Education for Democracy in India:

Educating every child for life in a democracy

M.V.S.V. Prasad

Asst. Professor (Political Science)

Department of Education in Social Sciences

National Council of Educational Research and Training

New Delhi

India

21 May 2012 (Mon)

Education for Democracy

A ‘work-in-progress’

Part of the core curriculum in the school education in India since

Independence, for more than 60 years

Major aim of the Secondary Education Commission, (1952-53):

development of democratic citizenship

Major theme of the social science textbooks brought out by the

National Council of Educational Research & Training (NCERT)

and various State-level agencies at all stages of school education

Textbooks at the primary, upper primary, secondary, and higher

secondary stages, contain generative topics that aim to promote

critical understanding of democracy

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Education for Promoting Democracy

“The culture of democracy or the democratic

temperament must be imbibed by citizens from a very

early age. They must become aware of both their rights

as individuals, but also their responsibilities and

obligations as citizens.”

– Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Hon’ble Prime Minister of

India, during the launch of the UNDEF in New York on 14

September 2005

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Syllabus & Textbooks Salient Features

Based on the National Curriculum Framework, 2005

Civics recast as

Social and Political Life at the Upper Primary Stage (Classes 6–8) Political Science at the Secondary Stage (Classes 9–10)

Textbooks for consciousness-raising, that is, the process of making people aware of important social and political issues

Set a trend in Citizenship Education

Content is related to the student’s everyday life

Critical pedagogy

Aim to promote Concept-based Teaching

Activity-based Learning

Ongoing Assessment

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Syllabus & Textbooks Salient Features

Learners are initiated into a deeper understanding of idea and practice of democracy in contemporary India and different parts of the world

Focus on the foundations of the Indian Constitution, i.e. in-depth discussion of justice, liberty, equality, fraternity

Discussions from multiple perspectives, including those of the women, minorities, disabled and other disadvantaged sections

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Syllabus & Textbooks Salient Features

Case studies and examples from real life

Literary elements: Poems, novels, short stories

Visual elements: cartoons (Indian & foreign), maps,

movies, newspaper clippings & collages, photos,

posters

Unni–Munni comments / queries / dialogues

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Social and Political Life – I, II, III

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Class VI Social and Political Life–I Theme: Diversity and Interdependence

1 Understanding Diversity

2 Diversity and Discrimination

3 What is Government?

4 Key Elements of a Democratic Government

5 Panchayati Raj

6 Rural Administration

7 Urban Administration

8 Rural Livelihoods

9 Urban Livelihoods

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Class VII Social and Political Life–II Theme: Democracy and Equality

1 On Equality

2 Role of the Government in Health

3 How the State Government Works

4 Growing up as Boys and Girls

5 Women Change the World

6 Understanding Media

7 Understanding Advertising

8 Markets around Us

9 A Shirt in the Market

10 Struggles for Equality

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Class VIII Social and Political Life–III Theme: Rule of Law and Social Justice

1 The Indian Constitution

2 Understanding Secularism

3 Why Do We Need a Parliament?

4 Understanding Laws

5 Judiciary

6 Understanding Our Criminal Justice System

7 Understanding Marginalisation

8 Confronting Marginalisation

9 Public Facilities

10 Law and Social Justice

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Democratic Politics–I and II

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Class IX Democratic Politics–I

1 Democracy in the Contemporary World

2 What is Democracy? Why Democracy?

3 Constitutional Design

4 Electoral Politics

5 Working of Institutions

6 Democratic Rights

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Class X Democratic Politics–II

1 Power-sharing

2 Federalism

3 Democracy and Diversity

4 Gender, Religion and Caste

5 Popular Struggles and Movements

6 Political Parties

7 Outcomes of Democracy

8 Challenges to Democracy

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Democratic Politics

The Class IX Textbook, Democratic Politics–I begins with detailed

case studies of Chile and Poland, both members of the

Community of Democracies (CD).

This textbook and the Class X Textbook, Democratic Politics–II

also refer to other CD members such as

the USA, South Africa, Mexico, Canada, and

democratic leaders from the CD members such as

Abraham Lincoln, Lech Walesa, Martin Luther King, Jr.,

Michelle Bachelet, Nelson Mandela, Oscar Arias Sanchez, and

Rosa Parks.

