CESI 2022: Concept Note


 Conference Theme : Educational Transformations: Crisis and Resilience
 
Education system in India has traversed through profound transformations from its modern roots in colonialism to the present day of its incredible developments in curriculum, pedagogy and governance. Way back in 1941, Tagore introspectively remarked ‘education served in earlier days was severely limited in its shape, lacking scientific tamper, restricted to English-ness and was rather marred by stately declamations’. Indian education landscape has still not come out of such captive enclosures. Naik’s (1970) presumptive elusive triangle of equity, equality and quality is still a palpable reality and continuesto be in focus through the commitment of attaining Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. COVID-19 overhauling seems to have further exacerbated the disparities such as gendered inequalities, digital divide and learning gaps across diverse social groups and geographies. Besides, the recurring binaries of private versus public, national versus international, and a debate between old versus new appears to gain momentum which call upon us to assess the relevance and viability of the advocated ‘new’. The question emerges whether the ongoing transformations are truly envisaging a ‘new order’ or these are mere attempts towards adding the conservative undertones to the existing. All the while, the recent release of the New Education Policy (NEP 2020) has added to the severity of need to ponder over the concerns around directedness and aptness of educational transformations in the country.

Issues of unregulated privatisation, incessant budget cuts on education, popping up of language debates, and pervasive educational inequalities are vigorously persisting amidst rising living cost, increasing unemployment and decreasing income levels. The State of the Global Education Crisis: A Path to Recovery (2021), The State of Inequality in India Report (2022) concede prevalence of inequities across sectors like health, education, etc., making populations to descend into multidimensional poverty. On the other hand, Annual Status of Education Report (2021) and National Achievement Survey (2021) suggest recurring learning gaps, digital deprivation, and an unusual shift of enrolment from private to public and the vice versa in last couple of years. Furthermore, the ensuing trends of globalization and development have unfolded avenues to invite foreign educational institutions and encouraging new market forms, yet the relevance of such endeavors and the volatility of emerging for-profit diverse competitive education market(s) need to be examined and interrogated for their impacts and ramifications in India’s distinctive socio-economic context

Nonetheless, amidst the crises there are prospective trends at national and the global level like bringing institutional changes, materialising collaborations, and joint commitments for attaining the goals of access, equity and quality education. Besides NEP-2020 as a major restructuring tool, the flagship programmes like Samgra Siksha Scheme (SSA 2.0) and Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao (Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter), are just a few cases in point, through which Government of India aims to bring breakthrough changes in the education system and in the lives of millions who are excluded and disadvantaged. The global commitment for SDGs as stated earlier provides a platform through the exchange of best practices among the different countries and learning from diverse experiences. The upcoming CESI international conference 2022 is focusing on educational transformations amidst global pandemic induced challenges and ramifications. It seeks to ponder over the questions such as; how have the state and its policies responded to the new challenges? What are the new structures proposed? Will they be sufficed to deal with the learning gaps, crisis and emerging concerns? How has the COVID-19 influenced and reshaped the education systems? What are the possible global dimensions and linkages of India’s educational transformations? And how to make sense of the various localized efforts such as refurbishing image of the government schools in Delhi, distinct initiatives like model Sanskriti schools in Haryana, residential schools for minorities in Telangana and the government English medium schools in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, etc. in the metamorphosing educational landscape of the country?

The papers and presentations in CESI-2022 conference may focus on the sub-themes outlined below. The authors may send their papers to the respective Research Interest Groups (RIGs)

Sub-themes for CESI-2022

RIG 1: Sociology of Education
  • Social, Political and Cultural Transformations and Educational Policy
  • Rural Society and re-imagination of Education
  • Changing meaning of Equity, Diversity and Social Justice in the field of Education
  • Urban Transitions and Education
RIG 2: Economics of Education
  • Human Capital: Production, Acquisition and Distribution
  • Education, Skills, and Human Development: Progress, Performance and Possibilities

RIG 3: History of Education
  • Crisis in History of Education: New data and New Analysis

RIG 4: Psychology of Education
  • Neoliberal Educational Discourse and Concerns for Social Justice: Critical Voices from Psychology".

RIG 5: Politics of Education
  • State, Civil Society and Identities: Transitions in Education

RIG 6: Higher Education
  • Crisis and Transformations in Higher Education: Emerging Issues, Challenges and Opportunities

RIG 7: Education and Marginal Groups
  • Urban Spaces, Margins, Changing Educational Discourses
  • Inclusion, Exclusion and Marginality in Education
  • Education, Urban Orders and State
  • Thinking violence and State Practices

RIG 8: Methodologies and Methods in Educational Research 
  • Emerging Methodologies for Understanding Transformations in Educational Research

RIG 9: Teachers and Teacher Education
  • Teacher Education for Social Transformation: Curricular and Pedagogical Concerns and Possibilities
  • Positioning Teachers and Teaching in the Larger Educational Landscape
  • Educational Leadership and Academic Leadership

RIG 10: Educational Policy and Management
  • Universal access to quality Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)
  • National Education Policy 2020: Implementation Strategies to Achieve the Goals
  • Innovations and Good Practices in Educational Policy, Planning and Management

RIG 11: School Education
  • School Education: Debating Equity, Exclusion, and Inclusion
  • Hegemonies, Private verses Public schooling and the Child.
  • Emerging Pedagogies, Marginality, and School education.

RIG 12: Comparative Education
  • Contemporary issues in Comparative Education
  • Educational Transformation and Rural-Urban Inequalities
  • Global linkages and India’s Educational Transformations

RIG 13: Education and Technology
  • EdTech, Digital Divide and Emerging Educational Landscape 


CESI Conference 2022 - Local Organizing Committee:
Chief Patron:
         Prof. Syed Ainul Hasan, Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, MANUU.

Patrons:
         Prof. S. M. Rahamathullah, Pro- Vice Chancellor, MANUU
         Dr. SK. Ishtiaque Ahmed, Registrar, MANUU.
         Prof. Farida Siddiqui, Dean, School of Arts and Social Sciences

Conference Convener:
         Prof. P. H. Mohammad, Head, Department of Sociology, MANUU.

Conference Organising Secretary:
         Dr. Saheed Meo, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology,
                           Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad.