2. School Processes

Every school has processes to ensure two things: the smooth functioning of day-to-day activities and enabling progress towards the achievement of the Curricular Goals.

Be it relatively simple tasks such as ensuring the cleanliness of school premises or more complex ones such as monitoring and improving the quality of teaching and learning, both need well thought out processes. Another example is an annual calendar, as well as a daily timetable, which is central to organising the school’s functioning. There must also be processes that allow for incorporating changes in both instruments of time allocation.

Processes that are set in place will clarify what needs to be done, the procedures for decision making, and the spirit with which one must act and respond.

Another important aspect of school processes is that they reflect the values and beliefs of school culture, and in turn, reinforce them. Part D, Chapter 1 has discussed this matter.

School processes can be broadly divided into the following categories:

a. Curricular Processes: These are processes that have a direct effect on learning. For example, the school timetable, school assembly, library, student committees, celebrations and events, and the use of technology in schools.

b. Curriculum-associated Processes: These are processes that have a significant but mediating effect on learning. For example, processes for teacher professional development (TPD), engagement with parents and the community, the Mid-day Meal, and other such processes.

c. Organisational Processes: These are processes that enable the planning for and smooth functioning of the above two processes. For example, the school development plan, an annual calendar, a plan for mobilising and allocating resources, data management and reporting, forums for the resolution of conflicts and disciplinary issues, and processes for safety-related issues.

Section 2.1 - Curricular Processes

These are processes that have a direct effect on learning. For schools, an important focus is making the best use of the time and resources available for student learning. Within this, there are two considerations: how to allocate time for the learning of various subjects and how to create learning spaces beyond subject classrooms (such as school assemblies, library). This section talks about how effective use of daily time, spaces, and opportunities beyond the subject classrooms could be made for learning. Subject teaching processes are covered in chapters dealing with specific subjects.

2.1.1 School Timetable

A timetable provides structure to the daily routines and activities carried out in the school. It must be decided imaginatively so that it allows for different engagements without compromising the requisite time for different curricular subjects and whole or mixed group activities. A good timetable allocates time according to the needs of different Curricular Areas and provides scope for incorporating multiple activities (many of them may be weekly, fortnightly, or monthly) without disturbing the larger structure too much. For example:

a. School assembly, the last period of the day, and Saturdays could be used to serve multiple purposes. On alternate days, instead of a school assembly, a common sport or activity period for the entire school can be planned. Similarly, the last period of the day could be dedicated to club activities (e.g., music, theatre, art, literature, sports) where students can participate or even lead various creative engagements. This slot can also be used for preparing for various events without disturbing the continuity that is required for learning improvement.

b. The idea of a block period allowing extra time for certain kinds of curricular activities would be ideal. For example, laboratory activities or project work require more time. So, Teachers can plan to use block periods as required.

c. Saturdays can provide greater flexibility and scope for engaging students in a variety of ways that are educationally valuable, such as going on short field trips, planning for interaction with the local community, and having dialogues around adolescent issues.

There should not be too many changes in the daily timetable, as it would disturb the rhythm of the school. It should be thought through carefully and designed stage-wise, keeping the curricular demands of each Stage in mind. Depending on the time of the year, considerations can be built into the timetable for processes such as admissions, examinations, and events such as festivals.

This section should be read with the chapter on time allocation (see Part A, Chapter 4).

2.1.2 School Assembly

Assemblies bring the whole school community together and facilitate collective learning and appreciation for work that goes beyond the confines of subject domains. School assembly is an ideal way to start or end the day with positive feelings of togetherness. Instead of making assemblies ritualistic and mechanical exercises, schools should think of creative ways to make assemblies meaningful. A variety of arrangements can be explored, and the sequence and format of presentations could change from time to time so that all students get the opportunity to participate in the events. Schools must ensure that the assembly does not impose undue pressure to perform or deliver only perfected presentations. Instead, assemblies should be seen as a process of sharing and learning, accepting limitations in the presentations, and getting over stage fright by creating a setting that allows students to feel comfortable presenting and not fear judgement or ridicule.

Assembly in the Foundational Stage can be mostly held in the classroom with a weekly gathering of two or more grades in larger groups. From the Preparatory Stage, students could participate in multigrade and whole-school assemblies.

