Report on the dialogue “Inclusion of Community Based Research in Curriculum, Challenges and Opportunities” with the SCERT, Telangana

"How do we develop a sense of ownership amongst stake-holders in education? How do we promote deeper community participation, including local Panchayats, in ensuring quality education?"  The Director of SCERT, Telangana spoke about his challenges in a dialogue held in his office with UNESCO Chair on Community-based Research on the morning of April 19.

Dr Darlene Clover, Professor of Education in University of Victoria, Canada elaborated her experience of training of teachers where classroom is the only focus. For her, learning occurs in many different ways, and education must link classroom with the real world. Teachers as adults need to be supported to do so, and CBR can be a methodology for the same. Dr Budd Hall talked about the growing disconnect between the world of practitioners with the world of academia. He suggested that SCERT as academic wing of school education could bridge this divide by using CBR.

Debating the prospects of linkages with community in higher education, Walter Lepore explained how his home country Argentina brought such engagement to primary level, so that students are prepared in advance.

Dr Rajesh Tandon summed up the dialogue by proposing that PRIA could support SCERT and COVA, whose founder leader Dr. Mazher Husain facilitated this dialogue, to learn CBR methodology to enable teachers and students to engage with community more meaningfully.

Dr. Mazher Hussain (COVA), Mr. Walter Lepore, Dr. Rajesh Tandon, Mr. Suresh Babu (SCERT, Telangana),
Dr. Budd Hall, Dr. Darlene Clover and Mr. Jagantha Reddy, (SCERT, Telangana) in a dialogue.