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WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript <www.descript.com> 00:00:00.000 --> 00:01:42.269 210225_SALSRC_Farah-video: Hello, Dr Farooqi. 00:01:42.980 --> 00:01:44.959 Oh, I gotta Finally, talking to you. 00:01:46.330 --> 00:01:49.380 I think I need to take a few moments to just relax and. 00:01:51.190 --> 00:01:52.760 come to terms with the reality. 00:01:55.110 --> 00:01:56.600 Can I just take a second. 00:01:56.610 --> 00:01:58.150 Just to make sure that. 00:01:59.210 --> 00:02:02.899 it's getting recorded and that we're just doing fine. 00:02:05.039 --> 00:02:05.409 Okay. 00:02:05.799 --> 00:02:10.290 This is great, and I hope it is okay to record this. 00:02:11.350 --> 00:02:11.600 yeah. 00:02:12.130 --> 00:02:17.020 And, of course, like we will get back to you with the edited version and the transcript. 00:02:17.370 --> 00:02:20.589 And only after you consent will be. 00:02:21.790 --> 00:02:23.700 Shared it with the larger group. 00:02:24.190 --> 00:02:26.720 So right now it's just going to stay within our small group. 00:02:27.480 --> 00:02:31.980 For our own watching and understanding, everything that you would be sharing with us. 00:02:31.990 --> 00:02:39.049 So i'm going to briefly introduce myself, because this is the first time we have met. 00:02:40.440 --> 00:02:47.750 And I would also give you the opportunity to do the same, and then we can get started with the questions that we have planned for today. 00:02:47.760 --> 00:02:53.910 So i'm Gayithri Jayathirtha and i'm basically from Bangalore. 00:02:56.520 --> 00:03:06.599 Right now, I have been a student at the University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia USA but, before this I had done my education in Bangalore. 00:03:07.480 --> 00:03:15.820 I was in the computer science domain, so I continue to work in computer science education, that is my primary research area. 00:03:16.609 --> 00:03:32.640 But, of course, like being here as an international student has also triggered a lot of questions about my own identity in the space and how I relate to teaching and learning and what it even means to do some of the work as an educational researcher. 00:03:33.900 --> 00:03:34.280 and 00:03:34.490 --> 00:03:51.119 That is why this project, where we a group of students have come together to ask these questions and at the same time to kinda like decolonize or decenter the Western frameworks, the Western gaze we have had all these years. 00:03:52.269 --> 00:03:58.910 At least that's what the literature feels like when somebody has to get introduced to educational research. 00:03:59.420 --> 00:04:11.399 On, so we are trying to shift the gaze just by talking to folks like you who have had like vast experience either researching or doing work on the ground or both. 00:04:12.630 --> 00:04:16.840 We just want to collect your perspectives, of course we understand fully that. 00:04:17.529 --> 00:04:27.150 Even if there are like hundred individuals it's by no means representative of the work that's going on in the subcontinent and that these are just going to be hundred different perspectives. 00:04:27.740 --> 00:04:41.819 So coming from that background, today I would love to talk to you about your own practices, your perspectives and your experiences of doing the work that you have done all these years. 00:04:42.920 --> 00:04:51.070 and, especially, we are very keen on understanding what has equity meant to you in this work and how you have pushed. 00:04:52.150 --> 00:05:09.400 the boundaries of status quo to center and to bring focus on some of the concerns on equity in India as it exists in your context with the people whom you work and how you have kind of worked with that in. 00:05:10.710 --> 00:05:15.741 Your research and practice, so thanks for joining 00:05:15.741 --> 00:05:16.210 us today. 00:05:17.690 --> 00:05:18.540 yeah. 00:05:19.790 --> 00:05:24.070 Yes, Gayithri as you might be knowing presently I am working. 00:05:24.070 --> 00:05:34.610 In the Faculty of education, Jamia Milia islamia, which is a central university situated in Delhi. 00:05:35.710 --> 00:05:44.489 And i've been associated with this university for the last 13 years and before that. 00:05:44.489 --> 00:05:55.519 For 8 long years I worked with lady sriram college, which is Delhi University and. 00:05:55.580 --> 00:06:06.239 For a smaller time for about a year or two with NCERT so that is what my teaching. 00:06:07.400 --> 00:06:09.816 and learning experience has been. 00:06:09.816 --> 00:06:18.849 With these different institutions as far as my what you call as research. 00:06:23.320 --> 00:06:29.090 and writing is concerned, I started quite late in the sense that. 00:06:30.849 --> 00:06:33.360 I was bringing up children and teaching. 00:06:34.670 --> 00:06:48.920 So, being a woman has its own limitation apart from advantages but yeah so I started writing only. 00:06:49.259 --> 00:06:52.960 when I reached almost 00:06:55.460 --> 00:07:00.040 my you know I entered into my 40s. 00:07:01.180 --> 00:07:06.210 That is just you know 12 to 13 years back. 00:07:06.210 --> 00:07:14.620 Though I have been, before that, I wrote for textbooks, I was associated with. 00:07:17.910 --> 00:07:24.440 NCERT textbooks after national curriculum framework 2005 but doing my own bit. 00:07:24.550 --> 00:07:25.330 Actually 00:07:27.229 --> 00:07:31.930 As you would have seen my work is a little different because. 00:07:35.500 --> 00:07:35.720 I... 00:07:35.770 --> 00:07:39.390 And this is the kind of work that I will continue to do. 00:07:39.740 --> 00:07:42.710 i've been a practitioner so... 00:07:45.520 --> 00:08:04.400 and documented my experience so my work did not start with sampling and choosing a site and then going and recording so yeah. 00:08:06.539 --> 00:08:08.390 This is it and. 00:08:11.170 --> 00:08:23.680 In 2009 I came to jamia in 2006 in 2009 I got an opportunity to get associated with the. 00:08:25.109 --> 00:08:30.920 Government aided school, which is situated in the walled city of Delhi. 00:08:32.559 --> 00:08:37.370 And I became its manager and. 00:08:37.389 --> 00:08:46.470 For six long years I was the manager of this school and later, I still continue to be on its managing committee. 00:08:48.120 --> 00:08:48.140 So. 00:08:52.530 --> 00:08:53.860 This is the work that. 00:08:54.910 --> 00:08:57.340 I did, of 00:08:58.160 --> 00:08:59.840 Trying to bring about 00:09:01.310 --> 00:09:11.900 Some positive changes in this school trying to build up relations with people and 00:09:11.980 --> 00:09:20.939 And of course documenting the little changes that happened in the school and studying the locale of the school. 00:09:22.570 --> 00:09:41.921 So, for more than 12 years now 00:09:41.921 --> 00:09:41.932 I 00:09:41.932 --> 00:09:42.007 have been working and studying this school. 00:09:42.007 --> 00:09:48.620 So, and this school, let me tell you briefly, it is, it is more than 100 year old educational institution which started as a madrassa. 00:09:50.270 --> 00:09:51.949 And was run by. 00:09:53.670 --> 00:10:20.360 Some Abdul Rehman, before partition as a madrassa, but when partition happened and the person who was the owner of this place and in charge of running the madrasa , so he migrated to Pakistan, and he gave the key of the institution to Dr Zakir Hussain 00:10:20.360 --> 00:10:31.051 Who was at that time, the Vice Chancellor of our university and he started a school in that premises and 00:10:31.051 --> 00:10:38.921 This school was later taken up by a society which still continues to run three schools in Delhi one is the school the Sheffield memory school that I worked with and 00:10:38.921 --> 00:10:38.953 To our. 00:10:38.953 --> 00:11:09.870 One is Anglo Arabic school, which is more than 300 years old educational institution, beautiful institution and one self financed school, which runs in the same 00:11:09.870 --> 00:11:11.460 campus as Anglo Arabic school. 00:11:12.370 --> 00:11:14.579 So these three institutions. 00:11:14.820 --> 00:11:21.950 Now since, as I told you, Dr Zakir Hussain was the Vice Chancellor of our university. 00:11:23.090 --> 00:11:43.239 At the time when the school started in 1948 so whosoever is now the Vice Chancellor of our University in his or her honorary position is also the chairperson of 00:11:44.569 --> 00:11:58.140 Delhi Education society and is responsible for running these three schools and so that is how I got the opportunity to get associated with this school because I’m Vice Chancellor. 