Rethinking curriculums

Education is pivotal in bringing radical overhauls. That said, it is also the key to practically everything in life. Advocating education is not necessary for the world knows it very well. Spreading education, and not just education but quality education is imperative. When science tells us that children, with their nascent minds, are capable of quickly grasping anything taught to them – shaping their fundamental principles besides imbibing virtues – it signifies the importance of imparting education. Children are the future. So drawing an equation from the aforementioned facts concludes on how, with our efforts on education, we are safeguarding our tomorrow. And how, if we fail to deliver quality education then we are jeopardising it. Noting that our country's education system needs to be reinvigorated should come as a surprise. What is rather surprising is to note how unprecedented development is yet to strike the education standards. As we march into a new year, we need to realise how times have changed, and consequently, so should the learning paradigm. The dynamism pioneered by the Delhi government in education ever since Manish Sisodia became the Education Minister has been noteworthy. Delhi government's 'Happiness Curriculum' – rolled out last year – amassed vast appreciation from the world over. Followed by the 'Entreprenuership Curriculum', the education was augmented with a subtle rethink to include comprehensive development besides fundamental education comprising the subjects and evaluation. Now we already inculcated co-curricular activities as necessary for the robust development of children in schools. And there has been no downside to it. Co-curricular activities have perfectly synched with the general education curriculum to give every child the best learning environment. The constant need to evolve the education curriculum should not be left stagnant. Delhi government realises this and hence has again come out with something that augurs well for education. 'Constitution Class' is an ambitious campaign by the Delhi government to connect young minds to the values enshrined in the Preamble and make them politically aware and empowered citizens. It will be based on themes comprising Justice, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, Secular and Democratic – the main elements of our Constitution. These elements define the largest functional democracy in the world and our children have the opportunity to learn a lot from these. The young and raw mind seeks to learn and it will build on anything which is around. The rudimentary elements of education revolving around subject knowledge should not be all. Children need to understand the values that are enshrined in our Constitution because that alone will teach them plenty about our history as well as the road we have walked to celebrate the 70th Republic Day. These elements can influence the children on emotional, social as well as political level. They can carve out the citizen in these children. From a general perspective, the Constitution is the fundamental document every child must be exposed to. Before anything, children are the young citizens of this nation and Constitution alone can teach them plenty of things. Equipping children with an understanding of what a society is, how it functions, what constitutes it, how the civic framework functions, et al, has no drawbacks. It empowers them not just to understand the issues revolving the social fabric but walk the extra mile to address it. Today the issues in governance and development in communities are matters that the government alone has to address while also facing criticism at every turn. Non-governmental organisations are an additional resource addressing these issues but still, there is nothing which matches the efficacy ensuing from active citizen engagement. 'Constitution at 70' programs in both private and government schools for students from class VI-XII will commence from July wherein one political science/social science period will be utilised in preparation for the theme of the month. Half day activities being conducted in schools with students participating in panel discussions, presentations, role plays, theatre, art, etc., promises an enriching learning experience. This is indeed a great way to commemorate the 70th Republic Day. The amount of learning that the Constitution offers is unparalleled. Our entire civic framework is based on that. With this, students will be sensitised on real-world issues that constitute the daily functioning of the country. This particular campaign by Delhi government and many more along the similar lines should be replicated in other parts of the country with improvisations to augment the current education curriculum. The value education ensuing from discussions, presentations, etc., on Entrepreneurship, Constitution, et al, is something that greatly enhances every student's learning. If science can make students give innovative answers to global problems then other fields can empower them to offer new perspectives to existing concerns. The idea is to expose them to more pertinent things through a learning framework and empower them to do what we could not, at least not yet.