Adding another string to its bow, Kendriya vidyalaya Sanghtan has pop up with the introduction of new plans. The schools across the country will now include “Compassionate Citizen”—a unique programme drafted to teach students to have compassion and empathy towards animals, into its curriculum. However, children between 8-12 years age group will be focused more.
In a notification issued by the authority to all its schools, the humane project has to be integrated via languages, science, social studies, environmental and value education curricula. The programme is prepared by animal rights advocacy group People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and has been endorsed by the Animal Welfare Board of India.
It has to be included in the monthly curriculum as an extra-curricular day activity or a one-day workshop. While taking a look at required changes, the course has been divided into four sections: The amazing world of animals, Animals and their feelings, Changing time and changing minds and Making humane choices.
According to the press statement, “The programme offers tools and lesson plans to teach children to view animals as feeling, sensitive beings. It consists of a teacher's guide, reproducible activity sheets, a reading unit and a 28-minute video -- all devised to help students use their reading and reasoning skills to examine the complex lives of animals, how our relationship with them has changed over time and how to respond when animals are in trouble.”
After the long-run discussions between PETA and KVS, final issuance of the notification was done.
Pratima S. Chakroborty, a primary teacher at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kolkata, talked about the urgent requirement of including humane education into the curriculum. She said, “Children nowadays are observed becoming more outrageous and get involved in fights very easily, as compared to the previous generation. Teasing, throwing stones at stray dogs have become a source of enjoyment for them. After observing this unkind behaviour, KVS has designed a programme to unroot children’s apathetic behaviour.”
“Children are mostly involved in video games, TV, internet, these days. They are losing moral values and are going away from nature. So if they are asked to take care of a pet they would come closer to nature and unconditional love of these animals would inculcate sharing and caring. They will be aware of the need and value of animals to save our environment and nature cycle,” said Sarita Rani, a secondary teacher at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Bareilly, when asked about its expected results.
During the last few years, Kendriya Vidyalaya has repeatedly modified essential teaching and learning techniques, making the process attractive and easier. From turning boring lectures into CAT (Computer Aided Teaching) classes, to arranging personality development sessions, the government has taken major steps to ensure equal participation of all the students.
With the recent initiative, KVS plans to empathize children with the characters and relate to them in a humane way.
