Empathy Through Education

Context: India’s National Education Policy (2020) mentions social and educational learning (SEL). SEL is not ‘fluff’, it is an important goal in education.

About Social and emotional learning (SEL)

• SEL is the process of learning to recognise and manage emotions and navigate social situations effectively. It supports skills such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity.
• Key elements of SEL include cultivating empathy and theory of mind.
  • ‘Empathy’ is the ability to understand another person’s emotions and be aware of why they might be feeling those emotions from their perspective.
  • ‘Theory of mind’ is the ability to understand others’ intentions, knowledge and beliefs and recognise that those might be different from your own. 

Significance of SEL

• SEL is the foundational skill for human development, building healthy relationships, having self and social awareness, solving problems, making responsible decisions, and academic learning.

• A deciding factor in success: Research finds that students with greater social skills and emotional regulation are more likely to have success.
• General neglect of social skills in education: Today’s education system fails to recognise that learning process is a social and emotional experience.
  • SEL is often added as a chapter in a larger curriculum rather than being integrated in it.
• In addressing challenges amidst pandemic: SEL is in forefront as school closures reduced opportunities for students to deepen social relationships and learn collaboratively in shared physical spaces.
  • Individuals from underprivileged backgrounds have faced immense learning losses over last one and a half years. This can add to stresses and life-long losses if not handled comprehensively.
• A policy tool towards SDG goals including “inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” 

Way forward: Place SEL centrally within school culture

• Implement the Indian SEL framework: Core features shall be,
  • Application of SEL practices based on students’ socioeconomic backgrounds.
  • SEL strategies of caretakers and educators must align with one another.
  • Long-term success requires SEL to be based on scientific evidence.