Classrooms without backbenchers: With new sitting format, schools stand out
The movie, which questions the divide between frontbenchers and backbenchers, features a seventh-grade student suggesting a simple but powerful change: rearrange the seating.That single scene has now snowballed into a wider conversation about shifting not just the backbencher but also the seating system entirely.Taking a cue from the film, Ramavilasom Vocational Higher Secondary School (RVHSS) in Valakom, Kottarakkara, in South Kerala, decided to try out the idea.But, before we go into how the seating system is changing, let's first look at how it started.HOW DID THE FRONTBENCHER AND BACKBENCHER SYSTEM START?The traditional row-and-column classroom seating originated from the 19th-century Prussian education system. The Prussian government wanted to standardise education across its growing empire.Inspired by military precision, they introduced a rigid classroom structure.Though not born in the Industrial Revolution, this model aligned perfectly with its factory logic and was formalised in schools across Europe.As schools began to mimic factory layouts, students sat in straight lines, facing forward, trained to follow instructions rather than question them.This row-wise sitting allowed one teacher to control large classrooms efficiently, monitor behaviour, and deliver one-way lectures.In India, the frontbencher–backbencher divide took root during the British colonial education system.Education in the colonial era was a means to produce compliant clerks, administrators, and interpreters of the empire's will. The row-column layout fit this agenda perfectly: it discouraged collaboration, promoted silence, and ensured that teachers remained the sole authority.FROM ROWS AND COLUMNS TO U-SHAPED SEATING IN CLASSROOMDesks in the Ramavilasom Vocational Higher Secondary School (RVSS) in Kerala were placed along the four walls of the classroom in a U- or V-shape, turning every seat into a "front row"."Minister Ganesh Kumar discussed this with us after watching a preview of Sreekuttan, a year before its release," Sunil P Sekhar, headmaster of RVHSS, told PTI.advertisement"We began with just one class. The results were overwhelmingly positive. We introduced it to all lower primary sections."Sekhar said the change allowed teachers to give equal attention to every student and monitor them better. More importantly, it removed the invisible wall that backbenchers often sit behind, both physically and in terms of engagement."It's especially helpful in primary classes, where students are still learning how to learn," he said.Meera, a lower primary teacher with 29 years of experience, called it "the most rewarding shift" she's seen in her teaching career."There's more eye contact, more involvement. The quieter students open up," she said.WEST BENGAL, TAMIL NADU AND PUNJAB: NO BACKBENCHERSThe idea is now being tried out in Tamil Nadu.The state's School Education Department recently encouraged schools to experiment with a 'Pa'-shaped seating arrangement— named after the Tamil letter — under the belief that "engagement begins with arrangement".An education department official from Tamil Nadu confirmed the shift."We've encouraged schools to try the idea depending on classroom size and student strength. It doesn't need new infrastructure, just a new way of thinking," the official said.advertisementThe idea travelled to not just neighbouring Tamil Nadu but further north.In West Bengal's Malda, the century-old Barlow Girls' High School in Englishbazar became the first school in the district to adopt the 'No More Backbencher' model.Inspired by Sthanarthi Sreekuttan, and encouraged by state education officials, the school conducted three pilot sessions for Class VII — one each in mathematics, history, and work education."In conventional classrooms, those at the back struggle to see the board or follow the discussion," said headmistress Deepasri Majumdar. "But in this setup, all 55 students were attentive, asked questions, and interacted. That kind of engagement is rare."The school replaced traditional rows with a semi-circular or horseshoe-shaped arrangement, making sure every student could see and face the teacher.Malda district's school inspector, Banibrata Das, who was present during the rollout, said the results spoke for themselves."Sreekuttan moved us. It's a simple idea, but the impact is deep," Das said.The sentiment has caught on in parts of Punjab as well. A school that screened the film reportedly introduced the new seating layout based on its message.Across states, at least eight schools in Kerala and several others in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Punjab are now tryingout the model in some form or the other.advertisementWHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING ON CHANGED CLASSROOMS?Some people from other states too sought that a similar system be introduced there."No more backbenchers! Inspired by a Malayalam film, Kerala schools are adopting a U-shaped seating model to ensure every child gets equal attention. A simple shift with a powerful impact on inclusion, learning & confidence. Time for all state governments to implement this," wrote VV Lakshmi Narayana, former joint director of the CBI.But others reacted to the news with humour and nostalgia."Thank goodness I didn't go to school in Kerala- they've abolished backbenchers! That was my permanent seat. Where would I have hidden my quick nap, my doodles, my secret samosa?," wrote industrialist, Harsh Goenka.Some others said removing the last bench would not remove backbenchers, which is a mindset.- Ends
