Educational reform is a global priority, aiming to rethink learning. However, hierarchies in educational systems can hinder real learning, even with progressive pedagogies. The core issue is not just teaching methods, but the structure of the learning ecosystem.
Hierarchies dictate knowledge, silence students, and prioritize top-down instruction. Theorists like Paulo Freire, Ivan Illich, and Michel Foucault have critiqued these systems. They highlight how hierarchy disempowers learners and reduces teachers to enforcers.
India's National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023 seeks to challenge hierarchy. It proposes learner-centric, competency-based education valuing context and curiosity. This framework creates space for co-construction of knowledge, an anti-hierarchical concept.
However, implementation faces challenges like teacher training and resource availability. Dismantling hierarchy requires a cultural shift valuing trust over control. Non-hierarchical learning spaces foster structured freedom, enabling pedagogy and critical thinking.
India's NCF 2023 attempts to correct legacy structures by drawing from Indian traditions. Success requires collective courage to value transformation over tradition. Real education is a bridge of understanding, necessitating the dismantling of hierarchical walls.