In this issue, we have a range of articles recounting personal experiences of teaching with the goal of inclusive learning rather than a random attempt at throwing information at a mixed ability group, only some of whom could lick the system with others falling by the wayside. Readers will find that diverse aspects of assessment have been thoughtfully tried and objectivity is a key theme. Another important aspect of assessment, namely, reflectively constructed rubrics have been given a place in this issue.

This issue of Learning Curve focuses on ​‘Innovative teaching-learning practices’ — recipes that have been tried and tested and found to be efficacious, not methods recommended by textbooks. They are practical and completely doable in the most ordinary circumstances, as most classrooms in India find themselves in. No special equipment is required to try out these ways of teaching and the common thread running through them is just the desire to make a difference.

The latest issue of Learning Curve focuses on ​‘arts in school education’. The burthen of the collective message of this issue is: in the life of our children, Art is as essential as any other subject. Art sharpens perceptions of the world around us, it increases awareness and sensitivity. It also enhances human relationships as we discover the similarities of the artistic experience. There is a general recognition of the fact that the word ​‘art’ encapsulates within itself a wealth of meaning, as witness phrases such as the art of writing, of communication, of social and political exchange.

This issue of Learning Curve focuses on ​‘sports in education’ which explores topics ranging from the interpersonal and collaborative influences that sports have on children to the skills it develops, from the harsh realities about why people don’t take up sporting careers to the challenges parents face while bringing up sporting kids, from questioning notions of competition in sports to detailing the power of a sporting mind, from examining the contribution of the RTE to revealing the NCF’s take on sports education.

This issue of Learning Curve centres attention on the subject of ​‘school leadership’. It defines the construct and scope of educational leadership, ruminates on whether a school leader ought to be an academician or an administrator, reflects on the challenges of school leadership and explores the forms of school leadership in India.

This issue of Learning Curve deliberates on the the purpose of social science in society, what the National Curriculum Framework says about the subject, the many moral conflicts while teaching it, pedagogic dilemmas, and a look at social science education across the world. The effort has been to give our readers an honest and comprehensive view of the nature of social science as a subject.

This issue of Learning Curve is cantered on the subject of Mathematics. While one article discusses the very nature of Mathematics, the other traces the history of the subject; similarly while one describes the pedagogy of the subject the other shares insights and the practical perspective of the teacher.

This issue of Learning Curve is devoted to the theme of language learning. In it, students, teachers, field practitioners and academicians talk about what language means to them, its multiple benefits and the issues and challenges associated with its learning.

In this issue of the Learning Curve, practising scientists, professors, school teachers and innovators ruminate on the methods and merits of science education. A range of topics from ​‘why teach science’ to ​‘how to make science fun for children’ to ​‘how to encourage children to take up higher education in science’ and ​‘how critical it is that we have a strong stream of scientists emerging from our education system’ are addressed in this issue.

In this issue of the Learning Curve, read about how the Educational Development Index is calculated and what constitutes an effective education system. Krishna Kumar’s book ​‘The Political Agenda of Education’, a comprehensive account of the goals of the Indian Education system under British rule and its ramifications for independent India, is also reviewed.

In this issue of the Learning Curve, the pros and cons of the voucher system are discussed and the value of arts in the school curriculum is elaborated upon. The book ​‘Escape from Childhood’, in which author John Holt advocates for a broader definition of childhood, inclusive of political and economic rights for children, is also reviewed.

In this issue of the Learning Curve, the importance of community participation in education is explored and we read about Bindooben, a highly remarkable teacher in Gujarat. Paulo Freire’s ​‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed’, in which the author delineates the incredible potency of education as a tool for liberation (genuine revolution of the people) and its capacity to dominate people, is reviewed.

In this issue of the Learning Curve, we explore the various obstacles standing in the way of equity in the Indian Education system. Factors responsible for low access to schooling of disadvantaged groups like the Scheduled castes and the minorities are discussed.

In this issue of the Learning Curve, Jean Dreze talks about the beneficial aspects of the Mid-day Meal Scheme and the Spastics Society of Karnataka elaborates on the accommodations and modifications required to integrate children with special needs into mainstream schools.

In this issue of the Learning Curve, updates of the Foundation’s programs and research studies are detailed in some length. An article on School Development Planning explores the benefits of training head teachers in devising plans for their schools.

In this issue of the Learning Curve, the tricky exercise of measuring learning is addressed by experts in the field and the much neglected area of Mathematics Education Research is discussed for its utility in diagnosing the difficulties students face in assimilating Mathematics.

In this issue of the Learning Curve, teacher absence in India, one of the Education system’s most insistent problems, is discussed and observations from Chinese Mathematics Classrooms are documented for their potential to serve as lessons for India.

In this issue of the Learning Curve, the utility of researches in the development sector is discussed along with the outcomes of two such research studies, namely, ​‘Factors differentiating the successful schools from others in the Learning Guarantee Program’ and ​‘Impact of Computer Aided Learning on Learning Achievements’.

The first issue of Learning Curve introduces the reader to the Foundation’s Accelerated Learning Program, the Learning Guarantee Program and the Computer Assisted Learning Centres.

The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented situation, which resulted in prolonged school closure in India and across the world. Schools were fully or partially closed in India for over two years, among the longest periods in any country. Governments responded as best as they could, primarily through enabling education using technology. However, given the nature of digital divide in the country and the lack of readiness of teachers, these efforts were suboptimal at best. Further, while face to face learning was not possible, some efforts at teacher-driven community-based learning were made. However well-meaning, these efforts could not prevent the loss of curricular learning for the period schools were closed as well as loss of learning or forgetting what had been learnt before schools were closed. At the same time, the efforts of teachers during these difficult times must be noted. Despite these severe unprecedented challenges during the pandemic, it was the concerted effort of engaged and motivated teachers that provided rays of hope. As frontline professionals who are the best positioned to understand, empathise, and devise innovative and consistent approaches to the challenges faced by the children who come to their schools, many teachers across the country showed how the seemingly insurmountable problems of the pandemic could also be addressed. Like other frontline workers across government departments, many engaged teachers across the country ignored the ​‘fear’ of the pandemic and took it as their professional calling to devise ways and means to stay connected with the children from their schools and communities, offering what they only can do to help children stay connected with schools and learning processes even during multiple adversities they were facing. This volume brings together a series of studies done during the pandemic. It is an attempt to document and to highlight the unique challenges of the situation as well as efforts to overcome these challenges.