Rethinking India’s Tryst with E-learning

Covid-19 has interrupted education of over a billion students worldwide. In such times, the optimum solution to sustain education is online learning. Schools are conducting classes online via Zoom, Moodle and proprietary school software. The sudden need for online education has created an opportunity to experience how online learning can improve the educational landscape and policies in India.

While there are policies that provide resources to implement online learning, integrating the education structure with e-learning is absent. The most daring use of online learning is by providing nationally standardised education, irrespective of social class and rural background.

There is a lack of structure or framework that allows e-learning platforms and mainstream education to amalgamate and provide equal education for all. Creating an integrated curriculum that is accessible across all boards will lead to a seamless education infrastructure that benefits students across India. This obstacle can be crossed by better policy making and technology percolation by telecom giants. Collaboration between government, school management service providers, ed-tech companies and public and private enablers is the need of the hour. A capable task force is needed to achieve this collaboration. This will help highlight strengths and weaknesses of the current system and help deliver effective education.

source: This article was first published in Financial Express (Online Edition) on May 18, 2020.

Strike Off Plastic

I dare you to imagine a sight. A land filled with every hue, a rainbow that should be beautiful but only repulses you. Water rushing to the shore brings the fabrics and the bottles and the empty torn bags with it. Dead creatures that have been long gone, and out of their mouths drips grey-green water and just the tiny strains of transparent plastic. It choked them. It killed them. In the middle of this garbage desert, you can see a bird, a white seabird with a long, graceful beak – and it is whimpering. Pain. It is in intense pain. A strand of the shiny blue net – the common plastic that anglers often use – is hanging out of the side of its beak, drawing blood. It is looped around its neck, tight, and suddenly you realise that the bird is choking. It tries to voice its pain, but the cord is too tight and it is draining the life out of it. A pair of brown, bloodshot, innocent eyes stare at you, for help, but you do nothing. You ignore the urgent flutters of the bird, beating against the strong winds, but how will the wind ever help? The intense oscillations of the chest of the bird slow, its feathers browned and bloodstained. One last look at you and it is gone.

This is what plastic has done to our planet, and this is exactly what we do in return. It has ruined the Earth, it has destroyed it and it has dragged it to a point beyond physical repair. 

There is no doubt that plastic revolutionised medicine with life-saving devices, made space travel possible, lightened cars and jets—saving fuel—provided cheap packaging options and equipment for clean drinking water. While plastic has many valuable uses, our addiction to disposable polymers has exponentially increased and caused glaring environmental consequences that we have knowingly ignored.

A 2015 study by the National Academy of Sciences, USA, proved that almost every seabird has consumed plastic, resulting in premature death, and so have several turtles, who, after consuming the toxic chemicals released by plastics did not survive more than a few weeks after. And what did we learn? Thousands of deaths, by the hour, of sea and land creatures who were victims of our deeds. Hundreds of acres of land taken to store the discarded plastic, which will live forever and keep poisoning the soil and the creatures living in it. After four years of this study is published, we have learnt nothing.

Sunlight and seawater embrittled plastic to form ‘microplastics’ making it available to zooplankton and other small marine animals including some species found only in the deepest ocean trenches.

Statistically, one million bottles are purchased per minute and about five trillion plastic bags are used and disposed each year around the world. Since the 1960s, more than 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic has been produced and 60% of this is in landfills and oceans, never to be decomposed for the next many millennia. The majority of garbage dumped into the ocean spreads beyond national boundaries, forming the infamous swirling ‘garbage patches’ in oceanic gyres. India stands at the height of these scales, with 1,880,559 kg of plastic being disposed of each day, 85% of which is completely mismanaged.

The oceans and the landfills are not the only victims of our polymeric experiments. The primary sources of freshwater, our rivers, have also been majorly affected by coagulation and contamination by plastics. Our holy Ganges and Brahmaputra have been, now for many years, classified as some of the most polluted rivers carrying 72,845 tonnes of plastic waste into the oceans, increasing the probability of vector-borne diseases like malaria. 

Plastic pollutants make their way to the drainage system and clog those causing floods during rains in areas hitherto prone to the same and causing severe losses year after year.

Is this our legacy we leave for the generations to come? Why should they bear the consequences of our lack of action? Creating awareness and education are paramount in managing the plastic crisis. People around the world are already innovating solutions that focus on reusing and reducing plastic. Starting in 2016, the Government of India has also reacted to the situation, starting with 10 local policies and a nationwide ban on selective forms of the polymer. As the end-consumer, it is our moral responsibility to stop using single-use plastic.  Plan the change! Make the change! Be the change!

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Quite obvious, it’s always the environment and surroundings which grooms the child and “PARENTS” play a very vital role. A child’s birth brings happiness and pleasure but also brings lots of responsibilities as a part of parenting to shape and groom their child to be a better person. Parents influence their child, be it a social–emotional development, health or any of their activities. It is always said that it’s the parents who groom and determine their child’s future.

It has always been a notion that family is the first school for a child. Even a shy and sleepy newborn takes interest in observing things. Majority section of his brain is indulged in understanding the surrounding. A newborn can see, hear and understands but cannot speak but then too he adopts his mother tongue. The child is a very good imitator. As rightly said, “Monkey see, monkey do”. Parents are in charge of their child’s social interaction, and thus the environment that the child is exposed to, with the parent’s permission shapes their future behaviour thus forming a family and then society.

Let us understand few factors which impact the Child’s behaviour:

The Environment: Children do inherit some traits from their parents, but more than that, it is the environment in which the child is raised. If the parents are found having conflicts between them, then the chances are that the kids will treat others with hostility. Once they see the parents fighting and abusing each other then the child will find it common and will begin solving sibling squabbles with the same tactics as they have witnessed. It may also lead to difficulty in handling their relations with their friends or in future with their partners if they’ve grown accustomed to such family discord.

Few suggestions to deal with this:

  1. Love your child and acknowledge his feelings as well.
  2. Avoid fighting in front of the kids. If at all situations worsens then the kids can be explained the reason of fighting. Like, “Daddy and I were extra argumentative as we did not have same opinion but yes it was wrong on our part to behave like that.”
  3. Please assure your child that it was just an argument and not a bigger problem.
  4. Finish the fight with a smile and the entire family can sit together and show that despite of any disagreements still, the family is the strongest one.

It’s believed that the children’s acquisition of problem-solving, language and social-emotional skills always gets better with more contact and communication with their parents.

Develop Healthy Habits:

Parents play an important role in shaping children’s eating habits. We know that a growing body needs proper nutrition to develop and prevent disease. Sometimes it happens that just because the child is not eating and is crying or being fussy, we offer them the junk food which pleases them. It’s always heard, that “my child doesn’t relish fruits or vegetables or homely preparations but prefers burgers, pizzas, other bakery items”.

But a little more patience at your level will make you realise that if they get hungry, they will eat the food you have served we all understand this, but fail to follow.

As role models, parents need to make sure that they’re demonstrating a healthy attitude toward food and health so their children do too, so one should bring some simple changes:

  1. Avoid single serves of anything.
  2. Choose water as a drink.
  3. Milk is a healthy option against packed juices.
  4. Prefer fruits over packed food in case of scarcity of time.
  5. Inspire them to have grains with more fiber, fresh fruits and vegetables and dairy products.
  6. Involve your child in cooking it will create a magical bonding between two of you.
  7. Exercise or go for a walk with family

Never forget that “A family that eats together stays together”.

