Page 64 - EW February 2023

Special Report

UNCONDUCIVE SCHOOLING CLIMATE

GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS

report verbal physical
peer abuse teacher abuse

58.6% 33.9% 26.4% 32.1%

students report physical peer
peer/teacher abuse
abuse

Abha Adams: insufficient attention

A highlight of the valuable, detailed PRIVATE SCHOOLS
six-volume CASS 2022 report is the
360-degree attitudes audit study of
students, parents and teachers on physical teacher
issues of gender, caste, linguistic di- report verbal abuse
versity, civic sense, citizenship, and peer abuse
socio-economic inequalities.
Disturbingly, the report says that
government school students are more
(26-51 percent) discriminatory on is- 70% 47.9% 36.4% 28.2%
sues of gender equality, nutrition,
education, freedom of mobility of girl
children and gender stereotyping. Stu-
dents assessed in top-ranked private
schools exhibited less (25 percent) students report peer/ say they suffered
bias on these issues. More surpris- teacher abuse physical peer
ing is students’ negative attitude on abuse
citizenship and civic issues. Govern-
ment and private school students are Source: CASS 2022
equally ignorant of the harmful effects
of river pollution and littering, and are
indifferent about supporting national missions and the like. Therefore, they about the egalitarian, secular values of
schemes such as Swachh Bharat, re- are over-focused on academics and the Constitution. Though it will take
specting the national anthem and exams, and tend to neglect SEL intelli- a long time for schools and teachers
protecting public monuments. Simi- gences. Gender equality, appreciation to meaningfully integrate SEL into
lar regressive attitudes were pervasive of cultural diversity, and citizenship their curriculums, a beginning needs
among parents of government school values are seldom taught even in top- to be made because emotional intel-
students. ranked schools. More importantly, the ligence is the prerequisite of shaping
“I am not surprised by CASS 2022 role of parents in nurturing emotion- responsible, caring, and compassion-
findings that private schools have in- ally balanced, caring child citizens is ate citizens,” says Abha Adams, for-
sufficiently developed students SEL receiving insufficient attention with mer director of the top-ranked The
skills, and they harbour regressive the result that anxious parenting is Shri Ram School, Delhi, well-known
attitudes towards women’s rights and leading to anxious students. It’s im- educationist, consultant, vice chair of
citizenship. Unfortunately, in Indian portant for schools to involve parents The Ahvaan Trust, Delhi and author
society, schools are judged entirely on in dialogues about developing chil- of Parenting in the Age of Anxiety
the basis of board exam results, IIT ad- dren’s SEL skills and educating them (Aleph Book Company, 2023).

64 EDUCATIONWORLD FEBRUARY 2023