00:12:01.000 --> 00:12:17.809 And the President of the society so yeah it was a rare opportunity and clearly, you know I think some understanding that I have of education and so because of my association with that school. 00:12:18.939 --> 00:12:25.320 Fantastic yeah we will definitely delve into this, as we continue, but this was 00:12:26.510 --> 00:12:31.490 I think, a very interesting contextual information that 00:12:32.639 --> 00:12:34.509 i'm glad we went through. 00:12:34.509 --> 00:12:35.584 So 00:12:36.660 --> 00:12:48.039 If you want to like, we can start talking about like one specific project that you have taken up and then maybe we can get to like talking more broadly about different projects that you have done. 00:12:48.770 --> 00:12:49.970 So if you were to like 00:12:50.030 --> 00:12:57.710 pick one of the projects either like the recent one, or something that's close to your heart or something that you feel is representative of your work. 00:12:58.630 --> 00:13:11.970 Could you talk a little more about the community that you work with, the population that you work with, the geography, I think you kind of pointed at some of these when like you were just mentioning. 00:13:13.059 --> 00:13:25.400 details about your project and how you got associated with the school, but if you want to get a little more in depth, that would be also very helpful so. 00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:29.860 yeah actually. 00:13:34.240 --> 00:13:39.020 The school, as I said, lies on the 00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:46.379 Very close to the walled city and 00:13:46.400 --> 00:13:57.020 on the fringes of what used to be earlier called Shahjahana Bagh 00:13:57.020 --> 00:13:57.050 and 00:13:57.150 --> 00:13:59.299 So that is where it 00:14:00.680 --> 00:14:01.500 is located. 00:14:03.900 --> 00:14:09.134 But yeah, I must tell you a little about 00:14:09.134 --> 00:14:10.896 it's locale. 00:14:10.896 --> 00:14:13.864 The areas around the school the mohallas as they're called. 00:14:13.864 --> 00:14:15.890 These mohallas include Bada Hindu Rao and Nayi Basti, Hata Kitara 00:14:15.890 --> 00:14:16.053 and 00:14:16.053 --> 00:14:17.894 Prasad Pura and these areas. 00:14:17.894 --> 00:14:38.310 Are Muslim majority areas and. 00:14:40.359 --> 00:14:48.970 Earlier, now the the areas that I have mentioned the total about. 00:14:51.420 --> 00:14:52.649 More than 90% or. 00:14:52.739 --> 00:15:01.220 95% of people who reside in these areas are 00:15:01.520 --> 00:15:05.050 Mostly Muslims and the. 00:15:06.709 --> 00:15:13.189 Population as the urbanization the way it has shaped 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:13.220 In 00:15:16.780 --> 00:15:22.870 Delhi and other states as well over the last few decades 00:15:24.720 --> 00:15:35.189 Because of sociopolitical reasons, so earlier these. 00:15:35.199 --> 00:15:37.129 mohallas, these areas 00:15:37.930 --> 00:15:41.910 had much more or mixed kind of a population 00:15:42.970 --> 00:15:43.460 and 00:15:43.470 --> 00:15:47.909 Later, but 00:15:48.889 --> 00:15:57.840 I mean actually this started, and in fact the attendance registers of 1950s reveal that about 00:16:00.970 --> 00:16:25.940 35% Hindu children studied in this school at that time and the areas which I have mentioned these areas house many refugees after partition who slowly migrated to neighborhoods where they were given plots for houses others moved out as their businesses grew. 00:16:26.670 --> 00:16:33.090 But after 1984 as 00:16:33.100 --> 00:16:44.994 Some would recall there was anti sikh pogroms which happened, and the Muslims, interestingly. 00:16:44.994 --> 00:16:50.380 were quite shaken, if not as much as the sikhs. 00:16:50.760 --> 00:16:56.100 but many people from it, joining areas they bought houses in. 00:16:57.230 --> 00:17:10.659 This area and many such areas at that time and later the pulling down of the Babri Masjid in 1992 and still later the 00:17:12.230 --> 00:17:19.349 Gujarat genocide of 2002 gradually resulted in the present state of the neighborhoods around the school. 00:17:20.980 --> 00:17:31.190 So now the these areas that I have mentioned, they have more than 95% Muslim population. 00:17:31.220 --> 00:17:37.280 And that this leads to an illusion of 00:17:38.080 --> 00:17:48.190 Security, that is why they are now coming together and over the last several years as 00:17:48.190 --> 00:18:07.810 You know that the Muslim consciousness and vulnerability and security, these are now quite palpable in these areas, since the bgp government 00:18:10.030 --> 00:18:12.679 has come into power so 00:18:12.689 --> 00:18:14.549 This is what. 00:18:16.360 --> 00:18:24.810 This is about the locale of the school and now 00:18:26.500 --> 00:18:36.054 The children who come to this school more than 00:18:38.250 --> 00:18:40.139 65% of the children. 00:18:43.030 --> 00:18:45.690 are Child workers and 00:18:45.790 --> 00:18:48.470 Almost all of them are from working 00:18:48.470 --> 00:19:04.840 class families and as I said about 65% themselves work in a small factories called karkhanas and. 00:19:04.840 --> 00:19:10.090 This area, the entire area this. 00:19:13.260 --> 00:19:18.220 You know undergoes. 00:19:18.260 --> 00:19:20.590 Income shocks, off and on. 00:19:21.010 --> 00:19:22.909 For example, they were sealing 00:19:22.980 --> 00:19:24.792 A small. 00:19:24.792 --> 00:19:34.044 Commercial ventures in the area in 2006 and later in one of the areas. 00:19:34.044 --> 00:19:35.015 which I mentioned Prasadpura in this area. 00:19:35.015 --> 00:19:54.870 There were more than a century older slaughterhouses and these slaughterhouses worse shifted to another place in 2009. 00:19:54.870 --> 00:20:26.480 And this shifting of slaughterhouses to a place which is about 25 to 30 kilometers from this area also again resulted in an income shock, because many people who were workers in those slaughterhouses they had to go to this distant area and going there required. 00:20:26.510 --> 00:20:42.410 You know spending quite a lot of money every day, whereas they earn very little so that again resulted in an income shock which. 00:20:42.410 --> 00:20:43.294 happened often on in this area so yeah, so this is about the area. 00:20:43.294 --> 00:21:14.204 Yes, and you were mentioning that some of the students have like 65% close to on are already actually employed in some of the manufacturing places around you mentioned that so are you working with like high school students, what exactly is the project so. 00:21:14.204 --> 00:21:14.219 Actually, Gayithri, I 00:21:14.219 --> 00:21:14.233 did not take 00:21:14.233 --> 00:21:14.238 up 00:21:14.238 --> 00:21:14.253 take this up 00:21:14.253 --> 00:21:14.267 As a project. 00:21:14.267 --> 00:21:14.316 Exact I got involved with this school as a manager. 00:21:14.316 --> 00:21:14.321 Okay. 00:21:14.321 --> 00:21:15.659 So I did not take this up as a project or 00:21:16.339 --> 00:21:46.809 Research or even have a research site. 00:21:46.809 --> 00:21:52.509 So yeah. 00:21:53.639 --> 00:21:56.259 Fantastic yeah, I just wanted. 00:21:56.570 --> 00:22:07.410 This is all coming from your understanding and experiences like being a part of the community keeping the school going. 00:22:07.410 --> 00:22:11.699 Absolutely yeah and these children. 00:22:11.699 --> 00:22:12.219 This school is. 00:22:15.740 --> 00:22:35.900 A senior secondary school, which runs from class one to class 12 and the primary school runs in the evening shift classes one to five happen in the evening shift, whereas classes six to 12. 00:22:36.310 --> 00:22:39.896 happen in the morning shift, that is from 7am till 12:30pm so that is our morning shift and... 00:22:39.896 --> 00:22:39.902 And most work and. 00:22:39.902 --> 00:22:55.400 which I have been able to do. 00:22:57.050 --> 00:22:58.570 And observe closely. 00:23:00.340 --> 00:23:07.329 Because my association with children has been. 00:23:07.329 --> 00:23:07.369 Quite. 00:23:07.920 --> 00:23:15.449 You know, interesting and I forge relations with many children and children who passed out [graduated], you know. 00:23:16.810 --> 00:23:24.369 Six years ago or eight years ago from this school still continue to be in touch so. 00:23:27.250 --> 00:23:30.120 These young.. 