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In the remote Solubongu village of Andhra Pradesh, school is not a location—it's a test of will, perseverance, and grit. Every day, children from 16 tribal families wade through the Raiwada canal on a boat and walk nearly 4 kilometers through hilly forest terrain to reach their school in Tamarabba village.

This horrific daily journey, chronicled in the present issue of Get Real India, reveals the stark educational inequalities that persist in large parts of India's tribal and rural areas. Lacking even a motorable road, a bridge, or a local school to their name, the education of these children is bought at the cost of bodily safety and Herculean physical toil.

The children, as young as six years old, daily encounter slippery paths, merciless wildlife, and unreliable climatic conditions all for the sake of accessing basic education. Despite several villagers' appeals, the state is apathetic and has not come up with concrete infrastructure projects to ease the children's journey.

"It is not a question of a long walk," explained one local mother. "They cross a canal in shaky boats, and there is no safety gear. Every day we worry—will our children come back in one piece?"

The plight of Solubongu's children indicates the urgent need for school facilities and transport infrastructure in remote pockets. Activists and the village leadership are insisting that the Andhra Pradesh government open a primary school in the village, or at least construct a bridge across the Raiwada canal to reduce the risks.

As India pushes digital classrooms and enhanced education, Solubongu's tribal children keep battling for access to blackboards and basic school benches. Their resilience is a sharp reminder that although policy promises inclusive education, implementation remains behind in the nation's most rural areas.

Inclusion of Zumba dance in school curriculum by the Kerala state government has been a controversial one with various Muslim groups vouching strong opposition against the action. The groups feel that the move "degrades educational standards" and goes against societal cultural and moral principles.

Kerala Education Department had suggested Zumba as a part of state and aided school's co-curricular physical education programme to keep the students fit. Islamic bodies, including learned clerics and community leaders, argue that incorporation of Zumba, a Latin-American dance to keep oneself fit, is "inappropriate for school-going children" and brings values contrary to conservative societal culture.

Critic

The opponents questioned the "immodest nature" of Zumba exercises and put under scrutiny why it was appropriate for a serious learning institution. They asked the government to nullify the decision, referring to other physical exercises that are "more reflective of the local ethos and moral standards."

"The education system must never be a platform for dissemination of Western dance forms unrelated to our tradition," said a spokesperson for a leading Muslim group. "Physical fitness is good, but not at the cost of our moral fiber."

The furore has evoked a controversy across the state. While health professionals and liberal educators welcome the change as a step towards wholesome well-being, the right-wing establishment perceives it as another exercise in foisting Western cultural values on Indian children. Zumba lovers are of the opinion that the dance system fosters physical fitness, mental joy, and self-esteem, particularly in girls, and cannot be viewed in religious or moral terms.

The Kerala Education Department so far has declined to make any official comments on the backlash. The state is also likely to discuss whether to modify the program or allow schools to choose whether they want to implement Zumba-based classes, sources added.

It has set the growing fight between cultural conservatism and new education reforms in stark relief, reigniting controversy over secularism, physical education, and cultural sensitivities in Indian schools.

The Manipuri ancient day martial art Thang-Ta is receiving a fillip as the Government of Manipur's Department of Art and Culture has taken the forward step in popularizing and preserving the ancient warrior school by including it in the school syllabus.

In order to make its education effective and speed it up, the government established a "Committee for the Formulation of Common Syllabus of Thang-Ta." It is manned by expert members including veteran Thang-Ta masters, state sports authorities, and officers of education department at least Padma Shri awardee N. Khelchandra Singh, Manipur's culture living legend, as chairman.

Developed from ancient Meitei folk performance, literally "sword and spear" Thang-Ta is rather a war skill drill with religious teaching and Manipuri war path and art custom. Performed in days of yore both as war art on the field and religious ritual dance, it is today rediscovered and relearned in schools and playgrounds.

Inclusion of Thang-Ta in school syllabus is being considered as a culture revolution, wherein the student gets an opportunity to be rooted to his culture and derives physical strength, discipline, and mental acuteness. It also provides him with a feeling of pride and identification, particularly in a state which is famous for its cultural richness.

Savant-teachers and cultural historians welcomed the initiative with warm arms, reminding us that by bringing ancient arts into the school syllabus not only is the past preserved but models of learning outside the academic mainstream are produced.

Day and night, Syllabus committee works to develop age-based training modules, certificates, and courses for teachers so that Thang-Ta can be imparted with dignity and authenticity it deserves.

While the state govt has again shelved the three-language policy as it holds "wide-ranging consultations", experts said questions such as lack of teachers and pressure of formal education on kids at an early age must be taken into account too. They said schools have been left in limbo due to the policy paralysis of Mantralaya.

The state last week reversed its move to make Hindi compulsory at primary level and provided a choice to schools or parents to opt for an alternate Indian language and announced that there shall be a teacher for the chosen language if 20 students in a class opt for it.

Madhav Suryavanshi of Shikshan Vikas Manch stated that while the state can release a govt decision making it compulsory to teach three languages, it has "no capacity to implement it". "Textbooks have not been printed in large numbers yet, and by the time they get distributed and into the hands of students, how many months will it take? And where are the teachers coming from? In my school alone, there are four teachers for six sanctioned posts. Even if we manage to get the teachers, they have to be trained."