Assemblies are typically done at the beginning of the day and, depending upon the school size, it could be one or many small group assemblies happening simultaneously. An assembly of least twenty minutes of gathering allows for some meaningful engagement. For larger weekly assemblies, more time can be provided. Presentations could include singing the national anthem and a variety of songs in different languages, a few minutes of meditation or quiet time, storytelling, skits, mime, reporting local news (based on students’ gathering of information and interactions with the local community), book or movie reviews, presentations of artwork, magic tricks, puppetry, and sharing relevant instructions (or information) related to other school processes and school administration. Learning to sing songs together in groups is in itself a valuable exercise in group cohesion and belongingness. Similarly, some physical activities, such as dance and movement, can be performed by the whole group if there is sufficient space. Schools could also plan activities based on certain themes so that students can explore ideas and expressions in a variety of modes. All activities must aim to actively engage the audience and invite their responses whenever appropriate.

2.1.3 Library

The role of books in education is central to students’ growth and this value addition can begin even before one has gained literacy skills. The library opens the scope for self-driven and guided acquisition of knowledge beyond textbooks. With access to a variety of good books and other digital resources from around the globe, the doors to a world of rich experiences become open to students. Therefore, a rich collection of books and resources in a school library and reading corners in each classroom are a necessity.

A library could be housed in a dedicated room, hall, or a corner in each classroom, but the critical point is the availability of relevant books in good numbers and an easy accessibility mechanism. Efforts must be made to include content that represents various genres. Books on India’s rich heritage and the lives and imaginations of people from various regions and diverse backgrounds, including those who belong to socio-economically disadvantaged groups, must find a place in the collection. Bilingual books and books in other Indian languages would be a must-have section in the library. The library should also have appropriate assistive devices, audiobooks, books in braille, and other such resources for people with disabilities.

Teachers have an important role to play in identifying what books need to be purchased and how to make use of them to enhance student learning. They need to provide students with ideas about what else they may study and research beyond what is given in the textbooks and should, in general, talk about books keeping in mind the interest areas of students. Giving students small assignments that require them to read and write about people, issues, and general life matters from the library will encourage them to access books in a more focussed manner.

A vibrant library requires a variety of activities to develop a culture around reading and sharing. The simplest of these activities are read-aloud sessions, oral storytelling, and book reviews. Making a pop-up or big book, ‘meet the author’ events, creative activities such as writing workshops and making bookmarks, and restoration activities such as book repairs can be thought of. Additionally, designing illustrations, posters, book covers, and bookbinding are often very exciting for students. Book purchases and book donation drives can also be planned. A library committee that consists of Teachers, students, and community members could manage the various activities and arrangements of the library.

The purchase of new books and other resources can be decided by a library committee in consultation with the School Principal and could include a process of reading book reviews, visiting book fairs, and bookstores, and taking suggestions from students, Teachers, and other community members. A ‘wishlist’ of books may be collected from all these sources.

In most schools, library responsibility is shared by a Teacher and possibly some students. The processes of cataloguing, organising, keeping a record of borrowed and returned books, promoting careful and gentle handling of books, monitoring damage, wear and tear, and restoring books all need to be a collective endeavour. When libraries have very strict rules or keep their books under lock and key worrying about students using them, it defeats the whole purpose of having a library.

2.1.4 Student Committees and Forums

Every school must encourage the formation of student committees and forums (Bal Sabha, Bal Panchayat, and other student forums) to involve students in school activities and create a sense of ownership and responsibility among them. By participating in the activities of different committees, students develop a sense of responsibility, accountability, cooperation, taking initiative, leadership, and conflict resolution. There can be multiple committees in which students can participate for short periods and then change over to another committee. This would ensure that all students become familiar with the management and functioning of various school processes.

Some of these committees take care of school-related tasks (such as ensuring cleanliness, managing Mid-day Meals, or organising cultural events) while some schools also have committees that work at the community level. Health committees, Sports committees, Eco Club, Music Club, Heritage Club and other such forums take up engagement at the community level under a Teacher’s guidance. Through these forums, students get to participate in various tasks and develop expertise as well as respect for different fields of meaningful work.

2.1.5 Events and Celebrations

All school celebrations and events must be both enjoyable and meaningful exercises integral to the learning process. Through a well-planned annual calendar, events and celebrations can be integrated with various aspects of the academic plan.

Schools can plan small and large celebrations imaginatively. Apart from the usual annual day and national festivals, there could be periodic celebrations of student learning and achievements, welcoming a new Teacher or a new group of students, farewell for outgoing students, achievements of school alumni and the school’s contribution to the community’s welfare, activity/games and interaction with parents and community members, local food festivals, and so on. The school team may decide to cook and eat together, play together, or take up some school-level or community-level work collectively at least once a month, and this event itself could be a celebration of unity and collective enjoyment. For the Annual Day, national festivals, and Sports Day, the school would need more elaborate planning and preparation as this is the time when the larger community is also involved.

Preparation: All events require adequate preparation and arrangements. The process of planning, selection of programmes, preparation of invitation material, posters, decorations, rehearsal, anchoring, and interaction with guests should involve students’ participation. Rehearsals and preparation for events should be a part of the overall teaching-learning process where students get opportunities to present as an extension of their classroom activities and learning. This implies that classroom activities include art integration and are multi-disciplinary.

Presentations: The presentation of programmes does not require the pomp and show of elaborate costumes, stage props, and makeup in the younger age groups. Students need to wear comfortable clothes for activities that involve physical movement and dance. They could adopt other strategies such as masks, headgear, and symbolic paper costumes. Students, Teachers, and the local community could be encouraged to provide live acoustic music support rather than using recorded music.

Judicious use of resources: Schools should be conscious of the use of resources and time and plan the events with sensitivity and careful thought. Schools should consciously use eco-friendly materials, ensure cleanliness and order throughout the event, and avoid generating noise pollution caused by powerful sound systems and amplifiers. Participation by all can be ensured by organising more frequent small-scale events where different groups of students get a chance to present and participate. Those who have presented at one event can participate as the audience in the others.

Section 2.2 - Curriculum-Associated Processes

For effective teaching and learning to happen, some processes are required for Teachers to collectively reflect on and improve the quality of teaching. Similarly, engaging parents so they also provide requisite support, and maintaining the good health of students have a significant mediating effect on learning.

2.2.1 Teacher Collaboration and Professional Development

Teachers’ professional competence and collaborative efforts are the most critical factors directly impacting student learning. Every school needs effective processes that enable this, and the School Principal can make this happen in effective ways. Trusting and respecting Teachers is the foundation and Principals can do it in multiple ways: by listening to them, providing them with the facilities and resources to work, arranging academic and other support, and involving them as equal partners in school-related decision making. A basic connection among Teachers and the School Principal is necessary for the success of initiatives towards school improvement.

Schools require mechanisms that facilitate sharing, reflection, and working together among Teachers. Teachers need to realise that teaching in a school context is a collective responsibility, so they need to rise above the notion of teaching as an individual act limited to a subject domain centred around a prescribed syllabus and textbook. Having subject-based groups at the school or school cluster/complex level will help Teachers get a sharing and learning platform, new ideas and resources, as well as appreciation and critical feedback. Wherever possible, Teachers of different Curricular Areas could collaborate to create integrated plans that are implemented together. Monthly forums of mixed groups of Teachers can take up common concerns (e.g., how to address adolescence-related issues) for which Teachers come adequately prepared. A culture of peer review of each other’s work, observing classes of other Teachers, and documenting one’s experiences will go a long way towards Teacher learning. Without Teacher collaboration for learning, it is difficult to imagine a vibrant school culture and effective school processes.

Senior Teachers can be identified and groomed to become mentor Teachers for the new Teachers. There could be a well thought out school-based induction for the new Teachers in which they get to learn about the vision and practices of the school and the expectations from them, as well as the nature of support available. Journal writing, documenting one’s teaching experiences, and writing articles for various educational periodicals are yet another way for Teacher development, as writing helps one systematise one’s thoughts and experiences. This also enables Teachers to reach beyond the school audience and connect to the wider community of education professionals.

2.2.2 Engaging with Parents, Families, and Communities

Schools need to build quality relationships with parents/families and the community to not only assist student learning, but also fulfil the larger role a school is expected to play in the life of the community it serves. Here are some possible ways schools can make parents and community members real partners:

a. At the very beginning, when parents/families come for admission for their children, an orientation on what the school stands for, its teaching-learning processes, and expectations from parents/families must happen. This could be done in several forms, such as one-on-one meetings where individual queries can be responded to, making a presentation about the school to parents/families, and sharing a written document about what parents/families should know. A tour of the school premises led by students would be a creative and effective way of introducing the school to new parents/families. By interacting with students this way, parents/families would get a direct sense of the culture of learning fostered by the school.

b. Parents/families must get regular updates on student progress. It is a limited interaction when PTMs become primarily about telling parents/families what issues and challenges are being faced by their children. It will be a more meaningful conversation when the discussion in PTMs is about all the learning opportunities students are engaging with and the efforts made by the school to ensure this. Maintaining an updated student progress portfolio will be a useful aid in sharing with parents/families, and they will be happy to see how the school is keeping a proper record of student progress. On PTM days, schools could organise activities for them that they would love to participate in and enjoy. This will help build camaraderie among the parents/families. Students could also perform in varied ways what they have learnt at school. Different students across the school can get a chance to share if the school organises such events.

c. Parents/families must be invited to school events and celebrations. Schools must find ways to engage them actively in such events rather than keep them as mere audiences/spectators. So, the design of such events and celebrations should aim for the active engagement of parents/families. They could also be asked to visit the school on any working day according to their convenience to observe regular school functioning. On such days, they can participate in the assembly, spend some time in the classes, and interact with students and Teachers during intervals. This will give them a first-hand experience of what goes on in a school on a normal day. Some parents/family members could also be seen as important resource persons who, under a well thought out plan, can contribute academically too. The ‘bagless day’ is one such window where parental engagement can be planned.

d. Teachers should also visit parents/families as and when relevant and possible as knowing the home environment and the larger socio-cultural context of students is a prerequisite for providing more individualised support to students.

e. The school’s relationship should not be limited to the current group of parents/families. The larger community from which students come should also be involved systematically in school processes. One simple way to reach out to them is to invite them to events and celebrations where it is easier to accommodate larger groups. Exhibitions of work by students, Baal Mela, book fairs, film festivals, health camps, cleanliness drives, and campaigning for other social awareness causes are opportunities to engage with the larger community. If the school publishes a newsletter or magazine, it can also be distributed to a larger audience. Community-based events and services by student clubs (e.g., sports clubs, art and culture clubs, and health and wellness clubs) can be organised. Schools with an active alumni group could build and sustain such connections in the long term.

2.2.3 Mealtime, Health, and Hygiene

As pointed out in NEP 2020, nutrition plays a very significant role in learning, particularly in the early years. However, too many students in the country are malnourished as they simply do not receive a balanced diet for proper physical growth. Hunger and malnutrition are significant causes that prevent many students from actively participating in school processes. For such students, the Mid-day Meal provided in school is the only proper meal that they eat.

So, paying attention to the Mid-day Meal goes a long way in ensuring the good health of students and thereby improving their participation in school. Where food is cooked in school, there is a greater opportunity to ensure good quality and variety. Good hygienic practices are required for cooking and serving. Groups of Teachers and students can take turns in serving. Efforts are needed to avoid wastage of food or proper use of the leftovers. It could also be used for compost generation.

Mealtime is also about observing the food habits of students. A few students tend to eat unhealthily and avoid certain vegetables or healthy food preparations. They also consume processed food directly bought from shops. Therefore, schools need to consciously create spaces for dialogue around food, habits, health, culture, and modern and traditional wisdom around these. Another possibility is to discuss food choices, what influences them, and how discrimination occurs based on food and eating habits. Dialogue around such questions helps students understand the social-cultural aspect of food. This would also be a way of educating local communities the students are part of too as students will take home with them these values.

Schools need to organise regular medical camps at the school and cluster levels. This could be done with support from the government health department. The height and weight of all students in the school could also be monitored regularly and recorded systematically. In the case of students who are found to have any specific medical conditions that could range from poor eyesight, skin allergies, or any symptoms of vitamin deficiencies, discussions with their parents/ families have to be initiated and necessary care and treatment followed up regularly. For any serious health conditions, the schools could ask the parents/families to seek proper medical attention.

Due to various circumstances, many students struggle with hygiene issues. As a Teacher, it is important to ensure that hygiene issues among students are handled with sensitivity. Here are some pointers to keep in mind when such issues arise in school.

a. Empathise with the student’s situation, find out the causes, and help the student address their hygiene difficulties.

b. Where students lack resources at home to ensure basic hygiene, the school could provide them (e.g., soaps, nail clippers, sanitary pads).

c. Make hygiene a class practice routine for everyone.

d. Opportunities could be found in subject teaching, in assembly, and by involving local community members/NGOs to educate the students in the classroom on good health and hygiene practices.

e. Proper hygiene practices must be followed in residential schools and schools with kitchen facilities. Food and other edible items must be stored carefully and hygienically. Dining areas and other spaces where students eat their meals must also be clean and hygienic.

Section 2.3 - Organisational Processes

Schools required planned and organised collective efforts that enable the smooth functioning of the above curriculum and curriculum-associated processes. While this requires planning, resource allocation, and information management like in any other organisation, schools need to address particular concerns about student safety and appropriate responses to conflicts and disciplinary issues. This section articulates some of the considerations relevant to these matters.

2.3.1 School Development Plan

The most important among organisational processes is to prepare a school development plan [NEP 2020, 7.9] that covers all aspects of school functioning. It sets yearly priorities and enables initiative and decision making for addressing challenges and achieving goals within a timeframe.

School improvement is at the core of all planning and review exercises, and it requires the whole school team to have a vision about where they want to ultimately reach. It also paves the way for improvement in shorter timespans with a clear understanding of where the school stands at that moment.

It is the responsibility of School Principals to constantly work towards aligning the entire team’s vision for the school in every aspect with the Aims of Education. Simultaneously, they also need to regularly build consensus over how to respond to local and contextual issues that may arise in the life of a school. A few important dimensions of school planning are briefly described below.

Each school needs to do institution-level planning covering all aspects of its functioning with clear goals to be achieved during a set timeframe. There may be given formats and processes to be followed as prescribed by the education department. The participation of the community and SMC is also crucial in this endeavour. Senior students can also be involved, along with identified local people, who could bring in both ideas and support in some form.

A good school development plan should set clear academic and administrative goals along with clarity about implementation (who will do what and how, and where resources be mobilised from if more is required). One major part of it will be curricular planning for the year, a detailing of the way forward planned in monthly and quarterly timeframes. A good understanding of the previous year’s progress and current challenges is required, both at the subject and student levels, to do strategic and detailed planning. As planning at the Stage and subject levels is necessary, Teachers need to collaborate to develop these plans.

Other aspects to be covered in this plan are for the overall enablement of the school. This will include a plan for Teacher support and development, resources that need to be procured or created, major repairs and maintenance tasks, and how to engage parents and the community.

Processes for communicating decisions, expectations, and feedback must be well planned. Most of the communication should be through formal meetings and properly documented. Deciding on modes of communication is equally important.

School Principals need to closely monitor and provide support to teaching and non-teaching staff when they struggle. A plan for regular reviews is equally important. Thinking through steps towards achieving the set goals helps the school progress, and monthly and quarterly reviews help in making mid-course corrections.

2.3.2 Time and Resource Allocation

A critical part of planning is to make the best use of available time and other resources, as well as generate the required resources.

2.3.2.1 Annual Calendar

Schools need to plan their academic year from the beginning through an annual school calendar. This should include the academic session start and end dates, admission-related schedule, examinations, national festivals (Republic Day, holidays, Independence Day), dates of different functions and day-long celebrations such as sports day, Science Day, Children’s Day, field trips, PTMs, holidays for students and Teachers, alumni meetings, and summer camps. Aligning with important dates as shared by the education department and local community engagements is also necessary. This list should be made through a collective exercise with Teachers and parents and shared with all stakeholders, including students. Any strategic decision regarding the daily timetable is also made at the time of preparing the school development plan.

2.3.2.2 Mobilising and Allocating Resources

Schools have some fixed resources and some that get consumed in the teaching-learning process. As the year begins, proper planning needs to be done around what resources will be needed, how to procure and/or mobilise them, and who will be making use of them. Certain resources, such as computers and printers, are often required in the staff room, and the policy on printing material and keeping track of printing can be decided collectively. Similarly, stationery for Teachers’ use could be placed in common storage in the staff room. If a computer lab for students is available, then one Teacher should oversee its use and upkeep. For mobilising resources from the community, systematic efforts would be needed under the leadership of the School Principal or a committee in which selected parents and students could also be members.