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How Hindi emerged as the lingua franca of the ‘Hindi Heartland' at the cost of other languages
Ironically, Hindi, the language that gives the region its name, is its least unifying factor. After all, it was not the first, and certainly not the only language, of the people who are colloquially referred to as Hindi-bhashi or Hindi-speakers. Sadanand Shahi, who taught Hindi literature at the Banaras Hindu University, minces no words in describing this unique linguistic phenomenon: 'Hindi is nobody's mother tongue. We gave up our own languages to create a national language.' Adds Apoorvanand, who teaches Hindi literature at the University of Delhi, 'Once the British linked Hindi with employment, people surrendered their languages.' Hence, just as the evolution of Hindi as the main language of this region was a political movement, the people's identification with it as their principal language is also a political statement, as we shall see. But first, let's look at the languages of the Hindi belt. In Rajasthan, the traditional languages used to be Marwari and Rajasthani, both of which had a rich oral tradition. The well-known Rajasthani writer Vijaydan Detha, recipient of the Padma Shri and the Sahitya Akademi Award, insisted that even though his script may have been Devanagari, in which present-day Hindi is written (more on this later), his language was Rajasthani. Weighing in on this, Manvendra Singh says, 'The classical name for the Rajasthani language was Dingal, and within this, there were several dialects, spoken in different parts of the state.' According to him, Dingal, like Marwari, used to be written in the Mahajani script (not Devanagari), though writing was not so widespread. Madhya Pradesh also had several languages spread across its expanse, from Bundelkhandi to Gondi, with Bagheli, Malvi, Katli, and so on. In Uttar Pradesh, the spoken languages ranged from Braj, Awadhi, Banarasi, Khari Boli, and Bhojpuri to Bundelkhandi, Garhwali, and Kumaoni. Further east, in Bihar, Bhojpuri was complemented by Magadhi, Magahi, Maithili, Kuduk, and Santhali. Yet, to an outsider, they all sounded rather alike. Travelling from Allahabad (now Prayagraj) in 1869, Syed Ahmad Khan, founder of Aligarh Muslim University, observed, 'All the way from Allahabad to Bombay, in villages and marketplaces and trains, with government officials and peons of all departments and coolies everywhere, I conversed in Urdu – and everywhere people understood and replied in Urdu itself. With some words there was a need to explain the meaning or sometimes to state one's meaning more simply. But there is no doubt that everywhere in Hindustan the Urdu language is understood and spoken…' A similar observation was made by British linguist GA Grierson after a 30-year survey of the Indian languages, which was published in 1928. He wrote, 'It is thus commonly said, and believed, that throughout the Gangetic Valley, between Bengal and Punjab, there is one and only one language – Hindi, with its numerous dialects.' In 1937, author Rahul Sankrityayan added a nuance to what he referred to as a common language which, he wrote, 'incorporates all the languages which emerged after the eighth century AD in 'Suba Hindustan'' – the region that is bounded by the Himalayas, and by all the regions associated with the Punjabi, Sindhi, Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu, Oriya and Bangla languages. Its older form is called Magahi, Maithili, Braj Bhasha, etc. Its modern form may be considered under two aspects: a widely disseminated form called Khari Boli (which when written in Persian characters and with an excess of Arabic and Persian words is called Urdu), and the various local languages which are spoken in different places: Magahi, Maithili, Bhojpuri, Banarasi, Avadhi, Kannauji, Brajmandali, etc… Hence, the emergence of Hindi was the consequence of three factors. One, a desire to find unity in diversity, and a historic uninterrupted tradition of a 'national' language which could be a worthy alternative to English. Therefore, nationalist Indians converged on Hindi as a mother language with multiple 'dialects'. After all, Grierson had also validated this position. Two, a broad intelligibility among all north Indian languages, as seen above; and three, the growing Hindu–Muslim divide after 1857, which led to religious ownership of the language – Hindi for Hindus and Urdu for Muslims. These perspectives were partly correct, only because by the time these people experienced the commonality of the language, there existed linguistic syncretism in the Hindi heartland. But this was a consequence