What is School Culture according to NCF 2023?

School culture can be understood as the environment schools foster to enable learning. The environment is the product of beliefs and values a school subscribes to. A school that values science will have its culture centred on questioning the natural world, finding solutions, and thinking in patterns. While humanities-oriented schools’ culture will put humans at the centre of understanding our experiences and culture.

The NEP 2020 recognizes the importance of school culture for learning and seeks to shape it to enable learning and achieve desired learning outcomes. It will include stakeholders such as teachers, principals, administrators, counsellors, and students to help foster a conducive environment for learning.

The NEP focuses on how values and beliefs reflect in relationships, behaviours and practices in school. Learning is part emulation and part deliberate effort. Values and beliefs drive learning by emulation. When students see trash needs to go to the?trashcan, everybody follows it- you don’t need special instructions, it’s emulation at work.

Let’s understand what these elements of school cultures are:

1. Relationships How students, teachers, and parents perceive and interact with each other is an important part of learning and school culture. Especially, the teacher-student relationship forms the bedrock of school culture. When there is a free-flowing exchange of problems and ideas between teachers and students, learning thrives. This relationship has the following elements: ?

1.?Mutual Trust and Respect. Interactions between students and teachers are inspired by the belief that every student has the capability to learn, and they want to exercise their capabilities to pursue their goals. This establishes trust between students and teachers. Respect means recognizing student’s existence, views, backgrounds, dispositions and their basic rights.

• Openness, Communication, and Collaboration. When trust is established and the individual feels respected, interactions are open, communication flows both ways, and collaboration becomes a part of learning.
• Care. It makes students feel they are important. Smiling, greeting, giving others physical space, respecting others’ views, extending support etc. make us feel connected and cared for.
• Responsibility. It includes following the rules, not hurting others, and keeping with the spirit of the school culture.

2. Symbols: ?Visual signs such as pictures and quotes on the wall, idols, buildings or classroom names convey the beliefs and values the school subscribes to. What visual imagery students repeatedly see shapes their minds and thinking.

3. Arrangement and Practices: ?How a school approaches its day-to-day activities has a deep impact on learning. For example, how a school decides its mid-day menu, and how it serves the meal impacts how students perceive each other and teachers and administration. Stress on a healthy diet will make students aware of health issues, and when everyone is having the same lunch, it fosters a sense of equality and fairness. The NEP focuses on these arrangements and practices: ?

• Classroom Practices such as seating arrangement, learning resources, student ownership and responsibility of learning, cleanliness and more to promote certain values.
• School Assembly to develop familiarity and connectedness with cultures of India through songs and skits in various languages. ?
• Mealtime can be utilized to foster a sense of equality and instil good hygienic practices. ?
• Sports Activities on a regular basis to develop cooperation, teamwork, courage, and resilience and to include everyone.
• Engagement with Parents and Community through parent-teacher interactions, annual day or festivals and participation in local events.?