Teachers’ meet stresses need for new, alternative educational techniques

As many as 650 teachers from schools across the Capital took part in the Annual Teachers’ Meet organised by Partnerships for Action in Education (PACE), Hindustan Times’ education initiative, at the Taj Palace on Wednesday.

As many as 650 teachers from schools across the Capital took part in the Annual Teachers’ Meet organised by Partnerships for Action in Education (PACE), Hindustan Times’ education initiative, at the Taj Palace on Wednesday.

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The highlight of the event was a play, Bade Aadmi (important people), which was staged by the theatre group, Three Arts Club.

The guests at the event included Director of Safire Polymers Limited Manish Madan, IFB Industries Branch Head Manish Lodha and producer of Bade Aadmi Anuradha Dar. Lodha and Dar lit the ceremonial lamp.

The event kicked off with a presentation on PACE’s journey over the years—from 1998 to 2009.

The visuals traced the origins of PACE and School Times, the PACE publication, which now appears as a supplement to the Hindustan Times’ school newspaper, HT Next.

Speaking at the event, Head, Education, PACE, Annapoorna Sehgal said, “Many of us may have seen family members losing jobs due to the global recession, which has affected us all. However, it is during such times that teachers can take it as a challenge and teach kids how to face adversity.”

The presentation was followed by the meet’s prime attraction, Bade Aadmi, a satirical play on the present-day craze for ‘modernity’ and ‘Western’ culture. The plot revolved around a family that tries to adopt a lifestyle in order to impress others. According to Dar, “The story features a middle class family, each member of which lives a pretentious life. This is something that is relevant today.” Dar also said theatre could serve as an educational tool as children understand enacted messages better.

Devender Singh of Bharat Mata Saraswati Bal Mandir, who teaches Mathematics to Class X students, said it was time for an overhaul of the current education system. “Holding exams is not enough. We need to have an honest, year-long evaluation system. Moreover, education through textbooks isn’t enough. Introducing activities like yoga can improve students’ concentration level,” said Singh.