00:23:30.169 --> 00:23:36.139 And such a room these children were in the morning shift. 00:23:37.360 --> 00:23:38.800 i've been able to observe. 00:23:39.120 --> 00:23:47.280 The children in classes six to 12 much more closely, as compared to the primary school so yeah. 00:23:50.430 --> 00:23:50.660 So. 00:23:53.800 --> 00:24:07.230 Just to get a perspective, Dr Farooqi would you want to elaborate on how a typical day in your work at the school would look like, because that sounds really very interesting. 00:24:09.300 --> 00:24:09.780 Actually. 00:24:12.050 --> 00:24:16.049 As you know, as I... 00:24:16.650 --> 00:24:20.430 In my introduction, told you that I work with the university. 00:24:21.740 --> 00:24:26.050 Like Jamia Milia islamia and I was 00:24:26.050 --> 00:24:33.810 an honorary manager of the school and unfortunately we don't have. 00:24:34.340 --> 00:24:35.869 You know. 00:24:38.370 --> 00:24:43.510 This kind of work does not find a space in our 00:24:43.510 --> 00:24:53.065 Time table or in workload as well. 00:24:53.065 --> 00:24:53.068 So. 00:24:53.068 --> 00:25:03.870 So yeah it was actually difficult, but I did manage to visit the school. 00:25:03.870 --> 00:25:03.990 At least 00:25:04.050 --> 00:25:10.434 Five times in a month, which went up 20 times 00:25:10.469 --> 00:25:13.640 When the situation demanded. 00:25:15.620 --> 00:25:44.789 and otherwise, even if I was not in the school, communication continued, and you know phone calls and writing emails and communicating with the Delhi Education Society and the directorate of education children, and the teachers, many of them live close to my university 00:25:44.789 --> 00:25:58.630 So they visited me in the university for official work and otherwise as well so 00:26:00.130 --> 00:26:00.470 yeah 00:26:02.320 --> 00:26:20.068 and in my day at university and the school when I managed to go to this school, as I said, it was minimum of five days in a week which went up to 20 days. 00:26:20.068 --> 00:26:31.770 Five days in a month, but which went up to 20 days in a month whenever the situation demanded, so yeah one thing which 00:26:35.139 --> 00:26:42.899 actually helped my classes in the university were either in the morning, or in the afternoon. 00:26:43.680 --> 00:27:05.870 So whenever there you know, and most of the days I used to have classes in the afternoon, so I would visit the school, will reach the school at around 8-8:30 and then be there for a few hours and then come back to the university for my classes. 00:27:07.680 --> 00:27:14.719 So yeah somehow managed, that is what. 00:27:15.860 --> 00:27:16.250 I can say. 00:27:17.270 --> 00:27:18.150 that's that's no. 00:27:19.320 --> 00:27:26.280 I just wanted to get like a sense of like your environment which I think we got a sense of that. 00:27:26.889 --> 00:27:40.470 Thank you so much um, what do you want to elaborate on how you I know it was more of a fortuitous thing that you landed in this place in this school and you were able to work with the community. 00:27:41.510 --> 00:27:53.589 But what is actually keeping you excited and interested about this context, if you could elaborate a little more on what motivated you to take this line of work. 00:27:59.770 --> 00:28:06.610 You know, actually, as I pointed out earlier, that I never. 00:28:08.700 --> 00:28:20.870 At least initially, for a few years, I did not look upon the school as a research site or a project, but what. 00:28:22.650 --> 00:28:29.790 I wanted to do together with the school staff and children was to. 00:28:31.089 --> 00:28:34.823 bring about some kind of positive changes in the school so. 00:28:34.823 --> 00:28:45.899 And as a practitioner, I tried to reflect on my work. 00:28:54.329 --> 00:28:54.469 But that was. 00:28:54.469 --> 00:28:54.697 Later, and. 00:28:54.697 --> 00:28:58.710 One thing that I must share with you is that I did play a number of roles in a way. 00:28:58.710 --> 00:28:58.773 I was the manager of the school. 00:28:58.773 --> 00:28:58.837 A practitioner trying to harness positive energies. 00:28:58.837 --> 00:28:58.918 A student of education, and academic - a university professor. 00:28:58.918 --> 00:29:33.660 And I think wearing these several hats together did give me rare insights about 00:29:38.060 --> 00:29:44.690 The school and also the kind of work that I took up as manager, I was 00:29:45.560 --> 00:29:50.689 Not a mere cheque signing manager, I see because. 00:29:50.689 --> 00:30:01.150 During the course of my work, I interacted not just with the Delhi Education Society and the. 00:30:01.950 --> 00:30:02.300 >>>>>silence to crop<<< 00:30:02.310 --> 00:30:02.670 207 00:30:02.670 --> 00:30:10.450 will give me a second, please, please, please yeah no problem. 00:30:10.460 --> 00:30:11.060 I just. 00:30:11.410 --> 00:30:17.130 yeah I heard the bed. 00:30:17.900 --> 00:30:50.724 yeah please, please, nobody. 00:31:22.660 --> 00:31:23.573 Sorry day three. 00:31:23.573 --> 00:31:26.760 No, no, no don't be sorry. 00:31:26.810 --> 00:31:29.719 Thank you so much for making time outside. 00:31:33.169 --> 00:31:33.209 >>>>> end 00:31:33.209 --> 00:31:38.000 <<<<< Through what. 00:31:41.969 --> 00:31:45.220 You were talking about what like what is motivating you to keep this work going you were talking about the multiple hats that you all are in the class. 00:31:46.490 --> 00:31:46.880 Okay. 00:31:48.959 --> 00:31:59.379 So yeah apart from interacting with the Delhi Education Society and the directorate of education and writing innumerable mails to them 00:32:00.850 --> 00:32:08.540 I got a chance to interact with teachers, of course, in formal and informal situations. 00:32:09.300 --> 00:32:10.110 I was 00:32:11.530 --> 00:32:23.229 Very close to children, I taught in a class for some time, in fact, for one class - class eight - for the longest period and then. 00:32:26.470 --> 00:32:29.570 Other classes for a brief period with the. 00:32:32.700 --> 00:32:32.720 The. 00:32:32.720 --> 00:32:36.570 original co-taught with the teachers there and 00:32:38.280 --> 00:32:40.900 yeah back from that I was 00:32:42.660 --> 00:32:54.159 I had to be involved with the community, because the kind of relationship the community had with this school was also very interesting. 00:32:55.610 --> 00:32:56.379 They 00:32:58.159 --> 00:33:05.900 Looked at this school, as an institution which you. 00:33:07.600 --> 00:33:17.889 Because, as I told you, it is a 100 year old educational institution, and some people who were in that. 00:33:24.689 --> 00:33:24.759 lived there 00:33:24.759 --> 00:33:24.870 called themself. 00:33:24.870 --> 00:33:30.770 You know lay a claim to the school in the sense that they have. 00:33:32.770 --> 00:33:46.020 They say that this would have been taken up or it would have gone to the government, but we save the school for the community and 00:33:46.020 --> 00:33:55.159 When the partition happened, so the Community has really interesting. 00:33:56.570 --> 00:34:10.180 You know relationship with the school, so I had to, and also because most children come from the locality, so one has to interact with the parents. 00:34:10.529 --> 00:34:25.219 And not just the parents with other people in the Community, so it took up a lot of time, apart from that, the political leaders who resided in that area and. 00:34:25.409 --> 00:34:59.690 So what i'm trying to tell you is that my role as manager of the way I conceive my role as manager required me to interact with an array of people and groups and, apart from the staff and the children so yeah yeah and also being a part of a number of meetings in this school constituting 00:34:59.740 --> 00:35:07.580 committees and working with them did reveal a lot about the school and how it functions. 00:35:10.730 --> 00:35:11.580 And what has been. 00:35:12.259 --> 00:35:12.819 started writing. 00:35:14.429 --> 00:35:17.910 yeah yeah sorry I think there wasn't like oh no no go on. 00:35:17.960 --> 00:35:20.549 And not so. 00:35:23.190 --> 00:35:30.710 Actually I started writing, documenting my work only after three years of being with the school. 00:35:32.460 --> 00:35:35.510 So, and also published. 00:35:35.510 --> 00:35:45.109 19 articles serialized articles in a journal called shake shack have emerged. 00:35:45.769 --> 00:35:45.789 So. 00:35:49.990 --> 00:35:50.339 yeah. 00:35:51.340 --> 00:35:53.110 yeah yeah what were you asking. 