Documentary film

Where Knowledge Is Free

GENERAL DETAILS:
Movie Name: Where knowledge is free

Author : Binitesh Baruri

Publisher: Indian Institule Datil studies, New Delhi, 2007

Genre: Documentary

Duration: 39 minutes 22 seconds

Introduction
Where knowledge is free is a documentary film about children in India
who are banded by caste therefore excluded from education. Despite
many educational programmers and polities to ensure “free and
compulsory education to all” Dalit children in Bihar and other parts of
contemporary India remain victims of caste discrimination and
untouchability. A look at how discrimination remains the impediment
to access service delivery in nutrition, health and education.

Summary
Documentary film about children in India who are banded by caste and
therefore excluded from education. Despite many educational program
and policies to ensure free and compulsory education to all.

Where knowledge is free means that there would be free education

available to all within any distinction based on caste, religion etc. Here
education should not be the monopoly of only and the elite. It should
be freely available to the poor and ordinary folk.

Knowledge should be for all. Everyone should have the right to acquire
knowledge is the only way to emancipation and it can save us. It is the
medium through which one can eradicate poverty, literacy, ignorance
and backwardness. Knowledge is the only way to emancipation and it
can save us.

Eradicate poverty, knowledge is power and can lead to the

development and property of country.

Reflection
The condition of schools shaven in the village is as worse as the
teachers discriminate the students because of their castes. Mainly
three castes were shown in the movie. The Yaday's, The Rais, The
Dalitis or The Schedule caste and accordingly the students were made
to sit as the Yadav's in the front row, The Rais in the middle row, and
the schedule tastes at the back.

Furthermore, the teachers are unpunctual and the environment the

class lack the interest the students. I felt that the person who is t
supposed to teach students the values are themselves in the wrong
practices. The female teacher in documentary herself discriminate
among students and asking why you the sit at back then she replied
that they sit according to their choice.

She was telling lie to the reporter that they sit with their groups, later
on when asked by the student why they sit at the back he replied that
he is Dalit and he is forced to sit at the back by their teachers. I feel that
the ride a teacher is to treat each student equally and should cater
individual differences but here in the documentary I have noticed that
the teacher was not at all treating the students equal and she was
biased towards upper class of society.

Students in the documentary the behaving in a manner that they

accepted the reality as student from upper class where there are
willingly sitting at the back. Here the mole teacher and a school is not
acceptable We believe that that school is place everyone is equal in
front of the teacher but in documentary there was totally opposite of
this teacher discriminate among students and through this there
conditioning this that they started believing in caste system. School is
agency to eliminate social evil is taking place.

Thus after watching this I believe as a teacher also as a human being I

will not ever discriminate among individuals on the basis of caste,
religion, color etc. And will try to eliminate the society because the role
a teacher is not to import knowledge only but to be a responsible and a
rational citizen of country.
Conclusion and Suggestion
Where Knowledge is fee means that truly independent and free country
knowledge should be open to all. Everyone should have access to
EDUCATION. It should be restricted to some portion of society on their
class, caste, gender or any other barrier. Children should not the forced
to learn something. They should be given the freedom to choose what
they want to learn, how they learn.

To conclude, eradicating extreme poverty and substantially reducing

moderate poverty required major shifts in system. To ensure that one
denied universal human rights and basic economic opportunities, any
new development. Policies should focus on ensuring inclusive economic
growth and reducing inequalities. It would like to say, that Knowledge is
the only way emancipation and it can save us to radiate poverty &
illiteracy and backwardness.

Many schemes are the being initiated by Government but it is

necessary for the government officers to monitor these schemes in
every sector. Therefore, education is the only way that can lead us to
development. And once we get educated and become the responsible
citizen of the country we don't discriminate among individual on the
basic of caste, class , religion or other basis.

Binitesh Baruri in the documentary be has covered almost every aspect

but I felt that while shooting this documentary he could have make the
people more aware of their rights and also suggested some measures
to overcome the problems and also while doing that he could have
shooted that part also so that when other people watch this
documentary they will become more aware of the situation prevailing
in the society and also the ways to overcome the problems.
EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATION
The Implications of this documentary goes farther than just creating
awareness. It is for the realization of the sincere duties of all the
government functionaries in between the formulation of schemes to
the implementation of those schemes, of parents and guardians and on
top the realization of the duty of a teacher.

There are various things that we should genuinely adhere to as law

makers, educationists and future teachers specifically:

1.) It is the prime responsibility of the law makers to ensure proper

enactment of the schemes at all level.

2.) Necessary items like books and notebooks should reach to all hands.
In the process of acquiring facilities, no child should be left behind.

3.) It is to be noted that schemes like Mid-day Meals encourage

children to attend school. Therefore implementation of Mid-Day Meal
should be ensured with sufficient meal to serve all categories of
children.

4.) As a teacher and a role model, we should be conscious of our

behavior towards our students. This means, we should treat all
students with equal love, care and attention raising ourselves and our
students above all prejudices and discrimination.

5.) A teacher should take his/her role seriously. Being motivated and
punctual should be his/her character trait.
6.) Special training should be given to both teachers as well as parents
and guardians.

7.) Sports and other co-curricular activities should be included to

enhance all round development of student.

8.) Syllabus should be modified to improve competence.