A new curriculum for future peace, tolerance and harmony

Imagine life 30 years from now. Computers will store a thousand times more data on a chip. Objects will be that much smaller, as nanotechnology will manifest itself in daily life and people will communicate seemingly telepathically, through nano-gadgets. The focus of education will be specialisation, and it will be technology driven. Does this scenario sound too unreal and unimaginable? Maybe then we need to prepare ourselves for a revolution that is slowly unfolding. Where technology will bring people together and distance us from our emotions.

What would you want to be taught in schools then? The same old history lessons? Would you need a school day that is seven hours long, structured over 40-minute periods? Or would the classroom be virtual, with students in boxers at home, popcorn in hand, slouching on their drawing room sofas and interacting with their teachers online, in real time, through webcams and speakers?

All of the above possibilities are merely speculative thinking, based on the real facts of today and yesterday, where technology has progressed in leaps and bounds. The scenarios and gadgets described above are a reality! So then, we need to radically reinvent the purpose of curriculum and redesign our existing offerings.

There are two contrasting ideas here. Firstly, a lot of values and experiences that humanity has sworn by, over its rich and chequered history, will no longer be significant for the new generation of the 21st century. Life and social systems will have been greatly transformed. So, it will be an imperative of education at that time to create a connection, so that the new generation does not lose touch with its past, and will understand their predecessors with a humble acceptance, acknowledging both the limitations and the strengths of past civilisations. On the other hand, the needs of society will have radically changed. Will it still be relevant to talk about old-fashioned ideas that do not apply to the lives of young people or will it be more important to prepare them with the skills and knowledge of the future? I do not know and it scares me to think of the lives of young adults in 2038.

But let us not get hazed by a predicted bleak future. I’d rather be optimistic and imagine a world where human rights are no longer abused; where poverty is a slice of horror from the past and literacy and knowledge are accessible to all. What would we want our children to study then? Would the disciplines remain the same? Would the school day be organised in the same way? Here, I share with all of you my vision!

The importance of community service

I am a firm believer in community living and education, as this gives each member the opportunity to work for the cause of the community. Thus, community service would be an integral part of all learning. In today’s world, community service has been reduced to the rich ‘sympathising’ with the poor. This needs to change to a situation where people with different skills and abilities help each other, sharing their resources, strengths and experiences. Thus, in school, community service would range from helping a junior student with his or her homework, to organising a fundraiser for the local orphanage.

The curriculum, too, needs to rooted in real life, where students get to learn and apply their knowledge in the real context of life. Thus, a botany lesson would be conducted in the horticultural gardens, and a history class in a museum. The arts, both performing and visual, would contrastingly take place in nature and the city, instigating emotions and feelings, stimulating all the senses to produce self-expression using the medium. Language classes would be out on the streets, conversing, interviewing and discussing real issues with real people. Thus, the canvas of learning would no longer be the textbooks and the classroom, isolated and disconnected as they are from reality. Learning would occur in the vivid varied ‘place’ called life.

Often, when we try to teach values of multiculturalism and respect for one and all, the lessons are learnt merely in a theoretical way. However, it is only the experiences of living and working together that can truly liberate the mind. Thus, visiting, living and experiencing world cultures would be a very big chunk of the school routine. Whether this is done as a two-week visit to another part of the country or world, or done as a weekly visit to a friend from a different culture, it has to be consistently structured in.

Self-observation and reflection

Finally, the curriculum must include self-observation and reflection as a compulsory element. Schools can choose to use meditation as a tool or simply use the technique of silence. But a ‘quieting down’ and observing of one’s own mind must be a part of the day.

Can the above be executed within a period-based timetable? No! One needs the freedom of time, space, movement and resources for an open-ended and experiential curriculum. Lessons need to be set against large time chunks, rather than periods in a day. Thus, I revisit the aspect of living and learning in a community, as this will greatly facilitate the kind of learning I am advocating. In our endeavour to heighten the evolution of humanity from the dark ages until the modern times of global warming, we must retain the humane element in the spirit of our education.

This needs to be the greatest shift in curriculum and it will enable us to achieve a really harmonious world, where we, as human beings, progress together towards the unknown of the universe, using peace, tolerance and foresight as our primary tools. I see this dream becoming a reality in the not-so-distant future!

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mr Abhimanyu Das Gupta is Form Tutor (Grade 5) at Pathways World School, in New Delhi, India.

 

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