2.3.3 Data Management and Reporting

All schools must develop efficient systems for recording, storing, and utilising various kinds of data. Progress review, planning, and reporting — all depend on authentic data and its interpretation, so proper sourcing and upkeep of data (if possible, in computerised form) will be of great help.

The most critical set of data for schools is regarding student learning. Keeping track of student progress in both qualitative and quantitative ways is needed at the level of Teachers and School Principals. Simple things like how students’ reading and writing skills are improving over months or Grades inform Teachers about the impact of their teaching. Similarly, tracking student attendance helps us see how it impacts student learning. School Principals and Teachers need to regularly study the student learning data to understand the status and take requisite steps in a timely manner.

While proper data management is unavoidable and indispensable for a school, it should aid student learning efforts rather than becoming an undue burden for Teachers. Intelligent use of technology has a lot of potential to ease things on this front. The responsibility of recording and managing data will be distributed for Grade level, but it should also be collated by one person (school admin, Principal, or Teacher) to see the overall picture.

All requisite protocols must be followed, and measures must be taken for ensuring data privacy, such that any data is used only for legitimate purposes, by authorised bodies, and after informed consent.

2.3.4 Ensuring Student Safety

Schools need to ensure that all students are protected from any kind of injury or harm. Students are not only vulnerable to physical injury, but are also exposed to various forms of discrimination, harassment, and abuse that cause emotional and physical harm and can even scar them for a long time if support is not provided at the right time. The safety and well-being of everyone on the school campus must always be given the utmost priority. This can be achieved by promoting and practising safety in all school processes regularly. Safety within the school premises is the collective responsibility of the whole school community.

2.3.4.1 Physical Safety

a. Road safety around schools is an important aspect that needs to be given due attention. School authorities and SMCs could work with local administrators to ensure that appropriate road signage that mark school zones is installed.

b. Periodic inspections of buildings and equipment, including play and laboratory equipment and furniture, must be conducted. All indoor infrastructure must be free of sharp edges, splinters, and objects that could potentially cause physical injury to anyone. Potentially hazardous equipment, laboratory chemicals, and sharp tools must be stored carefully and accessible only to responsible adults. The age of students should be considered if they are to use these objects and must always be done under the supervision of Teachers/adults. Clear communication procedures could be followed to instruct students on how to use laboratory equipment, as well as other guidelines for using play equipment and rules for field trips or excursions.

c. Safety and first-aid kits must be easily accessible and available for use.

d. It is suggested that a responsible adult supervise students during breaks at playtime in the corridor or at the playground, and corridor, staircase, and any other open area.

e. Teachers and adults in the school must ensure that students of all ages and genders are protected from physical offences, violence, and sexual offences. School administrations should have stringent measures to check and stop all forms of corporal punishment meted out to students. This will require building the capacity of all stakeholders and having appropriate policies in place.

f. Schools could conduct regular fire drills involving all members of the school to orient students, Teachers, and other staff on how to evacuate the building safely and help those in need. Open spaces that could serve as safe assembly areas during natural disasters also need to be demarcated and clearly communicated.

g. In the event of an accident or a medical emergency, the supervising adult must inform parents immediately. If a student feels unwell in school but it is not a medical emergency, the Teacher must contact the parents and ask them to pick up their child, or if possible, any responsible adult from school may take the student home after ascertaining that there will be somebody responsible to receive the student at home. Alternatively, if there is a place to rest, the student may rest and return home at the usual time.

2.3.4.2 Emotional Safety

A school is a place where all children must be treated equally and feel safe and secure. All schools must orient their staff and Teachers on the possibility of emotional trauma caused by verbal and physical abuse of children. It is also important for schools to be aware of the home environment of students, and whether they may be facing or witnessing any form of physical or emotional abuse and discrimination. Initiating dialogue and showing concern for the well-being of all students develops mutual trust between students and Teachers and creates a space for authentic sharing. Students could use such opportunities to openly express their discomfort, fears, and anxieties about any spaces, objects, people, animals, and other beings that could be the cause, and resolve these issues without delay. The school environment and culture must always strive to practise the values of love, kindness, compassion, empathy, ahimsa, and seva as mentioned in NEP 2020. Teachers should be encouraged to always use caring and positive language with students and provide encouragement that reinforces affirmative behaviour and actions in the classroom and otherwise.

