As an alternative, the schools have now taken to technology for biology practicals. The Delhi Public School uses smart boards for the purpose. “We are trying to break the mould by adopting new methods of instruction. We have tie-ups with international educational content providers such as the National Geographic, etc,” Vice-Principal, DPS (South) Chithra Sharma, said.
While a few schools still cling on to lecture methods for teaching science subjects, increasingly practical sessions are going online. Short video and course materials are sent through the internet whereas e-labs have replaced the laboratories in many schools.
At the National Public School (NPS), Indira Nagar, teachers use short videos as well as 3D diagrams to explain various concepts. Students also get an opportunity to go through the course content prepared by their teachers. The teachers, in turn, collect useful content from the web and share them with students, Shantha Chandran, Principal of NPS, said.
E-learning is definitely the new mantra adopted by a number of educational institutions. "The ban on dissection will not have any drastic impact on a student's knowledge level," Manjula Raman, Principal of Army Public School, said. At a time when a single dissection costs about Rs 1,000, the alternative cheaper and effective methods have become an imperative, she added.
Refuting the allegation that they ‘illegally’ use rare species and animals in their laboratories for teaching concepts like physiology and anatomy to students, several CBSE schools and colleges in the City insist that the dissection of animals had been stopped in their laboratories, ‘long time ago’.