Adharshila Learning Centre

Adharshila Learning Centre is situated in western Madhya Pradesh. There are 150 children of which about 70 stay on the campus. They do craft, organic farming, theatre, singing, participate in agitations, go to villages around the centre, write books, document local history and folk literature. it is a very lively school. a unique feature is that the children help younger children to learn.

It runs on the fees and grain that the parents give and personal donations.

We also want to post a request for persons who have been associated with creative pursuits in life to come and work full time or part time. Honorarium negotiable.

Dear friends

Zindabad and a very Happy Diwali.

Once again, New Year and Christmas are approaching. The children are gearing up to make new greeting cards as part of their craft activities. Many of you who have been buying cards will say, "Not again" but we persist :-)

Craft is vital to the Adharshila learning curriculum as we strongly believe that working with our hands and prdoucing something is a very satisfying and creative learning experience. This satisfaction and creativity is the central idea which we would like to promote in our learning programme. Besides this is also a very important educational activity and important for the development of the brain. (remember the hand played a very big role in the evolutionary development of the brain).

It is this belief in working with the hand that keeps us at these little activities like making cards, weaving, craft, farming etc.

We know and have been told by many that in the age of email and sms greeting cards have become redundant.

The funds raised through the sale of cards are used for educational tours. The children just love travelling. In 2006, we visited an organic farm and an NGO working in the health field in Gujarat. Both these places were very inspiring. The children also had fun in the sea in Dandi.They went to Pavagarh and Toran maal - two hill very old hill top shrines in the Satpuras. We saw how hand made paper is made and also a leprosy patients hospital. We also visited our sister school in Kakrana on the banks of the Narmada. This village was submerged partially in the Narmada Dam.

So once again we appeal to you, not just to help raise resources for the children's educational tour but to promote this thought and save the hand from becoming redundant. If you or anyone you know would like to wish to buy the greeting cards that our children have made, then please let us know at the earliest.

We hope to receive your support irrespective of mainstream trends.

From,
Amit, Jayshree and Arjun
on behalf of the
Adharshila Learning Centre

http://adharshilask.tripod.com/adharshila.html .
http://adharshilalearningcentre.blogspot.com/

Arivu Primary and Middle school

Present education system is full of information which pupils do not apply in day-to-day life. Students score good marks but they cannot apply anything. Our students become literates but not educated. Human values, affinity to nature, ideological commitments have become obsolete. Most of our forefathers were wise illiterates, talented/skilled illiterates and efficient illiterates. (Kurithodhayam kavyaprayoga parinathamathigal). However they could excel in the journey of life. But today we are producing inefficient, unwise, non-visionary literates. Present day students have more marks in their score cards but they are not able to excel in life. Our system fails to provide holistic education. Today one stops learning when he starts earning. Education (learning) is a continuous process without which life becomes stagnant. To make students/parents/elders to continue the process of learning and to provide them an opportunity to learn and to enjoy the learning of their wards, “Arivu Trust” is running a school in an innovative way.

Working with confidence in the field of Education and culture, Arivu Educational and Cultural Trust inculcates social concern, cultural commitment, Leadership and Co-operative qualities in students through its child friendly, eco friendly education. Arivu upholds individuality and self esteem in the competitive world providing opportunity for natural learning.

“Arivu” is a school where the pivot of education is Nature. With a belief of “Nature Nurtures”, arivu provides holistic education in a natural way so that a child here learns with pleasure and without pressure. Child here learns the importance of nature and learns to respect the environment and becomes respectable. What ever may be the sphere of life children move in, they would never fail to preserve nature and they will have a tendency forever to conserve nature and humanity in turn.

The school is situated beside Lingambudhi Bird Sanctuary amidst variety of trees in a farm house with modern educational equipments. With a motto of creating leaders and with its child centred and child oriented education the school reciprocates the child’s mind and inculcates social values. Showering love and confidence instead of threat or punishment this school makes the learning process a friendly, lovely and interesting activity. With monthly educational trips, cultural exposure programmes Arivu school explores the hidden talents of each child.

By providing child friendly, eco-friendly education with modern methodology and by widening the horizon of logic and language, Arivu helps children learn on their own and explore the world on their own. Facilitator (teacher) here suggests pros and cons of every situation and gives a few ethical and learning standards so that learner could face the world and give a ‘face lift’ to the world.

Arivu is not only a school but also a movement. It elevates the cultural levels of students by organising monthly cultural programmes where students are exposed to folk and classical, cultural endeavours.

Arivu has started its journey towards excellence. It expects kids to blaze the path of life and to become pioneers. Arivu kids bloom to spread fragrance in the path wherever they tread.

Centre for Learning

The Centre for Learning requires teachers.

In fact the school is always happy to hear from people who are interested in enquiry based education; an education concerned with the totality of life. Various arrangements are possible for staff.

 

CFL was started in 1990 by a small group of teachers who worked at the Valley school, Bangalore – one of the Krishnamurti Foundation of India schools. Many teachers in CFL are still inspired by J. Krishnamurti's educational work. The school has grown, but it is intended to keep it as a small, family-like place. It has a wonderful campus 40 km west of Bangalore.

Mirambika

The organisation is based on Sri Aurobindo and Mother's Principals. It was started around twenty five years ago. Mirambika is run by Aurobindo Ashram, Delhi. It is an experimental school up to eighth.

Shikshantar

This is not a school. They are working with people who want to quit the popular stream of action and pursue their own dreams. This is kind of learning cooperative where various people of all ages from different walks of life come together and share their learnings.

Shibumi

Shibumi is a school that will start in Bangalore, in June 2008. The deepest concern of the school is to bring up children who are free, responsible and concerned with the whole of life.

 

The teachers are a group committed to self-inquiry in the light of the teachings of J. Krishnamurti. Some have worked for many years in Krishnamurti schools and the  younger staff have studied in these schools.

The maximum number of children will be about a hundred. Children of all ages will be admitted, starting around 6 years.

The website for Shibumi can be found at: http://shibumi.org.in

The Blue Mountains School.

Founded in 1962 by the renowned educationist and pioneer of the Indian Public School movement,

the late F.G. Pearce who was deeply inspired by the Teachings on Education of the renowned

Thinker and Philosopher J. Krishnamurti.

Frederick Gordon Pearce was the Principal of the Rishi Valley School, Madanapalle during 1949-59.

In the early nineteen-sixties, he began his missionary venture in 'New Education' and started The Blue Mountains School.

Also associated with him was a group of renowned educationists that included David Horsburgh, J. P. Gunawardane and Sardar Mohammed Malik.

Schools influenced by David Horsburgh

David Horsburgh left a legacy in the form of committed teachers who started small schools, in remote areas, for village children. The main thrust of these learning centres is free progress (a method where the child directs its own progress) and self directed learning (the motivation to learn comes from the child). The emphasis is on handicrafts and other artisan skills apart from academics.

Horsburgh believed that teacher training programmes must be conducted within the precincts of schools. He taught his teacher trainees at the Neel Bagh School. In turn they are now replicating the process in the schools they have set up. So, as more schools are being set up, more teachers are also being trained. Horsburgh’s persistence is certainly paying.

Taleemnet reports on a few of such “David Horsburgh” schools.

 

Vikasana School

An innovative school for about 35 children with vertical grouping of children of both sexes from the ages of 4 yrs to 18 yrs. Child-to-Child approaches are used and the material is usually self-produced and need based. Parents are also involved.

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