It is equally important to pay attention to the emotional safety of Teachers and other adults on the school premises. Feeling emotionally secure plays a critical role in all adults’ lives and positively impacts their ability to make responsible decisions about all tasks. Students constantly observe the behaviour and actions of adults and often mimic what they see. It is therefore important for all Teachers and adults to model emotional regulation, compassion, and affirmative speech in their daily routines.

2.3.4.3 Intellectual Safety

Learning requires sustained intellectual engagement, so students need to feel safe to take risks while expanding their thinking capacities. This implies that mistakes will occur and committing errors is not only accepted as part of a healthy learning process, but also needs to be viewed as a necessary aspect of learning. It is important that all students freely express their opinions without the anxiety of being ridiculed, reprimanded, or punished.

The classroom environment should encourage the participation of all students to respond to questions and contribute to discussions with the confidence that what they say has a place in the group’s learning process, even if it may be incorrect. Student participation provides insights into how each of them perceives the world and how each may have a unique way of learning and understanding. Using demeaning language, labelling, or personally criticising students is hurtful and could result in poor participation in learning activities. Teachers often assign specific responsibilities to certain students with the assumption (spoken or unspoken) that others are not capable of carrying out the same task. This causes the excluded students to feel like they are not ‘good enough’ and prevents them from developing their capacities or confidence. Care must be taken to rotate all responsibilities among all students and include Teachers and adult staff in working along with students to provide timely encouragement and support to those who may face difficulties.

*2.3.4.4 Prevention of Bullying *

Bullying is any intentional and repeated aggression towards another. It is unprovoked and may be individual or group behaviour towards others, aimed at causing discomfort and injury. The experience of bullying among students is often humiliating causing lasting negative psychological consequences. It creates an atmosphere of inequality, threat, and anxiety. Schools must ensure all students are protected against the violence of bullying by creating a strong culture of care and compassion.

Some common examples of bullying are targeted and repeated insulting and offensive language; negative comments on physical appearance or family/socio-cultural background, lifestyle, or race; aggressive yelling/shouting; teasing; and pranking. These can happen in person or virtually. In response to instances of bullying, schools must take immediate action to stop the bullying. The intervention must be strongly visible with zero tolerance. Adults in the school must be vigilant and students too can be educated to be alert and report such instances. Strong conversations across the board about bullying and repeated reminders to avoid any such transgression should help in creating a safe learning atmosphere.

2.3.4.5 Preventing Sexual Harassment/Sexual Abuse

All schools must be aware of, and stringently adhere to, the laws of POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) for adults and POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses). All adults at the school must behave in a manner that reflects the values of being an educator and a responsible adult and protect their colleagues and students from sexual transgressions and violations. Schools must show zero tolerance for violations in this regard.

Some examples of sexual harassment include passing unsavoury remarks, gender-based insults or sexist remarks, making obscene jokes, innuendoes, and taunts, displaying pornographic or other offensive or derogatory pictures, cartoons, pamphlets or sayings, making unwelcome sexual overtures in any manner over any medium or in person, touching or brushing against the bodies of others, body gestures and manners that could be offensive or frightening to the other gender, forcible physical touch or molestation, physical confinement against one’s will, and any other act likely to violate one’s privacy.

2.3.4.6 Cyber Safety

It is important to establish clear norms for the use of computers and the Internet. Students must be taught cyber safety, the appropriate use of technology and the internet, and be educated about the function of and disruption caused by screens and handheld gadgets. Students using computers as part of their school curriculum must always access the internet under Teacher supervision.

This will enable the appropriate learning of the medium and help with monitoring student activity, safeguarding them from potential cyber risks (e.g., online impersonation, unregulated inappropriate adult content, cyberbullying, stalking). Another crucial step in protecting students is to prepare the computers for students’ use by blocking non-educational and inappropriate sites so that they become inaccessible. Web cameras may be used for school projects and other organised class activities only under Teacher supervision and under no other circumstances.

