Book Review Sample

A book review is a form of literary criticism in which a book is analyzed based on content, style, and merit. There are number of ways of book review and here we just showing a format of book review in education. This is a book written by Krishna Kumar and the book titled as "EDUCATION, CONFLICT AND PEACE "

                              BOOK TITLE: EDUCATION, CONFLICT AND PEACE                                                                                              AUTHOR: Krishna Kumar                                                                              PUBLISHER: Orient Blackswan  

                                            ISBN: 9788125062479                                                                           PRICE: Rs. 285 ,PAGES: 101  

                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                            REVIEWED BY

                                                                       SANTOSH  KUMAR PARIDA

                                                                                               M.A in Education

                                                                                                                                     

The author of this book, Krishna Kumar is a professor of education at the University of Delhi and a former director of the National Council Of Educational Research And Training (NCERT) . His writings explore the patterns of society and the vernacular state. The author has developed an aesthetic of pedagogy and knowledge that aspires to mitigate aggression and violence.

The book “Education, Conflict and Peace“attempts to initiate the readers into noticing different types of conflicts reflective ethos of education and a course for peace education. In this crisply argued book Krishna Kumar shows why education fails to create reflective ethos. He examines the structure , content and curriculum of education to locate conflicting position key areas of knowledge . The author try to explain the role of teacher dealing with conflict and narrated many examples or incidents related to the conflicts dealing.

      This book contains six chapters and each chapter have some central bits.

The first chapter entitled ‘children and conflict’ includes three sections, such as Teachers Dilemma, The burden of learning and the two perspectives. The Chapter discusses the problems of representation of conflict in the curriculum and reasons that makes school hesitant to deal with conflict. In this chapter the author has given importance on how the teacher facing the serious dilemma in the classroom on the basis of institutional norms and philosophy of education. The chapter emphasizes on the point that institutional education in our country avoids imparting the knowledge or issues that involves conflicts. It discusses two perspectives namely received and rival perspective. The rival perspective associated with social and political process of hindutva and received perspective associated with the progressive and liberal ideas.

The second chapter entitled ‘Children and History’ includes three sections, such as The child’s mind, India’s vastness and Nation building. In this chapter the author has portrayed about the importance of cognitive development and the development of historical thinking. The chapter focuses the problems preparing the curriculum for the teaching of history in school.

    The third chapter entitled ‘Between science and the Scientific temper’ includes five sections , such as Early texts of EVS , Contradiction of modernisation, Ideology and environment, Redesigning the curriculum and scientific temper. The chapter addresses the EVS syllabus where the author focuses on environmental studies , problems or curriculum designing and initiation to dealing with this problems.

The chapter four entitled ‘Two words’ includes five sections , such as ‘Decline and division , named and nameless , symbolic factor , outside the global village and narrow bridge. In this chapter the author highlighted on the English medium and Government run school and also addresses the importance of English medium school in this current era. The author critically examines the Right to Education Act and express several disapproval. In this chapter the focus is towards studying the distance that separate the worlds of state run school and their private counter parts.

The chapter five entitled ‘when the teacher hits the learner ‘includes three sections such as cultural sanction, evil or rituals and teachers reality and training. In this chapter the author has described that how discipline of a child fixed violence now which is known as corporal punishment. In this chapter the author critically examines the RTE act and reflects its depth on the provision of the prevention of corporal punishment . The author try to elaborate how a child behaviour affects through their other environments i.e , family ( home ) environment as well as through TV also .  The author also described that how a child being helpless during corporal punishment and how it affects to other children .

The sixth chapter entitled ‘ A course in Peace Education ‘  which includes five sections such as  Interest in the world , Knowledge and meaning , Integrating the self , Three skills and learning from conflict . In this chapter the author narrated a course in peace education which he has taught for a few years. The author one places the problems of education in the broader perspective of political and economic change. The chapter addresses the authors own pedagogy of peace is constructed around the idea that acknowledging conflict is the first step towards developing awareness and other intellectual skills needed to live together peacefully.

The author has not given importance on any particular individual, caste, colour, age, sex and nationality etc. In his description of this book.

The language which is used this book is free from gender sensitivity.

Krishna Kumar critically examines the content, curriculum and structure peace and   education among the students. This book is useful for policy makers and curriculum system of education could be adjusted to meet the need curriculum designers and also for teachers, parents and every individual concerned about how far vast and complex system of education could be adjusted to meet the need of the country. This book is best suitable for Indian context and also cost effective and easily available.  Author used very bombastic words in all content which can difficult for beginners. This book needs some suitable classroom example for better understanding of the content.

 Thanks............Yours IQ Educator