Introduction
The concept of cultural heritage …in a broad sense, '' it is perceived as comprising of movable and immovable assets of artistic, literary, architectural, historical, archaeological, ethnological, scientific value that embody the essence of a nation.”
We at CBSE with this website want to introduce online asset to engage with Heritage Education.
In order to devise ways to popularize heritage education in schools and among the young children nationwide, CBSE has partnered with Sahapedia (An online encyclopedia on Indian Culture and Heritage). With this collaboration, CBSE and Sahapedia are creating a space for synergy in the area of heritage education. We invite teachers and students to be part of this journey, contribute content in this space, share experiences, knowledge and the joy of learning together.
While preparing this website at CBSE, we have tried to comprehend and make use of conceptual definitions that are available with International organizations like UNESCO, Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (Washington D.C) etc. However, we were quite aware that this subject matter is meant for Indian students and teachers who are coming from a wide diverse cultural regions and backgrounds. Therefore, we have tried to tailor the material from an Indian perspective.
Heritage Education although has been debated and critiqued internationally we at CBSE would like to present this subject from within the Indian context which can be defined as:
Heritage Education can only be understood only if we first explain to you the meaning of heritage in simple terms. Heritage from an Indian perspective is about flowing traditions that have on one hand are handed down from the past and on the other hand traditions that are created in the present and will be passed in one form or the other to future generations. Together past and present traditions merge to become a feature of a civilizational identity. Hence Heritage is a Parampara and represents a Nation’s identity.
Heritage Education is therefore an attempt to understand all that makes the identity of Indian civilization.
Heritage Education is a link program to explore the heritage of multiple subjects simultaneously taught in schools in an innovative and creative manner. Hence we have introduced a section of project work.
Heritage Education is on one hand interpreting the past for the use of the future, and recognizing contemporary traditions that affect the present and will influence the future.
Broadly speaking there is according to the international categories there are three types of Heritage:
1. Cultural Heritage: This has two broad categories Tangible and Intangible Heritage.
i) Tangible Cultural Heritage: It is one that can be stored and physically touched. This includes items produced by the cultural group such as traditional clothing, utensils (such as beadwork, water vessels), or vehicles (such as the ox wagon). Tangible heritages include great monuments such as temples, pyramids, and public monuments. Though a tangible heritage can perish, it is generally more obvious how it can be conserved than intangible heritages that are at greater risk and can be lost for all time.
ii) Intangible Cultural Heritage : Culture that can be recorded but cannot be touched and interacted with, without a vehicle for the culture. These cultural vehicles are called "Human Treasures" by the UN.
These include traditions of performances – rituals, dance, singing, myths, beliefs, knowledge systems and storytelling; this category includes traditions of skills and processes such as skill related to various professions – pottery, carpentry, plumbing, cooking. An intangible heritage is that which exists intellectually in the culture.
2. Natural Heritage: Natural heritage refers to outstanding physical, biological and geological formations, habitats of threatened species of animals and plants and areas with scientific, conservation or aesthetic value. In this category.
3. Digital Heritage : Since 1960s and early 1970s many historians have begun to use computers. Digital technology and tools have helped them to powerfully arrange ideas and promote unique analysis, presentation and access their finding of historical knowledge in online media… It is also sometimes mentioned broadly to the use of digital media and tools for historical practice, presentation, analysis, and research. .. According to Wiliam G. Thomas (2008), digital history is an approach to examine and represent the past that works with the new communication technologies of the computer, the Internet network, and software systems.
We will elaborate on this subject in the methodology section
Education that uses resources from the material culture and built environment to enrich learning and instill a preservation ethic -- studies of historic sites, landscapes, structures, and objects are integrated into existing curriculum units in the liberal and fine arts and sciences.
