Classroom revolution: Kerala school rethinks seating after children’s film sparks change

In a quiet yet meaningful shift across states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and West Bengal, schools are beginning to question a long-accepted tradition: how students sit in classrooms. What’s driving this movement isn’t educational policy—but a single scene from the Malayalam children’s film Sthanarthi Sreekuttan.

In the film, a seventh-grade student proposes a radical idea: get rid of front and back bench divisions by simply rearranging the seating. This moment has struck a chord with educators and students alike, leading to a wider conversation about classroom equity, participation, and power dynamics.

Inspired by the film, Ramavilasom Vocational Higher Secondary School (RVHSS) in Valakom, Kottarakkara, South Kerala, has started experimenting with new seating formats. The goal is simple: to break down the invisible hierarchy between frontbenchers (seen as ‘good students’) and backbenchers (often dismissed or ignored).

The movement is also calling attention to the origins of traditional classroom layouts. The familiar row-and-column seating traces back to 19th-century Prussia, designed for military-style order and standardisation. Later adopted by industrial-age schools, it was meant to train students to follow instructions, not to question or collaborate.

Now, by rearranging the seating to encourage inclusiveness and interaction, schools like RVHSS are embracing a small but symbolic change—with the potential for a larger pedagogical impact.