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Education for Human Rights

Fundamental Rights

Directive Principles of State Policy

Civil and Political rights

Economic, Social and Cultural rights: Right to Education, Food, Water

The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005

Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity & Ors v State of West Bengal (1996)

Olga Tellis & Ors v Bombay Municipal Council (1985)

Rights of SCs / Dalits (SC / ST Act)

Rights of STs / Adivasis (Forest Rights Act)

Rights of Minorities (Religious / Linguistic)

Rights of Women

Rights of the Disabled

Rights of Children

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Education for Human Rights

Gandhi, Nehru, Ambedkar, Tagore

Civil Rights Movement (USA)

Solidarity Movement (Poland)

Aung San Suu Kyi (Burma / Myanmar), Wangari Maathai (Kenya)

Struggles against Discrimination (South Africa):

Hector Pieterson and Hastings Ndlovu (Soweto Uprising)

Case Studies from real life: Omprakash Valmiki (Joothan)

Hakim Sheikh (Right to Health)

Sudha Goel (Dowry death victim)

Extraordinary Women: Pandita Ramabai (Pune)

Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain (Sultana’s Dream)

Rashsundari Devi

Laxmi Lakra (train driver from Jharkhand)

Satya Rani (mother of a dowry victim)

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Political Science Textbooks – Class XI

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Class XI Indian Constitution at Work

Chapter 1 Constitution: Why and How?

Chapter 2 Rights in the Indian Constitution

Chapter 3 Election and Representation

Chapter 4 Executive

Chapter 5 Legislature

Chapter 6 Judiciary

Chapter 7 Federalism

Chapter 8 Local Governments

Chapter 9 Constitution as a Living Document

Chapter 10 The Philosophy of the Constitution

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Class XI Political Theory

Chapter 1 Political Theory: An Introduction

Chapter 2 Freedom

Chapter 3 Equality

Chapter 4 Social Justice

Chapter 5 Rights

Chapter 6 Citizenship

Chapter 7 Nationalism

Chapter 8 Secularism

Chapter 9 Peace

Chapter 10 Development

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Political Science Textbooks – Class XII

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Class XII – Contemporary World Politics

Chapter 1 The Cold War Era

Chapter 2 The End of Bipolarity

Chapter 3 US Hegemony in World Politics

Chapter 4 Alternative Centres of Power

Chapter 5 Contemporary South Asia

Chapter 6 International Organisations

Chapter 7 Security in the Contemporary World

Chapter 8 Environment and Natural Resources

Chapter 9 Globalisation

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Class XII – Politics in India since Independence

Chapter 1 Challenges of Nation-Building

Chapter 2 Era of One-Party Dominance

Chapter 3 Politics of Planned Development

Chapter 4 India’s External Relations

Chapter 5 Challenges to and Restoration of the Congress System

Chapter 6 The Crisis of Democratic Order

Chapter 7 Rise of Popular Movements

Chapter 8 Regional Aspirations

Chapter 9 Recent Developments in Indian Politics

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Right to Water: Issues of daily life

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Laxmi Lakra:

A Remarkable Journey

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Unni – Munni

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Unni – Munni

All this is so remote for me.

Is democracy all about rulers

and governments? Can we

talk about a democratic

classroom? Or a democratic

family?

I want to be in Lyngdoh

Madam’s class! That sounds

like a democratic classroom.

Doesn’t it?

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(Ab)use of Authority (Social and Political Life–III, Storyboard, p. 7)

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Role-play by Teacher-Participants

NCERT Orientation Programme about New Textbooks

May 2008, RIE, Ajmer, Rajasthan

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Secularism in India – Rights of Minorities (Social and Political Life–III, Storyboard, p. 23)

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Role-play by Teacher-Participants

NCERT Orientation Programme about New Textbooks

May 2008, RIE, Ajmer, Rajasthan

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Other Institutions

National Book Trust – Indian editions of UNESCO Publications

National Human Rights Commission – Publications

Election Commission of India

Election Commissions of different States and Union Territories

National Voter’s Day (January 25) Awareness Campaign

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Which Scope?

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Focus on

Focus on the whole world...

Focus on the whole nation…

Focus on the whole State…

Focus on the whole district…

Or just on your nation.

Or just on your State.

Or just on your district.

Or just on your locality.

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Perspectives about

Curriculum and Pedagogy

Macro

Bird’s eye view

Broad

General

Global

More complex?

Micro

Worm’s eye view

Narrow

Specific

Local

Less complex?

Multiple Approaches to Education for Democracy

Culture of democracy, deliberative democracy, dignity

Partnership between government and civil society organizations

Move from theory to Action

Decentralization of Democracy Education: From airbus to bus

Open Government: Feel the democracy!

Democracy for all, not just for some

Collaborative exercises in developing the Teaching-Learning Materials and

Training of Educators

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Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931) Lebanese-American Poet

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

...

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Thank you for your kind attention!

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