Mass Communicator: International Journal of Communication Studies

The first and initial lessons of gender sensitization happen in the family followed by the primary school. The best educational environments are fair to all genders and the teaching in the classroom is as such that children learn to respect and accept the other genders positively. This kind of environment is not possible in all the schools however efforts are being made to develop a gender neutral environment in all schools at primary level. A strong teacher treats his/her students equally and creates an opportunity for each of the disciples to learn the maximum. The first seeds of becoming a healthy and stable human being who cares for the fellow humans are sown in the classrooms of the primary schools. The teacher creates an environment through the gender neutral language, the non-verbal actions and body language to make each student feel confident and free to interact. Class participation of all the students becomes easier if there is group work or team work where each participant is treated equally. The feedback of teacher and peer on the spot for the students on their participation is an important factor in learning for the students. At primary school level the students are in the first stages of learning where the tendency of following the teacher and the group mates is maximum, therefore setting a standard will mark a difference in the overall personality of the students. The teacher helps in maintaining discipline and making them at this level understand the values of respecting the classmates irrespective of their genders and age. Any kind of remark and mockery at this stage if discouraged will help in developing a sense of responsibility amongst the students for their conduct in classroom which leads to a proper conduct in future in any public forum. The lessons in class are shared by the children at home and family gathering, if the parents also encourage the best behavior patterns then it helps the individuals to grow in a proper manner. Any kind of aggression and impolite behavior towards the opposite gender needs to be discouraged and addressed immediately. The experiences of the class rooms are carried further in future life for interaction in groups and working together in teams with people from different cultures, communities, castes and religion. Researchers have studied the patterns of student behavior in different set of schools and findings have led to many such studies on the attempts for gender sensitization at various levels. This paper is an attempt to highlight the issues in India related to gender sensitization at primary school level. It indicates the possibility of creating the environment for a gender neutral society.