The post Making Meaning of Success appeared first on Dream a Dream.

How an unspoken trust is transferred through nods and smiles, 

How they make us feel safe, 

How they mirror the sensation of looking into multiple mirrors, 

And who doesn’t enjoy gazing at their own reflections? 

Maybe they exist because we truly believe this is how the world is, 

A giant echo chamber of echo chambers. 

Maybe there’s a genuine value in seeking out

people who look, talk, and think like us. 

But what if we broke one open to experiment? 

What if we invited –

Someone we have never invited before, 

Someone who never got a seat at the table, 

Someone who might disagree with us, 

Someone who might not understand us, 

Someone who we might not understand? 

What would happen? 

Would we face breakdowns or breakthroughs? 

Could we have more meaningful conversations that don’t feel like monologues? 

Might we experience an epiphany of some sort?

What would it really take to allow people who aren’t alike, 

and maybe don’t even like each other, 

To get into a room, 

And start listening to one another, 

Rather than yearning to hear the echoes of their own voices… 

Have you ever noticed that the education space in our country is one of those giant echo chambers? The dominant voices rarely include the voices of young people or people with disabilities or any marginalised groups in their discourse and decision making.

Let me share a parallel from the field of deaf education, where I’ve spent the last decade understanding how these echo chambers often become mediums for injustice. In 1880, the International Convention of Educators of the Deaf (ICED) held a conference in Milan, Italy. Out of 164 delegates, only three were deaf. This conference declared the superiority of speech over sign language and passed a resolution to ban sign language. The welcome note for the 2025 ICED in Italy acknowledges that the banning of sign language in educational programs for deaf children led to widespread deprivation of quality education and equality for deaf individuals globally. (ICED 2025)  This serves as a stark reminder of how echo chambers can be extremely dangerous, especially when those within them hold enormous power to make decisions affecting the unrepresented communities. 

However, the truth about the devastating impact never really reached the hearing people like me until recently, because let’s face it, we live in completely different worlds. In 2011, I found myself clueless on how to communicate with three deaf kids at a home for street children where I was working. I started learning Indian Sign Language (ISL) , which allowed me to have in-depth conversations with deaf people who I would have never met otherwise. I was privileged to receive their unique insights based on their lived experience. This broke the echo-chamber I was in, and changed my worldview. It wasn’t a one time thing, it happened multiple times through dialogues, stories and experiences. I realised how the people in the system were completely oblivious to the abuse and oppression on the ground, just because they couldn’t listen to the deaf people themselves. 

Once I saw how damaging echo-chambers could be, I couldn’t unsee it. I just started seeing the parallels in education spaces, development spaces and even in disability spaces. This journey of going in and out of echo-chambers, challenging some of them, changing a few of them and just accepting the others. Sometimes all it took was a question or a comment, a slight nudge that made people think and take a step towards inclusion. At other times, it took years of advocacy especially when it came to changes in the system.

 This helped me reflect more deeply about how breaking the echo chambers is often the first step to inclusion. And it goes beyond just being in the same room or at the same table, it means sharing the power to shape the narratives. There’s a beautiful central idea to the disability justice movement ‘Nothing about us, without us’, which can be very well expanded to the inclusion of diverse voices. Today I try to intentionally include the voices of the young people in all decision making platforms, on how the education system needs to shift for them to thrive. We have been assuming that we know what’s best for them all along, but maybe we don’t. 

Could each of us create some inclusive spaces, where the representation goes beyond ticking boxes and involves a real shift in power, giving an actual say to all those affected? What a wonderful world we might create, if we truly shatter the echo-chambers in our minds, hearts and physical spaces to include the voices we have never heard before!

About the Author:

Pallavi Kulshrestha leads the National Partnerships at Dream A Dream. In her 15 years of experience, she has worked in diverse roles focusing on education, teacher training, child rights, policy, advocacy, and disability inclusive practices. Her educational background includes Engineering, Special Education, Psychology, and International Humanitarian Law. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Psychology.

