In-person teaching has value if it’s led by values
Days after a teacher in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar was caught on camera urging her students to hit their Muslim classmate, a teacher in Karnataka’s Shivamogga asked two Muslim students to “go to Pakistan." In the former case, the child had forgotten tables of multiplication, apparently, but the authority figure in class thought it fit to bring up his nominal faith. In the latter, the country named left no doubt over the sentiment of rejection behind the words. Together, both tell us how casually bigotry has invaded our classrooms.
For decades, these were idealized as bastions of compassion. They served as upholders of diversity, equity and inclusion much before India Inc set itself ‘DEI’ goals. Inculcating values of openness was part of any teacher’s job.
Today’s teachers retain similar levels of influence—and power—over children. But, as social beings drawn from the same society as everyone else, some of them have begun to air prejudices just as people do in relatively crass settings, like streets and studios. As much as we must worry about what kids are being exposed to in a normative context, it should also prompt us to explore how best to place education beyond the sway of bigots.
The pandemic disrupted every aspect of life, class attendance included, but it also tested out a model of online schooling with e-learning tools and standardized modules. The results of this forced experiment varied vastly, with well equipped schools and homes adapting well, even as drastic learning losses were reported from across the country overall. Online classes were found to be more formal, with less space for instructors to control students and make snarky remarks.
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