District Institutes of Education and Training - Teacher Education

District Institutes of Education and Training: A Comparative Study in Three Indian States
Asha, Ruchi and other teachers claimed that only dull children attend government
schools, while bright children go to private schools. This fails to explain why some
children still do well at the government school. They also claimed that parents do
not pay attention and children do not do any school work at home, although this
was clearly not the case with all children. The most cited reason was that children
attend irregularly and so lag behind. Teachers did not volunteer remarks or
observations on possible relationships between their teaching styles and children’s
learning: children’s progress was implicitly attributed to their inherent intelligence.
Linked to this perception, Asha expressed her view that it was sufficient if only
about half the children in her class were promoted to the second year, having
reached appropriate attainment levels (which she describes as ‘becoming clever’)
even though the achievement of those children might be at the cost of offering
more time and attention to the rest. She said:
Asha In my class, there are 42 children, out of which 32 come … and out of
these I would pass 22-23 children. Not more than that. By sending
rubbish to the higher class, we would only face problems…..there are at
least 10-12 children who can read and write, you too must have noticed
(points out 2-3). This one can read and write; she can write; she can also
write, but speaks less, shall I tell you more….that Lata, she can read and
write, Pinky can read and write, this Pushpa can write - at least 15 girls
can write very clearly. I would have to wield the stick until at least March
(mild laughter) to get a result. Even if 15 girls become clever [pick up]
then other girls also alongside them will get a push, 2-4 other will pick
up, there would be no problem, that’s why I am paying more attention
to these 15-20 girls. I do not touch the remaining girls - what to do with
them? If I touch them, these girls of mine would lag behind.
NP How?
Asha If I pay attention to them there the other girls who know the alphabet
would also get stuck on this……
NP Then couldn’t they be taught one thing and the slower ones taught
something different?
Asha […] If only 15 children can learn, then I have taught 15 only, no use
sending rubbish to the higher class. It might be that by April if their
parents teach them and they learn vowels and consonants, then [the
teacher] would teach matra in class II, what is the problem in
this…..otherwise I am preparing 15 –20 girls fully (7.3.00).
While a disrespect for children is evident in Asha’s account, it is also clear that she
does not understand her role as a teacher to mean she should try and ensure that
all children succeed. She does not envisage that the children who learn more slowly
(her ‘rubbish’) should manage to cover the same ground as the ‘clever’ ones, and
DFID 39