00:35:54.349 --> 00:36:01.550 I think my question was, of course, like this has been like a very deep engagement with the Community the school. 00:36:02.720 --> 00:36:08.273 And, like all the other people who come with the school and the Community be it the parents or children, what has been some of the easy aspects. 00:36:08.273 --> 00:36:08.544 of doing this work if you were to mention a few is it been like working with parents or has it been working with like the teachers anybody else that you would like to. 00:36:08.544 --> 00:36:40.700 point to at this time, if you were to think about like what has been like really like easy or comfortable about this context of work. 00:36:48.399 --> 00:36:56.020 I will not put it like this, I think the best part of working with the school has been my interaction with children. 00:36:56.840 --> 00:37:17.470 And because it was quite amazing you know the kind of relations, I was able to forge with the children, and it was not just amazing for me, but you know the way the staff looked at it, for example. 00:37:17.470 --> 00:37:18.320 The children were 00:37:18.940 --> 00:37:22.239 quite interesting in the sense that they would 00:37:26.719 --> 00:37:29.209 You know some of them 00:37:31.369 --> 00:37:38.109 were quite happy that they knew the manager well and they used to. 00:37:40.260 --> 00:37:45.140 You know boast about it and there were others who would. 00:37:47.260 --> 00:38:00.659 You know tease and take the manager on the ride, and we laugh together, and since I was not just you know involved with the little teaching that I did but otherwise. 00:38:01.469 --> 00:38:28.290 I was also helping children prepare skits and play for the annual day and otherwise generally have you know interacting with them, so this was quite amazing for the staff and they found me laughing with the children, and you know. 00:38:29.509 --> 00:38:32.240 And chatting away with them so. 00:38:32.240 --> 00:38:37.440 And that, and after just. 00:38:38.750 --> 00:38:56.240 you know just a few years, I knew the children much better, I knew their families and homes and the locale much, much better than any of the teachers and because I visited their karkhanas their homes. 00:38:57.740 --> 00:38:59.600 And children would invite me also. 00:38:59.600 --> 00:39:07.600 ki aaj bhai aap humare saath rozaftaar kijiye. 00:39:07.640 --> 00:39:15.620 Have a cup of tea at our place. 00:39:15.620 --> 00:39:15.660 So umm 00:39:15.660 --> 00:39:23.970 You know, so it was quite amazing for the staff, and you know. 00:39:26.129 --> 00:39:30.660 Knowing children was the best part of it, and that is. 00:39:31.809 --> 00:39:46.210 From where I think the several layers of my research, because I was playing these different roles, so I think the kind of layered study. 00:39:47.410 --> 00:40:08.729 which I was able to do, looking at children and the locale, the kind of work that they did, their culture and how the school culture and the lives of children were influenced by the market, how different the kind of... 00:40:10.340 --> 00:40:15.410 There was one group in this school which engaged in religious education. 00:40:17.230 --> 00:40:24.529 And it was a voluntary group; looking at them and understanding their views and... 00:40:25.780 --> 00:40:33.230 Because when they were in this group, the children were totally different in this avatar. 00:40:33.230 --> 00:40:42.720 as they were in the classroom or outside. 00:40:43.100 --> 00:40:58.910 So the kind of work and the [...] kind of understanding of this school happened because of the kind of relations, I was able to develop with children and 00:40:59.880 --> 00:41:14.959 It was actually amazing and I don't know how and why, but the kind of trust that I was able to build with the children, and they would talk about their lives and 00:41:16.039 --> 00:41:20.529 Other things you know in school and outside school. 00:41:20.529 --> 00:41:49.779 So, but it was initially quite amazing for me, I think they were yearning for this, you know this kind of relationship and which, I was able to forge with some children, of course, because I did not have that kind of time, but yeah I learned a lot. 00:41:49.790 --> 00:41:54.660 So that was the best part I think of the entire. 00:41:55.660 --> 00:41:59.279 exercise to knowing the children. 00:42:00.440 --> 00:42:00.900 Nice. 00:42:02.110 --> 00:42:03.907 Anything you want to point. 00:42:03.907 --> 00:42:23.260 At a point to like any hard aspects of doing this work any challenging or difficult part of doing this kind of work, it could be, ranging from like funding to publishing that to, of course, like even like work on the ground. 00:42:26.630 --> 00:42:27.960 What were some of the challenging. 00:42:27.960 --> 00:42:28.880 Parts no. 00:42:30.710 --> 00:42:37.100 Actually, since, I never took up this work as a project or as. 00:42:38.940 --> 00:42:50.680 So there was, of course, funding is no question, I was there as a manager an honorary manager and because the school is too hard upon funds. 00:42:51.990 --> 00:42:58.448 We receive 95% from the government 00:42:58.448 --> 00:42:59.637 which goes. 00:42:59.637 --> 00:43:09.289 Which is for paying the teachers towards the salaries of teachers. 00:43:09.740 --> 00:43:20.580 5% the management has to somehow manage and we do that through. 00:43:20.620 --> 00:43:31.000 We e have to charge a little fee from the students in order to be able to you know. 00:43:32.750 --> 00:43:37.520 for collecting the 5% which we have to. 00:43:39.390 --> 00:43:39.990 Then. 00:43:41.420 --> 00:43:41.940 In order to give this the salaries to teachers and also for every day. 00:43:50.600 --> 00:43:58.090 Expenses like the phone and electricity, and all the rest so yeah. 00:44:01.420 --> 00:44:05.477 So, but of course there was no funding involved and also because we were hard. 00:44:05.477 --> 00:44:15.290 On funds all the time, so but I made it a. 00:44:15.379 --> 00:44:19.150 You know my I never took. 00:44:21.839 --> 00:44:41.949 Even transport expenses from the school for traveling to and fro from jamia to school and back and school is 25 kilometers from jamia so yeah there's there was no question of. 00:44:42.029 --> 00:44:47.630 Funds did not arise, and what is the next thing that you asked. 00:44:47.630 --> 00:44:49.370 have in place. 00:44:49.410 --> 00:44:51.190 In case, if there were any. 00:44:53.190 --> 00:44:54.979 So I think there has been like a little bit of. 00:44:54.980 --> 00:45:01.190 A delay between I speaking and it's reaching that is like some kind of a delay. 00:45:02.820 --> 00:45:08.450 I maybe we'll have to just be patient sorry uh. 00:45:08.450 --> 00:45:09.336 huh. 00:45:09.336 --> 00:45:15.280 So I think my question was if you had any challenges that's all. 00:45:15.349 --> 00:45:17.519 i'm with regard to funding. 00:45:17.579 --> 00:45:19.730 i'm just wondering make publishing or putting this work out in the world. 00:45:19.730 --> 00:45:29.110 or even like working with certain people as a part of this work. 00:45:32.190 --> 00:45:32.210 So. 00:45:33.719 --> 00:46:03.480 With regard to funding, as I told you that I was the only manager of this institution, and with regard to publishing I first published my work as serialized articles in a. 00:46:03.810 --> 00:46:14.940 journal called shiksha vimarsh which you might be knowing an organization which works with schools and also publishers they invited me to publish my. 00:46:16.850 --> 00:46:26.800 My articles in the form of a book and these articles were first written in hindustani. 00:46:26.820 --> 00:46:28.109 That again because. 00:46:29.809 --> 00:46:34.819 I wanted to write a series of articles that no other journal I knew would 00:46:36.629 --> 00:46:38.860 Give me 00:46:38.860 --> 00:46:42.200 permission to write. 00:46:42.290 --> 00:46:48.290 A series and publisher series which shiksha vimarhs most readily agreed so and now. 00:46:48.290 --> 00:47:13.006 I will send my with the book, which has been published, again, is in hindustani, and now I will soon be sending the English version of the book. 00:47:13.006 --> 00:47:17.580 For publication, not to eklavya, but to some other place so the manuscript is now ready, so I think i've taken 00:47:21.009 --> 00:47:21.930 A very different. 00:47:22.650 --> 00:47:24.669 path to studying. 00:47:24.669 --> 00:47:40.969 To doing work, studying school and making a graphical observations, and to writing publishing and yeah so the. 00:47:44.499 --> 00:47:48.639 questions that you are asking again. 