail such discrimination and provide a conducive atmosphere.” The committees have also been asked to monitor enrolment and attendance of all children, and especially children belonging to disadvantaged groups.
The manual has also suggested that teachers working in schools with a significant number of students from SCs, STs and minority com-
NEW DELHI: