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Department of Education in Arts and Aesthetics, NCERT

Report

National Seminar on Art Integrated Learning

(17th and 18th December, 2012)

Arts have proved to be a natural language of children through which they respond to their learning and developmental needs to gradually become productive and contributing individuals of society. Integration of arts with other subjects has served to overcome inhibitions of a different kind, and promote exploration, observation, imagination and free expression. Integration of arts with curricular subjects can bring variety in the teaching-learning process, promote inclusion through participation of every child, enhance social values by appreciating and respecting the expression of each other, and practice unity in diversity by sharing experiences of different families and communities into the classroom. The Department of Education in Arts and Aesthetics (DEAA), NCERT, following the recommendations of the NCF 2005 to implement arts education as, (i) a curricular area of school education from class I to X and (ii) as an approach to learning & development, across the school curriculum and Implementation of the Right to Education Act, 2009, has designed and launched programme on 'Art Integrated Learning (AIL) in Primary Schools of Delhi in 2011-12, as a pilot project. The programme was undertaken in collaboration with District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi. Training based on specially designed training package, helped teachers develop clarity and understanding about the concept and nature of arts as subject and also about integration of arts with other subjects. The project is successfully implemented and running in schools under the AIL project, with their teachers practicing the newly learned approach in their classes and in schools. The National Seminar was organised with keeping the following objectives in view: (i) provide a platform to these teachers and school principals (trained on art integrated learning) to share their experience and case studies of art integrated learning with the wide range of stakeholders (teachers, teacher educators from different DIETs and SCERTs, educational planners, administrators and policy makers etc.) from across the country (ii) to share and understand ‘arts education’ as an innovative approach for holistic learning and development at the primary level of school education and (iii) to share the impact studies on AIL as approach, on the learning and development of children in AIL classrooms, school environment, teachers' interest & attitude, etc. and lastly (iv) for the advocacy of AIL for its scaling up in different regions of the country. The Seminar was inaugurated by Prof. Parvin Sinclair, Director NCERT, with a positive note of giving a sincere try to explore and understand arts and their importance in education as well as in life. 155 participants (School Teachers, teacher

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educators and Principals of DIETs, Directors SCERTs, representatives of different organisations) attended the programme. Keynote Address:

Prof. Krishan Kumar, the former Director, NCERT, an educationist and visionary, gave his keynote speech wherein he stated that the major area of struggle in our education system has always been in the area of arts education. The experience of trying to establish arts education as a major curricular area of school education in the country, the NCF, 2005 and after is a memorable experience for him.

He shared his love for the arts and the influence that arts and the art teacher, Prof. Devi Prasad, who had made him understand arts has on him. He also mentioned about Prof. Devi Prasad’s book, 'Arts as Basis of Education', as a must read for teachers and teacher educators. The book, explains, “art is the way to peace; a condition for life, to live a happy and healthy life.” To this he commented, “If you want children to grow up learning something, you have to create an atmosphere of peace. Peace comes from being able to create something that you will not care of, whether liked by others or not; but you know that this is what you wanted to create, a creative expression, and it does not require somebody’s certification.”

Further he stated, “the goal of education is to give the child a sense of freedom to express and to realize his/her own potential, which is where the door is to make progress in arts... When children are happier, they get a chance to feel that they are creating something; their general motivation goes up. This is where arts become basis of learning of education.” Themes of the Presentations made:

Themes Name of the Presenters

AIL – the Process : A project Report

Prof. Pawan Sudhir, DEAA, NCERT

Integration of Arts with Environmental Studies

Ms. Neerja, MCD School, Pankha Road

Integration of Arts with Mathematics Ms. Rekha, NPV, New Chaukhandi

Integration of Arts with First Language (Hindi)

Ms. Jyoti, MCPS, Paschim Puri

Integration of Arts with English Ms. Sangeeta C.,MCD School, Janak Puri

“Kala ke Taane Baane” Ms. Sharda Kumari, DIET, R.K. Puram

Impact of AIL on Assembly Ms. Nirupama, MCPS, Nangloi Saidan

Impact of AIL on School Celebrations Ms. Veena, NPV, New Chaukhandi

Impact of AIL on Bal Sabha Ms. Rachita & Ms. Sangeeta B., MCPS, Tagore Garden

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Impact of AIL on Community Involvement Ms. Madhu, MCPS, Nangloi Saidan

Art Integrated Learning and Inclusion- Different Case Studies

Ms. Shweta, MCPS, Tagore Garden Enclave II

Ms. Sangeeta C., MCD School, Janak Puri, New Delhi

Mr. Ravinder, MCPS, Mahavir Enclave II

Ms. Purnima Sampat, Mumbai, Maharashtra

Art Integrated Learning as a Tool for Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation at primary level

Ms. Neeta, MCPS, Tagore Garden Ms. Nirupama, MCPS, Nangloi Saidan Ms. Rekha, NPV, New Chaukhandi

Training for Art Integrated Learning - An Impact Study

Dr. Ashok Arora and Dr. Lovely Puri, DIET, Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi

AIL- the Road Ahead Prof. Pawan Sudhir, DEAA, NCERT

The project, ‘Art Integrated Learning’ was studied for its impact by the team of teacher educators and researchers from DIET, Rajinder Nagar, Jamia Millia Islamia University and NCERT.

A ‘cultural evening’ wherein children from MC Primary Schools of J. J. Colony, Pankha Road (One of the Schools under AIL project) gave a presentation on the life of Mahatma Gandhi, and children from MCD school, Nizammudin Basti presented a play on the RTE Act, 2009, a societal concern.

Coverage of the National Seminar in News paper- The programme was well covered by the media (‘The Education Times’, a supplement of The Times of India, dated 24th December, 2012, ‘The Speaking Tree’, a spiritual supplement of The Times of India, dated 23rd December, 2012, and ‘Sakalbela’, dated 25th December, 2012. It was also covered on the Doordarshan news channel on 17th December, 2012.)