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Nov. 26, 2004 A glimpse of non-traditional schools in Hyderabad, India Bipin Indurkya, International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad,India

Last year, I contributed an article in this forum about the education system in India based on my personal experiences, and about the intensity of competition that the children have to go through. (click here) Recently, having moved to Hyderabad, I have been exploring various school options for our children. Needless to say, I feel put off by the competition-intensive, entrance-test-focused, indifferent-to-the-child traditional schools. So I have been focusing my search on schools that provide an alternative to traditional schools. In this column, I will try to provide a glimpse of this alternative education scenario in Hyderabad. First of all, let me say that as far as traditional schooling goes, not much seems to have changed, notwithstanding the IT-revolution and all. For example, many of my friends' children in my hometown Bhopal would tell me that their teachers do not teach much in the classroom. Instead, they encourage children to take private tuitions or coaching classes run by the same teachers. As a result, apathy towards schools is rampant among the children - they go there merely to get the attendance. Sadly, this also happens at some of the most 'reputable' schools that boast themselves as India's Best Schools. In contrast, I was pleasantly surprised to find a number of innovative and creative approaches to education being practiced in at least some schools here in Hyderabad. A number of these schools are very new: they have sprouted to fill the niche for educating children who have lived abroad and have had a taste of rather liberal education. Some of these children are here because their families have moved back. Some of them are here because their parents feel it necessary for them to be schooled in India for cultural reasons - they stay with their grandparents or relatives. For example, there is the Future Kids school started by Ms. Shailaja Rao about six years ago, because she was not satisfied with the traditional schools for her son. A short and petite lady, Ms. Rao more than makes up for her stature by her enthusiasm. Talking to her, you get the sense that the school is her and she is the school. She knows the names of all the children, how they are doing, about their parents and all. She does not like to use the word 'try': you don't try something, you do it. They don't use any text books, but create their own teaching material by incorporating parts from the two curricula that are standard in India. Another characteristic of this school is that they integrate different subjects together by choosing related study material: so, for example, what they are studying in science, social studies, and English might have the same theme. This not only deepens children's understanding, but also makes them see connections between different subjects. There are more recently established schools also. For example, Oakridge and Orchids started about four years ago. Sreenidhi is just in its second year. In all these schools I found highly motivated and enthusiastic staff, who are determined to make a difference, who are dedicated to focus on the total development of the child and not the child's academic scores. Surprisingly, the most unique of these alternative-education schools is one that has been here in Hyderabad for over thirty years: Vidyaranya. Presided by sharp and sprightly eighty-year old Ms. Shanta Rameshwar Rao, known affectionately as Shanta-ma, the main characteristics of the school are an emphasis on the individuality and uniqueness of the child, a complete lack of competition and rankings (there are no examinations until 8th grade), an open mind to try out different methods of teaching, and so on. Of course, such phrases adorn several school brochures and pamphlets, but seeing is believing. When I was at the school, I was quite struck by the ambience. The children all, younger ones as well as older ones, exuded confidence and a certain degree of carelessness that comes from knowing who you are as a person. I was there at the end of the school day, and when the bell rang, there was neither a sudden onslaught of children rushing out of the classroom, nor an orderly procession of children in neat lines. Instead, the children seem to gradually wander out in small groups, chatting, doing this and that, lingering here and there. Bright and happy faces at the end of the day at school. Located near the center of the city, at the bottom of a hill overlooked by the Birla temple, the building and the grounds of the school are quite unusual. The three-story building has inner courtyards with trees and flowers. There are arches and terraces overlooking different parts of the grounds. The vast grounds are dotted with shady trees here and there. There are swings and slides, and broad open areas to play soccer, volleyball etc. There is a spacious sandbox nestled by the main building, where some children were playing kabaddi a traditional Indian game. A part of the grounds is landscaped around the existing rocks and boulders to have terraces, and staircases that follow the natural contours of the rocks. When I was there, a bunch of sixth or seventh grade children were practicing some dance routine to the tune of "My darling Clementine" . I was struck by the harmony of the teachers and the children. They all seemed like a team enthusiastically working together. The gaiety one felt in the air said it all. The roots of non-traditional schooling in India go a long time back. In 1863, Shantiniketan (abode of peace) was started by the famous poet Rabindranath Tagore's father, with its open-air classrooms and an emphasis on art and music, near Calcutta. In the few schools described here, it is heartening to see some of this spirit reemerging in that an emphasis is placed on the child's development as a loving, caring human being, who is in harmony with the environment. Yet, these are but a few scattered oases in a vast arid desert of the educational landscape in India. One can only dream that these oases will grow, and grow, and grow until it all becomes a lush green valley. Let's Talk!

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