Bengaluru
Child rights activist Nagasimha G. Rao has written to Education Minister Madhu S. Bangarappa, suggesting that Karnataka adopt the U-shaped (semi-circular) seating arrangement recently introduced in schools in Kerala. He believes this change could greatly improve the quality of education, student participation, and classroom interaction.
In traditional classrooms, students are seated in straight rows, which often limits the teacher’s focus to only those in the front. This can leave other students feeling disconnected. However, in a U-shaped arrangement, all students are seated at an equal distance from the teacher, allowing better visibility and interaction. This layout creates a sense of equality among students and encourages everyone to take part in classroom discussions.
The semi-circular setup also allows teachers to easily see students’ facial expressions, which helps them gauge interest and understanding. Teachers can interact with each student more naturally and respond to their needs better.
Kerala schools have already seen positive results from this method, including better learning outcomes, improved classroom environments, and more confident student participation. Rao believes Karnataka can see similar success if it adopts this approach.
To ensure effective implementation, he recommends training teachers through workshops focused on interactive and student-centered teaching. He also suggests informing parents about the benefits of the U-shaped setup to earn their support.
As a starting point, Rao proposes that the new seating arrangement be introduced as a pilot project in selected schools. The outcomes of this trial can then be evaluated before expanding the approach to more schools across the state.