00:47:49.460 --> 00:47:50.859 Many times to you're. 00:47:51.220 --> 00:47:58.569 Doing I do my situation and with regard to challenges I think of. 00:48:01.080 --> 00:48:12.645 Understanding the extent and limits of my power in relation to people and positions resources and organizational constraints so. 00:48:12.645 --> 00:48:13.815 The structural and the cultural barriers. 00:48:13.815 --> 00:48:14.500 You know, which 00:48:27.090 --> 00:48:28.430 created a sense of powerlessness amongst teachers and there was always 00:48:28.430 --> 00:48:28.517 A pressure to work to rules. 00:48:28.517 --> 00:48:28.532 but 00:48:28.532 --> 00:48:57.890 and his school what struck me when I joined this school was that it seemed like closed, and it was a closed and suffocating 00:48:59.260 --> 00:49:21.700 space where there was a lot of mistrust between staff, management, and the administration and also the community, and there was a lot of lobbying and politicking so while the management was vigilant and teachers were 00:49:21.700 --> 00:49:23.910 alert and distant and. 00:49:25.840 --> 00:49:31.009 So thinking about some changes was quite 00:49:32.610 --> 00:49:43.799 A huge challenge in an atmosphere where there was blame and fear and my, you know, disdain and. 00:49:45.509 --> 00:49:50.339 But I think one change really which. 00:49:52.319 --> 00:50:08.340 I can leave some claim to and I don't regard any change which came about in the school, as my success or anything which did not work as my individual failure. 00:50:09.330 --> 00:50:29.740 Because we were all working as a team and a lot of credit goes to the administration, because they were working on day to day basis, but the entire the ethos, the atmosphere of the school did undergo a change. 00:50:30.810 --> 00:50:32.000 The kind of. 00:50:32.010 --> 00:50:32.030 The. 00:50:36.309 --> 00:50:47.650 You know the relations between participants, between staff and management changed actually when. 00:50:47.650 --> 00:50:55.400 By initially when I joined the school one complaint which and which I also observed. 00:50:55.400 --> 00:51:00.349 Was that only. 00:51:01.489 --> 00:51:06.590 Three people on the staff, used to say were running this school. 00:51:06.590 --> 00:51:28.790 One principal and two office close associates, the two members of the staff but later, you know, as the principal grew in confidence and he thought that I was with him, he started to delegate 00:51:29.170 --> 00:51:36.619 responsibilities among staff members and later when I 00:51:38.009 --> 00:51:39.810 stepped down as manager. 00:51:40.220 --> 00:51:46.980 So one change, one huge change that happened right before my eyes was. 00:51:48.090 --> 00:51:48.270 That. 00:51:50.820 --> 00:51:51.480 Many. 00:51:53.639 --> 00:51:53.979 Sorry. 00:51:54.150 --> 00:51:55.380 You want me to pause. 00:51:56.710 --> 00:51:59.420 yeah i've been boards that. 00:52:03.929 --> 00:52:11.799 That relations between various participants underwent a huge huge change. 00:52:12.309 --> 00:52:31.729 There were more than 30 teachers who were, around 33 teachers of the 43 or 45 that we had, who were willingly and happily participating in the school in various activities of this school and 00:52:32.979 --> 00:52:38.950 Our principal also later got a letter of appreciation from the Minister of 00:52:42.529 --> 00:52:56.060 The MHRD minister, the Minister of Education, that the way the school has changed and which included, you know many more, we had. 00:52:56.069 --> 00:52:56.740 Earlier only. 00:52:58.190 --> 00:53:05.200 You know 50% of our students managed to barely pass, but now. 00:53:05.209 --> 00:53:14.720 all hundred percent students were passing, which I will not say 00:53:16.450 --> 00:53:20.819 was a huge huge change as i'm referring to. 00:53:22.049 --> 00:53:30.840 The change in relationships which happened because, as we know that marks are, do not lie, that. 00:53:34.070 --> 00:53:57.930 Things have changed and they don't really indicate that children have learned and they have understood, but yeah there were many other changes which happened in this school very slowly to one had to be very patient but yeah so i've been able to. 00:53:59.640 --> 00:54:16.299 document these slow changes which happened and writing my diary as I call it, it did lend me a sense of hope and confidence, and I was able to see the 00:54:16.439 --> 00:54:25.690 The small changes coming about which did give me the confidence to carry on. 00:54:33.380 --> 00:54:36.469 So this, this is a brilliant. 00:54:36.539 --> 00:54:46.210 If you were to make connections like and if you also want to elaborate maybe now would be a great opportunity to talk a little about. 00:54:47.580 --> 00:54:58.140 The series of articles that you wrote from the diary if you want to elaborate on that, that would be wonderful in relation to. 00:54:58.860 --> 00:55:12.239 What we just discussed about what happened in the school and what you saw if you could briefly, I know it, it might be like a really hard ask because there were like a series of articles which we will definitely link to. 00:55:13.260 --> 00:55:42.649 When we are putting up the video, we will be linking to some of your work, of course, one of that would include like a link to the series of articles, but if you were to quickly tell us a little about what you wrote in the article, what did you look at and what were some of the surprises. 00:55:42.649 --> 00:55:42.669 yeah. 00:55:43.759 --> 00:55:49.019 The first two articles Gayithri were about 00:55:49.019 --> 00:55:53.519 understanding school as organization and 00:55:54.420 --> 00:56:02.820 It was about 00:56:10.970 --> 00:56:26.540 [...connection issues] in the first article, for example, I have tried to introduce school by describing its location, infrastructure, available resources, then, do the focus on. 00:56:28.060 --> 00:56:37.589 The first two chapters his own internal organizational processes, but we all know that these remain open to political and 00:56:38.689 --> 00:56:52.210 Economic and policy pressures from outside, so I have tried to understand the responsibilities of different people in the organization and I've also. 00:56:55.540 --> 00:57:02.520 You know, reflected on my work as manager and I have pondered how. 00:57:04.400 --> 00:57:13.680 responsibilities when undertaken sitting in the ivory tower can result in dangerous consequences. 00:57:14.380 --> 00:57:22.640 So, and outcome can be drastically different is tasks are taken up conscientiously and. 00:57:23.610 --> 00:57:28.250 After understanding the ground, the ground realities. 00:57:29.010 --> 00:57:44.180 So i've talked about the interpersonal relations and i've talked about some very interesting aspects, for example, i've used the symbolism of a cup of tea and power. 00:57:45.719 --> 00:57:46.950 Which is a. 00:57:48.170 --> 00:57:58.030 which, in the first chapter i've tried to demonstrate how, at times, we fail to see how how others perceive. 00:57:58.030 --> 00:58:15.350 us and our power because we may not be conscious of our own power, but how others see us and how they perceive us is again important, then I have. 00:58:17.670 --> 00:58:19.510 You know, talked about... 00:58:22.480 --> 00:58:30.319 You know, an interesting thing which I have talked about in Chapter two is about. 00:58:31.649 --> 00:58:31.770 teachers [tea] clubs 00:58:31.770 --> 00:58:41.160 And so, these tea clubs. 00:58:43.480 --> 00:58:47.859 You know, through these tea clubs which used to run inthe school. 00:58:50.140 --> 00:59:03.750 I have tried to understand the interpersonal relations between teachers between teachers and the administration and it was very interesting to see how these 00:59:05.110 --> 00:59:21.580 Teachers actually during the break time they used to gather in groups and have tea, and you know lunch together, so it was really interesting to see how these 00:59:25.270 --> 00:59:34.549 small clubs operated and, for example, the kind of relations that existed in 00:59:36.860 --> 00:59:47.740 In a club; they used to call it a club, but in this group, where there were only female teachers about 13 of them used to have tea together. 00:59:48.410 --> 00:59:59.960 So there the kind of hierarchies the structural hierarchies that existed, whether or not, as visible as in the men's club. 01:00:01.890 --> 01:00:02.360 Read. 01:00:03.640 --> 01:00:12.270 Several you know the PGTs, and the TGTs, there in the men's club they used to be very conscious of. 01:00:16.440 --> 01:00:16.470 Their. 