Clutches of Media & Technology:

The other main element where we want to put light on is the clutches of TV, mobile, westernised exposure which has corrupted our lives and our values. We have forgotten our past where grannies used to tell stories and where outdoor activities were highly motivated. At that time we had a joint family and so the responsibilities of the parents were shared. Now, due to the nuclear family system, parents have added responsibility. The time constraints push parents to an alternative method of compensating their valuable time with things that money could buy by way diverting the root cause of the problem, but values in a child can be imparted only by contact and communication.  When parents fail to make time to talk and play with their children, they may feel unwanted either getting close to any gadgets or find wrong place and the wrong people. All these things widen the gap between parents and kids which can sometimes risk their lives as well. Engaging your child in TV, mobiles or any other gadgets can never be your substitute.

Parents can manage this ever changing digital dilemma by:

  1. “Children see, Children do”.  First of all, you limit the use of gadgets, read a storybook and then your child will follow the same.
  2. Keep your child engaged in some sport activity or play with him by this the child will become more creative and communicative.
  3. Keep a track of your child’s friends and the sites, software and the apps the child is using.
  4. Always interact with your child, see that you are always present when the child is in front of the screen. Play a video game or watch a movie, share some childhood stories related to it. This will help your child to open up and share his/her experiences as well.
  5. Show some informative videos like good manners or some moral stories online as we all know that they are good mimics and will follow the same soon.

If a digital device is used thoughtfully and appropriately, media can enhance daily life.   

Helicopter Parenting

The term “helicopter parent” was initially used by Dr. Haim Ginott’s 1969 book Parents & Teenagers by teens who said their parents would hover over them sort of a whirlybird.

Parents’ presence can be felt and seen around the child always. Whether it’s related to his homework or any other activity. You will always find a parent not only involved but also influencing the child’s decisions. This is also called a protective type of parenting. Parents are a major concern about the safety but then sometimes it happens that parents are so obsessed with the child that they forget that the parent and child both are a different entities and have a different tasks to do. Parents need to understand that being too much involved in their child’s life can be harmful.

Allow the child to explore, to make mistakes, to try out new things without much guidance. Without this, the child will never understand how to deal with a particular problem or uncertainty. It becomes difficult for a child to face problems both emotionally and mentally. Parents surely has to give warmth, the discipline environment and the environment where they are the role models and they are inspiring and teaching children moving towards that direction but with their actions and in limited instructions.

Let’s understand that all sacrifices which you make will never go unnoticed. As parents, you will sometimes feel that you’re constantly making mistakes, remind yourself then that ITS’ OK, you are doing just fine.

What to Expect When You Are Attending VIBGYORMUN

Come June, and we have more than 500 students across India and abroad keenly awaiting ‘VIBGYORMUN’.  The three days of highly stimulated debate sessions are soaked with vigour and vivacity. This is an arena to voice your opinions, pass resolutions, formulate policies and make new friends, respect difference in opinions and appreciate similarity in thoughts and ideologies.

The newest generation is well seeded with knowledge, layered with reassurances from their peers and mentors. The plethora of information they possess finds a channel through VIBGYORMUN, to express themselves via debates, discussions, deliberations and denials.

Year on year, we have witnessed  VIBGYORMUN grow bigger and better with prominent and influential speakers, seasoned and well informed Executive Board Members, young and motivated Chairs and Co Chairs. Our students have so much to imbibe and absorb, each day more challenging than the previous one.

VIBGYORMUN is one of the most sought after MUNs because of its magnitude and dynamism.  The extremely professional approach ensures a revelation of one’s personality. It has been an amazing experience to watch the first time MUNners transform to confident spokespersons, fearlessly speaking out their mind, loud and clear.

All the best for yet another enriching season of VIBGYORMUN!

Tanya Gulrajani, Principal, VIBGYOR High – Goregaon

The Importance of Play

Children should spend a good amount of time playing outside the house. This is an age old truth that we, in the 21st Century, seem to have forgotten. Our children nowadays either spend time cooped up at home using devices which lead to screen addiction or are bundled off to various classes and sent for activities and events which may or may not really be beneficial to them. Where is the time to play then?

