Press Note
August 4, 2002
A day long dharna has been called by EKLAVYA and other organisations such as Madhya Pradesh Gyan Vigyan Samiti, Madhya Pradesh Vigyan Sabha, Gwalior Science Centre, All India People’s Science Network, Tulika Samvad, Pragatisheel Lekhak Sangh, Janvadi Lekhak Sangh to protest against the closure of the Hoshangabad Science Teaching Programme (HSTP) in Hoshangabad. We feel that the closure move casts serious doubts on the commitment of the state government to foster educational innovations by civil society groups, provide the necessary space for such innovative efforts in the public domain and initiate a process to improve education in general and science education in particular. The closure has also affected Eklavya’s other innovative programmes in social science and primary education, putting a question mark on their future.
We strongly oppose the feudal landlord-tenant analogy used by the government to explain its collaboration with Eklavya. The government is not the owner of the school education system and Eklavya’s presence and contributions are not illegitimate. The government is a caretaker on behalf of the people and civil society groups like Eklavya have the democratic right to help improve the education system for the public good. The government should create the space for civil society groups to develop innovative programmes and also maintain a dialogue with them.
The internal assessment report that was used as the basis to close HSTP labels it as a failure. The report is unscientific in approach, lacks in professional competence and uses questionable methods and doubtful statistics to prove a case. It raises the suspicion that it is a motivated attempt to justify preconceived notions and prejudices. It is disturbing that such an irresponsible act should form the basis of a decision of such far-reaching consequences affecting the future of children. The State Advisory Board for Education (SABE) set up by the government should constitute an expert committee whose terms of reference should also include the formulation of a state-level endeavour to improve the quality of science education, based on the experience and insights of HSTP.
We are also surprised and greatly disappointed by the statements made by the Chief Minister defending the closure of the program in Hoshangabad. These statements seem to indicate that the voice of the common people – students, parents and teachers is not being heard. The demand for review by the DPC members themselves seems to be of no value here. Also, more than 2,000 petitions from students, ex-students, parents, teachers and citizens from the district have been totally ignored. It is ironical that these very petitions were rejected by the Hoshangabad District Collector saying "there is no provision of a referendum on this issue". If the CM is really interested in hearing the voice of the people, he needs to go to the schools, meet children, teachers and parents and not just rely on official channels and vested interests. We are also extremely perturbed that misleading statistics are being fed to the CM as evident in his press statement on August 1, 2002 regarding failure rates in science.
The chief minister has urged Eklavya to work at the state level to improve education. Eklavya is also keen to improve education at the state level. HSTP was one such attempt that sought to address the shortcomings in the existing science education system and has done so with a fair measure of success. However the move to reinstate the rote-learning approach to education in the name of uniform curriculum is a regressive step and negates the learnings from HSTP. The Madhya Pradesh government should take this opportunity and promised support from the wider community of scientists, educationists and other organisations to show the way to improve science education at the state level.
Hence, we demand that the State Government
We also strongly protest against the manner in which closure process was engineered. The first DPC recommendation for closure was rushed through without giving the members any background information about the matter. The State Government abrogated its responsibility of organizing a professional review of the programme and mediating the DPC recommendation in the interests of better education. The decision to close down the programme was also taken in the absence of any methodical review and without any tenable academic reason. This was done as a fait accompli right at the brink of the current academic session. The closure order dated July 3, 2002 relates only to HSTP in Hoshangabad district. However, local administrative and educational authorities have taken unilateral action to close HSTP in their areas, because of the confusion created by various government letters marked to them for information. Because of the confusion regarding closure of HSTP in districts other than Hoshangabad, several students have purchased the state science textbooks in areas where the programme has been closed down by local orders. These instructions need to be amended and TBC should be instructed to issue Bal Vaigyanik free of cost to those students who have already purchased the state science textbook.
It should also immediately make arrangements for approving and printing the revised Class 8 Bal Vaigyanik. The revised textbooks for Class 6 and 7 were published by the Madhya Pradesh Text Book Corporation over the last two years. The revised Class 8 Bal Vaigyanik has been submitted to SCERT for placing it before the Textbooks Standing Committee for approval. With this the problem of linkage with higher classes has been substantially addressed.
Hence we demand that the State Government
We believe that the education system in India is in urgent need of reform to bring it in consonance with universally accepted principles of learning that are reflected in the policy directives of various educational commissions set up by the government from time to time. The education system should incorporate a curriculum renewal process that develops a socially relevant curriculum. Such a curriculum should have flexibility and dynamism to respond to the expanding frontiers of knowledge and changing socio-economic conditions. Education should be child centred and joyful, arousing the curiosity of children, stimulating their creativity, and encouraging them to develop their mental and physical faculties.
