REFORMATTING
SCHOOL EDUCATION
G.Gautama
12 May 2005

What does all this add
up to?
What are some clear steps that
could take us ahead to newer
structures and processes?

Flexibility is a key factor?
To move away from standard
expectations we could
consider:
Flexible pace
Flexible content
Flexible seating
Flexible grouping

Flexible Pace and Content are
probably the easiest to
implement in schools.
Depends on material at
different levels being available
to learners in a class.

However - such a move will be
a challenge to the belief that
all should learn and do the
same thing.
Stigma and rank will be the
bottlenecks.

Flexible seating:
a lot of learning from
organizations that schools
need to internalize

What is the arrangement that
enables :
•Working alone
•Legitimate conversation
•Working in a small group
•Working as a large group

Paradoxically
•Less furniture rather than
more.
•Floor seating rather and low
tables
address these needs

Here the challenges will be:
•Why change the form? does it
really matter???
•Have we all been doing the
wrong thing till now?
•Will we lose what little we
have now?

Flexible groupings:
This offers the most challenge.
•Is the same age grouping not
effective?
•Can we not overcome the
problems by working harder?

If we see that
•working smarter and not
harder is the key....
•Teachers have been doing the
impossible for too long... and
now the structure must yield
to a more HUMANE one.....

Industrialization gave us
measurable standards. But.....
•violence and competition go
hand in hand
•humaneness and working
together need to be embedded
in school processes

The most important things
cannot be measured....
• How do we value and nourish
the immeasurable qualities....
goodness, affection, care,
honesty...
•Or have we given up???

Will we turn our back to the
juggernaut and rethink
schools and school education
OR
Will we wait for collapse?

Will we stand for some things
that we have learnt from
history?
OR
Will we settle for status quo?

But then we may not be able
talk of
•child friendliness
•flexibility
•child safety and care....

Will we say,
“We came, we saw
but could change little or nothing.”
or
“We came, we saw,
we learnt and responded,
we avoided some mistakes,
we changed some things.”

The choice is there
before us

Is there a choice,
if we care?