“Losing the art of critical thinking and ” and “That CBSE question and what it says about our time”

News: Recently CBSE has to face some opposition regarding some of the question that appeared in its Board question Paper.  

What were these instances 

• CBSE had to issue an apology for one of its sociology exam question. The question read “The unprecedented scale and spread of anti-Muslim violence in Gujarat in 2002 took place under which government?”. 

• Another instance where an English comprehension passage of class 10th exam has come under criticism. It faced such backlash because it conveyed a message in support of Patriarchal mindset. 

What can be learned from these incidents? 

1) Educationists and curriculum designers need to acknowledge the importance of emancipatory education. 

Emancipatory education is an approach that goes beyond the transfer of knowledge, questioning the dominant structure of socioeconomic and political situation. 

This will enable students to think critically and reflect on the issue of National and International significance. 

2) Making education value neutral doesn’t mean accepting the status quo- Education is about asking difficult questions and striving for a just social order. 

For example- A student shouldn’t just memorise preamble but also be able to reflect upon the meaning of its ideals in real time. 

3)If students are allowed to reflect freely upon ideas from different thinkers, cultures, it will enable them to build their own thought processes.  

It shouldn’t prepare children with a thinking that is appropriate for a post truth society. 

Post truth society (Relating to an environment in which facts are viewed as irrelevant, or less important than personal beliefs and opinions, and emotional appeals are used to influence public opinion). 

Source– This post is based on the article “Losing the art of critical thinking and ” published in The Hindu on 15th Dec 2021 and “That CBSE question and what it says about our time” published in Times of India on 15 Dec 2021.