Page 14 - EducationWorld Oct 2021

Education News

post-pandemic era,” says Lt. Gen. by future governments to
(Retd.) Surendra Kulkarni, confuse and brainwash
director of the highly-reputed Mayo children,” warns Agarwal.
College, Ajmer (estb.1875). However, academics in
Quite obviously an overdue initia- the national capital don’t
tive. accord much importance
Dilip Thakore (Bengaluru) to this new initiative of the
AAP government. Accord-
DELHI ing to them, the informal
Patriotism curriculum pedagogy recommended
for teaching the new sub-
gambit ject is a clear sign that it’s
a political gambit rather
than a serious academic
he aam aadmi party (aap), which Delhi government school: new oral tradition subject programme. “With the rul-
has been in power in Delhi ing Congress party in disar-
Tstate since 2015 and against all be one Deshbhakti period of 40 min- ray in Punjab following the ouster of
expectations, has bested the BJP jug- utes daily for nursery-VIII students, chief minister Amarinder Singh, AAP
gernaut in two legislative assembly and two periods per week for students has emerged as a formidable force in
elections (2015 and 2019) with K-12 in classes IX-XII. Significantly, no the Punjab legislative assembly elec-
education upgradation serving as a textbooks nor exams are prescribed. tion scheduled to be held in February-
major electoral plank, has introduced Deshbhakti classes will be of the oral March 2022. The AAP leadership’s
a Deshbhakti (patriotism) curricu- and group learning tradition with stu- newly discovered love of patriotism
lum which will be taught in its 1,028 dents encouraged to develop respect is to counter BJP which never missed
government schools statewide. On for flag and country. a chance to trumpet its patriotic cre-
September 28, chief minister Arvind Adhitya Iyer, a well-known dentials. It’s a political gambit,” says
Kejriwal launched this curriculum Mumbai-based motivational speaker a Delhi University professor, who pre-
to mark the 114th birth anniversary and author of The Great Indian Ob- ferred to remain anonymous.
of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, the nation- session: The Untold Story of India’s Nevertheless, Agarwal’s warning of
ally revered revolutionary freedom Engineers (2015) believes this initia- political parties using this curriculum
fighter. tive of the AAP government is worthy to serve their own needs is apposite.
The objective of the new curriculum of emulation by other states. “Glob- The BJP version of a Deshbhakti cur-
is to achieve eight learning outcomes ally the sense of nationship is reduc- riculum is certain to be very different
— self-awareness, self-confidence, ing, not only in India. Therefore, the from other political parties. It’s useful
problem-solving, practising constitu- timing and intent of the initiative is to bear in mind British philosopher
tional values, pluralism and diversity, brilliant. It will motivate children and and litterateur Samuel Johnson (1709-
environmental sustainability, ethical create a sense of nationality and pride 84) who famously said that patriotism
social behaviour, and collaboration in them,” he says. is the last refuge of the scoundrel.
and social/civic responsibility. “Our However, activist lawyer and pres- Autar Nehru (Delhi)
effort is to make children self-aware ident of the All India Parents’ Asso-
and transform their patriotism into ciation, Ashok Agarwal is less than MAHARASHTRA
a flame. Our aim is to make students impressed and warns that the oral
good citizens, good professionals, na- tradition Deshbhakti curriculum can NEET common cause
tion builders, respectful to women and be selectively taught by ruling par-
against crime,” said Kejriwal, speak- ties in the state to brainwash impres- he state’s maharashtra vikas
ing on the occasion. sionable young children. “With most Aghadi (MVA) government, an
The curriculum is approved by children having lost almost a year of Talliance of the Shiv Sena, Con-
SCERT (State Council of Educational learning due to the pandemic lock- gress and Nationalist Congress Party,
Research & Training) and will be in- down of education institutions, the which was hastily cobbled together
troduced in all classes of 1,028 state focus of the state government should in November 2019 to shut the BJP
government schools, when they re- be remedial education in core subjects out of power in India’s most industri-
open after the pandemic lockdown. — language, science, maths and hu- alised state, has made common cause
It will comprise histories of freedom manities — rather than waste time on with the DMK government of Tamil
fighters and include other patriotic exotic subjects such as happiness and Nadu in its opposition to NEET (Na-
literature and song lyrics. There will patriotism. Patriotism can be misused tional Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test)

14 EDUCATIONWORLD OCTOBER 2021