Human Values

Model Answer

In India, family-based learning often instills biases that shape children’s perspectives, such as gender roles, career preferences, and socio-economic distinctions. Formal education can play a pivotal role in countering these biases and promoting independent thinking.

1. Diverse Curriculum

A diverse curriculum is essential for breaking family-centric biases. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 promotes a “Multidisciplinary Holistic Education” approach, which encourages students to explore a wide range of subjects beyond traditional career paths. This allows students to develop broader perspectives and challenge biases, such as the preference for careers in IT and medicine over creative fields (NEP, 2020).

2. Emphasis on Critical Thinking

Formal education fosters critical thinking through classroom activities like debates, discussions, and problem-solving exercises. These activities encourage students to analyze information, question assumptions, and form independent views, thus reducing the influence of family-based biases (Source: NEP, 2020).

3. Inclusive Environment

By bringing together students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, schools create an inclusive learning environment. The Right to Education Act (2009) mandates that 25% of seats in private schools be reserved for economically disadvantaged children, promoting equality and reducing socio-economic biases.

4. Interactive Learning

Experiential and hands-on learning methods, such as sports-integrated education, help students develop critical life skills like collaboration, self-discipline, and responsibility. These approaches encourage independent thinking and diminish the influence of family-based biases on a child’s worldview.

Through these measures, formal education can promote open-mindedness, challenge ingrained biases, and foster independent thinking.