Inspired by the Malayalam movie 'Sthanarthi Sreekant', an initiative has been launched to replace the traditional row-based seating arrangement in schools with U-shaped or Semi-Circular designed conference tables. This initiative has been adopted by many school authorities in Kerala, Telangana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and West Bengal to promote inclusive teaching and learning.
History Of the Indian Education System:
Since ancient times, to develop decent and cultured young people for the community and nation, the Gurukul education system was introduced where the Guru took equal care for all his students, irrespective of their potential, family background. It was producing a group of confident and knowledgeable educated population who would work for the development, prosperity, and growth of the country. The students here were small in number, sitting side by side, in a very big open area, shrouded by a natural environment, and the Guru was keeping close watch on each and every student's performance and guiding them individually.
Changes in the Education System Due To The Influence Of the Colonial Regime:
The Gurukul Education had to pave the way for the Westernised Education System, where the students are taught in a classroom and the students are offered to sit on a bench or a desk, arranged linearly in rows, and the teacher sits in front of the students, delivers a lecture, and writes on the blackboard. This system, as observed and experienced, causes problems to many students, especially to those who sit in the back row. The students who sit at the back sometimes cannot read the handwriting of the teacher on black blackboard, but also cannot move forward for strict discipline, then most of the time, they copy from other students, thus developing the culture of copying. Many a time, it has been observed that the back benchers, instead of looking at the board, pay attention to a friend's copy, and if the friend makes a mistake in writing from the board, then those wrong notes are circulated, which gets whacked by the teacher for the wrong answer written in the examination. This causes frustration to both teachers and students, and the backbenchers are slowly getting distanced from quality learning.
Sometimes, the teacher, instead of sitting in a chair, moves in the class from front to end, teaches his subject, but the students who are away from him cannot hear his speech properly, hence losing interest in study. Some students, who are daredevils or dare to talk to a personality-driven teacher, ask him questions, while most of the students remain silent, cannot clarify their doubts, and for their doubts, they approach their friends; thus, the classroom teachings, instead of enhancing confidence in budding citizens, put them in a state of dependence. These dependent people are unable to face challenging situations in life, cannot analyse the problem, and remain in a confusing state due to not finding a solution. So, the classroom teachings are producing two categories of students: one is a leader, while the other is a follower. This big gap between the students is initiated in the classroom because here the student and teacher have no direct eye contact, and barring a few front benchers, others cannot interact freely. The reflection of these classroom differences today can be visibly observed outside the class and in society.
Effects Of Learning:
Due to this kind of teaching, the country today, facing a dearth of innovative and creative leaders, and for every little problem, the nation needs to seek help from developed countries when the ancient history speaks about the glory of Indian brilliance. The epics Ramayana and the Mahabharata are such documentary evidence of those creations. Today, the brilliance, if any, from these classroom teachings also moves out of the country for developed countries for his further excellence; thus, the country loses all its labour and money spent from the national exchequer. So, there is a need for introspection of education policy and making necessary changes.
Why The Policy Failed In India When It Has Been Successful In Western Countries?
The people here can argue that while the westernized education system is successful in Europe and the USA, this classroom culture cannot deliver the desired result here. Many experts, after studying the problem from different angles of varied Indian culture, economy, and behavioural attitudes, said that in our country, classes are thickly populated. Teacher-student ratio is much lower than that in Europe and the USA. The teacher, during his class, cannot pay equal attention to all students, and most of the time, backbenchers are overlooked. The teacher becomes closer to the front benchers. So, very often, it has been observed that the students at the back got indulged in mischievous activities and became inattentive. Thus, society, instead of getting elevated with quality-educated, well-mannered people, as was in the Gurukul education system, is becoming complicated and complex, and has failed to achieve the desired result.
Another drawback in today's education system is the declaration of rank on the basis of the performance in school examinations because it instills in the mind of an immature pupil, since childhood, a superiority and inferiority complex. Though there is many attempts to by the school authority and teachers to develop all its students equally and for that they take toddlers to senior class students to the play ground, engage them in various activities, make the group by mixing academically strong and weak students and but even, it is found that the complex between frontbenchers and backbenchers, achievers to not achievers and prize winners to losers are on increasing and the gap instead of converging diverges in exponential rate. Parents also start comparing their boys and girls with the excellent performers, putting pressure on their wards, but not realising the problems of the backbenchers. Thus, the superiority and inferiority complex is sown into the mind of young pupil at the very beginning of their lives.