On the instability resulting from Mantralaya, he stated, "Govt is not able to hold a stance in any one direction."

Another controversial aspect of the policy was the three languages taught from Class 1. Shruti Panse, a linguist who works with school kids, stated, "Until the pre-primary level, everything is informal. All studies say that formal education can begin only by the age of six." School education process begins with listening, followed by basic communication, and then reading and writing. "Having all these phases of education within a single year is a poor idea, because it imposes pressure on children," she further said.

On govt's assertion that it is easier for kids to understand languages when they are younger, she said, "I agree it is easier, but it has to be informal. Kids are already studying a foreign language with English in a formal manner, and learning another subject of formal schooling is too much for a child." Panse added that physical education and arts classes have been cut down to provide space for a third language. "Out-of-class activities enjoy their own merits and form an integral part of a child's mental development. Such a step would diminish the enthusiasm a child has for school and education only."

Schools have been left in limbo due to a failure on the part of govt to announce anything clearly. The vice-principal of a school run in the Marathi medium stated, "We have not altered the curriculum or added a third language as we anticipate that the policy will be altered. We are discussing with our trustees further action."

Scarcely eight months since sweeping reforms were instituted in October 2024, the Maharashtra school education department has constituted a new, seven-member committee to examine the working of the state's Sainik Schools and review the revised policy.

A government alert in this matter was released on June 20, 2025 by the school education and sports department. The initiative comes in wake of growing concerns over the poor percentage of students from the state's 38 Sainik Schools getting selected for the National Defence Academy (NDA), the elite defence training institute based at Khadakwasla near Pune.

Deputy secretary of Maharashtra school education and sports department, Sameer Sawant, stated that a choice to introduce one Sainik School offering military education in every district had been made by way of a government resolution (GR) on September 26, 1995. According to this policy, 38 such schools are now functioning in the state. Nonetheless, these institutions have failed to meet desired standards.

Sawant explained, "The terms of work for the new committee have been set as a visit to the Sainik Schools, a study of the current scenario, recommending required changes in the revised policy, and proposing steps to augment representation from the Sainik Schools of the state."

Last month, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had ordered the constitution of a state-level committee to bring about further educational reforms in military schools. "The Sainik School policy was initiated in order to ensure greater students from Maharashtra take part in the NDA selection process, and to develop discipline, confidence, teamwork, and leadership among them. But there have been long-standing calls for the schools to improve," Fadnavis had stated while presiding over a meeting on reforms in military schools.

School education minister Dadaji Bhuse also assured that the government is keen to offer quality education in these institutions (Sainik Schools). "The committee should conduct on-the-spot visits to the schools, study the issues confronting them, and their requirements in detail, and file a detailed report within the given time period," Bhuse said.

A post-policy review inspection on October 9, 2024, revealed that many Sainik Schools are not living up to basic standards. Most students are not being provided with proper military training and guidance—factors that are instrumental in NDA preparation.

The Himachal Pradesh state government has made it mandatory for reading news in morning assemblies of the state government schools. On Tuesday, a notification issued by the Education Department made the order official, the goal being to impart general awareness and communications skills to the students.

This move comes in the wake of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's surprise visit last week to Government Senior Secondary School, Baga Sarahan in Kullu district, where an interaction with government school students disappointed him as they were unable to give appropriate responses to questions relating to current affairs. 

A department spokesperson further stated that this move is a follow-up on the directions of the Chief Minister, aimed at improving students' all-around awareness and communication skills.

The initiative was prompted by the Chief Minister who was alarmed at students' minimal exposure to contemporary affairs," he added.

Emphasizing the need for connecting academic information to practical information, the Chief Minister noted that such programs are necessary in preparing students for competitive exams and real challenges.

To make the directive operational, the department has circulated elaborate guidelines to all Deputy Directors and school heads, he added, informing that schools have also been directed to provide regular availability of both English and Hindi newspapers to facilitate the initiative.

These materials will assist students in improving their reading comprehension, vocabulary, pronunciation, and public speaking abilities," the spokesperson continued. "The idea is to encourage confident participation in assemblies and build critical thinking.".

According to the Directorate of School Education Additional Director (Administration) issued notice, the goal is to enhance students' overall general knowledge and awareness of contemporary issues, improve students' reading and speaking abilities, for establishing a habit of staying up to date and aware about the surroundings, to improve the vocabulary skills and pronunciation of the students and to provide a platform for students to speak actively and build confidence.

The guidelines for implementation comprise selection of news for students, with support or direction of a designated teacher and selection of appropriate age and pertinent international, national, state, and sporting news.

"General knowledge, educational developments, environmental issues, scientific developments, and important national or international or state events should be given attention. All efforts should be made to avoid sensational or obscene content," states the notification.

Teachers are directed to oversee the process of reading and selection of news to ensure accuracy, clarity, and appropriateness of content. Where necessary, teachers can also briefly clarify complex news items. Reading the news should be brief, ideally 3-5 minutes to maintain the morning assembly continuity," states the notice.