01:00:16.609 --> 01:00:20.430 You know role and status in the school. 01:00:21.250 --> 01:00:33.050 So, and I used to be invited to the men's club, most of the time, because our principal used to have tea in that club, so 01:00:33.740 --> 01:00:39.339 It was very interesting to see what happened there. 01:00:39.879 --> 01:00:45.680 And look, for example, this men's club it used to run in the physics lab 01:00:46.480 --> 01:01:01.510 and principal, he used to, he was offered a comfortable chair before which our table was placed and whenever I joined the Group I was also offered a chair placed at the same table. 01:01:02.599 --> 01:01:04.849 But I prefer to sit with teachers. 01:01:05.190 --> 01:01:17.010 And the teachers, they sat on stools which was placed around the work table of the lab and most of the times. 01:01:17.020 --> 01:01:17.660 The. 01:01:18.000 --> 01:01:20.789 Things like. 01:01:22.049 --> 01:01:25.080 For eating were ordered from outside, but. 01:01:27.000 --> 01:01:41.020 men also you know they brought things prepared by their wives, at times, but in this club, the conversation most of the time was 01:01:43.360 --> 01:01:43.660 Around 01:01:45.770 --> 01:02:03.129 The Department of Education management and obstacles in the path of files, and it was rare to see good humor door chatting which was there in the women's club, so it was really interesting. 01:02:03.140 --> 01:02:08.759 And, at times, I also became. 01:02:08.900 --> 01:02:15.839 me, you know, I was targeted it happened rarely but. 01:02:17.439 --> 01:02:17.809 You know. 01:02:19.889 --> 01:02:20.799 In this club. 01:02:22.199 --> 01:02:25.450 I was cornered at times that because. 01:02:26.900 --> 01:02:33.390 For example, one thing that I did not agree to, or was that to. 01:02:37.210 --> 01:02:45.937 You know, teachers wanted the school to close early on Fridays because of Friday prayers but I. 01:02:45.937 --> 01:03:08.660 said that the school gets over at 1230 and we have sufficient time to go to our places and pray so why leave early so they would call me and say jamia shuts early on Friday and why not our school and all those kind of things. 01:03:09.220 --> 01:03:11.779 Then there was a club which was. 01:03:12.900 --> 01:03:13.810 You know the. 01:03:15.089 --> 01:03:38.800 which was seen as a powerful group, and there were four teachers who had tea together one was to become principal and vice principal in a few years time and there were the staff Secretary, who was a female interestingly, and that was quite interesting because she was. 01:03:38.810 --> 01:03:47.430 This was very contradictory to the culture of the place and culture of the school. 01:03:47.660 --> 01:03:51.782 She was a Member of this group, and it was seen as a powerful group and whosoever the staff if they felt that. 01:03:51.782 --> 01:03:51.989 You know, they were being. 01:03:51.989 --> 01:03:52.072 cornered by. 01:03:52.072 --> 01:03:52.154 By the. 01:03:52.154 --> 01:03:54.510 management, so they would go to this. 01:04:16.310 --> 01:04:36.560 Group for advice and they had the manual, the school manual on their fingertips, and they were, and they also had relations with the government aided School Teachers Association and the other two schools of Delhi Education Society. 01:04:38.450 --> 01:04:40.940 So it was very interesting to document all this and to. 01:04:42.490 --> 01:04:46.940 See the entire group relations through. 01:04:48.050 --> 01:04:50.400 The window of these clubs. 01:04:51.580 --> 01:04:56.846 and later in the chapter, I have also talked about. 01:04:56.846 --> 01:05:03.529 Whether my own role and my own how I was functioning in the. 01:05:05.029 --> 01:05:10.319 In the school, whether it was democratic enough or not or. 01:05:10.499 --> 01:05:12.590 yeah I have. 01:05:16.630 --> 01:05:22.700 recounted several anecdotes to raise questions about my own functioning. 01:05:23.150 --> 01:05:27.550 So basically these two chapters are all, these two articles. 01:05:29.000 --> 01:05:29.490 About to. 01:05:38.629 --> 01:05:38.874 The school organization, interpersonal relations and. 01:05:38.920 --> 01:05:40.919 All such things so 01:05:45.659 --> 01:05:50.079 the third article was about. 01:05:51.339 --> 01:06:13.524 The market and, since our children, as I told you well working in this small factories, or karkhanas, so in this article i've tried to. 01:06:13.524 --> 01:06:27.899 bring forth the big picture of socioeconomic and cultural context of the children, so there is a description about living and working conditions of the children and. 01:06:27.899 --> 01:06:35.519 And the interplay which existed between factory residence and school and the. 01:06:35.519 --> 01:06:38.519 vicissitudes of the market. 01:06:38.929 --> 01:06:50.909 i've also talked about the nature of family and support system and how family relations are influenced by relations of work and market. 01:06:51.749 --> 01:06:54.830 So closely I’ve seen 01:06:56.260 --> 01:06:58.899 You know how children's everyday life 01:06:58.950 --> 01:07:00.113 is affected by the social and economic. 01:07:00.113 --> 01:07:00.495 pressures and 01:07:00.495 --> 01:07:02.256 tried to see the life context of these children. 01:07:02.256 --> 01:07:02.518 So that is what the third chapter is about and. 01:07:02.518 --> 01:07:04.066 i've talked about the karkhanas as I call them. 01:07:04.066 --> 01:07:35.350 And some of these karkhanas or these factories, they doubled up as homes and there would be. 01:07:35.450 --> 01:07:37.480 A small. 01:07:37.480 --> 01:07:42.310 you know a room, which was just 01:07:43.620 --> 01:07:54.729 You know, 12 feet in size and their workers lived and 01:07:54.830 --> 01:07:59.260 worked at the same time, and 01:08:00.309 --> 01:08:12.480 There would be, in that small room, seven or eight or more workers would be staying and also working and. 01:08:13.150 --> 01:08:21.649 With all this and they would be raw material and sewing machines and you know. 01:08:23.080 --> 01:08:44.500 Also, you know things take wired for preparing meals and other things, so I think any work without looking at the living conditions of children would be totally incomplete. 01:08:45.310 --> 01:08:49.440 And another interesting thing that I managed to do in this 01:08:51.930 --> 01:08:55.430 Article was to see 01:08:56.520 --> 01:09:02.279 to compare the relations which children had with their Ustaad. 01:09:02.319 --> 01:09:05.640 Ustaad I’m using for. 01:09:07.990 --> 01:09:14.140 you know for the owners of karkhaanas, so people with whom these 01:09:15.330 --> 01:09:27.010 Children would apprentice, or would intern with or work with, so the kind of relations that they had with them and how these relations were. 01:09:27.910 --> 01:09:46.250 markedly different from the relations that they manage to have with their teachers and so i've compared and contrasted that that how I think that is. 01:09:49.359 --> 01:09:50.300 One thing which. 01:09:52.149 --> 01:09:55.210 I find is really interesting about this chapter. 01:09:56.010 --> 01:10:14.312 So uh because, for example, the ustaad would look after children’s everyday needs and show concern during illness and have a heart to forgive and forget when they were unable to reach 01:10:14.312 --> 01:10:18.150 the workshop on time. 01:10:20.490 --> 01:10:31.250 But also they make children toil for minimum wages and they also delay their payments so. 01:10:31.880 --> 01:10:38.270 This display of sympathy and compassion, how it becomes a medium for exploitation. 01:10:39.030 --> 01:11:00.440 But it was also a means of extending help and patronage, so the hierarchical relationship, how it remained concealed and, at times, it became difficult for child worker to understand its nature but... 01:11:00.670 --> 01:11:13.180 And this was the kind of relationship, you know that they had with the Ustaad was. 01:11:13.260 --> 01:11:17.730 Personal and informal like the judge-maani system. 01:11:19.280 --> 01:11:29.540 So, but the kind of relationship that they had with their teachers, it was impersonal and formal despite their daily association. 01:11:30.070 --> 01:11:31.309 So I have talked about that and i've talked about. 