The post The Echo Chambers appeared first on Dream a Dream.

Research suggests that when a school model places the child at the center using engaging and motivating practices that make them feel supported and if the same consideration is extended to the parents, then there is a higher likelihood of the children staying driven to remain in school and do well.

When it comes to school-parent relationships, government-mandated spaces (such as School Management Committee–SMCs and Parent Teacher Meetings-PTMs) that facilitate parent engagement have the potential to be utilized more effectively. Our work emphasizes collaboration and agency of everyone who works with a child – teachers, parents, and school leaders to share, express, and ask meaningful questions and build a collective vision for children. Through dialogue with teachers and school leaders, we delved into the inhibitors of effective parent engagement spaces.

Many educators and parents face hurdles in building strong parent-teacher partnerships. Limited access to tools and resources makes it difficult to design safe and engaging communication channels. Furthermore the full potential of parents’ impact on student learning is still not visible, and lack of the time and resources leads to it getting deprioritised.  

We ensured that the parent engagement spaces reflected the voice of parents, extended concern and respect for their well being, leading to an increase in parents’ receptivity. During a session, we facilitated a feelings check in with parents. One of the parents got emotional and shared that nobody had ever asked how they felt or seriously cared about the response.

Another key way to achieve this has been through collaboration with stakeholders – involving school principals and teachers to co-design the spaces using structures like planning templates, thinking models, etc that allow teachers to implement their own ideas in a creative and focused manner. Increased collaboration and accountability between school and community led to significant insights for the educators, who then accordingly created support strategies for children.  When we informed a teacher about one of her student’s learning disabilities, she ‘modified her support strategy and spent more time with the child to ensure that they feel supported’.

Last year, we also oversaw the introduction of progress cards and the design and language allowed the parents to understand the children’s learning levels in Maths, English and Hindi. Instead of giving an update of the marks/grades their children scored in these subjects, the progress card used simpler language to map the progress of students and celebrate small shifts and growth.

Previously, parents received only marks or grades without clear guidance on how to support their children’s learning at home. Additionally, important assessment data, such as the SEF’s assessment, was inaccessible to parents. When we introduced the progress cards to parents, they were really happy and able to connect better to their children. Some of them shared how they will stick them on the wall, support their child better in that particular topic/concept or share it with the tutor, etc. For example – the parents get to know whether the children are at an ‘akshar’, ‘word’, ‘paragraph’ or ‘story’ level in English and Hindi.

Many parents now want to take ownership of working for their children’s educational development. *Aashna Didi , an SMC member and a single mother of a  Grade 1 child who is studying in one of our partner schools, has become a champion initiating conversations and expressing concerns to encourage other parents and members to participate and ask more questions at the parent engagement spaces like PTM, School Committee Meeting, etc.”

This helped us to build parents’ agency to contribute to their child’s learning. With focused PTMs, we could have more open, effective and clear conversations. We were able to leverage WhatsApp groups as a communication channel and conduct more community visits and debriefs with educators. 

Giving parents a safe and welcoming space where they can freely share their thoughts, treating them with fairness and respect, and considering them as important partners in their children’s education helps to make them feel involved and empowered. This builds a strong sense of connection and support among parents in the school community.

At the Simple Education Foundation, we want all children to thrive in school and life. We see strong partnerships between teachers, principals, and parents as a key lever in bringing this shared vision to life and building a school system that serves our children’s needs. Through initiatives like this, we will continue to ensure they are equipped to create safe and powerful experiences for children.

