UNIT 5

EDUCATIONAL INNOVATIONS
AND EXPERIMENTS: INDIAN
PRACTICES
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Objectives
5.3 Innovations and Experiments in Education
5.4 Multi-Purpose Schools
5.5 Common School System
5.6 Navodaya Vidyalaya
5.7 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya
5.8 Basic Education: Mahatma Gandhi
5.9 Ashram School (Patha-Bhavana): Rabindranath Tagore
5.10 Mirambika-The Free Progress School : Sri Aurobindo
5.11 Jodo Gyan
5.12 Nali Kali – A Changing Revolution
5.13 Let Us Sum Up
5.14 Unit-End Exercises
5.15 References and Suggested Readings
5.16 Answers to Check Your Progress

5.1 INTRODUCTION

Let’s reflect on your previous experiences of formal education. You will see
many a times your teacher, principal, the tutor had experimented through
adopting different activities, teaching methods and technology. You might
have also experimented with something new and different. You could
innovate something new. Isn’t so?

List down those innovations and experiments.

How your teachers, parents, and friends do support your innovative ideas
and action?

Innovations and experiments in education connote a continuous process of

positive change in different domains of education i.e. educational organization,
instructional and methodological practices etc. It creates space for inventing
and implementing new ideas for educational practices. It can be initiated by
individuals as teacher and administrators, or by state at institutional and
organizational level through policy decisions. Many times, it is a deliberate and
planned activity of transformation of prevailing practices by invention of new
79
Innovative and Alternative ways of organizing educational practices, introducing new tools, inventing new
Practices in Education methods. It also involves utilization and dissemination of the same. Innovation
requires individual acceptance and appreciation along with systemic support
system. Number of educational innovative experiments and projects have been
done after independence in India. Some of the experiments and projects are
currently continued and some have been gradually closed. We need to know
about why theses experiments were done or what was the theory or philosophy
behind them. So, in the present unit we will discuss some of the educational
innovations and experiments in India.

5.2 OBJECTIVES
After going through this unit, you will be able to:
• describe about the innovations and experiments in education;
• familiarizes with the initiatives taken in the policies for bringing innovation
in teaching-learning processes;
• appreciate the Indian philosophers’ like Gandhi, Tagore and Aurobindo and
their contribution to education; and
• explain the challenges of implementing innovative practices.

5.3 INNOVATIONS AND EXPERIMENTS IN

EDUCATION
It is evident that innovations in education occur through assimilation of new
ideas i.e. introduction of new pedagogic approaches, new teaching-learning
material including textbooks, better professional preparation of in-service as
well pre-service teachers, new assessment methods. It may be possible that
innovations and experiments are limited to small scale and their pace of change
may be slow but it always leads towards improvement. If an experiment is
found successful, it has significant implications for policy change. Its policy
level implications improve its execution efficiency and creates a wider support
system for sustaining it at large scale. Thus, innovations and experiments in
education include:
• Establishing and maintaining infrastructural bases of educational institutions
such as school building, classrooms, laboratories, ICT related resources and
play grounds etc.
• Making intentional curricular changes through curriculum framework in
content, pedagogy and assessment.
• Interpersonal relations between teacher-taught, school-community, peer
relations, teacher- administrators.

So, we can say that Innovation has a very important place in education.
Innovation in education encourages teachers to explore and experiment. It
nurtures their creativity. It results in positive changes in school culture, students’
learning experiences and teachers’ professional motivation. These changes can
be observed at micro as well as macro levels. Innovations in education bring
significant changes in learners’ experiential world. They inculcate student
80 interests, aptitudes and abilities. Therefore, educational processes become more
responsive to their culture and identities. Educational Innovations
and Experiments: Indian
We have already discussed in the Unit 2 in Block 1 about innovations and their Practices
characteristics in detail. In the following sections, we will discuss some of the
innovative experiments undertaken at the school level in India.

5.4 MULTI-PURPOSE SCHOOLS

After independence significant steps were taken for improving the quality
of school education. Secondary Education Commission (1952), was given
the mandate to analyze the growth pattern of secondary education in India
and recommend measures for reorganization of secondary education. The
commission recommended a new model of school education known as 8+3
years system of schooling where 8 years of primary education is complemented
with 3 years of secondary education. One of the significant recommendations
of the commission was the establishment of the multipurpose schools. The
commission wrote-

“A multipurpose school seeks to provide varied types of courses for students

with diverse aims, interests and abilities. It endeavors to provide for each
individual pupil suitable opportunity to use and develop his natural aptitude and
inclinations in the special course of studies chosen by him.”

The idea of a multipurpose school was comprehensive. It acknowledged diverse

needs and aptitudes of students and tried to integrate them with vocational
education. Some of the advantages of Multipurpose schools are:
• They help to remove a sense of inferiority associated with vocational
courses.
• They provide variety of courses that facilitates wider opportunity of
preferences for students.
• They also support overcoming the limitations of unilateral education
system.
• They provided space for students’ interests and aptitudes. It caters to
individual differences.
• They provide a formal curricular and teaching-learning environment for
craft and art related education besides mainstream curriculum of science
and humanities.
• They also upheld the Gandhian idea of dignity of labor and self dependence
as the various craft and manual works are integrated with formal learning.
• They help in preparing democratic citizens with enriched experiential
knowledge, strong bonding with the local community.

The experiment didn’t get its expected outcome due to the following reasons:

Lack of model curriculum, syllabi and textbook: Though the idea of

multipurpose schools was fascinating at the execution point it needed well defined
educational objectives, organized with content and assessment mechanism. We
failed to develop a model curriculum, syllabi and textbook suited to different
vocations.
81
Innovative and Alternative Lack of teachers: Basic nature of multipurpose schools requires such teachers
Practices in Education who are well equipped with theoretical and practical knowledge of their subject
domain. Our system didn’t attract such teachers. A proficient craft person prefers
to start his/her own business rather than becoming teacher. Similarly a person
well versed in theoretical knowledge couldn’t cater zeal of students without
engaging in experiments with craft and vocations.

Lack of government support: In 1954 some multipurpose schools were opened.

Some existing high schools were converted into multipurpose schools. During
first five-year plan 254 such schools were started but gradually due to lack of
proper support, targets couldn’t be achieved. During second and third five year
plans we targeted to start many multipurpose schools but target couldn’t be
achieved.

5.5 COMMON SCHOOL SYSTEM

After independence the need for a national system of education that provides
access to quality education to all children was upheld. It was also thought that
this system must be non-discriminatory. One of the significant steps towards this
vision was the Common School System. The Education Commission (1964-66),
popularly known as Kothari Commission, recommended the idea of Common
School System (CSS). The commission explained the concept of CSS:

“A Common School System (CSS) means a system which provides education

of an equitable quality to all children irrespective of caste, creed, community,
language, gender, economic condition, social status and physical mental
ability……bring the different social classes and groups together and thus
promote the emergence of an egalitarian and integrated society”.

The CSS recommended that the National System of Education must be accessible
to all and it must be based on principles of justice and equality. It envisioned
that schooling would contribute in the emergence of egalitarian and integrated
society. The education system should provide quality education for all children
irrespective of their class, caste, religion or linguistic background. Common
school system adheres to:

• Every child has access to school without any discrimination on the basis of
religion, caste, creed, language or community.
• The cost of schooling will be funded by the State. Every child is entitled to
free education.
• No discrimination of any kind is permitted not only in admission but in
the classrooms. The infrastructure and practices in the school are disabled-
friendly.
• Mother-tongue will be the medium of instruction.

Further, the idea was incorporated in the first National Policy on Education in
1968 and again in the second policy in 1986 as well as its program of action in
1992.

Often CSS was misinterpreted as a uniform school system that does not
82 acknowledge context and community. Where as CSS acknowledges the
importance of local context and community. It also accepts that each Educational Innovations
school will have an individual identity with academic autonomy. If the and Experiments: Indian
Practices
vision of CSS translated into action each school will have the minimum
physical infrastructure, including library, teaching aids, playgrounds and
many other features. It will also ensure professional quality of teachers
and teacher-student ratio. The curriculum will be diversified and address
the geo-cultural plurality of the country, while emphasizing certain core
curricular features of nation-wide significance. The pedagogy will be child
centred. It will nurture in children gender sensitivity and social empathy
for the dalits, tribals, cultural and ethnic minorities and those with physical
or mental challenges. The commission also envisioned that to develop such
a system neighbourhood schools should be established in all localities.

The proximity of the school will function as a significant criteria on for

deciding neighborhood schools. The commission report said: “Each school
should be attended by all children in the neighbourhood irrespective of
caste, creed, community, religion, economic condition or social status, so
there would be no segregation schools.”

The Commission put two arguments in favor of neighborhood schools.

• A neighbourhood school would provide quality education to children
as it allows them to share the cultural ethos of the community without
any discrimination or socio-cultural barrier.
• A neighbourhood school will diminish the multilayer system of
education where children belonging to upper socio-economic class
enjoy quality education and create a social distance from common
people. It is against the principle of equality and it can cater an
egalitarian system.

Though the National Policy on Education (1986) and Program of Action

(1992) accepted the Commission’s recommendation on the Common School
System (CSS) and neighbourhood schools it is still a rhetoric ideal that has
been abandoned.

Check Your Progress 1

Note: a) Write your answers in the space given below.
b) Compare your answers with those given at the end of the Unit.
1. The Multipurpose schools were established on the recommendation of
which commission/committee?
a) Kothari Commission (1964-66)
b) Secondary Education Commission (1952-53)
c) Rammurthi Committee (1990)
d) Yashpal Committee (1992-83)

83
Innovative and Alternative
Practices in Education 2. Fill in the blanks.
a) The Common School System was based on the principles of

…………………………………………………………………………

b) The concept of neighbourhood school is part of execution plan of the

…………………………………………………………………………

3. What do you understand from the Common School System (CSS)?

…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
……....……………………………………………………………….....

5.6 NAVODAYA VIDYALAYA

The National Policy on Education 1986, recommended establishing pace
setting residential schools named Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) to
provide quality education to talented students from rural areas. It is envisioned
that these schools will work as centres of academic excellence coupled with
equity and social justice. The underlying assumption of developing JNVs is
that many talented children are potentially high achievers, but due to socio-
economic constrains they are unable to get quality education.

