Raising citizens, not just students

AS INDIA ENGAGES in intense civic debates — from the separation of powers between the judiciary and Parliament to the Waqf Bill, and the evolving dynamics of Centre-state relations — one space remains conspicuously silent: our classrooms.

- ASHOK PANDEY

Schoolteachers, expected to remain neutral, often hesitate to bring current affairs into their teaching, particularly when the issues are politically sensitive. Yet this silence comes at a cost. In a democracy, classrooms are not just venues for academic instruction — they are sites of civic formation. They shape how young people understand power, justice, dissent, and responsibility — the very pillars of a just and sustainable society.

Why this matters now Today's India is vibrant, yet the rise of noisy debates, declining civic literacy, and the erosion of civil discourse pose real threats to our democratic values. In this context, teachers have an indispensable — yet largely unacknowledged — role to play. Not as activists or partisans, but as facilitators of democratic inquiry and ethical reflection.