Fresh NCERT Manual Calls For 'Inclusiveness' in Schools, Sensitisation Towards Children of Minorities

New Delhi, July 2: A fresh manual released by the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) calls for more inclusiveness in schools, along with sensitisation towards the children of minorities, including tolerance towards their eating and praying habits.

The manual, prepared specifically for the School Management Committees, calls for an increased participation and membership of parents of minority students in the SMCs.

Among issues red-flagged by the NCERT, include harassment and discrimination against minority students by the teachers, peers and school management, apart from "offensive comments" passed against their eating and dressing habits.

Calling for more inclusiveness, the manual recommends schools to increase celebration of festivals celebrated by the minority students, along with adequately addressing their concern on mass prayers in the schools.

A section of the minority community has opposed prayers which are predominantly designed as per the beliefs and practices of the majority community.

To increase enrollment of children from the Muslim community, the NCERT manual emphasises on the use of Urdu -- as a medium of instruction in schools located in minority clusters and also a second learning language for the Muslim students.

The manual also asks the SMCs to sensitise the teachers, particularly those in minority neighbourhoods or Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) dominated areas.

"The discriminatory practices against these groups by teachers, peer groups and system are still prevalent in some schools. (The) SMC has to play an important role to curtail such discrimination and provide a conducive atmosphere," the manual states.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 02, 2018 07:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).