Either they are unidentified or their talent is not catered through the present
school system. In both the cases, these pace setting schools were envisioned
to provide an opportunity for quality education with twin objectives of
excellence and equity. Talented students from the rural background will be
identified and scaffolded in a sustained and holistic manner so that their
potential ‘talent’ unfold.

Following are the broad objectives for establishing JNVs:

• To serve the objective of excellence coupled with equity and social
justice.
• To promote national integration by providing opportunities to talented
children, largely from rural areas from different parts of the country, to
live and learn together and develop their full potential.
• To provide good quality modern education, including a strong component
of culture, inculcation of values, awareness of the environment,
adventure activities and physical education.
• To ensure that all students of Navodaya Vidyalayas attain a reasonable
level of competence in three languages as envisaged in the Three
Language Formula.
• To serve in each district, as focal point for improvement in quality of
84
 school education through sharing of experiences and facilities. Educational Innovations
and Experiments: Indian
Some Features of JNVs Practices

 The medium of instruction is the mother-tongue or regional language

up to Class VIII and English thereafter for Maths and Science and Hindi
for Social Science.
 One of the important features of the Navodaya Vidyalaya Scheme is
the Migration Scheme of students from one Navodaya Vidyalaya in a
particular linguistic region to another Vidyalaya in a different linguistic
region. It aims at promoting an understanding of the diversity and
plurality of India’s culture and people amongst the students.
 Enriched hostel life and intensive interaction between teachers and
students shapes the holistic personality of the students.
 The performance of JNVs students in board exams and other competitive
exams is also significant.
 The JNVs teaching-learning culture has components of culture, values,
environmental awareness, sports training, physical education and
National Integration.

5.7 KASTURBA GANDHI BALIKA

VIDYALAYA

The Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) scheme was launched

as an independent scheme for providing quality education to the girls of
disadvantaged communities in 2004. It was merged with SSA in 2007. The
goal of the scheme was to reduce the gender gap in the enrolment at the upper
primary level. The scheme envisions that ensuring access and providing
quality education to the girls of disadvantaged communities can be done by
setting up residential upper-primary schools with boarding facilities.

KGBVs were opened in Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs), with a

rural female literacy rate below the national average (46.13%) with reference
to census 2001 and gender gap in literacy higher than the national average
(21.59%, census 2001). Priority has been given to areas with:

♦ Concentration of tribal population, and/or a large number of girls out of

school;
♦ Concentration of SC, ST, OBC and minority populations, and/or a large
number of girls out of school;
♦ Areas with low female literacy;
♦ Areas with a large number of small, scattered habitations that do not
qualify for a school

Under the scheme residential upper primary schools were set up. Necessary
85
Innovative and Alternative infrastructure, teaching-learning materials, appointments of teachers were
Practices in Education
made. Besides, help of NGOs and other non-profit making bodies were taken
so that their experiences with local context support the smooth functioning
of the schools. There are three models of KGBVs:

Model I: A KGBV school with hostel for 100 girls.

Model II: A KGBV school with hostel for 50 girls.

Model III: In this model hostels are built in existing schools for 50 girls.

Significance of the Scheme

• The KGBV scheme helps in reducing the gender disparities in the field
of school education.
• It is a model of positive intervention for promotion of gender equality
through education.
• It provides quality education for deprived rural girls on par with urban
children.
• It prepares the non-enrolled and drop out girl children for mainstream
formal education.
• It also equips them with life skills so that they can deal with everyday
problems.
• The scheme removes all possible barriers i.e. domestic chores and sibling
care that impedes girls’ opportunity of pursuing school education.
• The teaching- learning processes involves both academic rigour and
empowerment of girls.
• The curriculum implemented in KGBVs focuses on holistic development
of the girls. It has strong provision of co-curricular activities. In many
states, integrated curriculum planning was also done.
• KGBVs have also introduced skill development programs so that in
future these skills can be utilized as the income generating skills.
• These schools also practice innovative ways of learning and doing i.e.
use of library, exposure trips and inter-school competition, role play
etc.
• A number of students committees i.e. library, cleaning, food, health,
sports, etc. are constituted and the responsibilities are distributed among
them. In these schools’ girls were also involved in school-management
activities through well-planned processes and structures.

The KGBV scheme was well received by parents and the community and
the scheme was areaching to its proposed cliental that SC, ST, OBC and
Muslim girls in very backward and remote regions of India.

86
 Educational Innovations
Check Your Progress 2 and Experiments: Indian
Practices
Note: a) Write your answers in the space given below.
b) Compare your answers with those given at the end of the Unit.
4. Mark True and False.
a) JNVs cater to talented children from higher socio-economic class. ( ).
b) The student migration policy in JNVs promotes national integration ( )
c) Under KGBV scheme, secondary schools were set up. ( )
d) KGBVs have three models. ( )

5. What is the main goal of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya?

…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
……....……………………………………………………………….....
6. Write any two broad objectives for establishing JNVs.
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
……....……………………………………………………………….....

