Samagra Shiksha, Kerala, is rolling out a programme ‘Surakshitham’ to train teachers and parents on how to address problems faced by adolescents, thereby aiding transformation of schools into child-friendly and gender neutral institutions.
As students undergo numerous physical and psychological changes during this phase, the programme, part of the innovative interventions made by Samagra, attempts to equip teachers to deal with them so that students gets equal consideration and opportunities, without any discrimination based on gender, caste, religion or other identities.
The teachers’ training has been designed with this in mind. A Samagra Shiksha official said the aim was to enable teachers to strike a rapport with the students, so that they would be perceptive of any changes in the children’s behaviour and could help them, guide them in addressing any form of discrimination they faced, and educate them about their rights and legal avenues for their protection.
Begins at home
Gender discrimination largely began at home, and parents, knowingly or unknowingly, affirmed stereotypical gender rules and behaviour, affecting students’ attitudes and personality adversely.
Promoting gender neutrality in homes and schools was another objective of the programme. While teachers would be trained by Samagra resource persons, two-hour sessions would be held for students by registered medical practitioners. The programme will cover 75 upper primary, high schools and higher secondary schools in each district. Two teachers from each school will be trained as Suraksha volunteers. Suraksha help boxes too will be set up in schools to receive students’ grievances.
Complete privacy
A Samagra Shiksha official said directions had been issued to teachers to ensure complete privacy of students’ identity.
The training will take teachers through various activities to spotlight the qualities students would like to see in them, students physical and mental growth stages, and what they would like to see to make their institutions free of discrimination.
Only limited panchayats will be chosen for the programme implementation.
