With an aim to promote cultural learning among students, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has launched an interactive heritage website and blog, Shiksha’n’Diksha.
The Board is in the process of conceptualising and formulating a ‘Heritage Education Programme’ for schools. The heritage website is part of this larger picture. “The main aim of the website is to create awareness about India’s rich cultural heritage among our young, future decision makers and to encourage them to participate in safeguarding this legacy of our progenitors’ for our future generation,” said Mr. Sandeep Sethi, the promoter and developer of the website.
Vineet Joshi, Chairman, CBSE said, “It is such a satisfying feeling to be part of an endeavour which seeks to inspire our future generation to learn about our past and take our country forward.”
The CBSE’s Heritage Education is aimed to emerge as a link program between social and natural sciences. It is with the objective to motivate schools in this direction, that the Board has launched also several heritage education games, activities and projects for schools. Events like inter-school Heritage India quiz, celebration of World Heritage Day on January 12 every year, the ‘adopt a monument’ project and functioning of Heritage school clubs are also being introduced.
The website presently has four domains -- Built Heritage, Natural heritage, Performing Arts and Arts and crafts.
This portal, conceptualized for the benefit of students, teachers and parents as a resource on heritage, promises to constantly evolve hence will always have scope for improvement. A collaborative venture of CBSE and Sahapedia, it aims to connect with students in an interactive manner. According to Sudha Gopalakrishan, executive director of Sahapedia – an online encyclopedia on Indian culture and heritage -- the website brings the joy of seeing young children re-connect with their culture.
Along with the website, CBSE also launched a blog, Shiksha’n’Diksha, providing a platform to students, teachers and parents to express, interact, discuss and debate their views on education and how they would like the educational system to evolve.
“This will be your punching bag for parents, students and teachers. This will be your window for fresh air each time you open it. To begin with, we are looking at our school education system,” said M. Rajendran, the brain behind the blog.