5.8 BASIC EDUCATION: MAHATMA GANDHI

Gandhi’s idea of Basic Education was the practical embodiment of his social and
political philosophy of SWARAJ. According to him education aims at holistic
development of individual integrating his hand, head and heart and leading
towards self-reliance, self-awareness and self-discipline. Such individuals
will be part of a non-violent, just and peaceful society, free from all kinds of
exploitation.

Gandhi Ji placed his ideas on Basic Education (Nai-Talim) before the nation in
the Wardha Conference in 1937. After a detailed dialogue, experts in the field
and ministers took the following decisions:
• Free and compulsory education is to be provided to all children in the
country.
• Mother tongue would be the medium of instruction.
• Education centering on some form of manual productive work suitable for
local conditions would be imparted.
• In due course of time this education system would become self-sustaining
and even cover the remuneration being paid to teachers.

Gandhi’s idea of 3H’s and 3R’s encompasses a framework for holistic

development. It includes development of: hand-psychomotor domain/skills, 87
Innovative and Alternative heart-spiritual domain/skills, head-Cognitive domain/skills. The 3R’s include
Practices in Education reading, writing and arithmetic. Within this framework of holistic development,
knowledge supports a self-reliant individual who has all the skills and trainings
that is useful for the service of community and he is free from all kind of
servitude. This leads to character building of the students. Education draws out
and stimulates the spiritual, intellectual and physical faculties of children.

Basic education treats manual work equally important to mental work.

Integration of mental and manual work prepares a ‘whole person’. Productive
works, handicrafts, works related art and drawing, community services are the
key pedagogic tools in Basic education.

In this scheme of education, teachers’ role is not limited to teaching textbook

but designing and executing curriculum integrating with craft works. Hence,
it provides autonomy to the teachers in terms of designing and executing the
curriculum.

Basic education is seen as a tool for the social reconstruction of Indian society,
particularly villages of India. It helps in achieving the goal of liberation, equality
and justice. It prepares a self-reliant community that knows how to live and
coexist with nature and living beings.

Features of Basic education are as follows:

• It focuses on inculcating values of non-violence, peace and equality.
• It promotes idea education through mother-tongue.
• It gives importance to manual work.
• It appreciates community life.
• It appreciates character building and good conduct.
• Health and hygiene are also part of education
• The major components of the scheme are: Nature, Productive work and
society. For holistic development, all these components are to be well
integrated.
• It integrates knowledge and action resulting in joy of learning and preparing
lifelong learners.
• It prepares a self-reliant citizen, free from any external and internal fear.
• It affirms that education should develop social consciousness among
students.
• It helps to inculcate the values of equity, justice and fraternity. Sustainability
based practices are also part of school culture.

In essence Basic education propagates a vision of education centered around

productive works such as weaving, farming and agriculture etc. Such learning
activities are situated in learners’ local context..Let us examine few schools that
practice basic education.
Aanand Niketan

It is situated in Sewagram Aashram, Wardha. The school runs in the same

premises where the experiment of NaiTalim was carried out from 1937-74. It
88 has historical legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, E.W. Ariyanayakam and Aasha Devi
Ariyanayakam. Aanand Niketan was closed in 1974. It was reopened in 2005. Educational Innovations
The school focuses on holistic development of the students by taking care of and Experiments: Indian
Practices
head, hands and heart. It believes that education can contribute in making a
non-violent, just, cooperative and sustainable society. It is a small school where
around 200 students from nearby villages come. The medium of instruction is
Marathi. Gardening, & spinning, weaving and agriculture are productive works
used in school. Besides, the school teaches Maths, Science and Social Science
through regular classroom teaching.

Sushma Sharma (2015), Principal of Aanand Niketan School wrote about

experiment of NaiTalim at her school:

The school had planned to plant onions beds. The students of classes VI and
VII were engaged in this work. The gardening teacher guided the students
and other teachers. The group had prepared the field and seedlings were
transplanted. They enjoyed the activity. The school had got a good yield of
onion crop. These organically grown onions were used in school kitchen and
some were sold to the teachers. The work has following aspects of learning:
• Observation of different kinds of plants - both crop and weeds.
Preparation of land for different type of vegetables - fruit vegetables,
leafy vegetables and tubers, sowing methods and other specifications.
• Understanding the importance of soil fertility, role of insects, earthworms,
fungi and microbes to keep the soil alive.
• Importance of recycling of biomass through different methods.
• Observing and understanding pests and beneficial insects and their life
cycles, preparing and spraying pest repellants.
• Taking care of the vegetable plots/ gardens by regular weeding, hoeing,
watering, adding manure, spraying etc. Learning to use different tools
like sickle, fork, spade etc.
• Understanding the role of sunlight in scientific processes like
photosynthesis, transpiration, pollination etc.
• Understanding the role of sunlight in scientific processes like
photosynthesis, transpiration, pollination etc.
• Measuring and designing of plots for growing vegetables. Counting/
estimating number of plants in a plot, using addition and multiplication,
measuring the perimeter, area under cultivation, open space area, drawing
maps, weighing the yield, keeping records of the yield, selling vegetables
etc.
• Keeping weather record, for example measuring minimum and
maximum temperature, humidity, rainfall and presenting it graphically.
• Understanding larger issues related to soil degradation, pollution due to
excessive use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
• Understanding broader issues related to the market.
• Last but most importantly, to learn that the work is essential for our
survival and thus needs to be honoured, as also the persons doing it.

