The social media is buzzing with this new idea (actually it’s not so new) that’s caught the fancy of the educator community in India.
It’s about revamping the seating arrangement in classrooms from the conventional rows to a semi-circular arrangement.
Sounds interesting. But I’m sure there’s a group of students that will not be in favour of it. The back benchers.
This setting arrangement could disrupt their world, change the status quo, and challenge their very existence.
They would be asked to relocate and become part of the mainstream, which may or may not be a welcome change for the rest of the classroom.
Being a back bencher is more than just your geographical location in the classroom. It becomes part of your identity in the classroom and beyond.
It defines your status among the students’ hierarchy, deciding the expectations, or the lack of it, from the teachers.
The stereotypical labels of being troublemakers or disengaged or inattentive students are often assigned to this lot.
What needs to be asked is – is the problem where they sit or why do they sit there at all?
These are deeper issues that need attention and discussion.
The Unfair Label of ‘Backbencher’
Not everyone can sit in the front row or we’ll have to shift the classroom to the railway platform. So, some have to sit in the rows behind.
Then why is the label of ‘back bencher’ seen so negatively? It’s almost like a slur.
I tell you why. It’s because the back benchers are perceived to be lazy, trouble makers, detached students who are least interested in what’s being done in the class.
Mostly true, but this mindset develops after years of being ignored and relegated, almost banished, to the far end of the room.
As a teacher, I’ve often found some of my most creative, observant students tucked away in the back. They were just lost in a system that didn’t see them. They had to be brought to the front.
In the primary classes, this problem is not so prevalent simply because the children don’t yet have any prejudices or inhibitions.
The problem starts when parents build the negative perceptions about sitting in the rows behind; when teachers continue to ignore those sitting in the back rows and focus only on the first few rows, when those in the front row get to volunteer or participate in class activities.
It’s the systematic exclusion by peers, teachers and parents over the years that gradually reinforces this mindset in the children.
The ‘backbenchers’ are created; they don’t just happen.
Why Students Gravitate to the Back Rows
Have you paused to think about what could be the reason some children prefer to sit in the seats at the end of the class?
Don’t they want to be part of the classroom, share in the energy, be involved?
Have you looked at it from their perspective?
The back bench isn’t a seat; it’s a hiding place, a refuge, a quiet rebellion.
Maybe it’s just to be free and have some fun. Can’t deny them that, can you?
Or maybe they’re struggling academically and want to avoid scrutiny.
Not all students are equally gifted. Some even have mild forms of learning disabilities.
In a packed classroom, it becomes an overwhelming challenge catering to each child’s requirements. Especially since there’s a limited time available to the teacher.
Such kids fall through the cracks. They’re trying to catch up but the work just keeps piling up.
Think of the student who lowers their gaze every time a teacher scans the room for volunteers. They’re not indifferent; they’re afraid of being wrong, of being laughed at. The back row gives them a quiet escape.
Or those who lack the self-confidence to speak up. Or fear failure when they can’t answer or the humiliation of giving a wrong answer. The public censures can crush their confidence and motivation.
Best hiding place for the socially inept – the back benches, away from the teacher’s gaze, where no one judges you.
There’re also some hidden gems hidden in these ignored benches. The gifted ones who are bored of what’s being taught and don’t feel challenged enough. That’s when they put their intelligence to unproductive use.
Whether it’s fear or fatigue or just frustration, students don’t just end up at the back. They retreat there.
What the Label ‘Backbencher’ Is Trying to Tell Us
About time the silent cries for help are heeded, and not ignored.
What it draws attention to is:
1. The unmet needs
Each and every student in the classroom deserves the same attention, the same opportunity to learn.
But what acts as a hurdle in the different learning styles that each needs. Not possible in a large classroom.
Also it’s not possible for the teacher to interact with each child, what with the need to complete the portion for the day in that limited time.
How can the teacher or classmates provide any form of emotional or social connection when there’s always a rush to complete the work?
If the back benchers are playing truant, it’s their way of seeking attention, wanting to be part of the larger ‘acceptable’ group from which they’ve been excluded.
2. Systemic collapse
Before blaming or labelling them with unkind or callous titles, it’s time to examine where we collectively failed them. The school, the teachers, the education system, the parents, the peers, each one of us contributes to them becoming the ‘backbenchers’.
The long list of defaulters continue to be in denial mode, washing their hands off any responsibility.
It’s easy to pin the blame on the child whose got their back to the wall.
A 2020 UNESCO report showed that Indian classrooms have an average student-teacher ratio of 32:1 in primary, and up to 45:1 in secondary schools. The recommended ratio is 25:1.
One teacher. Forty five students. Five different learning styles. And an intimidating deadline to finish the syllabus. Where’s the room for empathy, or even eye contact?
This’s what makes those children build a wall around them to protect themselves from getting hurt.
It’s not defiance. It’s the fallout of years of disconnect.
3. The teacher’s role
Finally since the classroom’s where it happens, the teacher has to play an important role.
If the backbenchers are acting out, it’s because they want you to notice them, involve them, encourage them; not call them ‘useless’ or ‘stupid’ or ‘problematic’.
They want you to give them some attention and not focus only on those in the front rows.
While the front row gets noticed, the back row gets labelled.
It’s their way of reaching out to you. Have you reached out to them?
“Backbenchers aren’t invisible. They’re waiting for someone to look their way.”
How Classroom Are Built to Divide
The conventional seating system arranges the seats in rows and columns. All students face the front of the classroom with the teacher standing before them.
While this allows the teacher an unobstructed view of the entire classroom, it’s not ideal for interaction.
Even a group assignment becomes difficult to navigate work with some turning back or turning around to be able to interact.
The reasons teachers prefer to engage with those sitting in the front rows :
- easy to communicate without shouting or speaking loudly
- most achievers and A-grade students prefer to sit in the front
- they are the ones actively engaging and speaking up confidently
So there, the class has grown an invisible chasm that can be crossed only with intention, not otherwise.
How To Reach The Back Row And Bring Them Forward
There’s a lot you can do to connect with the students at the back and get them out of there.
- Create a mindful system of seat rotation. Get them to sit with students who can help them with their work.
- Get them to participate more in class interactions or activities
- Build a one to one rapport with them. Check in on their work. Give them feedback. They’d love to hear something from you.
- Have small group activities in the class. Small group roles, written reports or answers, anything that lets them work with the group.
- Get the shy kids to sit with someone who can talk to them. The weak students can be paired with mentors. It will be a learning experience for both students.
- Teachers need support from the school admin with time, training and suitable resources.
Conclusion: Stop Fixating on Where They Sit. Focus on What They Need
It doesn’t solve the problem by labelling them back benchers and ignoring them. It only aggregates the situation.
There’s a reason why they’re back benchers.
Trying to understand that reason and working with them on that is what will help them.
Don’t fixate on where they sit. Focus on ‘why’ they’re sitting there. And more importantly who they could become if we made room for them among us.
