In pre-election campaign, Narendra Modi once announced to put in place a policy to start a 5 years BEd course, after XII standard , so that anybody cannot enter teaching profession. A base of strong teachers can be developed in our country who will be trained specially for 5 years to take up the challenges of teaching.
Looking back at the standard of our schools, are we satisfied with our educational system?
Take an example of the controversy in one of the schools at Rivona over admitting HIV positive children. The experts speak of what is wrong in admitting such children in any school, because HIV does not spread by contact, sitting and playing together. An institution cannot discriminate HIV children. On the flip side, the parents of normal children are objecting over admission of HIV children in the school as they are worried of their children.
Effective teaching happens when there is a group of learners with similar backgrounds ~ called a homogeneous group of children. A group of children with similar intelligence, lifestyle, emotional and cultural background. It may be rather difficult to get a homogeneous group of students. In government primary schools the children are mostly of poor background. In city schools mostly children of upper class are admitted. The intelligence levels may not be the same of different children, which one cannot help. But still the said theory works better in teaching process and teacher finds it easier to handle the children of similar background in teaching process.
Nearly every HIV infected children may know about the status of their life and bound to develop a pattern of behaviour with acute depression. While teaching, at every stage they need proper counselling to develop their mindset. They are to be handled with maximum attentions to deal with their fear, hatred towards society and their depression. Whatever may be the intelligence levels of HIV children, are other factors really favourable to them in a mixed group for teaching? Who has given a real thought on this burning issue to support the helpless, innocents suffering to survive and live their short life sweetly.
It is high time for our government to come forward to start a separate school hiring a premise anywhere, for the benefit of these HIV children. Create full-fledged facilities appointing dedicated teachers and counsellors. Rural health centre doctors and nurses can be allotted responsibility to attend these children sometimes in their school. Why can’t the government allot a budget on these God’s children, who need the support from all corners of our society. What else can we give them if their short journey of life is not made smother by government support?
No doubt we cannot discriminate them from the other normal children, but don’t increase their mental sufferings directly or indirectly which they have to face along with other normal children in mixed group. A homogenous group of HIV children separately can be handled and educated in most efficient way. There is also a scope to private educational institutions to develop a similar school as a part of their activity.