89
Innovative and Alternative Puvidham Learning Centre
Practices in Education
The Centre was started in 2000 at Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu. The centre
focuses on organic farming. It works with the idea of self-sufficiency in
terms of water, energy, food for local community. It ensures that learner
learn will develop a strong relationship with their environment. The students
hail from nearby villages. There are many craft-based productive activities
conducted in the schools i.e. embroidery, knitting, soap-making, basket
weaving, cloth weaving, pottery. They learn their mother tongue, Tamil and
English. The centre involves local community in many ways. The students
help community in organic farming. Various awareness campaigns i.e.
migration, deforestation, health, using local herbs etc. are also conducted.

Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya

It was founded in 2002 in Dharwad, Karnataka. The school provides free

education to the students of disadvantage communities. It also works for
conserving Indian cultural tradition of music. Hindustani classical music,
Kathak dance and drama are essential part of curriculum. Besides, the school
follows Karnataka state syllabus. The school provides opportunities for
holistic development both in academics and music. The school believes that
knowledge in music will enable their students to find meaningful and well-
paid employment. The students of the school travel to various places across
India conducting concerts at both regional and national levels. The students
are taught in their mother tongue Kannada along with Hindi and English
in higher grades; and math, science and social science. Grade 1-5 students
learn the basics of harmonium, tabla, vocal music, dance, and drama along
with learning an instrument such as sitar, tabla, violin, bansuri etc.

Check Your Progress 3

Note: a) Write your answers in the space given below.
b) Compare your answers with those given at the end of the Unit.
7. What is the Gandhi’s idea behind 3H’s and 3R’s?
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
……....……………………………………………………………….....
8. Write any three main features of Basic education.
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
……....……………………………………………………………….....

90
 Educational Innovations
5.9 ASHRAM SCHOOL( PATHA-BHAVANA) : and Experiments: Indian
RABINDRANATH TAGORE Practices

The Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore disseminated the spirit of co-

operation, brotherhood and universalism through education. He believed
that education can create harmony with all existence of the nature. He
wished to create a place of unconventional learning and universal harmony.
He was not a pedagogue in the traditional sense rather he was a creative
soul who poured all his wisdom through poems and art. His school was
the place for well-known experiments. He founded the school in 1901 with
five boys and five teachers. In fact, his son was also one of the students
in the school. The school was situated in the heart of nature near Bolpur,
West Bengal. In the first year the school was called the Brahmacharya
Ashram. After the first year, it was named Brahma Vidyalaya. In 1925
it was named Patha-Bhavana. It was the bedrock of Shantiniketan and
Vishwbharati.

In the famous essay ‘My School’ he identified some of the symptoms of

the school that impede the natural development of child:
• According to Tagore, these schools focused on habit formation which
take away child from nature while as unity with nature is essential for
smooth development.
• It gave information that has no value for realizing self.
• It only makes an active child turn into a silent child.

If we read his essay ‘My School’ we found that he was dissatisfied with
his school. He wrote:

“The child’s life is brought into the educational factory-lifeless, colourless,

dissociated from the context of the universe..”

His experiment of education was the response to unpleasant experiences

of his schooling. In his famous essay ‘My School’ he further wrote:

“The rooms were cruelly dismal with their walls on ground like police man.
The houses were more like a pigeonholed box than a human habitation. No
decoration, no picture, not a touch of colour, not an attempt to attract the
child’s mind” (Tagore, 1961: 60–61) .

Such monotonous experiences of his school life left a permanent imprint

on his mind.

Therefore he decided to establish a school as a natural space for children

where they would grow up with their spontaneity, liveliness and creativity
without any restrictions. He affirmed that school should be a place where:
• true support for the emancipation of soul is provided.
• the mind will have fearless freedom to create its own dreams.
• an empathetic sense of interconnectedness with the surrounding will
develop.
91
Innovative and Alternative Mete and Mandal (2014) reported that Tagore’s goals of establishing such
Practices in Education an institution was to rear young minds in harmony with nature and to
break the isolation of school from home and society.

The school was residential. Inspired by the ancient education system of

‘Aashram’, the school comprised small huts surrounded by a forest. The
classes where conducted under the shade of trees. The setting of classrooms
allows the students and teachers to enjoy harmonious relationship with
nature. Similarly, the curriculum was organized in a different way.
Rather than teaching school subjects the teachers and students preferred
to study rhythm of nature. Field trips, nature visit and excursions were
an essential component of the curriculum. Nature walks and field trips
were regularly included in the curriculum. While the students were taken
for these excursions, they were encouraged to observe and make inquiry
into concepts such as life cycle of insects, bird and plants (Mete and
Mandal,2014 ). The core component of the curriculum was art, human
values and cultural heritage and practices.