EKLAVYA M.P. BHARAT GYAN VIGYAN SAMITI SCIENCE CENTRE (GWALIOR)
MADHYA PRADESH VIGYAN SABHA JANVADI LEKHAK SANGH TULIKA SAMVAAD
PRAGATISHEEL LEKHAK SANGH ALL INDIA PEOPLE’S SCIENCE NETWORK
We, the undersigned, agree that:
l The education system in India is in urgent need of reform to bring it in consonance with universally accepted principles of learning that are reflected in the policy directives of various educational commissions set up by the government from time to time.
l The education system should incorporate a curriculum renewal pocess that develops a socially relevant curriculum. Such a curriculum should have flexibility and dynamism to respond to the expanding frontiers of knowledge and changing socio-economic conditions.
l Education should be child centred and joyful, arousing the curiousity of children, stimulating their creativity, and encouraging them to develop their mental and physical faculties.
l Pedagogical methods should de-emphasise rote learning and should focus on imparting to children the ability to learn and understand. They should enable children to generalise principles from a set of data and apply these principles and learning in their daily lives to make their lives richer and more fulfilling.
l Children should develop conceptual understanding in science by performing experiments in the classroom and observing, analysing and discussing the results. They should be encouraged to develop skills of historical analysis, comparative studies and data compilation and analysis in social science and other subjects.
l This process of evolving a curriculum in line with these objectives and teaching methodologies should be a collaborative process in which teachers, students, educational administrators, university academicians, scientists and subject experts and policy makers participate.
l The state should encourage plurality in education and provide space to civil society groups to develop innovative educational programmes.
We wish to register our protest:
l Against the closure of the HSTP programme in Hoshangabad district.
The closure move casts serious doubts on the commitment of the state government to foster educational innovations by civil society groups, provide the necessary space for such innovative efforts in the public domain and initiate a process to improve education in general and science education in particular.
l The manner in which the closure process was engineered.
The first DPC recommendation for closure was rushed through without giving the members any background information about the matter. The State Government abrogated its responsibility of organizing a professional review of the programme and mediating the DPC recommendation in the interests of better education. The decision to close down the programme was also taken in the absence of any methodical review and without any tenable academic reason. This was done as a fait accompli right at the brink of the current academic session.
l The internal assessment report that labels HSTP as a failure.
The report is unscientific in approach, lacks in professional competence and uses questionable methods and doubtful statistics to prove a case. It raises the suspicion that it is a motivated attempt to prove preconceived notions and prejudices. It is disturbing that such an irresponsible act should form the basis of a decision of such far-reaching consequences affecting the future of children.
We demand that the state government :
l Recognise the right of civil society groups to contribute to the public sphere.
We strongly oppose the feudal landlord-tenant analogy used by the government to explain its collaboration with Eklavya. The government is not the owner of the school education system and Eklavya’s presence and contributions are not illegitimate. The government is a caretaker on behalf of the people and civil society groups like Eklavya have the democratic right to help improve the education system for the public good. The government should create the space for civil society groups to develop innovative programmes and also maintain a dialogue with them.
l Constitute an expert committee to review HSTP so that its learnings can be incorporated into the education system.
The State Advisory Board for Education (SABE) set up by the government should constitute the expert committee whose terms of reference should also include the formulation of a state-level endeavour to improve the quality of science education, based on the experience and insights of HSTP.
l Make a public announcement for the continuation of HSTP in Harda and 13 other districts, and make arrangements for the supply of class 6,7, and 8 Bal Vaigyanik Textbooks in these districts.
The closure order dated July 3, 2002 relates only to HSTP in Hoshangabad district. However, local administrative and educational authorities have taken unilateral action to close HSTP in their areas, because of the confusion created by various government letters marked to them for information. Because of the confusion regarding closure of HSTP in districts other than Hoshangabad, several students have purchased the state science textbooks in areas where the programme has been closed down by local orders. These instructions need to be amended and TBC should be instructed to issue Bal Vaigyanik free of cost to those students who have already purchased the state science textbook.
l Make arrangements for printing the Class 8 Bal Vaigyanik.
The revised version of Class 8 Bal Vaigyanik effectively addresses and resolves the question of linkage with the science course in Class 9, a constant criticism levelled against HSTP till now and a major factor in the move to close the programme in Hoshangabad. Hence the government should forward the textbook to the Standing Committee of the Madhya Pradesh Text Book Corporation for approval so that it is available to students in the current academic session.
l Issue an order for the continuation of the Social Science Programme.
The Social Science Programme being implemented by Eklavya in eight middle schools in Dewas, Harda and Hoshangabad districts is poised for upscaling after its experimental phase. The government should authorise its continuation and the State Advisory Board of Education should formulate a process for its upscaling.
SUMMARY PETITION
We, the undersigned, agree that:
l The education system in India is in urgent need of reform.
l The education system should incorporate a curriculum renewal pocess that develops a socially relevant curriculum.
l Education should be child centred and joyful, and encourage children to develop their mental and physical faculties.
l Pedagogical methods should de-emphasise rote learning and should focus on imparting to children the ability to learn and understand.
l Children should develop conceptual understanding in science by performing experiments in the classroom and observing, analysing and discussing the results.
l They should be encouraged to develop skills of historical analysis, comparative studies and data compilation and analysis in social science and other subjects.
l The process of evolving a curriculum should be a collaborative process involving teachers, students, educational administrators, university academicians, scientists and subject experts, policy makers and civil society groups.
l The state should encourage plurality in education and provide space to civil society groups to develop innovative educational programmes.
We wish to register our protest:
l Against the closure of the HSTP programme in Hoshangabad district.
l The manner in which the closure process was engineered.
l The internal assessment report that labels HSTP as a failure.
We demand that the state government :
l Recognise the right of civil society groups to contribute to the public sphere and create space for dialogue between them and the government.
l Constitute an expert committee to review HSTP so that its learnings can be incorporated into the education system.
l Make a public announcement whether HSTP continues in Harda and 13 other districts and make arrangements for supply of Bal Vaigyanik textbooks for Class 6, 7 and 8 in these districts immediately.
l Issue a fresh order for the continuation of the Social Science Programme.