(*- Name of the parent – stakeholder has been changed)

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Ganesh Singh is a Sr. Associate for Community Engagement and Government Relationships. He has been working closely with the school, school educators, kids and parents! He advocates for meaningful collaboration between the community and school to create a positive and safe learning environment for the kids in both school and home. To learn more, find Ganesh @ 

https://www.simpleeducationfoundation.org/team-1/ganesh-singh- / 

Twitter – @ganeshs65632523 / Instagram – @ganesh.bafila

Sanjana Agarwal is an Associate, Communications & Fundraising at SEF. She has been working in the development sector for the last 4 years. She aims to combine her interest in educational programs with her passion for communications, especially writing! To learn more, find Sanjana @ 

https://www.simpleeducationfoundation.org/team-1/sanjana-agarwal / 

Twitter – @sanjanaa022 / Instagram – @sanjana.aga

ABOUT THE ORGANISATION:

Simple Education Foundation is a Non-Profit Organization reinventing India’s government schools to provide high-quality learning. It collaborates with government schools (known as Centres of Excellence) to ensure every child studying there has access to powerful learning experiences.

The post Listening & Learning Together: Fostering Partnerships between Schools & Families appeared first on Dream a Dream.

My biggest take away from the SEL based training that I received at the Jharkhand Council of Educational Research & Training​ (JCERT), Ranchi is practicing and regular implementation of the Mindfulness activity. This has helped me gather focus and attention of my students along with reducing stress, emotional regulation, enhancing social and emotional skills and creative visualisation in students.

In Class 11th and 12th, I used to begin my classes by immediately diving into the topic and relying solely on the textbook for instruction. However, I observed that not all students were able to maintain their focus throughout the entire class period. Many students would become disengaged or bored over time, making it challenging to regain their attention once lost. This hindered the effectiveness of my teaching approach. Following the Harsh Johar principles and practice, I facilitated reflective exercises to gather insights from my students. I developed a series of mindfulness activities tailored to various topics such as drainage systems, Indian vegetation, and climate. These activities are designed to actively involve students in the learning process, fostering deeper engagement and understanding of the subject matter. At the beginning of each class session, I guide every student to close their eyes and engage in a 10-minute mindfulness exercise related to the planned lesson. Following this, I transition into the lesson content, prompting students with reflective questions related to the subject matter we’re about to delve into. 

Through these activities, I seamlessly integrated key SEL themes such as critical thinking, growth mindset, and emotional resilience into our lessons, utilising techniques like mindfulness, storytelling and creative expression. I have been surprised and delighted to witness the remarkable creativity of my students as they share their thoughts and reflections. Their ability to think innovatively and approach challenges with resilience is a clear indicator of their developing growth mindset. 

I wonder if I was not introduced to this approach, I would not have got the opportunity to explore my creativity to this extent. Earlier, I always expected my students to listen me throughout the class and understand the subject in my way, but I hardly tried to listen to them and understand their needs. Since implementing this approach, I’ve noticed a significant shift in student engagement and participation. Students show genuine interest and curiosity, actively engaging in class discussions and posing insightful questions. Personally, I feel more supported and energised while teaching, knowing that my students are fully immersed in the learning process. Even students who were previously reserved, now eagerly participate with their unique ideas and confidence. 

I firmly believe that the pedagogies advocated by Harsh Johar, extend beyond social and emotional learning, proving highly beneficial in academic settings as well. By integrating these approaches into our regular classroom instruction, we can cultivate a heightened sense of focus and creativity among our students, enhancing their overall academic experience. Moving forward, I am committed to sharing these insights and strategies with fellow educators, fostering a broader mindset shift within our school community. Together, we can continue to empower and inspire our students to reach their full potential, both academically and personally. 

About the Author: 

Md. Muddasar Sultan, Teacher, District Chief Minister School of Excellence, Dumka holds a Master’s degree in Geography. He has been teaching higher secondary level Geography for 12 years and is deeply passionate about working with children. He received SEL teacher training, facilitated by Dream a Dream, in coordination with Jharkhand Education Project Council (JEPC) under the Project Sampoorna Consortium.

Nazia Perween, Associate Manager – System Demonstration, Dream a Dream has worked with Mudassar Sir to write this article.

The post Mindful Compassion: Nurturing Supportive Connections for Thriving appeared first on Dream a Dream.

