Watch: Madhya Pradesh school ditches 'backbencher' setup with U-shaped seating plan; inspired by Malayalam film 'Sthaanarthi Shreekuttan'
The initiative, led by in-charge principal Jagdish Patil and his team, places all students face-to-face with the teacher to promote dialogue, inclusivity, and leadership.
The model, drawn from the Malayalam film 'Sthaanarthi Shreekuttan', encourages students to ask questions, participate freely, and overcome hesitation. After seeing success with Class 10, students in Class 9 also demanded the same arrangement.
The experiment is now attracting interest from other schools across the district.
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Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Benchmark Blues
The govt's plan to do away with backbenches and other flashy reforms mask crumbling schools, falling enrolment and declining learning outcomes Kerala's general education sector, long celebrated for its progressive policies, is at a crossroads. Faced with crumbling infrastructure, declining enrolment and slipping academic standards, the state's education department has rolled out a series of eye-catching reforms—changing school lunch menus, proposing to shift summer vacations to the monsoon and now, a plan to eliminate backbenches from classrooms. Yet amid the fanfare, critics argue they are little more than distractions from the systemic crises plaguing the sector. The timing of these proposals has raised eyebrows. In the final year of the LDF govt's tenure, as schools grapple with unsafe buildings collapsing during monsoons and studies reveal worsening learning outcomes, the focus on seating arrangements and vacation schedules feels, to many, like misplaced priorities. The numbers tell a sobering story. The annual status of education report (ASER) 2024 revealed alarming trends in the state's govt schools. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Enrollment among children aged 6-14 plummeted from 64.5% in 2022 to just 44.5% in 2024— a staggering 20% decline. This represents a steady exodus from public education, with enrollment dropping from 48% in 2018. More troubling still are the learning outcomes. While reading abilities showed modest improvement, mathematical skills have nosedived. Among Class III students, the percentage capable of performing subtraction dropped from 32.7% to 26.9%. For Class V students, division skills collapsed from 20.2% to a mere 12.4%—nearly halving in just two years. Yet, the govt's most headline-grabbing move has been minister V Sivankutty's announcement to eliminate the concept of backbenchers from Kerala's classrooms. 'This notion can negatively impact a student's confidence and learning,' Sivankutty said. 'No child should fall behind in education or life.' The inspiration came from an unlikely source: 'Sthanarthi Sreekuttan', a Malayalam film about a backbencher who challenges classroom hierarchies by proposing semicircular seating arrangements. Some schools in Kerala and Tamil Nadu have already begun experimenting with the model, prompting the govt to consider statewide implementation. Sivankutty announced that a committee of experts would identify the best seating model for Kerala's education system, drawing from international examples of countries that have abandoned traditional row-based classroom arrangements. But educationists are skeptical. RVG Menon, a veteran educationalist, welcomes the intent but questions its feasibility. Instead, he urges the govt to prioritize crumbling infrastructure: 'If snakes are entering classrooms or roofs are caving in, shouldn't that come first?' Menon also points to LDF's own backtracking on critical-thinking reforms in textbooks after political pushback, highlighting a pattern of half-measures. Former education minister CP John called the reforms a farce designed to distract from systemic failures. 'Many school buildings are in such a poor condition. In this situation, the govt is attempting to introduce popular social media trends into the education system, seemingly to distract the public from the grim state of general education in the state.' He dismissed the proposed monsoon vacation shift and lunch menu changes as gimmicks, noting that in many schools, mid-day meal schemes are supported by local self-govts, but the plan funds allocated to these bodies were cut by 30%, leaving local bodies struggling to feed students. 'These are populist moves, not substantive solutions,' he said. 'I support whichever method is truly best,' said director Vinesh Vishwanath whose work inspired the reform. 'If our film somehow encourages schools to adopt the U-shape seating arrangement, we would be glad—but we would be even happier to see changes that genuinely address and resolve students' challenges, rather than simply being labeled as changes caused by our movie,' he said. 'I believe any discussion about this, including criticism, is healthy. While debates about the seating arrangement continue, there is broad agreement that breaking down the old frontbencher and backbencher labels is a positive step — and that's a message our movie also conveys,' he added. Even supporters of classroom reform acknowledge significant practical hurdles. 'With 36 students crammed into upper primary classrooms and up to 60 in higher secondary classes, implementing U-shaped or semicircular arrangements becomes nearly impossible. However, schools could ensure rotation,' said PK Aravindan, secretary, Kerala Pradesh School Teachers Association. Professor Amruth G Kumar from Central University of Kerala pointed out that row-based seating emerged as enrollment surged. 'When the system was introduced, it wasn't meant to be oppressive. There were adequate gaps between benches, allowing teachers to interact and move. The problem arose when teaching became more static, with educators confined to blackboards and smart screens at the front,' he said. As debates continue over the seating arrangement, the call for substance over symbolism grows louder. Whether Kerala's reforms will prove transformative or merely cosmetic may ultimately depend on the govt's willingness to tackle the harder, less photogenic work of rebuilding its educational foundation from the ground up. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
