3 basic etiquette that schools should teach.

Today a friend called and told me how her entire day goes in cleaning and cooking with no one to help around in the house while her children and husband spend their time watching TV mostly.In most Indian families, women spend their days cleaning, cooking and are expected to take care of the entire house as she juggles between office and work. The effort that women puts in managing the house is often taken for granted and tagged as a women’s job. Parents often fail to inculcate basic habits like cleaning, time management and seeing women as equal.

Though Children are taught different topics in class, basic life skills are hardly discussed in the classrooms. As published in the of centre of Parenting Education, Research indicates that those children who do have a set of chores have higher self-esteem, are more responsible, and are better able to deal with frustration and delay gratification, all of which contribute to greater success in school.

Basic hygiene:

Problem:

Toilet cleaning job at homes are generally treated as a mother’s job which is further promoted by Indian actors selling Toilet cleaning solutions to women only.

How can schools play a role:

• Talking about cleaning the toilets at home, discussing sustainable ways to clean the toilets can be a great way to start.
• The school should discuss the monthly expenses that goes in buying the school toilet supplies like toilet paper, cleaning solutions.
• Children should get an opportunity to meet the house keeping staff sometimes to discuss toilet etiquette. Generally the house keeping staff have a list of grievances against the students for not following the toilet etiquette.
• A team could be appointed to do water audit — recording the consumption of everyday usage in the toilets. Small projects to study if water from AC outlets and kitchen etc. can be reused in the toilets.
• Appointing students as toilet in-charge to take care of the issues in the toilet and to create awareness regarding the hygiene and sustainable use of the washrooms can be initiated by the management.
• The students can create awareness regarding the proper disposal of pads, talking about sustainable alternatives for menstrual pads and having pad incinerators fixed in the toilets.
• Little children can be involved by asking them to make posters for the basic toilet etiquette.

Lesson on Gender Stereotyping:

Children generally learn stereotyping from home — when boys are typically asked not to cry like a girl, or when girls are asked to sit like girls, when moms are expected to cook as the boys laze around in the drawing room, the kind of toys that girls and boys are given mostly sports toys are preferred for boys and dolls are gifted to girls, stereotyping also happens when girls are called in the kitchen to help mom whereas boys are called to clean up cars with dads in garage.

If the school makes conscious efforts to break the stereotype, there will be a shift in the mindset of the children as there are many actions that happens at homes and schools unknowingly. As published in Global partnership.org, the concept of gender in children forms between the ages of three and seven. During this early phase, children form an understanding of gender norms, identities and stereotypes. By this age they also acquire strong gender biases, such as which jobs men and women should fulfill.

How can school help:

• These topics must be discussed and debated with kids, role plays and videos showing the impact of stereotyping should be shared with kids.
• The typical ads in media showing men as ambassadors of protein powders and women with zero figures should be discussed in classes and analysed how it effects everyone.
• Running campaigns in school, putting awareness posters can be powerful ways of spreading the message.
• Training teachers to be conscious in using certain terms that can create gender bias in classrooms

As Jayneen Sanders, an author, publisher and advocate for gender equality education puts it, “parents and teachers should make sure they are not reinforcing traditional gender roles. Girls can take out the garbage, and boys can do dishes, she said. Let both boys and girls know it’s OK to express and discuss their feelings and emotions and to cry when they are sad.”

National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) , India has made the “gender equality” recommendations in the new guidelines for pre-school education “Teachers should use stories, songs, activities and facilitation aids that depict girls and boys, including some with special needs in the same roles as men and women in all professions. Both women and men should appear as leaders, heroes and problem solvers.”

Time Management

Parents struggle to help kids be organised, waking up on time and finishing their work on time. Time management is such an important skill that it should be part of the curriculum in every grade. Students suffer in managing their time as they are often asked to do things on time but how to do things on time are hardly spoken in schools. These habits that are formed in the early years stay forever, hence early intervention is very important.

“When we teach children strategies for time management from an early age, they internalise them, which sets them up for lifelong success,” says Lynn Meltzer

How can schools help:

• Instead of reprimanding the kids who come to class late, teachers should hear their stories of being late. Students who are on time should be asked to share, how they manage their time.
• The tendency to choose essential things over not so important things is always more, so discussing priorities with children in the class is very important. Helping them prioritise their task by listing have tos task vs want tos task through activities in class can help students to self -monitor their day.
• Discussions with kids regarding their passions, priorities and goals can help teachers and parents in understanding what kids want. Below is a beautiful video to demonstrate prioritising the important things in life

Conclusion

If the basic purpose of going to school is to be future ready, learning skills that are needed to lead a realistic life is very crucial. People get job with the academic subjects that are in the class, but the basic etiquette to keep oneself clean, respect a woman and managing one’s time is not necessarily mentioned in schools amidst their busy schedule.Incorporating these small steps can help kids be future ready.