During this time, I went to the United States on a full scholarship to study marketing and sales. When I came back to India in August 2012, my commitment to making music accessible to all children increased. There were 4.4 million children studying in Delhi who had no exposure to music education. Thus, Manzil Mystics Foundation was born with a one-hour weekly music class in government schools. Our first challenge was to convey to the schools and partners what music can bring to a child’s life. Students do not pursue music as a subject because it is associated with only singing and playing an instrument. The real consciousness to understand what a child can learn through music and what opportunities are available in the music field is largely missing in society. Since childhood, we have been using music, songs, and poems to learn tables, life lessons and to pray. Teaching different subjects using music can be revolutionary. 

At Manzil Mystics, we teach important life skills through interactive music-based activities where children compose and sing songs. While writing a song, we use critical and creative thinking. While singing, we use self-discipline and confidence. When we perform in a group, we use team work and leadership, while music also helps convey thoughts and feelings without any fear of judgment.  

Music has the potential to bring community-level change. In 2018, the Aga Khan Foundation called us to conduct a workshop on a pressing issue of toilets and hygiene in the Nizamuddin community in Delhi. To create awareness, we gathered 25 children and interacted with them for one hour a day for seven days. We conducted the sessions based on our four pillars: Satsang, where we sing a meaningful song with the group, Samvaad where we conduct a creative dialogue that deepens the connection among all the participants. Based on this dialogue, we create an original song (Sangeet). In Swadhyay, we reflect on the song that is created and teach children how to sing it. Our discussions told us about the challenge of toilets in the area and why people didn’t prefer using the existing toilets. We converted these insights into a song: 

Tute nal hai, balti gayab or hai nali jaam, 

(Taps are broken, the bucket is missing and the drain is clogged) 

chori kar le gaya koi or kaam tamaam, 

(someone stole the bucket, and all is gone) 

 signage leke ud gaya koi kaise ham na jaane,  

(the sign is taken; we don’t know how) 

khabar nahin hai humko koi ham kaise anjane,  

(we are unaware of how this happened) 

ek din toilet kho jayega or hojayega kam tamam  

(one day, the toilet will be gone, and all will be done) 

We performed the song in different communities of Nizamuddin and noticed a behavioural change in use and maintenance of public toilets and an increased care for personal hygiene in the community.  

The government’s policy, Kishori Manch Yojana, aims to create awareness among adolescent girls on the topic of reproductive health and hygiene. We wrote a song that depicts the reproduction system and menstrual process through a musical animation. It was performed at Satsang in 15 Department of Education schools in Delhi. After the song, we discussed menstrual health and hygiene. During a discussion on whether period blood was clean or dirty, the facilitators and the students/teachers disagreed. The latter believed the blood to be impure and refused to listen. The facilitators wrapped the discussion with a song. This changed the group dynamics and the participants showed willingness to attend another session to understand and learn what the facilitators wanted to share.  

There are so many young people who have changed their lives through music and are now increasing the accessibility, sustainability and usability of music. Students who had enrolled in the after-school classes in Manzil Mystics are now working in the social development sector. Anjali, along with Prakash and Himanshu, students of Manzil Mystics, are working as coordinators to create happy, safe and inclusive spaces for children using music. Neha is making spaces and opportunities accessible for blind women. Parul is creating livelihood opportunities for single mothers, while other students are working on creating music and songs to catalyse change in their communities.  

Music not only helped me, but also helped my family become happier. Elders never allowed me to pursue music as a profession, but now proudly teach my son different songs and promote the work of Manzil Mystics. They realise that when you learn music, you not only become successful but also become a good human. Every child is creative, smart, confident and has a mind of their own. What is lacking are happy, safe and inclusive spaces where they can express and explore themselves without hindrance. No musical training or proficiency is required to create such learner-friendly spaces.  

About the Author: 

Anurag Hoon is the CEO and President of Manzil Mystics, which is working to transform lives by enabling access and use of Music to trigger creativity, learning and social change in low-income groups. 

