If Bangalore University’s ambitious plan bears fruit, the next batch of students graduating from the university may be much more sensitive when it comes to civic issues
If Bangalore University’s ambitious plan bears fruit, the next batch of students graduating from the university may be much more sensitive when it comes to civic issues. The university is introducing ‘Civic Sense and Civic Responsibility’ as a subject which will be taught in colleges affiliated to the university.
The curriculum, being prepared by the Bangalore University, Janaagraha and CMCA (Children’s Movement for Civic Awareness), will have five chapters which will sensitise students on issues concerning civic sensitivity and civic responsibility.
“We have been doing this with schoolchildren for a long time,” said Vardhaman Vaidya, manager, urban capacity builder, Janaagraha.
“So when Bangalore University asked us if we could prepare a curriculum, we thought it was a brilliant idea, considering this would give us a much larger reach and scope.”
According to Dr Manjunath Sadashiva, director, CMCA India, the course will have five chapters that will touch upon a person’s civic responsibilities. “The idea behind introducing this course is to promote a sense of civic responsibility and active civic citizenship among youngsters.”
The course begins with conceptual issues, such as the meaning of civic sensibility, the lack of civic sense and its consequences with regard to traffic problems, road safety, environmental consciousness, managing garbage in the city, public hygiene and aesthetics, and roles various agencies, such as the government, individuals, and the media play when it comes to promoting civic sense; success stories of individuals who have brought about change; various tools used by individuals and organisations to bring about change, such as RTI, PILs and so on. The course also includes a project that will be done by groups of students of a particular class.
“This will give them hands-on experience about campaigns and what it takes to actually bring some change,” said Manjunath. “The project will commence at the beginning of the course itself so that students put into practice what they are learning.”
The course will have a total of 56 hours, divided between theory and the practical. “We have tried to reduce the difference between theory and practical to a large extent so that students are able to get a well-rounded understanding of the subject,” he said.
Although the course will be for first year undergraduate students, Manjunath hopes that that all three batches get to study it when it is eventually introduced.
Prabhu Dev, vice-chancellor, Bangalore University said, “I thought it was important to ensure that students develop civic sense at an early age. It’s not that we are not aware of things such as being respectful towards others, to public property, and so on. When we go abroad, we follow all the rules, but when it comes to our own country, this is not the case.”
Though he is not sure if the students will practice what they learn, he believes that some education is better than nothing. The curriculum is in its final stages and will be ready by January 2012, after which the Academic Council will review it and decide the course of action.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}