Hyderabad: As more schools in Telangana adopt U-shaped seating, a concept popularised by a Malayalam film, teachers are divided on its practicality. While some see its merit in boosting interaction and engagement, many believe the setup poses challenges in large classrooms, especially for subjects that rely on traditional teaching tools like the blackboard.According to them, it is only a long-held notion that backbenchers are troublemakers and need to be continuously monitored. Student strength, classroom size and audibility are various factors that might prevent many teachers from adopting U-shaped seating, teachers opined.Nagamani, a high school social studies teacher, who first experimented with the format in 2009 for Class 1 students, said, “If the class size is small, around 20-25 students, this method can be effective.”“I’ve tried it in Classes 9 and 10 while teaching history, it works well for discussions. But for subjects like mathematics or physics, where blackboard use is constant, it’s of no help,” Nagamani said.M Ravinder, a govt school mathematics teacher, warned against blindly following trends.“In my experience, some of the brightest students sit at the back, while many academically weaker ones prefer the front, often because teachers don’t ask them questions if they sit in the front benches. This seating shouldn’t be adopted just because it worked in a movie,” he said, adding that overcrowded classrooms make such arrangements nearly impossible.Many teachers are now leaning towards a blended approach, choosing seating styles based on the nature of the lesson — U-shaped for storytelling or debates, circular for group activities, and traditional rows for note-taking and board work.“We can’t make students sit in a U-shape all day. Writing notes becomes a challenge, and poor posture might even lead to neck strain,” said Simi Nagi, principal of a private school in Hyderabad. “But when used selectively, for discussions or interactive sessions, it’s a good tool. Flexibility is key.”Some educators also stress the importance of adapting classroom layouts to suit the lesson plan rather than sticking to a fixed model. “Rigid classrooms limit learning. What matters more is how the setup supports the teaching objective,” added Simi Nagi.Meanwhile, Hyderabad collector Hari Chandana Dasari said they are experimenting with this new way of seating in the city. “We are starting with residential schools with ample space. Based on the results, we will decide on expanding it to other schools,” she said and pointed out that this U-shaped seating is already implemented in several states.As Telangana experiments with this “U-turn” in classroom design, the consensus among educators seems clear: seating should support learning and not just follow a trend.
