NEW DELHI: In a bid to strengthen the training of teachers, the Delhi government has introduced a new subject 'Critical Thinking' as part of the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) and Diploma of Elementary Education (D.El.Ed) programmes.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio, observed that the government will try this for the first time and will be a success.
"Critical thinking is learning to think without bias. It is a logically reasoned judgment, where one thinks in the light of knowing. Teachers cannot impart something they themselves do not have. Thus arises the need to develop critical thinking among teachers," said a Delhi government official.
He added it is important that 'critical thinking' be used for making a positive change in "ourselves rather than learning to blame others."
"Presently, we are facing a problem where the younger generation is using the ability to analyse everything around them logically, but not themselves. Thus, the tool of critical thinking should be used to introspect and transform oneself.
"Without first transforming oneself, all efforts to change the world are counterproductive and lead to unsatisfied individuals, broken homes, chaotic societies, ecological imbalances and the disharmonious world. Education is the best way to facilitate this transformation from internal chaos to internal harmony," the official said.
The course will be aimed at nurturing teachers who
understand the real purpose or value of education and are inspired to live with human consciousness.
"That is, live with humane conduct and impart humanness in the children they come in contact with through their careers," the official said.
"We will introduce the course 'Critical Thinking for Transformative Learning' at the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) to train teacher trainees in their two-year diploma programme," he elaborated.
The course, he added, relies on introspection, observation, scrutiny, examination, and survey of the human being vis-a-vis nature/existence.
The content will be communicated through group discussions, film screenings followed by discussion, relevant readings followed by paper presentations.
It will also include individual and group presentations by trainee teachers, writings, stories, poems, essays, skits, role-plays on situations given to them, mock facilitation sessions, action-research projects, comparative study projects, case studies, as well as surveys followed by data analysis.
Explaining the criteria of facilitation, the official said, "Resource persons to facilitate training of the faculty members of DIETs will be provided by the Cell for Human Values and Transformative Learning on monthly basis."