There existed a self-governance model of school management. In the

school students were given the responsibility to take care of their school.
Seven departments looked after the school. These are: Sahitya (literature),
Shastha (health), Parivesh (environment), Krida (sports), Seba (service)
Aaharjo (food) and Sakha Sangha (administration). It was formed with
the students through the election. Active participation in these department
developed holistic personality of students

The other very important aspect of the school was freedom. Any kind
of corporal punishment was prohibited in the school. It was thought
that discipline should emerge from within. Tagore wishfully nurtured a
caring ethos where students could do what they wished. They have all
possible liberty to create, to learn to share and to care. Tagore affirmed
that curriculum should be attuned with the philosophy of freedom to learn
with nature.

In essence Tagore’s School was a place where education was in harmony

with nature and life, where students were part of a larger family, where self
governance was a model of running the institution and where students and
teachers cherished an atmosphere of freedom, mutual trust and happiness.

Check Your Progress 4

Note: a) Write your answers in the space given below.
b) Compare your answers with those given at the end of the Unit.
9. Mark true or false.
a) Tagore’s experiences of his school were joyful. ()
b) The school established by Tagore was a place where education was
in harmony with nature and life. ()
c) In Tagore’s school the classes were conducted in rooms. ()
92
 Educational Innovations
5.10 MIRAMBIKA – THE FREE PROGRESS and Experiments: Indian
SCHOOL : SRI AUROBINDO Practices

Mirambika, the free progress school was established in 1981 in the premise
of Aurobindo Ashram in Delhi. The school follows the philosophy of integral
education propounded by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.

Philosophy of Integral Education: Integral education views interconnection

between head, hands and heart that supports unfolding of latent potential of
individuals. It is not limited to giving textbook-based knowledge and skills
rather it enables learners to seek the meaning of their being. Education processes
involves the whole person: the head, the heart, the body as well as the spirit. It
should begin with the assumption that the learner is a unique, complex and
evolving person and needs an education that accepts his/her uniqueness and
complexity. According to the philosophy of integral education each individual
has innate human attributes. These attributes pertain to the five domains: the
physical, the vital, the mental, the psychic, and the spiritual. They are known
as five principle aspects of the human being. They are acknowledged as being
fundamentally holistic, humanistic, and divine and must all be addressed
to achieve a complete integral education. Being interrelated, they require
cultivation to be individually and collectively.

Sri Aurobindo’s (Sri Aurobindo, 1956, pp. 20-21) has given three principles of
integral education:
1. Nothing can be taught.
2. The mind has to be consulted in its own growth.
3. To work from the near to the far, from that which is to that which shall be.

The first principle affirms that each soul possesses self-knowledge. The
educational processes lead individual towards knowledge for the self. The
teaching-learning processes enable him/her to connect with his/her soul.

The second principle celebrates individual uniqueness as it tells those

developmental processes should not be imposed forcefully from outside rather
it is inner nature of the soul to represent the divine within. An individual’s self
must expand in accordance with his own nature.

The third principle implies that in addition to his soul, an individual is also
connected with his surroundings, his nationality, and his country. The experiential
world of the child is diverse. He/she should be connecting with their world as an
integral part of the world not as a part of it.

Mirambika-The Free Progress School: The school is situated on the premises

of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Delhi. The school has green campus with
sufficient open space that facilitates physical mobility in the school.
Instead of admitting children in a particular class the school groups children on
the basis of their age. These groups are named behind the name of color i.e. red
group having children of 3 to 4 years of age, blue group having children of 4-5
years of age etc.
The teachers are called ‘Diyas’. They are committed practitioners. They are
93
Innovative and Alternative chosen on the basis of their interest in working with children, affection and
Practices in Education motivation to do their job.

A day in the school starts at 8.30 a.m. and continues till 3.30 p.m. The children
start their day by having breakfast along with their teachers. In other schools,
the morning begins with classroom teaching whereas in the Mirambika the
students and the teacher begin their day with sports. After sport activities, they
clean their rooms. This is followed by playing of music for meditation. The
students along with their teachers sit quietly and silently do meditation with
their peers. After that , children do their ‘project work’. These project works
integrate different school subjects and learning activities like viewing films,
drama, model making, experimenting, art, craft, music etc. The students are
free to choose any activity of their interest. In the afternoon, the children along
with the ‘diyas’ have lunch together in the school. Formal teaching of specific
subjects like English, Hindi and Mathematics also takes place, thrice in a week.
Also, twice a week in the afternoons children have ‘club’ activities in areas like
cooking, management, jewellery making, calligraphy, art, craft, pottery making.
The day schedule is flexible. It accommodates all the possible changes due to
the nature of activity being undertaken by the children. At the end of the day
everyone sits and concentrates on the day’s happenings with meditation music
playing softly. Before going home they have a glass of milk/juice with snacks
under the trees, chatting and laughing together.

The school adopts a flexible policy of assessment. There is no structured

examination and test cycle. Assessment is done to know how much the learner
has assimilated and what more is required. To keep the record a learner profile
is maintained by the teacher. It includes mental, physical, vital and psychic
domains of learning. The assessment model is descriptive and non-judgmental.
At advance level self-evaluation and peer evaluation are also used.

