Question Discussion & Solution

Inclusive Education can be defined as an approach that seeks to address the learning needs of all children, adults, and youth with a specific focus on those who were vulnerable to marginalization and exclusion. All children, irrespective of their caste, creed, religion, disability have the fundamental right to education as they are the future citizens of India.

Key Points

Purpose of Inclusive Education Classroom-

• To provide a positive climate and promote a sense of belonging.
• To provide sufficient levels of support and applying student-centered teaching practices and principles.
• To enable each student to fully participate in the learning environment that is designed for all students.
• To ensure the progress of students towards approximate personal social-emotional and academic goals.

So, education is compulsory for children with disabilities because it is their fundamental constitutional right.

The objectives of teaching environmental studies are to create awareness about environmental problems among children and impart basic knowledge about the environment and its allied problems.

Key Points

• Environmental education focuses on studying the interactions between humans and the environment.
• The main objective is solving real-world problems like pollution, deforestation, waste production, or global warming.
• A teacher, therefore, plays an important role in providing environmental awareness and developing a positive attitude and perception towards the environment among students.
• It aims to develop cognitive, affective, and psychomotor, or cognitive domains simultaneously.
• So, the teacher should focus more on the perception of children i.e., he should focus on how they learn and build their concepts by actively interacting with their environment.
• It will help teachers understand how their decisions and actions affect the environment, builds the knowledge and skills necessary. 

Thus, it is clear above that the main focus of environmental studies is to change the attitude and perceptions of children.

The Right to Education Act commonly known as RTE Act was enacted in August 2009 by the Indian government.

It is an act which aims to provide free and compulsory education to all children between the age of 6 to 14 years in India under the Article 21A of the Indian Constitution.

Objectives of RTE Act 2009:

• Appoint trained teachers for better educational outcomes.
• Improve school infrastructure(if needed) in every three years.
• Prohibit private tuition by teachers to equalize educational opportunities to all.
• Reserve 25% seats for children belonging to economically weaker sections in private schools.
• Not to deploy teachers in non-academic work except for census, population elections, and disaster relief duties.
• Establish primary and upper primary schools within the distance of 1km and 3kms respectively from the child's house.

Hence, it could be concluded that the Government of India enacted the Right of  Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act in the year 2009.

Social stratification can be defined as the arrangement of groups of individuals in hierarchical positions based on criteria like wealth, prestige, ethnicity, gender, and power. Because of the similarity of their positions in the social structure they develop a consciousness of who they are, what their common problems are, and what should be done to remove these problems. A social class is a group of individuals who have more or less similar wealth. 

Important Points

Class: Most modem societies have class-based stratification.

• However many features of traditional stratification may be observed in modem societies such as elements of the caste system and feudalism found in India.
• But with economic development, class-based stratification is becoming increasingly imminent.

Caste: Caste is a much-debated topic in India. The word 'caste refers to the Spanish word 'Casta' which means 'breed' in Spanish.

• In the Indian context, it represents caste and its related social practice.
• The caste system influences the social life of the Indian in several ways, as it assigns ascribed status to its members.
• According to the Rig Veda, the oldest and most important of all the four Vedas, four Varnas are placed in a hierarchical order-the Brahmans, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas, and the Shudras.
• The profession of brahmans is that of priests and teachers. The Kshatriyas are warriors and rulers. The Visayas(Vis)are traders and other common people. The Shudras occupy the lowest position in the hierarchy and perform menial tasks.
• According to some historians, there is a fifth Varna, the untouchables, and they are not considered as a part of society. The tribes and people of other religions are also considered outside the Varna system

Gender: The unequal access to resources, opportunities, and rewards, and rights between men and women are legitimized by patriarchy across societies and cultures.

• Status inequality between men and women is not a new phenomenon that is reinforced through patriarchy and its institutions, gendered division of labor, and social institutions like marriage, dowry, property, and inheritance, and subordination.
• Women’s value is defined by their reproductive abilities rather than by their productive activities.
• Bridewealth is considered as compensation to the bride's parents or her kin for the productive and reproductive rights of the bride; dowry as a form of inheritance provides a bride with land and other wealth and helps her to attract a husband.

Religion: Another important aspect of the pluralism of India and at times cause a social conflict is a religion. As is well known, India is home to many religions. Almost all major religions in the world have followers in India.

• These include Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, and several others in small numbers.
• Hindus constitute 79.8% of the population and are present in almost every part of the country.
• Islam is the second most dominant religion, Sikhs, Christians, and Buddhists are comparatively small in numbers yet are an important part of India’s diversity. Sikhs constitute a majority in the state of Punjab, Muslims constitute a majority in Jammu and Kashmir, and have a significant presence in the states of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Kerala, Maharashtra, and Assam.
• Christians also are spread all over India with a significant population in North Eastern States, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
• At the Social level, in general, there is harmonious co-existence and respect for each other’s religion.
• However, some vested interests particularly for political support, exploit the religious sentiments of the masses to keep them divided. That at times causes conflicts and growth of communalism.

Hence, we conclude that social stratification in India is mainly based on caste, class, religion, and gender.

The teaching method is a way to put theory in practice with the help of principles, pedagogy, and management strategies. It helps the teachers to plan and present the lesson coherently.

• There are various kinds of teaching methods in fashion to facilitate learning and 'Project Method' is one of them. 

Key Points

• Project teaching method is associated with W.H. Killpatrick.  
• The Project method emphasizes active learning by association and mutual co-operation of a group of peers to complete a specific project effectively.

Characteristics of Project Method:

• Relates learning with real-life.

• Promotes learners' active participation.
• Develops abstract and concrete scientific skills.

• Encourages the application of practical knowledge.
• Ensures learners' individual and collective development.

Hence, it could be concluded that the Project method is associated with Kilpatrick.

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