How to Find a Culturally Affirmative School

How to Find a Culturally Affirmative School – India is a culturally diverse nation. We as Indians should be proud of our rich cultural heritage. People from all over the world bow down to our cultural depths and spiritual roots. Ours is a culture that upholds moral values above everything. The world is suffering from various issues right now, for instance, violence, pollution, medical emergencies, etc. These issues have plagued the entire humanity for ages. However, if we take a look at our spiritual cultural practices, we can find solutions to all these problems.

Cultures such as the ancient yogic culture have brought relief to many suffering beings from all over the world. However, with growing westernization, we do find ourselves walking away from our cultural roots. We have been witnessing a rampant increase in cases of physical, psychological, and spiritual ailments in human civilization. The more distant we become from our cultural heritage, the more our civilization suffers. The metropolitan cities have somehow upheld ways of life that have lost their sense of community. Humans, as social beings, need to interact and bond with people in our surroundings to exist peacefully. Inversely, we are becoming more and more alienated from each other and living couped-up lives, devoid of all happiness.

What we need is to dive into our cultural heritage and understand its true value. India has produced great philosophers such as Gautam Buddha, Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati, Mahaveer, Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda, and so on. The list is endless. These philosophers gave valuable answers for human suffering and are followed by the entire world today. We Indians, especially the young and upcoming generations have to understand the true meaning of our culture. This is not to assert that we have to let go of modernity and Western thought. However, we need to create a balanced perspective by combining all the positives we can gather. One of the best ways by which we can do this is by adopting a culturally affirmative education.

Education, as we all know, sets the foundational identity of a human. If from early age onwards, we provide children with a culturally rich approach, it would be instilled in their minds and physical routines. Therefore, it is very important that parents look for an institution where their child would be taught in a balanced way to adapt to the rich cultural diversity of our nation and combine it with the pragmatic approach from the West. Here are a few postulates you can keep in mind to help you how to find a culturally affirmative school for your child:

1. Take a look at the Social Studies and Literature Curriculum: Social Studies are a great way to cognitively learn about our culture. Take a look at what all is being taught in subjects like History, Civics, and Geography by the school. If your child will be taught properly about our ancient past, they are bound to be fascinated. Literature is another way to make sure that your child gets a taste of our culture. India has produced great writers who have written in both Indian and European languages. Writers like Rabindranath Tagore, Premchand, Kabir, Anita Desai, etc. have produced great literature that reflects our culture and values. Learning about them would not only be informative but also inspiring.
2. Make Sure That They are Taught About the Freedom Struggle: India lost a major part of its cultural inheritance due to our European colonizers. By learning about how bravely and heroically Indians fought against our foreign oppressors, the young generation would not only be inspired but would also be cautious against modern forms of Imperialism.
3. Value-Based Education: The Indian culture upholds moral values greatly. Make sure that the school you are looking for provides a holistic value-based education. The school must take proper steps to induce morality and spirituality among children. Programs like morning and evening prayers, greeting elders, and lessons in moral science can easily instill values in children from a young age. Children must also be taught about principles such as honesty, punctuality, respect, love, the doctrine of truth, etc. to make sure they become spiritually competent beings.
4. Cultural Programs: Do take a chance to attend the school’s cultural programs to understand how students perform what is being preached at the school. Functions such as Independence Day, Republic Day, Parents Day, Annual Function, and other festivals can show you the practicality of the principles taught by the school. Take notice of the kind of theme the school upholds, and what is being performed by the students. You will also know about the discipline of the students at these functions which will definitely help you in making an informed decision.
5. Equality must be a Priority: To celebrate and uphold India’s diverse cultural heritage, we must value and respect all kinds of diversities. Therefore, make sure that children are taught to respect each individual regardless of their colour, age, gender, or social background. Unity in diversity has been India’s motto for ages and we must continue to do so. The secular spirit of our constitution demands us to be socially responsible beings who treat all humans as equals. Therefore, make sure that the school upholds equality for all.
6. Extra-curricular Activities: These activities are a great way to foster our rich cultural heritage among children. Activities involving dance, music, and other literary tasks are a great way to help children express themselves and develop their identities. When children engage in such cultural activities, they will definitely uphold our culture. These activities will also help the upcoming generation in adding their own perspectives to the culture that is transforming all around us. Therefore, make sure that the school offers ample opportunities for each and every child to participate in cultural activities.
7. Discursive Classrooms: Another way of ensuring that your child is taught in a culturally affirmative classroom is to see what types of discussions take place inside the classroom. Teachers must give valuable importance to discussions considering what all is happening around the world. There must be healthy group discussions where all children can feel comfortable in talking about how they feel about global as well as local issues. The world is all connected intricately by the internet today. All that is happening in the outside world affects us all internally. Therefore, if children can find a safe place to open up about themselves and how they feel about the world, it would really help them to come out of their shells and form stable multicultural identities.

The Summit School is one of the most culturally affirmative schools in South Kolkata. The city itself has a great legacy of ethnic and intellectual culture. Fostering that among children and helping them build pleasant personalities is one of the main priorities of the school. The curriculum is carefully designed to make sure that children learn and adapt to what is happening in India and abroad. Children here are taught to learn about and appreciate India’s rich cultural roots. The school also organizes regular cultural activities where each festival is celebrated ritually.

The Summit School has its foundation laid upon the beliefs of Swami Vivekananda and the same are instilled among students. If you want your child to learn in an environment where they are able to learn holistically and develop an all-around personality, The Summit School is a great option for you. Do find time to check out the school’s prospectus today!

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