The post Reimagining Learning through Music appeared first on Dream a Dream.

Realising the Right to Play 

We firmly believe that play is not a privilege but a birthright, essential for every child’s holistic development. Our work is not merely about distributing toys and games; it’s about creating an environment where children can explore, imagine, and learn through play. Through our innovative play programmes and partnerships, we are actively advocating for the inclusion of play as a fundamental right in policies and legislation. By collaborating with educators and communities, we are working to ensure that the Right to Play is enshrined in India’s societal fabric.

The Transformative Power of Play-based Learning 

“Play is the highest form of research.” – Albert Einstein

Research consistently demonstrates that play-based learning fosters cognitive, social, and emotional growth in children. According to a study published in the American Psychological Association, children who engage in pretend play demonstrate greater executive functioning skills and creativity. Similarly, a report by UNICEF highlights the role of play in promoting resilience and emotional well-being among children affected by adversity.

When you are reimagining learning through play, you are giving students opportunities to use their curiosity to ask questions, find out answers and try new things. Traditional classroom practices do not allow a lot of room for trial and error.  

Play is focused on learner agency, where children have the freedom to make choices, they get to choose what to do next. It is a known fact that when you are more invested in your own learning, there is a chance that whatever you have learned is going to stay for longer with you. Play also makes learning far more engaging and applicable.

In a recent play session, we asked children at our play centres to ideate and design their own games. It was fascinating to see how deeply they engaged with play and how they used their critical thinking skills to develop games with their teams. Siddharth (name changed), a Class 8 student at Mumbai Public School (CBSE) was interested in an intricate construction game. He is fond of cars and wanted to construct one himself. However, he could not complete its construction within one play session. In the next few sessions, he decided to play the same game. With more time on hands, he could execute it patiently and skillfully. Once he constructed a car, he was curious to set it in motion. He collaborated with his friend and made an attempt to do this with leftover materials such as wires, power banks and more. They fitted a sensor on their vehicle, which allowed the car to detect obstacles on its path and automatically apply the brakes. While the construction game allowed them to build a car, their imagination and creativity led them to set the car in motion. You can watch their creativity in action here.

We leverage play-based learning to bridge educational gaps and unlock the potential of every child. By integrating play into educational curricula, we are cultivating a generation of lifelong learners who are equipped to thrive in an ever-evolving landscape.

Mainstreaming Play for At-risk Children 

According to a report by the American Academy of Pediatrics, play is essential for healthy brain development and emotional well-being in children. By mainstreaming play in India, especially for at-risk children, we are not only providing them with a sense of normalcy, but also equipping them with the tools they need to overcome obstacles and build brighter futures. We are not just transforming individual lives; we are reshaping the trajectory of our nation. Together, let us continue to advocate for a world where every child has the opportunity to play, learn, and thrive. We would like to leave you with a quote that defines Play the best: 

“It is easier to build strong children than repair broken [adults].” 

– Frederick Douglass 

About the Author: 

Shweta Chari is the Co-founder and CEO of The Opentree Foundation with Toybank — Development through Play being its flagship project. 

The post Unlocking Potential: Toybank’s Journey towards Realising the Right to Play in India appeared first on Dream a Dream.

“Due to the misconception that only males can be politicians, a lot of women don’t put a thought into becoming a politician,” one 16 year old responded to a survey conducted by Kuviraa, an Indian initiative for improving political awareness in girls, along with UCLA’s Department of Social Welfare.

With growing public consciousness over the need to understand gender-based practices in education and the upbringing of children, it is imperative to consider how exposure to political education is influenced by gender. Through Kuviraa’s research, which is the first Indian study to investigate the gendering of politics in the teenage age bracket, we are able to gauge the age dynamics as a shifting paradigm of opinions and experiences with politics—of teenagers and young adults of different genders. 