01:11:34.570 --> 01:11:42.670 my visits to karkhanas was and how you know, I was not really confident 01:11:43.170 --> 01:11:52.070 To tell my children to stop working and to devote all their time to studies, because we could not offer. 01:11:52.860 --> 01:11:59.700 You know much in terms of. 01:11:59.700 --> 01:11:59.720 Our. 01:12:00.029 --> 01:12:07.040 Minister of Education, so I did not have that kind of confidence to wean them away from work. 01:12:07.350 --> 01:12:22.429 Because they felt that they were learning some craft, which would come in handy and they did not have the kind of you know, the leisure of devoting years of years to education. 01:12:24.840 --> 01:12:48.340 And even if they did study it was only some went on to college, but they did their graduation, and then they were forced by the circumstances to work and and this did not lead them. 01:12:50.150 --> 01:12:59.349 anywhere in the sense that they will became ultimately became slaves to the multinational companies so. 01:13:00.510 --> 01:13:05.539 These are some of the questions that I have managed to ask in this. 01:13:08.030 --> 01:13:08.559 You know. 01:13:10.009 --> 01:13:14.660 Article and in the next two years, should I go on Gayihtri 01:13:15.700 --> 01:13:26.650 and Dr K was allowed to tell has been like wonderful listen to, like all the chapters, but I don't want to take a lot of your time because I really don't want you to. 01:13:27.349 --> 01:13:30.000 You know stretch your day just for our sake. 01:13:30.430 --> 01:13:41.579 So maybe like we will be linking to the articles and if folks are interested, of course, like whatever you shared with us so far it's going to be good to give a glimpse of the kind of work that you have done. 01:13:41.980 --> 01:13:55.639 So I think, hopefully, our viewers will do the rest of their work by reading more of your writing and I think we can just quickly move on, because I want to ask a few questions. 01:13:56.730 --> 01:14:10.429 One being like is there, like any school of thought any like like a philosopher or anybody like guiding your work is there, like any theory that you go by. 01:14:11.410 --> 01:14:14.980 yeah, that is an important question gayithri. 01:14:15.590 --> 01:14:21.308 Because what I have done in my work as I told you, I started by writing a diary. 01:14:21.308 --> 01:14:21.318 and 01:14:21.318 --> 01:14:21.337 I have. 01:14:21.337 --> 01:14:21.463 The kind of work and the kind of details that I managed to. 01:14:21.463 --> 01:14:21.541 collect and write, so these details I thought. 01:14:21.541 --> 01:14:21.580 I was able to. 01:14:21.589 --> 01:14:56.349 My you know I did pose some questions for analysis and 01:14:59.170 --> 01:15:12.750 Using those details, I think I was able to write quite a coherent narrative and I did not start by looking at different 01:15:15.139 --> 01:15:21.130 You know, theories and in fact, I inverted the whole process. 01:15:21.500 --> 01:15:25.580 I have looked at later. 01:15:25.589 --> 01:15:37.599 I am in the process of writing the English monograph and some studies some work i've already published in English so after 01:15:38.400 --> 01:15:51.070 Writing it in the form of diary; through the lens of my work, I have 01:15:52.510 --> 01:16:03.890 You know, seen the existing literature, instead of doing the inverse, okay, using existing literature to see my work. 01:16:04.190 --> 01:16:14.919 I have used my work to examine the literature and what you call as theory 01:16:15.180 --> 01:16:18.650 For example, Paul Willis's work 01:16:18.650 --> 01:16:24.600 also i've seen. 01:16:26.160 --> 01:16:32.500 i've written a chapter on the discipline committee and discipline so i've seen. 01:16:32.510 --> 01:16:41.210 Foucault’s work through the window of my work so that has been quite an interesting exercise. 01:16:41.900 --> 01:16:56.979 For example, one chapter in my book is about the work culture and the shop floor culture and what children are doing and like Paul Willis talks about how children 01:17:03.569 --> 01:17:04.469 You know, reproduced through their culture 01:17:04.639 --> 01:17:18.470 The existing social realities, so my children, in my school, I found when I was also doing the same, but they were one premise i've been able to. 01:17:19.790 --> 01:17:21.950 To my work. 01:17:21.959 --> 01:17:37.050 You know I embarked upon very different kind of findings as compared to Paul Willis’s findings because children in my school were interested in studies. 01:17:37.050 --> 01:17:46.460 There were various circumstances which compel them to to work and to be you know the kind of. 01:17:46.469 --> 01:17:48.599 things which. 01:17:50.139 --> 01:18:08.610 happened in school and in classroom and that shop floor so yeah Gayithri instead of using theory initially, i've used my work; after creating a coherent narrative to look at 01:18:10.530 --> 01:18:15.479 Studies through the window of my work so that is what I did. 01:18:16.230 --> 01:18:16.679 fantastic. 01:18:17.190 --> 01:18:23.420 I think I really liked how you put it as like you have actually done the reverse. 01:18:25.100 --> 01:18:33.230 Which is very important to capture, I feel, because, like at the end of the day, who says how research should be done or what is research. 01:18:35.180 --> 01:18:55.389 I really like that piece that you clarified so who do you think is benefiting from this work if you were to think in terms of like what equity concern is your work addressing, if that is like the question that you have to answer or think about who do you think is. 01:18:56.689 --> 01:19:01.930 whose voices are being heard through your work or who is getting to. 01:19:03.990 --> 01:19:05.830 benefit from your work, you feel. 01:19:05.830 --> 01:19:05.860 Like. 01:19:05.860 --> 01:19:14.900 I want social inequities do you think you're addressing. 01:19:14.910 --> 01:19:27.310 Yeah I think i've been able to capture many voices, and that I feel is the essence of my work. 01:19:27.950 --> 01:19:31.750 And the one thing that 01:19:33.060 --> 01:19:38.820 I tried to do and I kept reminding myself is to 01:19:40.700 --> 01:20:00.169 Present, and when I was writing the narrative to 01:20:00.169 --> 01:20:00.229 present the voices. 01:20:00.229 --> 01:20:00.329 an array of voices and. 01:20:00.349 --> 01:20:07.180 Through conversations, through you know the dialogues which were happening through. 01:20:07.380 --> 01:20:30.450 Different episodes and anecdotes and describe the situation and also to look at it through the perspective of all the participants, so that I have sort of I have had. 01:20:31.620 --> 01:20:38.410 I have, I think very carefully, try to weave that in. 01:20:39.650 --> 01:20:40.267 Because I feel. 01:20:40.267 --> 01:20:40.275 that 01:20:40.275 --> 01:21:06.639 Being immersed in the field for almost a decade yeah I feel it was my responsibility to present before the world the different kinds of voices the different kinds of the marginalities and. 01:21:06.639 --> 01:21:23.660 The things and issues which were there in that area in the school because, now the kind of work which is happening 01:21:25.310 --> 01:21:28.489 In the area of sociology of education. 01:21:29.800 --> 01:21:30.450 I feel. 01:21:32.660 --> 01:21:45.770 That this kind of immersion has not been possible for many sociologists and educationists of late. 01:21:46.900 --> 01:21:58.700 And, and because of which the kind of layered understanding which is needed to understand a school or its locale better. 01:21:58.870 --> 01:22:00.850 does not really come out. 01:22:03.920 --> 01:22:03.950 Well. 01:22:04.140 --> 01:22:14.140 So with that sense of responsibility, I have been able to capture various voices and yeah... 01:22:16.980 --> 01:22:37.299 Is there like now thinking about like some of the work that has been going on in India, more broadly, either in relation to your work or similar to your work or kind of peripheral but important for your work, are you excited about any ongoing projects that you would like to mention. 01:22:40.110 --> 01:22:40.639 or. 01:22:42.270 --> 01:22:42.600 Maybe. 01:22:48.070 --> 01:22:48.810 Actually, many... 01:22:50.490 --> 01:23:11.050 yeah a lot of work has happened in the recent times i've read educational regimes in contemporary India, which was by Radhika Chopra and Patricia Jeffrey which came out in 2005, but, it is an edited 01:23:11.060 --> 01:23:13.390 book and 01:23:14.490 --> 01:23:24.529 again meenakshi thapan’s work on ethnography of schooling in contemporary India, then. 01:23:24.539 --> 01:23:32.770 Srivastava’s work, Sanjay Srivastava’s work is also quite exciting, which is on Doon school. 