I am Yashavant Pandurangji Kawale, the District Secretary of the Superstition Eradication Committee.  Also, I am a retired educationist who served as a science and mathematics teacher in Zilla Parishad School (Sadak/Arjuni). I write to highlight the urgent need for including chapters on superstition eradication and scientific attitude development in pre-primary and primary education.

As an individual, I’ve realised our children or all of us have grown up knowing about ghosts, witches etc much earlier than we learn alphabets in schools. We start believing things without getting into any details instead trusting the fables.

Recently, I witnessed an incident in a village Jambkhari, district Gondia, Maharashtra, where a 12 year old boy was said to be cursed in entire village. In this case, tiny stones were believed to fall from his ears due to a ghost’s curse. Clearly a superstition, as it was actually a result of innocent play misunderstood by villagers. This misinterpretation underscores the pressing need for education that fosters critical thinking and rationality.

Despite previous educational initiatives, superstitions persist in our society. The proposed curriculum change aligns with the National Education Policy 2020 and aims to nurture critical thinking and rationality among students. By including chapters on superstition eradication and scientific attitude development, we can equip young minds with the tools to question, analyze, and critically evaluate beliefs. 

- These chapters would cover various creative illustrations that covers the topics of science and superstition eradication.

- Strategies to answer WHAT, HOW & WHY. 

- The logical reasoning behind everything through stories, poetry or exercises.

This International Day of Families, let's commit to nurturing not just a family but a generation grounded in logic, not superstition . Integrating chapters on superstition eradication in education empowers children to build a future guided by evidence and critical thinking. 

In closing, I urge the Ministry of Human Resources & Ministry of Education to step in and help to grow and enhance the education system. We need to make sure thousands of these children can go to schools which liberate and encourage them to ask “Why”. 

This is all about educating the child which is what the Child Protection Policy is all about. If we can get these ministries to help, we'll make sure these kids get the right education they deserve. 

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Yours sincerely,
Yashavant Pandurangji Kawale

Email - (yashavantkawale@gmail.com)

15-05-2024