Papa cooks as new textbooks erase stereotypes

The organisation has devised a four-part "Twinkle Star" textbook series which uses stories backed by illustrations to subtly breach the stereotypical mindset of children. Steering clear of aniconoclastic approach, it feels children are more receptive to subliminal messages than a frontal attack.

The textbook series, to be released in the next academic year, is based on the syllabi of state and central boards recommended for the Value Education course. It incorporates the essence of the 83 values supported by the National Council of Education, Research and Training. "The focus is not on breaching gender stereotypes alone but on transcending conserverative values on the whole," says Devika Grover, a member of the team which worked on the project. "For instance," she illustrates, "instead of the usual predominance of the male pronoun in stories, we tried to strike a balance in gender representation." She said the series has ample illustrations of the male child performing household chores like switching off the light (Std IV, page 15) and dumping garbage into the waste basket (Std II, page 34). The project was the culmination of the team’s experiences with over a lakh children and consultationswith teachers and principals, says Padmini Chauhan. The organisation has introduced its Value Education inputs in four city schools, in the form of worksheets so far. "Now, we plan to introduce our textbook series in the next academic year", Grover adds.

Academicians have welcomed the project. Asha Damle, headmistress of S R Vidyalaya’s (Malad) primary section which used some of the worksheets, says their contents relate to the children’s social reality. However, parents may be resistant to unconventional undertones, she feels. But Nirupam Hiremath, mother of a four-year-old, has no reservations. "At least in metropolitan cities, where the working parent culture is widespread, these values are not alien. Since my son is used to these images, reading about them simply strengthens his conception," she points out. Another mother, Manisha Sangani, is especially enthusiastic about the stories which seek to engender social integration. The story about two friends projects children from disparate economicbackgrounds (Std IV, page 2). Social change is inevitable and there is little orthodoxy can do to halt its march towards reinforcing egalitarian values, MelJol feels.