NEW DELHI: The Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), an autonomus organisation under the Ministry of Culture, is collaborating with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for imparting cultural education in schools across the country so that students become “Sanskriti Doot” or Cultural Ambassadors of India.
The CCRT is also collaborating with the CBSE in implementing initiatives on Integrated Art Education Curriculum and a few more activities. Besides, it is also planning to start online certificate courses for children to know about Indian culture and for those willing to do something in the field of culture.
Hemlata S. Mohan, Chairperson of CCRT, while speaking exclusively to The Sunday Guardian, said: “We are planning to provide certificates of ‘Sanskriti Doot’ (cultural ambassador) for children and students and ‘Sanskriti Samvahak’ (cultural facilitators) for young enthusiasts and teachers.”
Mohan said: “We are also in the process of reviewing and revamping the entire course contents and methodologies, which are presently undertaken by CCRT, by incorporating the changes to make them more relevant and contemporary. We are also planning to collaborate with like-minded corporates, multi-national companies (MNCs) and private organisations to help us undertake our ambitious new initiatives.”
The CCRT is the only institution dedicated to the advocacy and facilitation of cultural education in schools and propagating Indian art and culture among school and college students, artists and researchers. This is to be noted that the CCRT is an autonomous organisation of Ministry of Culture, fully financed by the government. The major required resources are met from this Grant-in-Aids, though it keeps on making efforts to mobilise external resources also for generating revenues.
Asked about the importance of incorporating cultural inputs in the education system, and whether the present education system lacks cultural and heritage component, Mohan said: “The ultimate aim of education is to liberate a person and complete the person as a good human being. The cultural aspect of oneself provides the holistic and bigger view of the world and understanding. Basically, knowledge of cultural heritage inculcates good human values, a sense of responsibility and a great deal of self-esteem. The present education system definitely lacks in providing cultural and heritage components. In fact, the essence of culture and heritage does not reflect in the present education system the way it should be.”
Talking about the training programme for school teachers to enable them to impart cultural inputs to the students, Mohan said the orientation course and theme-based workshops are being conducted at the CCRT headquarters in the national capital and its three regional centres—Udaipur, Hyderabad and Guwahati. These training programmes are conducted in remote rural and tribal areas of the country.
Asked whether help of resource persons from outside are taken, she said: “We are not directly training students in the schools located in areas other than CCRT Headquarter and regional centres. However, in other parts of the country, the teachers who are trained in the CCRT Headquarter and other centres are expected to disseminate the knowledge and skills to the students in a well designed way.”
Although CCRT has its own faculty to train the teachers and students but outside resource persons are also invited as Visiting Faculty for specialized subjects from time to time, said the CCRT chief, adding “CCRT’ programmes and activities encompasses almost all manifestations of culture and along with theory, equal importance is given to the practical training of performing, visual and literary arts including crafts and sculptures as well”.
Asked whether CCRT gets the required support from the CBSE, the Central government and the school management in implementing its mandate, Mohan said: “We are trying to do handholding with CBSE in implementing the mandate of the CCRT. Mostly CCRT activities are carried out in state government schools.”