Schooling India

Abstract This chapter examines one of the most prominent discursive engagements in the school, that of the nation, the essence of India, and what it means to be an Indian. This holds significance for my study on secularism, given its status as a Constitutional ideal. The school, through the formal curriculum and its official discourse that it circulates through the morning assembly, spatial culture, and the celebration of national days and school events, presents a particular idea of India and engages in citizenship education that strives to affirm faith in secularism. It also seeks to present the nation as the superseding identity and the idea of being an Indian as entailing an equal treatment of all citizens, irrespective of their religion, caste, or other identity. The chapter also notes the disjunctures in this endeavour, arising from both the inherent contradictions in the school’s official discourse as well as contestations by key actors of schooling—teachers and students who may hold a differing and sometimes even an opposing view.