Abstract:
Look at the world around us. It will not take much time to realise the omnipresence of unsafe practices and lack of responsible conduct in all spheres of our life and their ill effects. No amount of exhortation has helped in eliminating these evils. Only lasting solution to behaviour modification lies in starting early at younger ages. Inculcate the value of safe practice and responsible behaviour through education in Safety, Risk Management and Insurance. In the past very little has happened on this count. It has remained a wishful thinking. It is time to initiate some concrete steps. New Education Policy(NEP) recently approved by the Central Government is the current focus of the country. Two highlights of NEP repeatedly flashed in the media headlines are:
First, the change of format from 7+3+2 to (3+2) 5+3+3+4, and,
Second, the renaming of HRD Ministry as Education Ministry.
On their own, these two changes mean nothing. The specific reform measures which form part of the policy change, the way they are implemented and the extent of resources committed for actualisation of those policy measures will decide future of Indian education system. I am sure, the policy which saw the light of the day after a long incubation period, will initiate real refreshing reforms to transform the outdated Indian educational system. The quality of Indian education is no secret nor are the reasons for such poor quality. The dichotomy of few bright academic spots contributing immensely in the intellectual domain along with vast majority of Indians with deplorable standards, is probably another reality unique to India. In the field of economics gini coefficient is an index used to measure ‘economic inequality’. A similar index for measuring appalling literacy in-equality’ might come handy in attracting the required constant attention of policy makers to the status of country’s educational environment.
Introduction of topics of “Road Safety” and “Insurance Education” are two most talked about subjects in the last few years. They are still on the drawing board of the planners. There can not be a more appropriate and opportune time to move these projects from the drawing board to academic arena and to classrooms, but in any case not before, thoroughly processing them on the drawing board. Following are some views / random thoughts on how we may proceed in this regard. Safety and Insurance education deal with certain important life skills. Introducing safety and insurance to the students in early ages, is the only way of internalising these skills. Therefore the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and even some Chief Ministers have openly advocated inclusion of road safety in the school curriculum. However instead of restricting it to only road safety, the scope has to be broadened to include other aspects of safety as well as elementary aspects of insurance. A three stage framework outlined below can be a good starting point. This can be improved further based on, suggestions received from various interested persons, and the lessons learnt from past experience. Essentially the content has to be ultra-light and elementary. It should necessarily be based on past live events (of-course adapted to academic purpose) and not on fiction / imagination. Pedagogy has to be anecdotal and follow the story telling method. Attention catching pictorial presentations will enhance the effect. Good gaming tools and thoughtfully chosen videos should definitely deliver the desired results.
Stage 1 – Introduction to Risks :
Pure Risks: Natural perils
Suggested Topics: Introduce different types of the physical living environment like urban, rural, industrial and hill station etc, contribution of phenomenon of rainfall to the life, and then move to the natural phenomena of climate, of monsoons, followed by storms, tempests, tornadoes, cloud bursts, floods, tsunamis and their consequences. While extolling the extortionary efforts of relief personnel, an awareness can be created about the adversities and miseries these natural calamities bring. Foodgrains of Food Corporation of India rotting because of heavy rains and
lack of proper storage capacities can be another good relevant example.
Introduce topics like tectonic plates and their movements, continental drifts and shifts, fault lines and then earthquakes and consequences.
Introduce the earth’s crust and volcanic eruptions.
Topic of cleanliness, pandemics and other health risks is another area of high relevance.
The purpose is to make them aware of these forces and extreme events as natural part of life on the earth and one must realise to live with them wisely (i.e manage them well, instead of being at the mercy of these perils).
Social Perils
Suggested Topics: Introduce different types of wealth / resources, their value for the individual, family and society. Then sensitise them as to how these perils destroy the resources and deprive people and society of the standard of living they desire and deserve.
Theft
Burglary
Malice
Stories to convey the message of alertness and importance of precautions to save oneself from these perils and also the message that such pervert activities ultimately harm the offender too have to be at the core of the teaching.
