Who Is Raising Your Children?

Who Is Raising Your Children? by Rajiv Malhotra & Vijaya Viswanathan

Introduction

Who Is Raising Your Children: Breaking India Using Its Youth by Rajiv Malhotra and Vijaya Viswanathan examines debates surrounding education, culture, child development, and public policy in India. The authors question the adoption of international educational frameworks and invite readers to consider how India's schooling system can remain responsive to its own cultural, social, and educational priorities.

About This Book

Using the Aghasura story from the Bhagavata Purana as a central metaphor, the authors examine what they describe as the potential influence of externally developed educational approaches on Indian children and families. The book discusses frameworks such as Comprehensive Sexual Education (CSE), Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), and Global Citizenship Education (GCE).

Rajiv Malhotra and Vijaya Viswanathan also examine the involvement of international organisations, NGOs, public-private partnerships, and educational policy initiatives. Their discussion includes India's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and wider questions surrounding curriculum design, national identity, and cultural continuity.

Rather than presenting education as a purely technical issue, the book approaches it as a broader question involving values, policy, culture, and the direction of children's learning. It encourages readers to examine educational models critically and consider how India's traditions and circumstances should influence future approaches to schooling.

What You’ll Discover

• Global education frameworks: Explore the authors' analysis of CSE, SEL, GCE, and other internationally promoted educational approaches.
• Indian education policy: Examine discussions surrounding NEP 2020 and the changing priorities of India's education system.
• Culture and education: Consider how educational models interact with India's historical and cultural traditions.
• International influence: Explore the role of global organisations, NGOs, and public-private partnerships in education policy and implementation.
• Child development and values: Reflect on questions about curriculum, children's learning environments, values, and the purpose of education.
• Critical evaluation: Engage with the authors' argument that imported educational frameworks should be examined in the context of India's own needs and circumstances.

Perfect For

• Parents interested in education and child development
• Teachers, educators, and education researchers
• Students of public policy and Indian education
• Readers interested in culture, society, and educational reform
• Policymakers and professionals examining curriculum and schooling
• Readers interested in contemporary debates about education and India's cultural priorities

Why You’ll Love This Book

Who Is Raising Your Children? tackles education as a question of more than academic instruction, examining how policy choices, cultural assumptions, and international influences can shape what children learn and how they are educated. The authors present a critical perspective on current educational debates and encourage readers to examine competing ideas rather than accepting them without scrutiny.

For readers interested in India's education system and the intersection of schooling, culture, public policy, and national identity, this paperback provides a substantial starting point for discussion and independent evaluation of the issues it raises.