of several centuries of coexisting and collaborating. Says Apoorvanand, 'All languages spoken in the wider region of the Indo-Gangetic plains have a degree of intelligibility, but to say that they are sub-languages, or subsects of Hindi is wrong. All these languages had their own vocabulary and grammar.' In fact, 'Some of these languages – Maithili, Avadhi, Braj Bhasha and Khari Boli – have literary traditions of several centuries while others – Bhojpuri and Magahi – have rich oral folk literatures… Villagers use these to talk with merchants in nearby trading centres and with villagers from other areas. Small town residents use them as their mother tongue, while both educated and uneducated city dwellers use them at home or among friends,' writes Christopher R King. The intelligibility among the languages was the consequence of two factors. One, they all belonged to the Indo-Aryan group of languages with some commonality of vocabulary and grammar, points out author and linguist Peggy Mohan. The only exceptions here were the few tribal languages such as Gondi, Santhali, and Kuduk which were preserved by the itinerant tribes, though they did not belong to this region. Most of them traced their origin to the Dravidian lingual traditions. For instance, Neetisha Khalko, who belongs to the Kudukhar sub-tribe within the Oraon family, says her language Kuduk belongs to the Dravidian tradition. She says, 'Kuduk is similar to the language spoken in parts of the central Konkan region.' Two, as Mrinal Pande points out, 'The Hindi belt has been India's most mobile and colonised area with countless horizontal layers of linguistic cultures that the latest migrants/invaders brought. [Hence], there has been much linguistic give and take mostly through oral sources, among adjacent states.' Talking about the evolution of languages, she says, 'Language normally doesn't flood large areas it flows through. Like a slow-moving river, it keeps depositing new sediments over the old constantly along its path.' Getting into the nuances of the traditional north Indian languages, Mohan says that contrary to popular belief, the modern (regional) languages are 'not like Sanskrit and the Prakrits, though they adopted words from local Prakrits.' Consequently, she writes, 'Is it a step down for our language to be a mixed language, not really different from a creole? Shouldn't highly evolved people like us be speaking a language that is … pure?' Creole languages emerge over time by the assimilation of two or more languages. Answering her own question, Mohan further writes, 'Languages are living things, and they live in ecosystems; they are highly responsive to signals from the environment… Languages that refuse to adapt, languages that hide from the light, tend to go extinct… Finding these mixed languages blooming around us, then, is a cause for celebration.'
Time of India
10 hours ago
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India tells Bangladesh to reconsider demolition of Satyajit Ray's ancestral home; offers support for repair
. NEW DELHI: A house in Bangladesh linked to three generations of Bengal's most respected literary and cultural figures is being demolished, drawing sharp concern from the Indian government. The building in question is the ancestral home of renowned children's author and publisher Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, located in Mymensingh city. Upendrakishore was also the father of poet Sukumar Ray and grandfather of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray . The property currently owned by the government of Bangladesh. The ministry of external affairs (MEA) expressed regret over the demolition, noting that the house is a landmark tied closely to the Bangla cultural renaissance. It said the building could instead be restored and converted into a literature museum celebrating shared heritage. The ministry also said that the Government of India would be ready to offer support if such a plan is considered. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also raised concern, saying the demolition of such a memory-filled place was 'heartbreaking'. She called upon both the governments of Bangladesh and India to take steps to preserve the historic site, describing the Ray family as 'torchbearers' of Bengal's cultural legacy. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Glasgow: If You Were Born Between 1945-1974 You Could Be Eligible For This British Seniors Read More Undo 'I learnt from media reports that the memory-entwined ancestral house of renowned writer-editor Upendrakishore Roychowdhury in Bangladesh's Mymensingh city is being demolished. The reports say that the demolition process had already begun. This is heartbreaking news. The Ray family is one of the most prominent torchbearers of Bengal's culture," Banerjee wrote on X. The house had fallen into disrepair and had been left unused for nearly a decade. It previously housed the Mymensingh Shishu Academy but was later abandoned. A Bangladeshi official told local media that the new plan involves constructing a semi-concrete building at the site to resume the academy's operations.