Riots and Strikes,
Particularly implications of destruction of public property, and futility of making violence as a means of protests has to be emphasised.
Accidental Perils
Suggested Topics: How vehicles are made, followed by story of road accident (may be involving a bicycle).
How clothes are made, followed by topic of accident in the textile / garment factory showcasing fire risk and consequences.
How the chocolates or similar things are made and accidents in the such factories?
How food processing industry works and possible poisoning event due to casual approach by the persons who matter?
Primarily, the purpose is to convey the message about importance of discipline in day today life. Many of the above topics might already be forming part of the curriculum presently being taught or proposed for being taught to the students. May be their narration may have to change so that the idea of living with these risks by managing them well becomes evident in the narration. Therefore, there may not be a need for separate insurance course/topic for those subjects which are already being covered elsewhere in the prescribed syllabus.
The crux is to start each topic positively and end positively. Ending negative events with a positivity is the most difficult art. But I have often seen, talent capable of doing it. PGDM students of one of the batches at National Insurance Academy Pune presented a beautiful skit very effectively exhibiting the plight of a poor farmer suffering from crop failure, and being cruelly exploited by a heartless Money-Lender. Contrasting his plight with another farmer who held his own because of the protection offered by the insurance
cover he had availed.
Stage 2 – Risk Management
After the first stage there has to be a gap of at least one year before the second stage of teaching.
Suggested Topics: In the second stage, children should be taught about the Safety and Risk Management. It should not only cover Road Safety (including safety features built into the vehicle) but also Home Safety (including topics like earthquake resistant buildings) and Workplace Safety (including use of helmets, goggles etc, and the idea of a place for everything and everything in its place). Safety in digital life, role of discipline and compliance with rules / regulations is another area of importance. Assessment, Prevention, and Reduction strategies have to be covered. All topics to be illustrated with good true stories of personalities from the field of sports, films, and science. While studying these topics students will automatically relate to what was studied in the earlier stage thus the system will reinforce their earlier learning.
Stage 3- Insurance
Again there has to be gap of about a year (at least) between the second and third stage. Suggested Topics: Basics of life as well as non-life insurance. Care should be taken to see that the contents are free from technicalities and legalities. Contents should not be intensive and have to be more moderate than the earlier topics of perils and risk management. Even while introducing students to the topic of insurance, the emphasis should be on prevention and reduction dimensions of risk management. While studying, students will automatically relate to what was studied earlier and will have their learnings of perils and risk management reinforced. There is no shortage of live cases in all these areas, stories have to be developed based on these live cases.
All these three stages have to be compulsory and not optional. May be another optional stage with little intensive content on topic of insurance may be planned for students beyond secondary school (beyond middle level).
Project – “From Drawing Board to Schools”
A project inviting, from different stakeholders, particularly from young minds who can come out with novel ideas, the topics to be included, the development of stories / games and suggestions on the levels at which such teaching has to take place and other pedagogical tools for teaching these drab and dull subjects in an interesting manner, will help a lot in clearance from the drawing board and in developing a satisfactory prototype. Competitions on a large scale may be organised. Good write-ups have to be duly rewarded with prizes. Practices in other countries can offer good examples for being replicated. Compile, analyse, select and assimilate them into the final scheme ready for rollout. Local language translation is a must. For few initial years model templates on contents of each topic may be maintained at a central repository so that state educational authorities may chose the ones they find suitable for being incorporated in the curriculum. Training Teachers Motivated teachers will always deliver far in excess of expectations. The project is incomplete unless these crucial elements of implementation are trained appropriately. Initially for a year or two, a team of good faculty should undertake massive exercise of training school teachers in different states /zones. Views expressed above, some may feel to be elementary and premature or may not be to one’s liking. Yes it is possible. Unless all the persons who do matter take interest and express their views and counter views, how can such a challenging task / dream will ever become a reality.
