The field of Education: Political Playground

The NCERT curriculum and textbooks were revised following the recommendations of the National Curriculum Framework, 2005. Additionally, National Focus Groups were formed, which presented Position Papers on the teaching-learning of specific subjects in schools. This entire exercise was a very comprehensive one. The experts in the field of education and policy-making were involved who undertook wide consultations with various stakeholders in the field of education, like teachers etc., and came out with impressive and path-breaking recommendations and Position Papers. These recommendations were duly incorporated in the NCERT textbooks that were formulated post NCF-2005. Even a cursory look at these textbooks is enough to understand the massive difference between these revised textbooks and their previous versions.

 

Although theories based on research in the field of education have repeatedly advocated for textbooks to be considered as only one among many resources in teaching-learning, yet in the Indian education scenario, these continue to be the primary and only resources that are used in the classrooms. In such a situation, their importance and significance increases all the more.

 

As much as the above is true, it is equally true that education has also always been a battlefield on which ideological battles have been fought. It is well understood and internalized by the political community that control over what is taught to students in schools is akin to ideological control over mass-level thought process and is essential for long-term political viability. The political right and the organizations affiliated to it have been in the forefront when it comes to the use of this ideological tool of control over educational content imparted in schools. The vast network of RSS schools throughout the nation, propounding its ideology on a mass scale, is ample testimony to this. The coming into power of a government affiliated to a politically right-wing ideology has invariably been accompanied with a tinkering with the NCERT textbooks prescribed in the schools, especially those dealing with social science subjects, like History. The same is being witnessed now, over the last two-three years. However, there is a definite difference in the approach towards implementation of the same. In line with the way the present political dispensation has been functioning, the latest series of revisions, big and small, that have been implemented and are scheduled for implementation, have been carried out single-handedly by the political dispensation, without even a semblance of consultation with experts or institutions who have been established for this very purpose. The trend of undermining of institutional autonomy, thus, continues unabated.

 

As also expected, the revisions that have been undertaken, aim at providing a much larger space and one-sided depiction of personalities considered to be icons of ‘Hinduism’, like Shivaji, Maharana Pratap etc. At the same time, such changes also aim at delegitimizing the role and contributions of those considered to be ‘outsiders’ like the Mughals. The changes are solely an attempt to portray a non-existent polarized history of the nation, thereby trying to rewrite history in the language of ‘insiders’ vs ‘outsiders’. 

 

The other kind of revisions that are being undertaken are the insertions of all the good work that the present dispensation has been doing, like bringing in demonetization, implementing schemes like Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan etc. These insertions are aimed at blatant eulogization of the present dispensation without paying even the minutest of attention to the realities and the facts of the situations. Such insertions are a testimony to the fact that not only has the spread of ‘fake news’ become the greatest menace to the Indian democracy, the spread of fake propaganda through the blatant misuse of the education system of the nation has become the single-most biggest threat to the existence of our great civilization.

 

The abovementioned falsification of historical truths in the school textbooks and presentation of one-sided story of the tremendous successes and achievements of the present dispensation, without any consultations whatsoever with the institutions that are responsible for the curriculum, not only undermine the strong fabric of institutional autonomy inbuilt in the governance structures of the Indian democracy, but also threaten to destroy the centuries old rich and diverse Indian civilization. Not to mention the false propaganda being spread far and wide, and the complete undermining of the desired scientific and secular nature of the education system. The only thought that can offer any succor in this bleak environment is a flicker of hope for this to be only a temporary phase in the long history of our nation and its education system.