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This seating arrangement has already been adopted by eight schools in Kerala, and even a school in Punjab has embraced it.
The new seating model aims to foster equality and ensures that teachers can pay attention to all students in the classroom. (Representative image/File)
Following the implementation of U-shaped seating arrangements in several schools in Kerala to eliminate the concept of backbenchers, child rights activists in Karnataka are urging the state government to adopt the same strategy. This seating model aims to foster equality and ensures that teachers can pay attention to all students in the classroom.
Nagasimha G Rao, a child rights activist, has written to the Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, Madhu Bangarappa, requesting that U-shaped seating arrangements be introduced in government schools, according to a report by Bangalore Mirror. Rao noted that traditional row-based seating allows teachers to focus primarily on front-row students, whereas U-shaped seating enables teachers to engage with all students, promoting equality and eliminating the stigma associated with being a backbencher.
Echoing this sentiment, child rights activist Vasudeva Sharma expressed that U-shaped seating would ensure teachers give equal attention to all students, changing the perception of those seated in the front row.
Dr Thippeswamy KT, a member of the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights told the news agency that while the idea is good in principle, it may not be practically feasible. He pointed out that students sitting on the sides may experience neck pain from focusing on the blackboard or teacher for 45 minutes. He stressed that the authorities would need to provide the necessary infrastructure in government schools before implementing U-shaped seating arrangements, the report added.
Eight schools in Kerala have already implemented this seating arrangement, and a school in Punjab has also adopted it. Ramavilasom Vocational Higher Secondary School (RVHSS) in Valakom, a district in South Kerala, introduced this unique classroom setup to ensure every primary student receives equal attention, according to PTI.
Inspired by the Malayalam movie ‘Sthanarthi Sreekuttan’, the school adopted an innovative seating arrangement where seats are placed along the four walls of the classroom, making every student sit in front benches. Minister K B Ganesh Kumar, whose family runs RMVHSS, played a key role in introducing this new system. After previewing ‘Sthanarthi Sreekuttan’ a year before its release, he discussed its implementation in RMVHSS primary classes with the teachers, the report added.
Initially, the school introduced this arrangement in class 1, and after receiving positive feedback, extended it to all lower primary classes, stated Sunil P Sekhar, Headmaster of RMVHSS. He mentioned that this system allowed teachers to give equal attention to all students, facilitating better monitoring. It also eliminated the concept of backbenchers, giving every student a prominent position.
Teachers observed that similar systems are already in practice in countries like Finland and Norway, where the student-teacher ratio in schools is better.
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