By Kishor Darak
Translated by Alka Gadgil.
The objective of education is learning, not teaching. It is a purposeful activity aimed at developing sensitivities and sensibilities about local culture and traditions which will enable the teacher to make students ready for learning. This is one of the central thoughts which comes up again and again in the book – ‘Shikta Shikavta’ – (Learning and Teaching) -by Nilesh Nimkar
‘Shikta Shikvita’ opens a new avenue and experiential reflection for teachers, teacher trainers, administrators and parents working in the field of early childhood and school education. This book is the essence of Nilesh’s work in the education sector. It is autobiographical and contemplative at the same time. The style of the book is light but it does not compromise with the seriousness of the subject. Discussion about the methods of teaching languages and math have been done within the framework of theories of pedagogy. He also deliberates at length about the good work that is happening on the ground. He voices his regret about the systemic approach of finding easy and inferior ways for overcoming complex problems. His notes his concern about the impasse that the education sector has slipped into. In his career of 26 years Nilesh has worked in remote and tribal areas with school children, teachers, parents, and education officers. Hence his comment on the power relationship between the mainstream education and education in the Adivasi and other backward areas carries weight. When you consider Neelesh’s years of work in the sector his argument bares weight. After two decades of Sarvashiksha Abhiyan it is time to ask ‘what have we achieved’? We have abandoned the idea of creation of knowledge by children with the help of adults and peers while taking advantage of social accumulation.
In two of his essays titled ‘Bhattiwarchee Shala’ (schools for children of Bricklin workers) he discusses the possibilities of educating out of school children. Nothing in the structure- curriculum, school’s time-table or location of the school is suitable for these under-privileged children. Sensitive teachers responded to Neelesh and Kishor Kothole and other teachers sprang into action. They joined hands with Neelesh sir and started teaching in schools run for brickkiln workers in their free time. Their action strengthened the faith that ‘Every child can learn and every child should learn’
Neelesh says a lot of children face adversity and they are not integrated into the school system. Adivasi, Dalit, and children from deprived families find the environment, language, curriculum, and the criteria used for evaluation incomprehensible and alien. Despite a lot of efforts these children start lagging. For integrating these children in the mainstream overhauling of education system is required.
Neelesh cited examples of anomaly of pre-structured curriculum and the culture of the students. The pre-conceived ideas of teachers about who the students are, are so stereotyped that they do not help them in imparting education.
Scattered throughout the book are also examples of how the quality of the training content has changed, and people are willing to participate. However, have the teachers who have received quality training been able to implement it meaningfully? This impasse is seen mostly in all the schools across India. When you think about a problem from different perspectives you find different angles in it. Its detailed analyses are found in the chapter titled ‘Out of School Education.’ Due to the help offered by Pralhad Kothole and Kishor Kothole the school in Dadhre village from Wada block transformed thoroughly. The students of this school have been participating consistently in the National Balvidnyan Parishad for three years. The local issues are chosen by children from tribal communities while participating in the Child Science Conference. They were able to explain how the multidisciplinary study the teachers undertook was a useful project linked to life.
‘Hands on experience and Projects’ have become buzz words in schools. Most of the time information is collected using internet. The topic of the project is not related to the issues of children. There is no scope for collating information from different sources. Preparation of a presentation is mostly done by parents. The process of learning from the project is neglected.
This book of Neelesh is a statement about the important issues like language teaching, math teaching, values in education, language and power, democratic education, the addiction of exams, epistemology, children’s literature and its place in education, culturally sensitive education, online education, choice of school for middle-class children and medium of education. This book also talks about the radical thoughts on early education propounded by Tarabai Modak and Anutai Wagh. While being sensitive to local cultures and children’s cultural capital he puts forth his ideas about the ways to impart education.
It is believed that this collection of authentic work experiences done with the help of educational theories in real schools, with real children, will help to expand the world of thought and discussion of readers in today’s time when the educational decisions of the sovereign country are subjected to the pressure of various global forces.
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