These rank declarations and prize distribution ceremonies are doing more harm than good in a country like India, which is thickly populated and has uneven family status. Some students are from rich and solvent families, getting support for private tuition, whereas the other sections are not that privileged due to their financial constraints, and quite naturally, they are not updated with their studies. They are dependent only on the classroom study. So, the basic need is to create an amicable atmosphere in the classroom, and for this, the basic requirement is to increase the number of teachers and classrooms.
Nowadays, some schools do away with the ranking declaration and also do not hold any prize distribution ceremony, which has led a better interaction amongst the students.
Though, the much debated practice in today's education policy is the prize distribution function even the schools who shun this system, found, very popular amongst students but the group which suggests that by giving prizes to the best students, competitiveness amongst all is generated and they are adamant to their views to continue with the ranking system while the other group feels that the prize distribution system is detrimental for mental health development of the inferior student. To make the education inclusive, they prefer to do away with the ranking and prize distribution function. They strongly advocate that by announcing the rank, the school authorities are creating a difference amongst the students and lowering the confidence of those students who had poor results in that examination. This also makes them humiliated in their own family and society when their men, including parents, compare them with those successful. In their opinion, education has to be inclusive, but this kind of appreciation by the schools is creating divisions and doing more harm in society than yielding good for anybody.
The Effect Of Metaphor Backbencher:
It was found that many times a teacher gets irritated by asking the same repetitive questions by the students in the back bench without realizing the reasons for such repetitions. The reason is that the student at the back, despite his attention, cannot hear the teacher properly. The teacher also cannot reach all students in the big class. This improper communication is because the teacher is sitting or standing near the first bench. Eye contact with the last benchers is not established. This creates a big gap between teachers and last benchers, and the basic aim of education is lost.
Suggestion by Mr. Vinesh Viswanath, a filmmaker, and its Effect After Implementation:
To address the problem, Mr. Vinesh Viswanath, a filmmaker, through his Malayalam film, 'Sthanarthi Sreekuttan', came out with a beautiful suggestion of changing the traditional seating arrangement to foster inclusivity amongst all in the classroom by removing the stigma of backbencher. His suggestion of arranging the students to sit in one row across a Semi Circular or U shaped table made please Sri K B Ganesh Kumar, State Transport Minister, Kerala and he took initiative first to introduce the idea in 'Ramavilasam Vocational Higher Secondary School' and observing the benefits of the change, many schools at Kerala adopted the changes. The state of Telangana and even Punjab and West Bengal also adopted the changes. Which saw some immediate benefits like,
All students, especially those who never had the opportunity to sit close to the teacher, are excited and paying more attention to their studies.
Those who were always at backside of the classroom and felt alienated by the front benchers are now growing togetherness with the front benchers, which is slowly eliminating the superiority and inferiority complex.
The students who used to copy from others' notes are now directly learning from the blackboard, thus their knowledge and skill in writing are developing.
As all students are sitting close to the teacher, so, the teacher also finds it easy to guide the students, going very near to them, thus, the two-way benefits are achieved. The teacher can correct the mistakes, and the students are also not afraid to dialogue with their teacher. Respectful bonding between them is developed.
A democratic learning and peer-loving atmosphere is created.
The improved bonding between the academically strong and weak helps to improve the standard of students.
The confidence level of all students is improving.
Limitations To Make This Arrangement Successful:
India is a very big country. Many schools do not have a permanent building and hold their classes in a mud house with a floor seating arrangement, so the government needs to pour a huge amount of money into the successful implementation of such a brilliant idea.
A country like India, which is juggling with so many problems, the government alone cannot take the burden of expenditure for the changes and needs support from private houses. The school authority is also cannot charge the students heavily for development because of families' economic condition, so it is essential requirement of private entrepreneurs and industry houses to support the government for the success of such a noble idea.
Conclusion:
The idea of change has been well accepted across the nation, and already, many schools in Kerala are reaping the benefits of implementing the idea.
Telengana government, influenced by the revolutionary idea, has decided to change of seating arrangement in their schools. The Hyderabad Collector has already instructed to remove the back benches from all schools.
Punjab government is experimenting with one school.
In West Bengal, 'Barlow Girls High School' at Malda District, made the U-type seating arrangement for one of its classes, and depending on the performance, they will decide on further changes.
Thus, the new arrangement has attracted the nation and needs the active support of the entire nation for the success of such an inclusive and participative education system in a diversified and poverty-stricken country, India.