Bibliography
Sarangpani, P M, Jain, M & Razzack, A. (2023) The Discipline of Education in India and Its Histories: An Introduction. In A Razzack, P M Sarangpani, & M Jain. Education, Teaching, and Learning.: Discourses, Cultures, Conversations. (pp. 1-37) Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan.
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Discipline of Education: Table of Contents
Summary
The chapter talks about the history of education in India in three phases:
- The colonial period
- Independence to the NPE 1986
- Third phase: from the 1990s
The identification of the three phases is based on the turning points of events that have made significant changes in the discourse as well as practice of education.
In tracing the history of education, the core practices that the book focuses on and this chapter sets the tone for are: teacher preparation at the university level, and “educational research as social inquiry” (p. 1)
Role of the State and Educational Practice
Historically, the state has played a significant role by intervening in education through control over content as well as the pedagogy used to transact the content. Modes of assessment were introduced to gauge success and failure of students. Regulation by the state ensure control and supervision over teachers and their status, conditions of work and terms of service.
Through the above mentioned means, the state attempted to reduce the teacher’s role to meet the goals of the state. The chapter does not mention any parallels that may be drawn with contemporary times.
Teacher Education in India
The chapter presents an overview of the history of teacher education in the country. Initial concentration on teacher education emerged in response to the inadequacy in number and quality of teachers available in the country. Higher education continued to be intellectually dependent on European knowledge and knowledge based on books. The Central Institute of Education was established in Delhi University on recommendation of the University Commission Report 1948, with greater focus on grounding educational theory in school practice.
Post independence India saw a growth in teacher education albeit marked by hierarchies in teacher preparation for various stages of school education. Primary school teacher preparation provided certificates and diplomas, while professional degrees were reserved for preparation of teachers for secondary stage. At the curriculum level, there was greater focus on ‘methods’ teaching that served to fill the gap between core disciplinary knowledge and knowledge of educational theory.
The chapter describes the developments at Delhi University, TISS, and JNU and NIEPA, along with independent initiatives at Kishore Bharti to trace the trajectory of development in teacher education in the second phase.
The beginning of the third phase coincides with Professor Krishna Kumar joining the department of Education at Delhi University. (This book is dedicated to him by his scholars.) The chapter describes the changes in teacher education curriculum in this phase with the introduction of greater inquiry approach and the reading of original texts. The preparation of teachers also took on a more reflective tone at the moral and political levels. Another significant change was in the nature of research undertaken at the university level with focus on “classroom processes, textbooks, playground, learners and teachers” (p.14)
Key foci of Prof. Kumar’s Work
The chapter continues to focus on four thematic areas that have formed the mainstay of Prof. Kumar’s work over the years:
- Historical and sociological perspectives reflected in his writings in Dinman and books including Political Agenda of Education (2005). Popular ideas of textbook culture and teacher as a meek dictator emerge from these works.
- Culture and Identity with understanding culture in the context of society and nation and identifying linkages with education. Kumar also focussed on building a nation culture which allows for space for the interaction of different identities.
- Curriculum, Pedagogy and Teachers with emphasis on the need for teachers to be autonomous and also accountable while make curricular choices.
- Peace and development with ideas of establishing peace within and outside through an understanding of conflict.
Concluding Remarks
The rest of the chapter presents an overview of the chapters in the volume. The chapter presents an overview of history of education in the context of developments in the nation.