Learning without burden : where are we a quarter century after the Yash Pal Committee Report?

This book looks at education reforms, planning and policy through an exploration of the Yash Pal Committee report (1993) in India, which made recommendations to improve the quality of learning while reducing cognitive burden on students. It analyses the wide-ranging impact the report had on curriculum, pedagogy, teacher education reforms and the national policy on education. The book examines the legacy of the report, tracing the various deliberations and critical engagements with issues around literacy, language and mathematics learning, curriculum reforms and classroom practices, assessment and evaluation. It reviews contemporary developments in research on learning in diverse disciplines and languages through the lens of the recommendations made by the Learning without Burden report while engaging with challenges and systemic issues which limit inclusivity and access to quality education. Drawing on extensive research and first-hand academic and teaching experience, this book will attract attention and interest of students and researchers of educational policy and analysis, linguistics, sociology and South Asian studies. It will also be of interest to policy makers, think tanks and civil society organisations. This book looks at education reforms, planning and policy through an exploration of the Yash Pal Committee Report (1993) in India, which made recommendations to improve the quality of learning while reducing cognitive burden on students. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of Contents 6 List of Figures 8 List of Tables 11 Editors’ bio-notes 12 Authors’ Bio-notes 13 Acknowledgement 17 Foreword 18 A Note on Illustrations 21 Chapter 1 Unpacking the Construct of Burden 24 Part I Systemic Perspectives 58 Chapter 2 Policy Perspectives on Learning without Burden 60 Chapter 3 Initial Teacher Education: Possibilities and Limits of Curriculum Reform 80 Chapter 4 Reforms in Curriculum and Textbooks: Challenges and Possibilities 106 Chapter 5 From the Tall Tower to a Lush Garden 127 Chapter 6 Assessment and Learning in Indian Context: Compelling Association, Invariance or an Educational Folly? 143 Chapter 7 Learning without Burden in the Era of Connected Computers 167 Chapter 8 Education of Children with Diverse Learning Needs 186 Chapter 9 The Demands of Ethical Learning and Character Development in Our Changing Times 206 Part II Perspectives from Domains 232 Chapter 10 Learning in the Arts and Aesthetic Development 234 Chapter 11 Growing into Literacy: Part 1: The Building Blocks of Literacy 259 Chapter 12 Growing into Literacy: Part 2: The Devanagari and Telugu scripts: Tools to Lighten the Burden of Learning Literacy 274 Chapter 13 Understand Language to Acquire It: The Burden Is Incomprehensibility 291 Chapter 14 The Unfinished Agenda of Mathematics Curriculum Reform 305 Chapter 15 Strengthening Learning through Visuospatial Experiences: Initiatives from the Indian Context 328 Part III Looking Back to Look Forward 374 Chapter 16 Reflections on the Process and Impact of the Learning without Burden Report: Key Take-aways from the Interviews of Two Members of the National Advisory Committee 376 Epilogue 446 Index 450 Perspectives;,Curriculum;,Reform;,Folly;,Burden;,Diverse;,Ethical;,Aesthetic;,Literacy;,Incomprehensibility;,Agenda Perspectives,Curriculum,Reform,Folly,Burden,Diverse,Ethical,Aesthetic,Literacy,Incomprehensibility,Agenda