Gendered political socialisation refers to the distinct enculturation of political thought and values in children of different genders—this study points out that boys are often more politically engaged than girls who are less as likely to engage in political participation as they get older. A qualitative analysis of the survey responses yields a more nuanced understanding that reveals several reasons for their political exclusion: exposure to misogyny in media leading to fear for security, a lack of support from the family, plus a gap in opportunities for girls, women and gender non-conforming people, amongst others.

On the other hand, boys often responded with a more optimistic—or perhaps, uninformed—perspective on the state of feminist politics. In response to whether it is more difficult for women to become elected officials, older boys were more likely to disagree with the statement than older girls. Boys’ awareness of the patriarchal institutions that govern political participation is thus shown to decrease with age.

Knowing this, how do we tweak our systems? We can start by encouraging adults to not think of politics as an “adult” topic—and to open up doors to politics to young people. This includes not shying away from discussions about politics or policy (or feminism!) in education spaces, through creating safer non-judgemental spaces instead. Bonus points if you facilitate political participation—teach your students how to submit a RTI, write a letter to their local representative, or ask for progressive policy changes in your own school environments too.

And then we can reflexively understand if we are, ourselves, unintentionally perpetuating gender norms and systemic misogyny in our conversations around politics? We can start by using gender inclusive pronouns when discussing political professions, degendering the characterisation of a “typical” political candidate, and giving credit where credit is due—encourage your students to learn more about the policies and successes of politicians and policy leaders who are not cis-male too!

And then we can ensure that young people of all genders are beginning to realise that they can take up space and influence the policies that shape their world.

This blogpost is written by Ananya Pathak, a social sciences student, interdisciplinary environmental justice art-ivist/writer, and volunteer at Kuviraa’s research team. All views expressed are their own. Read the full report, here.

The post Gendered Politics: The Disparity in Political Participation Starts Young appeared first on Dream a Dream.

Teachers use their position of power to maintain control and discipline in the classroom. Though it enables compliance amongst students but curtails their ability to be creative thinkers, take initiative and share opinions, all the essential skills that we need in our future generations. Are these lopsided power dynamics nurturing young people or preparing them for life? What are the gains and losses of holding power for adults? This power dynamics was challenged by a young person at a Dream Outdoor Experiential Camp in the outskirts of Bangalore I was facilitating. This camp was designed for 35 young people coming from vulnerable and socially-emotionally adverse circumstances to experience self-awareness and develop meaningful interpersonal relationships. While the facilitators were establishing the context of the camp, this young person, asked “Why are you calling us young people and yourself as adults, just because you are older in age?”. I marvelled at the courage he showed up in the room to exercise his agency to voice his opinions and it challenged our collective thought process. We changed the vocabulary we used by inviting everyone to find a common neutral names for all the participants of the camp (which essentially were the young people) and the volunteers of the camp (which were the adults). We mutually decided to address the participants as ‘Hohos’ and the volunteers/ facilitators as ‘Dodos’. This created trust in the group and made it safe to explore. I realised that there is a place that young people really strive to find – to feel equal and worthy of respect, away from hierarchy and power structures.

All of us have a valid desire to be seen, heard and wish to have a sense of autonomy and control over our lives. When we feel powerless or restricted, we try to reclaim some power and control. When classrooms do not provide a space for young people to feel respected as equals, they find different, sometimes disruptive ways to regain control. During the online classes held during the Covid-19 pandemic, teachers found it difficult to control the classroom. They felt helpless and often complained about being taken over and bullied by the students, who were more familiar with technology and had the upper hand. For the teachers, the tables had turned.

The need to redefine power structures in a classroom can only be realised when teachers see the immense potential of investing in sharing of power, and this is not about completely taking a back seat or accepting indiscipline. It requires facilitating the space in a way, that invites agency of young people’s voice to be accounted, seen and heard which is an act of justice against the power structures. This helps them feel equal in the room or space, despite the differences. Inviting them to make a choice, creating spaces for their opinions to be shared, creating opportunities to learn from them, co-designing the classroom space, co-creating and sharing the annual goals, creating spaces for disagreements, meeting them where they are, having open dialogues and unlocking student leadership contributes to them forming a healthy self-concept, which affirms that the adult around is reliable, and that they are worthy of respect, love and care, and so is the world. It develops their creative confidence to take on challenges in their own lives and be collaborative. It’s not the events or the opportunity alone but the experience of it, around feeling safe, significant, valued, cared for that gets embodied and acts as a point of reference for humans to keep coming back to and navigate through the difficulties in life. 