Check Your Progress 5

Note: a) Write your answers in the space given below.
b) Compare your answers with those given at the end of the Unit.
10. Fill in the blanks.
a) Mirambika school follows the philosophy of …………………
propounded by ……….. and …………….
b) Teachers are called ……………..
11. Write any three principles of integral education of Sri Aurobindo.
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
……....……………………………………………………………….....

5.11 JODO GYAN

Jodo Gyan is a Delhi based organization that prepares teaching-learning
resources and toys for pre-primary and primary children. These materials are
94 widely used for teaching mathematics and science. These resources are cost
effective. The materials used for toys are non-toxic. These materials can be used Educational Innovations
by parents as well as teachers. Some of the resources are as follows: and Experiments: Indian
Practices
Jodo Cubes: They are small colorful cubes that can be used to teach addition
and subtraction.

Mathmat: The mat is square shape with holes. There are colorful pieces that
can be fitted in the holes. It is used to improve fine motor skills.

Aakar Parivar: It can be used to introduce the concepts of geometrical shapes.

Jodo Straws: It is a set of straws of different color and size. The children can
make different designs with the help of straws.

Number Flash Cards: The cards can be used to teach concept of number, place
value etc. Teachers and parents can also use them in different number games.

Jodo Ludo: It is like traditional ludo board. It is used for teaching addition and
subtraction.

The materials are prepared and tried out Jodo Gyan resource center located in
Shakurpur colony. The design and concept of these materials are largely drawn
from the organisation’s own experimentations as well as international research.
The organization also produces toys and materials based on experiments and
innovations carried out by other organizations i.e. Navnirmiti and Eklavya. Each
material is provided with a printed module that briefly describes the concept and
use of the material.

Jodo Gyan Kendra

The organization also runs an experimental school at Shakurpura in Delhi.

The school has pre-primary and primary classes. Most of the students
coming to the school are first-generation learners. In the school project-
based approach is followed for teaching. The school also includes an
anganwadi for younger children. Parents are invited for workshops and
discussions; they are regularly counselled to increase their understanding
of the approach and pedagogy of Jodo Gyan. The organization supports
government and private schools for setting up resource centers.

5.12 NALI KALI- A CHANGING REVOLUTION

Nali-kali means joyful learning, , a UNICEF assisted project, was started in
1995 in Mysore District. This project was undertaken to revitalize education
in selected primary schools of Mysore. It was identified that the schools
in this region were facing the problem of student absenteeism. This was
primarily due to children’s involvement in farm labour, domestic labour,
loitering and so forth. Seasonal migration was also an issue due to which
children were forced to miss school. Coupled with these factors, it was also
observed that classroom teaching was based on chalk-talk method and there
was a dearth of teaching-learning materials. The pedagogy in the classrooms
was teacher-centred and not child-centered.

In the wake of the above-mentioned concerns, a group of 15 motivated 95

Innovative and Alternative primary school teachers went to Rishi Valley, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh.
Practices in Education They studied pedagogy there and understood how learning in multigrade
classrooms can be made apt and joyful for the learners. The teachers came
back and experimented in the schools of Mysore. The experimentation was
appreciated. It was scaled up for the whole state under the DPEP project
with the name ‘Nali-Kali’.

This educational reform encouraged and empowered teachers to be able

to initiate and sustain child-centered pedagogy. Its pedagogy was most
appropriate for multi-grade teaching in schools and was this adopted and
introduced in 13691 schools of Karnataka. Eventually, Nali-Kali was
introduced in all government Kannada medium schools of Karnataka in
2009-10. All class I and II children were taught through a pedagogy based
on joyful learning, as introduced by Nali-Kali.

As stated earlier, unlike the conventional mode of teaching where the chalk-
talk method dominates, in Nali-Kali there has been an emphasis on making
learning process a joyful one.

Teaching -Learning Process for Joyful Learning

For making teaching-learning process joyful teaching-learning materials

(TLMs) were developed. On the basis of principles of ‘from known to
unknown’; ‘concrete to abstract’; ‘simple to complex’ the materials such
as readiness cards, content cards, and practice cards, application cards and
evaluation cards were developed. The TLM developed were made to ensure
attainment and attract children to the school.

An attempt was also made to develop teaching-learning materials

including activity banks and learning ladders in language, mathematics
and environmental studies. The curriculum of these subjects was divided
into small manageable learning units called ‘Mile stones’. Each of the
milestones was arranged into learning ladders. These learning ladders
divided the objectives to be attained into smaller learning-steps that could
be easily managed and learnt. With each of the goals, the appropriate
pedagogy and the teaching-learning materials to attain the goals were listed
out. Furthermore, it was ensured that until a child mastered a competency
at the lower level of the learning ladder, there was no point in moving the
child to the best level of the learning ladder. The learning ladder thus gave
the child both challenges and a sense of achievement for each step that
has been mastered. These activities enable self-learning, reinforcement and
evaluation in the learner and are designed to support learning trajectory
from conceptualisation, application and evaluation.

This approach of teaching-learning stands as crucial point of difference

from the government school or even the DPEP activity-based learning. It
allows scope for joyful, child-centered education, that is a major shift from
the earlier teacher-centered education. Nali-Kali thus aspires to surpass
the existing formal school system. It breaks the traditional hierarchical
space that ordinarily exists between teacher and student in the traditional
classroom settings. Apart from these, tools for evaluation and remedial
teaching methods were also devised.

