Can Knowledge be Questioned?
THE phrase ‘knowledge in question’ seems to be ironic, particularly in wake of the rigid curriculum that is imparted in schools in India with a marked degree of impersonation and alienation. As an educator, a curriculum developer and a teacher educator, I wonder whether anything has changed from the days when I was schooled, to now when I visit schools to address the concerns that relate to the teaching and learning process. Most teacher concerns are centred around finding solutions to help cope with the enormous information contained in textbooks, and they look forward to some tips for planning lessons and making them innovative. By and large the process remains one of relying on resource persons and depending on them for knowledge. Rarely does a teacher attempt to investigate the sources and resources shared in workshops by the resource persons. This conformity to knowledge percolates to the grassroot levels, visible in form of unquestioning obedience to texts, teachers and the socia...