CFSI trying to make films part of school curriculum

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If everything goes as per the plan of the Children's Film Society of India (CFSI), cinema could soon become a part of the school curriculum as an ‘effective’ teaching aid.

"Good cinema can help in communicating ideas. Just as books, cinema, too, can be used as an effective teaching aid," feels actress and CFSI chairperson Nandita Das.

Das, who is currently camping in Hyderabad for the 17th biennial International Children's Film Festival of India (ICFFI), told the media that the CFSI was working with some schools to see how cinema could be made a part of the regular curriculum.

Just as films, the curriculum too should be fun-filled, entertaining and positive to make it interesting for children, Das pointed out.

"This can help in creating more awareness about the world of cinema," Das said adding, "I definitely think that art should be part of the curriculum. Music, dance and theatre make education system more holistic."

The idea originated around two years ago, when the previous edition of the ICFFI was organised here. Since then, the CFSI has been fine-tuning it, in collaboration with some schools and preparing the course content.

"We can actually use good cinema as a teaching aid, as a means to communicate ideas... We are talking to a number of schools, where children and teachers together are watching films and giving their feedback and helping us create a film curriculum," Das elaborated.

Ahmedabad-based Riverside School was helping the CFSI in creating curriculum on cinema, while Delhi-based NGO 'Dil Se', working with street-children, which was a part of the ICFFI experts panel, is trying to prepare a lesson plan.

"If everything worked out well, the CFSI would like to introduce cinema in school curriculum from the 2012-13 academic year," Das said.

While planning a school curriculum on cinema over the last two years, the CFSI received a lot of feedback from children on what they really liked in films and what they didn't, the chairperson said.

With so many children becoming part of serials on different TV channels these days, the number of child artists is increasing. "If we use them (child artists) just as objects, we are doing more disservice to them. We have to look at how sensitively we use them... to portray their own life... that is needed," Das said.