In the entire process of sharing power, it is possible that we, as adults, might feel challenged and confused around when to step in to exercise power and when to create opportunity and witness young people take lead. This brings us to reflect on the larger question of what makes us strive for power and maintain it at all costs. It is an overwhelming journey; the invitation is for us to pause, reflect, trust oneself, the young people in our life and our experiences. It is only when we feel empowered that we can create a space for young people to feel empowered. Next time while entering the classroom, believe that your voice matters and so does the voice of those growing up in front of us.  

About the Author: 

Tania is a trauma informed mental health practitioner and a context facilitator at Dream a Dream. She is intrigued by the intersections of social identities, education and mental health. She is on a journey to weave and facilitate spaces to make thriving possible for people across ages using creative, social, emotional and therapeutic approaches. 

The post Redefining Power in a Classroom appeared first on Dream a Dream.

The post ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಬದಲಾವಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಯುವಪೀಳಿಗೆಯ ಪಾತ್ರ appeared first on Dream a Dream.

All of us went to school believing that it will positively impact us. Reflecting on my own learning, this system did not help me learn numeracy, literacy, basic life skills required to make decisions and didn’t prepare me for life’s innumerable challenges. I learnt English only when adults around me walked this journey with me and helped me pick up the basics of conversing in English. Today when we call young people who graduated from the Dream a Dream life skills programmes, they share how their diverse needs are not catered by the current education system. They share how finance and accountancy is taught by training young people to maintain account books, a practice that is no longer followed by even small businesses, who have already graduated to technology! The education system continues to focus on scoring marks and enabling young people to find the right opportunity in life. However, the real life opportunities are often beyond the six subjects taught in our schools. We need to fundamentally shift the way young people are taught. I have come to realise that the onus to change, learn and thrive often rests with the young people, where there is a lot of emphasis on them to work hard, be creative and resilient. The question to ask is have we done enough to help young people learn? The environment in which children learn, plays a pivotal role in broadening pathways for them to thrive. 

Success in education should not be solely measured by academic marks. Embracing an intersectional lens in education ensures that young people are equipped to navigate a diverse and interconnected world. It fosters collaboration, empathy and a deep understanding of equity. In my recent visit to Delhi schools, witnessing the effort to integrate children with disabilities in certain schools gave me goosebumps. It was heartening to see an education system not looking at learning in silos. All young people have the agency and support to make informed decisions and celebrate their strengths. By cultivating these values from a young age, they are embracing a mindset shift to explore possibilities and ensure that no one is left behind.

The mindset shift must extend to recognizing the necessity of adapting learning to meet the demands of the 21st century. This requires breaking away from traditional moulds and:

• Developing more inclusive, fun and adaptable learning methods and diverse learning spaces that work for children with different interests and abilities.
• Creating a holistic framework that follows the progress of each child, identifying the causes underlying learning gaps.
• Prioritising teacher wellbeing and building their agency to design and contextualise learning in their classrooms.

I believe this shift is possible, if we all come together. Shifting the narrative in education requires a collective effort from educators, policymakers, parents and society as a whole. This is not only our responsibility, but a necessity for fostering a generation of learners prepared to thrive in an ever-evolving world. We can’t fix each flower to bloom, but we can fix the environment in which every flower blooms.

About the Author:

Pavithra KL is the Associate Director, Direct Impact programmes at Dream a Dream and is making persistent efforts to reimagine learning for the past 15 years.

The post Let’s Reimagine the purpose of Education appeared first on Dream a Dream.