De-colonize Indian Education? I say, De-culturalize & Marketize!
In the context of Dinanath Batraji's attempts at 'Indiansing' school curriculum, I've been listening to shows on the idiot box where experts like Pavan Varma (former diplomat turned writer) have called for 'decolonizing' Indian education.
I am curious. What exactly is decolonizing about? Doing away with modern flush toilets and getting squat-style back in vogue? Oh, I get it. In the context of school curriculum I guess that includes traipsing in Yoga and Sanskrit as courses of study. And suppose I want MY kids in school to study tap dancing and Aramaic instead? What are you going to do? Call me a culture-deserter and take away my right to decide what my children learn? Plus shove down what you think is de-colonized culturally-right curriculum down my kid's throats, though I think its absolutely irrelevant learning such stuff in a globalized world?
Hey, wait a minute. Isn't that what colonizing is about? Taking away my rights and replacing it with your might to shove down my throat whatever you think right? Isn't colonizing about YOU deciding for MY kids?
Frankly, the call to decolonize Indian school curriculum is as colonizing as colonization was! What you've done through such an unbelievable asinine call is to give the place of the British (and Mughals before them) to a few culture-czars and bureaucrats who grandly decide what kids in India will learn!
What a pity!
Now to the real question. Who then should decide what our kids learn? Read my answer in a blog post I wrote earlier.
I hope you get it.
I am curious. What exactly is decolonizing about? Doing away with modern flush toilets and getting squat-style back in vogue? Oh, I get it. In the context of school curriculum I guess that includes traipsing in Yoga and Sanskrit as courses of study. And suppose I want MY kids in school to study tap dancing and Aramaic instead? What are you going to do? Call me a culture-deserter and take away my right to decide what my children learn? Plus shove down what you think is de-colonized culturally-right curriculum down my kid's throats, though I think its absolutely irrelevant learning such stuff in a globalized world?
Hey, wait a minute. Isn't that what colonizing is about? Taking away my rights and replacing it with your might to shove down my throat whatever you think right? Isn't colonizing about YOU deciding for MY kids?
Frankly, the call to decolonize Indian school curriculum is as colonizing as colonization was! What you've done through such an unbelievable asinine call is to give the place of the British (and Mughals before them) to a few culture-czars and bureaucrats who grandly decide what kids in India will learn!
What a pity!
Now to the real question. Who then should decide what our kids learn? Read my answer in a blog post I wrote earlier.
I hope you get it.
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