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Editors' Note
It has been a good experience for us to be associated
with the development of this Handbook for sensitizing teachers on
discrimination based on sex, caste, religion, disability and related
concerns at the school level. In carrying out our editorial task, we
were greatly facilitated by the inputs provided by the writing team in
the drafts submitted by
them in the respective areas assigned to them. We at the outset express
our thanks to the NHRC and the NCTE and, in particular, to Justice J.S.
Verma, Chairperson, NHRC, and Prof. A.N. Maheshwari, Chairperson, NCTE,
for associating us with the task of developing this Handbook.
Discrimination can be latent, manifest, open or subtle. It is in the
mind and conscience. It is a mind-set that operates within a given
situation. It is felt and experienced and has manifold implications. It
is an attempt to influence this mind-set that the approach adopted in
the development of this Handbook is kept broad-based. It does not intend
even remotely to expect of the teacher a very high order of expertise in
the areas of discrimination mentioned in the Handbook. It consciously
hopes that after going through the Handbook, the teacher gets broadly
familiar with the content associated with the areas of discrimination as
well as possible strategies which can be kept at the back of the mind
while transacting curricular and co-curricular activities. The Handbook
is not addressed to a particular category of teachers but to all
teachers and teacher educators, irrespective of what subjects they
teach. Incidentally, the Handbook is a valuable companion even for a
general reader who may like to know about the various facets of
discrimination based on sex, caste, religion and disability.
What we have attempted in editing this Handbook
comprises the following _
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An appropriate format for the Handbook has been
designed.
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The basic material provided by the writing team
which was very invaluable has not been altered except for improving
its communicability and presentation to the reader, wherever
required.
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A set of learning objectives has been outlined
before each module with the hope to focus on the desired expectation
from the teacher after he/she has gone through each chapter of the
Handbook.
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To enable the teacher to understand the extent to
which he/she has developed understanding of the ideas outlined,
appropriate exercises have been provided in each module.
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