Campaign to try break gender stereotype among Corpn school kids

Twenty-one thousand students and 140 teachers from 70 corporation schools are set to participate in it.

“Changing Moves Changing Minds is a 6-week curriculum that combines otherwise perceived as predominantly male orientated sport cricket and female activity like dance as a medium to promote positive gender roles in children. It will be aimed at the age group of 10 to 13 years,” said Janaka Pushpanathan, the South India Director of British Council.

“There is a prominent divide between the genders and this divide causes restrictions towards their passions and interests, which require attention. This social segregation also leads to gender bias,” he added.

All the 21,000 children are from municipal corporation schools located across Chennai. The Royal Academy of Dance and Marylebone Cricket Club will co-train master trainers from the shortlisted schools. The master trainers will cascade this training to the teachers who will then deliver the learning to students, said the organisers. “Nowadays, there are many cases of sexual abuse coming into light, and so our primary motive is to address the issue of gender equality. Gender equality should not stop within the 70 corporation schools. It should also extend to other government aided schools,” said Kumaravel Pandian, the Deputy Commissioner of Chennai Corporation.

The Education Officer of Chennai Corporation R Bharatidasan, British Deputy High Commissioner Jeremy Pilmore Bedford and the President of Rotary Club of Madras East T R Gopal Krishnan were present at the launch of the programme.