Students must develop an understanding of how to identify unsafe online situations, and whom to report to; this will also make it necessary to inform Teachers how to take timely action. It will be educationally valuable and relevant for students to be taught both the usefulness and the problems of social media platforms. The pandemic enforced the widespread use of smartphones and tablets for participating in online classes. However, this seems to have brought along with it a screen dependence in students across the age groups, affecting their capacity for focussed attention and ‘deep reading’.

*2.3.4.7 General Safety Measures *

a. The addresses and phone numbers of parents must be regularly updated and kept accessible. Emergency contact numbers must be available for all students/adults.

b. Information about any medical condition and the associated medication or preventive measures must be obtained at the time of recruitment/admission, updated regularly, and made available to all concerned.

c. Information about any emotional upheaval or trauma that the student may be going through temporarily must be made available to only the concerned persons. These would include Teachers and persons the student is close to who can support them to understand and respond to their experience.

d. Telephone numbers of the closest medical centre, hospital, doctor, ambulance, fire station, and police station should be easily accessible and put up in a central place for all to see.

e. Private transportation facilities that are being used by students need to be checked regularly for safety standards. For example, in the case of using private transport, the vehicle condition must be to ensure that it is in proper order, and a background check of the drivers must be carried out to ensure that they have a valid driver’s licence and are of sound health.

f. Digital devices should have child-protection features that must be frequently updated to ensure the online safety of all students.

2.3.5 Resolving Differences, Conflicts, and Disciplinary Issues

This section talks about the mechanisms to deal with matters of indiscipline and conflicts encountered in school life. This could be in the form of irregularity, lack of seriousness towards classwork, homework, teasing, passing comments, rivalry, bullying, damage to school property, sexual harassment, and substance abuse. Here are some suggested steps:

a. Clear communication on expected behavioural norms and consequences

Behavioural expectations must be communicated in writing to students and parents at the time of admission. These should largely be defined in positive terms, and if there is a student diary, then school rules should also find space there. The staff room, classroom, and general notice board of the school can also have this for ready reference. From time to time, in school assemblies or classroom situations, these could be discussed so that the rationale behind school rules is understood properly by all students. The consequences of not abiding by the rules should also be clear, communicated, and followed.

b. Polite reminders and encouragement for self and peer-led correction

There should be ways of drawing attention to any lapse in expected behaviour. This should be done politely, with the expectation that the person involved will avoid repeating it. For example, there could be a chart on the classroom wall for students in the Preparatory Stage where they rate themselves based on their participation in classroom and school activities. In the higher Grades, students themselves can speak to other erring students. When the majority follows the rules, those who do not will be easily noticed, and these students can be expected to make amends in the course of their school day as an essential part of their learning.

c. Dialogue and counselling

The next step is to have a discussion with those who have difficulty following the rules and, in some cases, with the whole class or school as collective efforts may be needed. Class Teachers, or in extreme cases, the School Principal, could hold this discussion, as this would demand a certain level of maturity and expertise. These discussions need to be carried out with empathy as well as firmness. One will have to find effective and respectful ways of doing it. The intent should be to understand why a student is behaving in ways which are detrimental to their own learning and that of others. A few Teachers could be identified and trained to counsel students. At the school complex level, a counsellor can be appointed to assist Teachers in dealing with special cases.

d. Other measures

When the earlier steps do not work and there are repeated instances of rule breaking (e.g., violence or intentional damage to school property), then measures such as withdrawal from activity/classes, temporary isolation, warning, consultation with parents/families, or collection of fine may be required.

e. Expulsion from school

This must be the last resort response to any student misbehaviour. If no other strategy has worked and there is little to no change in the behaviour of a student, then, in the interest of others’ safety and the smooth functioning of group learning processes in the school, this step may be required as the final call.

If schools make their best efforts to build nurturing culture and keeping students meaningfully engaged, the instances of indiscipline will eventually get minimised. Classroom processes should not allow small incidents to hijack the learning objectives for the day. As part of classroom management skills, Teachers must learn what to pay attention to and address immediately, what to ignore, and what to attend to afterwards. It has been observed that frequent disruptions and a lack of consistency in the teaching-learning process are important factors leading to low levels of learning. Also, incidents of undesirable behaviour have a way of lingering in the minds of others. It would be disheartening for the students who make amends if they become trapped in labels of any kind. School cultures must foster forgiveness and kindness to avoid this.