India Today
14 hours ago
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Classrooms without backbenchers: With new sitting format, schools stand out
"Backbenchers, come sit in the front."If I had a rupee for every time a school teacher said that, I'd have saved enough to pay part of my college fee. Perennial backenchers like me would have memories, both fond and forgetable. But the times, they are a-changin'. Long seen as a comfort zone for some and a punishment for others, backbenches in schools could be on their way to becoming obsolete. That's to demolish the sitting hierarchy and making classrooms more a quiet but growing shift across states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and West Bengal, schools are rethinking how children sit. And the push isn't coming from top-down academic research or classroom reformers. It began with a scene from a Malayalam children's film, Sthanarthi Sreekuttan. The movie, which questions the divide between frontbenchers and backbenchers, features a seventh-grade student suggesting a simple but powerful change: rearrange the single scene has now snowballed into a wider conversation about shifting not just the backbencher but also the seating system a cue from the film, Ramavilasom Vocational Higher Secondary School (RVHSS) in Valakom, Kottarakkara, in South Kerala, decided to try out the before we go into how the seating system is changing, let's first look at how it DID THE FRONTBENCHER AND BACKBENCHER SYSTEM START?The traditional row-and-column classroom seating originated from the 19th-century Prussian education system. The Prussian government wanted to standardise education across its growing by military precision, they introduced a rigid classroom not born in the Industrial Revolution, this model aligned perfectly with its factory logic and was formalised in schools across schools began to mimic factory layouts, students sat in straight lines, facing forward, trained to follow instructions rather than question row-wise sitting allowed one teacher to control large classrooms efficiently, monitor behaviour, and deliver one-way India, the frontbencher–backbencher divide took root during the British colonial education in the colonial era was a means to produce compliant clerks, administrators, and interpreters of the empire's will. The row-column layout fit this agenda perfectly: it discouraged collaboration, promoted silence, and ensured that teachers remained the sole ROWS AND COLUMNS TO U-SHAPED SEATING IN CLASSROOMDesks in the Ramavilasom Vocational Higher Secondary School (RVSS) in Kerala were placed along the four walls of the classroom in a U- or V-shape, turning every seat into a "front row"."Minister Ganesh Kumar discussed this with us after watching a preview of Sreekuttan, a year before its release," Sunil P Sekhar, headmaster of RVHSS, told began with just one class. The results were overwhelmingly positive. We introduced it to all lower primary sections."Sekhar said the change allowed teachers to give equal attention to every student and monitor them better. More importantly, it removed the invisible wall that backbenchers often sit behind, both physically and in terms of engagement."It's especially helpful in primary classes, where students are still learning how to learn," he a lower primary teacher with 29 years of experience, called it "the most rewarding shift" she's seen in her teaching career."There's more eye contact, more involvement. The quieter students open up," she BENGAL, TAMIL NADU AND PUNJAB: NO BACKBENCHERSThe idea is now being tried out in Tamil state's School Education Department recently encouraged schools to experiment with a 'Pa'-shaped seating arrangement— named after the Tamil letter — under the belief that "engagement begins with arrangement".An education department official from Tamil Nadu confirmed the shift."We've encouraged schools to try the idea depending on classroom size and student strength. It doesn't need new infrastructure, just a new way of thinking," the official idea travelled to not just neighbouring Tamil Nadu but further West Bengal's Malda, the century-old Barlow Girls' High School in Englishbazar became the first school in the district to adopt the 'No More Backbencher' by Sthanarthi Sreekuttan, and encouraged by state education officials, the school conducted three pilot sessions for Class VII — one each in mathematics, history, and work education."In conventional classrooms, those at the back struggle to see the board or follow the discussion," said headmistress Deepasri Majumdar. "But in this setup, all 55 students were attentive, asked questions, and interacted. That kind of engagement is rare."The school replaced traditional rows with a semi-circular or horseshoe-shaped arrangement, making sure every student could see and face the district's school inspector, Banibrata Das, who was present during the rollout, said the results spoke for themselves."Sreekuttan moved us. It's a simple idea, but the impact is deep," Das sentiment has caught on in parts of Punjab as well. A school that screened the film reportedly introduced the new seating layout based on its states, at least eight schools in Kerala and several others in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Punjab are now tryingout the model in some form or the ARE PEOPLE SAYING ON CHANGED CLASSROOMS?Some people from other states too sought that a similar system be introduced there."No more backbenchers! Inspired by a Malayalam film, Kerala schools are adopting a U-shaped seating model to ensure every child gets equal attention. A simple shift with a powerful impact on inclusion, learning & confidence. Time for all state governments to implement this," wrote VV Lakshmi Narayana, former joint director of the others reacted to the news with humour and nostalgia."Thank goodness I didn't go to school in Kerala- they've abolished backbenchers! That was my permanent seat. Where would I have hidden my quick nap, my doodles, my secret samosa?," wrote industrialist, Harsh others said removing the last bench would not remove backbenchers, which is a mindset.- Ends
