E-D-U-C-A-T-I-O-N

Education, a word that has been undervalued is suddenly gaining all the spotlight due to the

National Education Policy 2020. As we all would have heard, the NEP 2020 has proposed various

changes that claim to change the face of the education system in India.

Key points that are associated with the National Education Policy are:

- Educational reforms have been proposed almost after three decades.

- A Holistic Approach in Learning

- Delimiting the students from a structure of learning

-Greater emphasis on the learning of kids aged 3-4 yrs old.

- Emphasis on learning to learn, and not "what" to learn.

These proposed reforms are extremely important and should be implemented 100%. The above

points highlighted by National Education Policy have been considered and have been worked upon a long time before it's air was created. Our organization Chalo Think Kare lays extreme

emphasis on the process of thinking, that we usually tend to take for granted. Chalo Think Kare

adopts a method from Scotland, as implemented by Paul and Dorris Cleghorn in different

schools in Scotland. The method that Chalo Think Kare adopts is that of P4C - Philosophy for

Children/Community.

Since its inception in 2018, Chalo Think Kare Foundation has been working towards the cause

of critical thinking in children. The directors of the organisation have invested about a decade's

time in understanding the concept and gaining a practical experience of the same. Now, the

question would be what exactly is P4C?

P4C is a learning process that allows the children and the community to think with reasons and

to go to the roots of everything that we experience around us. It allows one to create one's own philosophy while understanding the thought process and philosophy of others. Philosophy here does not mean a theory of some philosopher, but philosophy here is referred to one's way of life, one's willingness to explore, one's thought process, one's ability to grow and delimit themselves.

Now, the next question is how does Chalo Think Kare already reflect on the aspects that have

been mentioned in the New Education Policy?

1. Holistic Approach in Learning

Chalo Think Kare adopted P4C method focuses on the learning aspect and the process of

thinking. It starts with discussion about stories, poems, activities, games, movies, something

that is a part of our everyday life. The discussions start with challenging the existing conceptions

or beliefs that we have and rethinking those, rethinking our reasons for having those beliefs.

Well, how does it help? It helps us to look at every situation from a round about perspective,

where every aspect is touched and which further helps in an unbiased perspective

development, therefore allowing us to grow in order to accept and absorb perspectives different

from ours.

2. Delimiting the students from a structure of learning

We have had our own ways to seek knowledge and learn. Very often, we are restricted to a

specific pattern of learning. We do not explore other learning methods. Do we even question,

What is learning? How do we learn? Why do we learn? Most of us don't and here we get limited in our approach. But P4C enables us to go beyond the traditional ways of learning. We can

discuss any subject matter for long hours and learn extensively from one another by listening to

each other's point of views, expressing agreement and disagreements, developing our own

views and eventually expanding our horizon for seeking knowledge.

3.Greater emphasis on the learning of kids aged 3-4 yrs old.

Chalo Think Kare also has adopted a program in it's curriculum named Interactive Reading

Aloud, which solely focuses on the development of children aged 3-8 yrs. The organisation

believes that every being is an independent being and must be treated as one. Even a child

aged 3 years can has its own independent views which need to be regarded and paid attention

to. It is in this age that the child is able to keep a clean slate of mind and fill it with varied

experiences. However, if the child is kept aloof from exploring and is pushed to follow what is

the usual and the most common method of learning, then the child just becomes a clone of what already exists and gets discouraged from expressing it's individuality.

The Interactive Reading Aloud Program involves the aspect of stories and discussing the

nuanced aspects of those stories. For eg: Feelings of the characters in the stories, The logical possibilities for certain actions, not stating any moral of the story. This helps the children to go

beyond the usual and thus helps in their overall cognitive, linguistic and personality

development.

4. Emphasis on learning to learn, and not "what" to learn.

Learning to learn emphasises on the how of learning and not what of learning. It emphasises on the multidisciplinary approach where the students are not limited to arts, science or commerce specifically. They can use knowledge of the various disciplines to bring in something new and innovative that hasn't been explored before. Similarly, Chalo Think Kare's 'discussions through questioning' approach does not limit someone to one particular aspect of thought but opens many such streams of thought, which brings in interesting reflections, promotes active and critical thinking.

Hence, Chalo Think Kare is supportive of the new National Education Policy in aspects of

critical thinking and holistic developmental approach for children, since it has been working for the achievement of the same.

Gauravi

Facilitator,

Chalo Think Kare