The saying, ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’, holds so true in a majority of cases. The freedom and joy of playing outdoors unfettered by any stifling rules and restrictions, the sense of exhilaration in running around, and indulging in games such as Hide ‘n’ Seek, Hopscotch and many others, even playing sports such as cricket, volleyball and many more, is lost to countless children. So much so that of late doctors have been prescribing play to children of varying ages.

Play is now considered as much needed therapy for children who need some time off to be by themselves and discover the pleasures of the great outdoors. Just a few needful rules to be adhered to such as the common sense ones of respecting the other children they are playing with, not doing dangerous stunts, and not taking unnecessary risks. These are a few common sense rules which children innately understand are for their own good.

The United Nations High Commission for Human Rights has recognised that play is crucial to the development of children and it is their birthright. Sedentary lifestyles, reduced play time, more time being spent on gadgets and handheld devices are a few reasons which are the cause of low self esteem among many children and play could alleviate these to a large extent.

Play enhances and promotes physical, psychological, social and emotional well being. It strengthens the parent child bond if the parents get actively and constructively involved in their children’s play time. It is not a prerequisite that parents should play with their children. What is important is the quality not quantity of time that parents spend with their children. Even just monitoring play time and ensuring that their children are leading a balanced life vis a vis play, would be of immense help.

So, what really are the tangible benefits of play? Well, children learn practical trouble shooting and problem solving skills, they blend in with their peers, become aware of cultural, gender, and other differences and respect them; they improve their social skills and speaking, and listening and understanding skills are honed. Creative talents are unearthed, leadership roles come into prominence and even career goals can be set through play, as children become clear about what they want in and from life. Parents too will benefit from this as they become closer to their children.

Hence, encouraging children to play would be one wise move which 21st century parents should make in the best interests of their children.

 

The Young Worrier

All of us have worries. It is very common amongst children. Here are few strategies that will help you as a parent to know about your child’s worries so that you can manage their fears and anxieties.

Do you have a child who feels too shy or too scared, worries or over-thinks things to face the day? Do you have a child who remains silent when s/he is expected to work with others?  If so, then you might have a worrier in the family.

Clutching her hands, refusing to let go of you, repeatedly complaining of headaches or stomach aches when there are no real reasons —these are a few signs of building anxiety. Look harder and you may find some more significant indicators such as rocking back and forth, hiding, or silently crying in the bathroom before going to school.

Have you ever felt that the workload is too much for you to handle and spent sleepless nights thinking about it, as if everything is on your shoulders. When this happens you have to turn down the volume of your worry channel, so that you can get away for a while.

Same goes for your child, they may easily tend to imagine the worst that could occur based on their fears. Children need to find that switch to make it easier for them. You can teach your child to become resilient and prevent them from tossing same thoughts over and over again.

Here are a few strategies that you can teach your child to tame their troublesome thoughts.

Rest up

It’s vital to teach children to relax in a fun way to relieve their worries. Effective relaxation techniques result in subjective feelings of calmness and emotional stability. You can share your own relaxation technique with your child and help them explore the best suited relaxation skills as per their age and interest.

Distract

This is an age-old technique used by parents and teachers. Removing the focus from things that cause distress. For example, the child could go for walk or cycling.

Move it

Indulging in enjoyable play activity or exercise is a good way to soothe or relieve the proliferation of stress chemicals and release feel good endorphins in children. These feel good chemicals help children become more optimistic about their future.

Can’t see the forest for the trees

Children could easily get preoccupied with minor details and fail to see the entire picture. For instance, a child may fret over getting the perfect letter formation for a class assignment and neglect food or sleep necessary for learning the next day.

Lastly, there is no such thing as a perfect parent. Wrestling with self is much harder sometimes than most of the tasks that you do as parents. Some practices or strategies may not have the same effect as you have hoped for. That’s perfectly fine, try something else. Happy parenting!

By PLC Ms Arpita Roy, Doddanekkundi