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Time of India
21-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Malayalam film sparks discourse on seating arrangement in Telangana's classrooms
Hyderabad: As more schools in Telangana adopt U-shaped seating, a concept popularised by a Malayalam film, teachers are divided on its practicality. While some see its merit in boosting interaction and engagement, many believe the setup poses challenges in large classrooms, especially for subjects that rely on traditional teaching tools like the blackboard. According to them, it is only a long-held notion that backbenchers are troublemakers and need to be continuously monitored. Student strength, classroom size and audibility are various factors that might prevent many teachers from adopting U-shaped seating, teachers opined. Nagamani, a high school social studies teacher, who first experimented with the format in 2009 for Class 1 students, said, 'If the class size is small, around 20-25 students, this method can be effective.' You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad 'I've tried it in Classes 9 and 10 while teaching history, it works well for discussions. But for subjects like mathematics or physics, where blackboard use is constant, it's of no help,' Nagamani said. M Ravinder, a govt school mathematics teacher, warned against blindly following trends. 'In my experience, some of the brightest students sit at the back, while many academically weaker ones prefer the front, often because teachers don't ask them questions if they sit in the front benches. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Earn Upto 5k Daily By This Method of Intraday Trading TradeWise Learn More Undo This seating shouldn't be adopted just because it worked in a movie,' he said, adding that overcrowded classrooms make such arrangements nearly impossible. Many teachers are now leaning towards a blended approach, choosing seating styles based on the nature of the lesson — U-shaped for storytelling or debates, circular for group activities, and traditional rows for note-taking and board work. 'We can't make students sit in a U-shape all day. Writing notes becomes a challenge, and poor posture might even lead to neck strain,' said Simi Nagi, principal of a private school in Hyderabad. 'But when used selectively, for discussions or interactive sessions, it's a good tool. Flexibility is key.' Some educators also stress the importance of adapting classroom layouts to suit the lesson plan rather than sticking to a fixed model. 'Rigid classrooms limit learning. What matters more is how the setup supports the teaching objective,' added Simi Nagi. Meanwhile, Hyderabad collector Hari Chandana Dasari said they are experimenting with this new way of seating in the city. 'We are starting with residential schools with ample space. Based on the results, we will decide on expanding it to other schools,' she said and pointed out that this U-shaped seating is already implemented in several states. As Telangana experiments with this 'U-turn' in classroom design, the consensus among educators seems clear: seating should support learning and not just follow a trend.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
CBSE schools in Hyderabad in a bind over ‘teach in mother tongue' rule
Hyderabad: The Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) latest diktat on teaching young students in the mother tongue until class 2 has left many top schools scrambling, as managements now need Telugu-speaking teachers to comply with the rule. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now At many top schools, according to principals, over 40% of their staff are non-Telugu teachers. According to the new rule, which is part of the National Education Policy (NEP), a student should be taught in their mother tongue or in the state language until class 2. The new rule would come into force from the 2025-26 academic year, which starts in June. 'Teachers are going to be the major problem to implement this. Either we conduct Telugu classes for teachers or hire assistant teachers to help them translate the subject,' Delhi School, Kompally, academic director Simi Nagi said. She said in many schools, at least 40% were non-Telugu-speaking teachers . 'When it comes to top schools, hardly 10% of the teachers will be locals,' Simi Nagi, who is also part of Hyderabad Sahodaya Schools Complex, which has all CBSE schools as members, added. Principals pointed out that making Telugu, which is also the state language the medium of instruction, would not be easy as both students and teachers were from across the country. 'Not just Telangana, any state that has people with transferable jobs, it is not going to be easy to implement this, as students keep moving from one state to another. In fact, many teachers who joined in the last decade or so, despite being locals, do not have a strong hold on the language, as their medium of instruction back in school was English," Hyderabad Public School, Ramanthapur, principal S Narasimha Reddy said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Seconding Reddy, Ch Rekha Rao from Oxford School said that in the era of globalisation, this was a step in the wrong direction. 'For young children, it is advisable to communicate in one language to help them grasp quickly. Introducing them to too many languages will confuse them. It makes more sense to have the medium of instruction as English only,' she added. Some of the school managements, however, welcomed the move and said that a direction like this would help students studying in state syllabus schools. 'In our schools, the majority know Telugu. Students will definitely understand better if the subject is taught in their mother tongue. Once they have a strong foundation in the younger classes, they will understand subjects easily in higher classes as well,' Shekhar Rao Y of the Telangana Recognised Schools' Management Association said.