01:23:33.210 --> 01:23:45.580 But yeah, I feel that my work is a little different in the sense that the way I got associated with this school, firstly, and also because of. 01:23:45.580 --> 01:23:45.766 The duration of my work is important. 01:23:45.766 --> 01:23:45.793 My. 01:23:45.820 --> 01:23:53.760 For example, some of them have worked in the field for. 01:24:08.080 --> 01:24:10.440 A few months to. 01:24:12.300 --> 01:24:14.240 A year or so, but. 01:24:15.400 --> 01:24:23.811 I think the duration of work is also important, so. 01:24:23.811 --> 01:24:24.469 and then again. 01:24:27.650 --> 01:24:38.879 I think this also one thing that I must say that my work underscores the importance of practitioners to reflect upon their work. 01:24:39.370 --> 01:24:51.289 And to document it keeping in mind their positionality and, of course, the trustworthiness of the data; which I was very conscious about! 01:24:51.370 --> 01:24:56.170 I kept comparing my observations with what teachers had to say, 01:24:57.100 --> 01:25:09.629 And what was documented in the minutes of the meeting, in the minutes of discipline Committee, and they [...] agenda committee meeting, and you know observations I did... 01:25:12.619 --> 01:25:21.059 I was very conscious of establishing the trustworthiness of the data and I was conscious of my positionality but I 01:25:21.450 --> 01:25:32.680 think that this work, my work does underscore the importance of practitioners to reflect upon their work and because practitioners, they are 01:25:33.670 --> 01:25:43.359 Participants in the real sense of the term, and they can improve upon their practice and also bring about some changes. 01:25:43.950 --> 01:25:55.020 And they are in the best position to understand relations of power and the structural cultural processes and the everyday. 01:25:55.720 --> 01:26:06.579 So I feel that my own journey was not just about knowing this school and society, but of self inquiry as well, so. 01:26:09.219 --> 01:26:09.629 and 01:26:10.790 --> 01:26:14.300 I tried to connect the personal 01:26:16.260 --> 01:26:30.680 issues with perspectives and context, which helped me understand the prevalent discourses in the school and to influence some new discourses so yeah and. 01:26:32.150 --> 01:26:42.909 Yeah and another important thing that you have already asked me is to write without looking at an existing theoretical. 01:26:43.960 --> 01:26:48.280 perspective and that truth most useful. 01:26:48.860 --> 01:27:03.540 And because I wrote my journey and, as I told you earlier, in the form of a diary first and only later and I'm writing and I have to send the book very soon Inshallah. 01:27:04.790 --> 01:27:05.490 So writing the 01:27:10.770 --> 01:27:21.400 Only data I wrote as academic articles involving references and linkages with literature and from the thick description. 01:27:21.410 --> 01:27:28.900 I was able to 01:27:28.969 --> 01:27:29.609 Create 01:27:29.650 --> 01:27:47.230 A coherent narrative, but I have, as I said, and I have highlighted both patterns and contradictions in my work. 01:27:47.410 --> 01:27:55.003 But I was also, I must say that I was immersed in the historical moment, but you will realize if you go through my work that 01:27:55.003 --> 01:28:11.990 I was able to maintain a critical distance from the staff and the children to be able to view what infused with some clarity. 01:28:14.500 --> 01:28:28.059 And i've written the book or from my perspective, but i've tried to take into account as many voices as I could in describing different situations and contexts and relations and episodes. 01:28:29.010 --> 01:28:31.433 And I have not used, as I said, the existing theoretical perspective and I wrote it in the form of a diary 01:28:31.433 --> 01:28:31.433 and 01:28:31.433 --> 01:28:32.101 Later I was able to, now i'm able to draw linkages and 01:28:32.101 --> 01:28:34.160 i'm writing in the form of a diary did. 01:28:39.809 --> 01:28:58.880 Give me that flexibility to explore original constructs and ideas. 01:29:00.210 --> 01:29:07.429 So yeah I think that is the hallmark of my work and, of course, I have learned from 01:29:09.089 --> 01:29:10.469 All the other work which is happening. 01:29:10.480 --> 01:29:19.309 Srivastava’s work which is amazing, and so is Meenakshi Thapan’s and Radhika Chopra’s so i've been learning. 01:29:21.049 --> 01:29:22.819 I've learned a lot from them, but 01:29:23.969 --> 01:29:31.020 I was luckily in a situation where I could spend much more time and 01:29:31.020 --> 01:29:31.770 I 01:29:31.770 --> 01:29:42.376 could reflect on my work, and I was a practitioner and yeah. 01:29:42.376 --> 01:29:42.418 fantastic. 01:29:42.460 --> 01:29:43.257 I think that has. 01:29:43.257 --> 01:29:45.630 like an end to this conversation. 01:29:45.650 --> 01:30:08.460 But I I also understand that we are bound by the reality that we have to come to an end, maybe one last question, if you were to have like one or two advisors for like any newcomer who wants to jump into this kind of work in India, like a newcomer in the sense of even newcomer to context. 01:30:09.550 --> 01:30:19.188 What would be your one or two points. 01:30:19.188 --> 01:30:30.222 yeah I don't know all journeys, all research journeys are different and one has to be patient and also enjoy the work and the challenges and I think there is a great possibility of practitioners, of teachers, writing about their work. 01:30:30.222 --> 01:30:30.234 Which. 01:30:30.234 --> 01:31:08.050 has not happened so they need to, I think this work, and I hope, and I wish that my work will give practitioners a sense of direction, that sense of hope, and it will motivate them to look at their own work with much more... 01:31:10.219 --> 01:31:26.269 You know their respect, and they will gain the confidence to document and reflect on their work, to understand their work better and to bring about changes. 01:31:27.250 --> 01:31:27.309 Thank you. 01:31:27.309 --> 01:31:29.289 Okay i'm going to. 01:31:30.289 --> 01:31:37.150 pause because I personally wanted to just thank you, it has been a wonderful conversation. 01:31:37.170 --> 01:31:42.129 Thank you so much, thank you, maybe one last thing is if if you think. 01:31:42.829 --> 01:31:52.660 We would benefit from talking to any of people in your circles, because we are not specifically being like limited to research work we are. 01:31:52.970 --> 01:32:06.309 We would love to capture even like practitioner voice, as you rightly said, in fact, we recently interviewed a teacher who has been teaching for over 30 years and in fact that's the reason we even spoke to Harare when we did. 01:32:07.670 --> 01:32:20.960 Because we wanted to really hear like the practitioner voice, so we are very much open So if you have any recommendation for whom we should talk to, if you find that somebody would fit well with our motives and our intention to capture. 01:32:22.139 --> 01:32:26.269 The work that has been done in the subcontinent we would love to know more. 01:32:27.210 --> 01:32:31.630 yeah I surely will take off people and eight, you know. 01:32:32.010 --> 01:32:38.230 Thank you, thanks, a lot Dr for OK, I will let you go and continue with the rest of your wonderful day. 01:32:39.190 --> 01:32:41.049 Okay Thank you so much. 01:32:43.270 --> 01:32:43.880 Thank you. 01:32:43.880 --> 01:32:44.639 Thank you yeah. 01:32:45.930 --> 01:32:53.090 yeah we'll stay in touch Dr farooqi am going to get back to you, of course, we will take some time to process this. 01:32:53.840 --> 01:33:03.990 But then we will surely stay in touch and get back to you and I think very soon, one of my colleague will get back to you regarding like the pavement but then it's going to take a few months. 01:33:05.120 --> 01:33:06.170 But I just wanted. 01:33:06.170 --> 01:33:21.309 It yeah oh definitely but then we just also acknowledge that it is not usually the case that we get this kind of a fun thing so we're kind of proud of the funding that we received so we also want to make sure that it is it reaches. 01:33:22.640 --> 01:33:27.070 People who are going to partner with us in this process in this journey. 01:33:27.320 --> 01:33:29.570 So thank you so once. 01:33:29.570 --> 01:33:31.470 Again guys play by tag. 01:33:32.679 --> 01:33:33.089 yeah. 01:33:34.010 --> 01:33:34.400 yeah.