96
 Educational Innovations
Check Your Progress 6 and Experiments: Indian
Practices
Note: a) Write your answers in the space given below.
b) Compare your answers with those given at the end of the Unit.
12. Fill in the blanks
a) The meaning of Nali-Kali is………………..
b) In the Nali-Kali project domain specific competencies were arranged in
the form of……………
c) Jodo Gyan is a Delhi based organization that prepares teaching-learning
resources and toys for……………………………children

5.13 LET US SUM UP

In this unit we discussed about different innovations and experiments in education
in India. We came to know that innovations and experiments in Education connote
a continuous process of positive change in different domains of education i.e.
educational organization, instructional and methodological practices etc. We also
read about state lead interventions i.e. neighborhood school and common school
system. They were aimed at inclusion of marginalized groups and providing them
with quality education. Besides, there are many other experiments based on the
ideas of great educational thinkers of India i.e. Gandhi, Tagore and Aurobindo.
These experiments show how holistic development of learners take place in
a free and progressive environment. There are organizations like Jodo Gyan
that supports schools for child-centered learning processes. We also discussed
the Nali-Kali experiment where government school teachers experimented with
constructivist approach to learning.

5.14 UNIT END EXERCISES

1. Why are innovations and experiments significant for any education system?
2. Imagine you are given the responsibility to run a progressive school in your
locality, what will be its features?

5.15 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED

READINGS
• Chawla, R. (2015). Current Practices of NaiTalim, Teacher Plus, 12, pp.1-3
• Education Commission. (1966). Education and National Development:
Report of the Education Commission 1964-66. New Delhi: Ministry of
Education, Government of India.
• Huberman, A.M. (1973). Understanding Change in Education: An
Introduction. Experiments and Innovations in Education. Geneva:
UNESCO IBE
• Ministry of Education (1953). Report of the Secondary Education
Commission. New Delhi: Ministry of Education
• Ministry of Human Resource Development (1990). Toward an Enlightened 97
Innovative and Alternative and Humane Society: NPE, 1986 A Review. New Delhi: MHRD
Practices in Education
• Mitra, S. (2003). Minimally Invasive Education: A progress report on
the “Hole-in-the-wall” experiments. The British Journal of Educational
Technology, 34(3), pp. 367-371.
• Mondal, A. and Mete, J. (2014). Tagore Santiniketan School: A Retrospective
View, Bangladesh Education Journal, 5, 49-56
• Rege, S. (2006). Writing Caste Writing Gender: Narrating Dalit Women’s
Testimonies. New Delhi: Zubaan.
• Richland, M. (1965). Traveling seminar and conference for the
implementation of educational innovations. Santa Monica: Calif, Systems
• Sadgoapl, A. (2008). Common School System: Do we have an option,
Janta, 63 (9) pp. 1-8.
• Sharma, S. (2015). A powerful Means of Integrated Holistic Learning,
Learning Curve, 24(3). pp. 74-79
• Sibia, A.(2006). Life at Mirambika, New Delhi: NCERT
• Sinhs, S. (2015). NaiTalin Today: Some Issues and Possibilities, Learning
Curve, 24(3) pp. 1-5
• Tagore, R. (1961a). Reminiscences. Calcutta: Visva- Bharati Publishing
Department
• Kirkland, K. and Sutch, D. (2009). Overcoming the barriers to educational
innovation: A literature review, retrieved from https://www.nfer.ac.uk/
publications/futl61/futl61.pdf
• Esdal, L. (10 March, 2017). Four dimensions of Innovation in Education
retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/education/opinion-four-
dimensions-of-innovation-in-education/2017/03

5.16 ANSWER TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

1. b
2. a. justice and equality.
b. Common School System
3. The CSS recommended that the National System of Education must be
accessible to all and it must be based on principles of justice and equality. It
envisioned that schooling would contribute in the emergence of egalitarian
and integrated society. The education system should provide quality
education for all children irrespective of their class, caste, religion or
linguistic background.
4. a) False b). True c). False d). True
5. The goal of the scheme was to reduce gender gap in the enrolment at upper
primary level. The scheme envisions that ensuring access and providing
quality education to the girls of disadvantaged communities can be done by
setting up residential upper primary schools with boarding facilities.
6. Write your answer by referring 5.6
98
7. Gandhi’s idea of 3H’s and 3R’s encompasses a framework for holistic Educational Innovations
development. It includes development of: hand-psychomotor domain/ and Experiments: Indian
Practices
skills, heart-spiritual domain/skills, head-Cognitive domain/skills. The
3R’s include reading, writing and arithmetic.
8. Refer 5.8
9. a) False b) True c) False
10. a) Sri Aurobindo the Mother b) Diyas
11. Sri Aurobindo’s has given three principles of integral education:
• Nothing can be taught.
• The mind has to be consulted in its own growth.
• To work from the near to the far, from that which is to that which shall
be.
12. a) Joyful learning b) learning ladders
c) for pre-primary and primary children

99