The Hindu
3 days ago
- The Hindu
Akshaya entrepreneurs in Ernakulam suspend K-Smart services over low service charges
Akshaya entrepreneurs in Ernakulam district, affiliated to the Akshaya Welfare Association, have unofficially suspended K-Smart services in protest against what they allege is an abysmally low service charge unilaterally fixed by the State government without any consultation. On Friday (August 8, 2025), the association laid siege to the district project office and submitted a representation, along with their charter of rates, to the district project manager, who assured them that it would be forwarded to the State project office. The government had issued the order fixing service charges for K-Smart services on Wednesday (August 6, 2025). 'Unless the government decides to revisit the rates, we will go ahead and start charging service charges as per our charter from Saturday (August 9,2025). We cannot continue causing inconvenience to the public by suspending the delivery of K-Smart services,' said G.K. Sreeraj, secretary, Akshaya Welfare Association. Meanwhile, Minister for Local Self-Governments M.B. Rajesh clarified that K-Smart, the digital platform developed by the Information Kerala Mission for the Local Self-Government department, was designed to be user-friendly, enabling anyone with basic computer skills to access it. However, people continue to rely on Akshaya centres. There have been complaints about service charges varying across centres, with some allegedly collecting exorbitant fees. The K-Smart service charges were fixed in this context, Mr. Rajesh said. Since the launch of Project Akshaya 23 years ago, service fees have been revised only once—in 2018. Akshaya entrepreneurs have been up in arms ever since, citing the negligible revision, which they said did not reflect rising operational costs or the stiff competition from private citizen service centres. 'The sad part is that even the revised service charges for K-Smart services were fixed unilaterally and kept abysmally low,' said Mr. Sreeraj. He cited the example of the charge for changing building ownership—a process that involves scanning and uploading the title deed, possession certificate, consent letter from the previous owner, death certificate (if applicable), two pages of the Haritha Karma Sena register, and entering building details in both English and Malayalam. 'This laborious process takes up to 30 minutes, yet the service charge is just ₹50,' he rued. A similar situation exists with the service charge for marriage registration, said Mr. Sreeraj. The process involves entering the one-time password received by the bride, bridegroom, and two witnesses, uploading the Aadhaar cards and SSLC books of the couple, feeding in their personal details in both English and Malayalam, uploading the marriage certificate, and completing a video verification of the newly-wed couple. 'The entire process takes up to 45 minutes, yet the service charge is just ₹70 for the general category and ₹50 for the scheduled category—while the government fee for marriage registration itself is ₹120,' he pointed out.
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- New Indian Express
Kerala to get first Malayalam encyclopaedia on IUML with ‘Dawnpedia' project
KOZHIKODE: In a state as multifaceted as Kerala, where every community weaves its unique thread into the grand tapestry, stories often lie untold. Now, a monumental endeavour — Dawnpedia — is in the works to bring such narratives to light. This is not merely a book or a digital archive. Rather, it is the first-ever comprehensive Malayalam encyclopaedia dedicated to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) which has shaped millions of lives and stood as a formidable pillar within the country's democratic landscape. IUML national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty released the Dawnpedia logo recently. IUML's core mission has always revolved around empowering the Muslim community by fostering their political identity and guiding them along democratic and secular paths, thereby enabling their active participation in nation-building. Dawnpedia, conceptualised by a group of party members, is envisioned as a comprehensive platform for anyone seeking to understand the IUML in its entirety. The project aims to serve as an invaluable resource for researchers, students, and academics keen on conducting in-depth studies into minority politics. The encyclopaedia will delve into how the IUML has effectively utilised its organisational strength and participation in power for the betterment of society and the nation. Arif P K, founder of the initiative and the general secretary of IUML, Kuttikattoor region, said, 'We are trying to create a database for IUML where all its details are mentioned. By January 2026, we will be able to complete all the content works related to Dawnpedia.
