CHENNAI: As the Tamil Nadu School Education Department is revising the school curriculum for primary and middle school levels based on the State Education Policy (SEP), children and child rights activists have urged the government to include vital and timely topics on each subject for Classes 1 to 12.
At a consultation organised in January and February by the Forum for Promotion of Child Participation (FPCP), a children-led organisation in TN and Puducherry, around 25 children from 12 districts brainstormed on what subjects should be included in the new curriculum. The FPCP has a children’s collective, Federation of Children Movement for Right to Participation (FCMRP), which spearheaded the effort.
The participants recommended career guidance, identifying students’ interests and subject groups, information about students’ schemes and rights in lessons, including practical components in all subjects (reading, writing, activity-based learning) to improve the educational standards, and lessons on laws related to children for students of Classes 9 to 12.
As part of value education, there should be focus on lessons on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and usage, awareness on alcohol and substance abuse, sensitisation on internet safety, computer skills training, lessons about sports personalities, explanatory lessons about the Constitution, central and State government structures, and local governance systems and child rights messages printed at the first or last page of textbooks, they said.
Suggesting balancing of all kinds of learnings, the participants urged the authorities to include personality development; creative skills such as singing, tailoring, drawing, and playing musical instruments; practical skill development with lessons on various vocational and technical skills; activities such as storytelling, drama, poetry, traditional games, silambam, kabaddi, and other sports.
“According to Articles 12 and 13 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, children have the right to form groups and to express their views individually or collectively. Curriculum development directly concerns children. Therefore, the children of FCMRP discussed and put forth our views, suggestions and recommendations on the school curriculum that they need,” explained S Dharshini, a Class 12 of a Madurai Corporation school and the president of FCMRP.
In the case of primary and middle school students, FCMRP urged the department and school curriculum designing committee to focus on safe and unsafe touch, including images representing gender equality in textbooks, and life skills education for children, illustrated stories about mobile phone addiction, and awareness stories with pictures about substance abuse in the primary school curriculum.
For classes 6 to 8, FCMRP has sought a change in learning languages, such as for Tamil, by simplifying literature to ease memorisation among children.
Explaining the rationale for seeking changes in English and History, L Yuvarani, a Class 12 student of an aided school in Chennai and the assistant treasurer of FCMRP, said, "English grammar must be taught with practical communication skills so that students can handle English as confidently as Tamil. For history, please focus on Tamil leaders and scientists along with their life stories, and include contemporary topics like the COVID-19 pandemic.”
For value education, the children recommended lessons on physical, mental, and social changes during adolescence; physical and child rights education; and topics on ethics such as honesty, self-respect, harmony, humanity, dignity, and mutual respect.