GRAM-MANGAL HELPING REVOLUTIONIZE CHILD EDUCATION IN INDIA

 

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In the past century, pioneers of Child Education in India, such as Gijubhai Badheka, Tarabai Modak and Anutai Wagh, have taken great pains to indianize the non-formal scientific methods, as well as teaching aids, that were developed by eminent educationists such as Froebel and Montessori, in the West. This work, however, remains little known to the so-called educationists and policy-makers across the country. Even today, primary education is hardly ever considered as being an integral part of human development, and the realization of the importance of scientific pre-primary education is almost non-existent.

Using the solid foundation laid by the above-mentioned educationists, Gram-Mangal has developed a totally new Non-Formal Education system during the past 10 years, by carrying out extensive research, and field-study. Presently, Gram-Mangal runs 20 pre-primary and 2 primary schools, with instruction based on this system. About 800 students are learning in these schools. One of these is a residential school, where about 50 tribal children are accommodated. The salient features of this system are outlined below.

  • Gram-Mangal has developed a system of self-education with the help of scientifically developed educational aids. These aids are nothing but handy materials with which the children are encouraged to play. The aids are prepared using locally available raw material, and they are made by trained primary teachers. Examples of 600 such aids, which are used for self-learning by pre-primary and primary tribal students, can now be seen at a permanent exhibition at the Aine tribal village. These aids are also used for training new teachers.

  • Gram-Mangal’s non-formal education method is consistent with the concept of joyful education, where education is not thrust upon the children, but is made joyful, so that each child learns willingly, at his or her own pace.

  • Unlike the unfortunate children in urban areas attending the "so-called" modern schools, Gram-Mangal's children do NOT have to carry unbearingly heavy school bags, filled with school-recommended volumes of text. Most of our children cannot wait to leave their homes in the mornings to get to the school, and, all they carry on their shoulders are their own little siblings!!!

  • The Gram-Mangal syllabus consists of
    • Free Play
    • Mathematics (Arithmetic)
    • Sciences
    • Arts and Craft
    • Physical Training
    • Jeevan-Vyavahar (Activities of daily life), comprising of personal hygiene, keeping the neighbourhood clean, and household activities such as house-cleaning, sweeping, stitching, etc.

  • At Gram-Mangal, we decided to try something that no other school in Western India that we know of, has tried. We exposed our children to Indian Classical Music, as well as to Athletics. Read the following, and be ready to be pleasantly surprised:
    • As an integral part of our Pre-Primary Residential School, our tribal children are now learning Classical Hindustani music. Children who are instinctively attracted to the music are trained further. To guage the success of our training program, we sent a couple of our children to appear for the Classical Music examinations offered by the "Gandharva Maha-Vidyalaya". Last year, four of our children passed the first exam in First Class. Again this year, 4 passed the first exam, while two passed the second exam with Distinction!!
    • Gram-Mangal has recently introduced systematic training in Athletics (Track and Field), for the tribal residential school children. Volunteer physical education teachers travel to our tribal schools, to train them. Our children have competed at the district level, and the results have been dramatic. Last year, in the THANE DISTRICT MARATHON, two of our girls won Gold Medals in their respective age groups, two boys were placed 2nd and 4th in their groups. This year, two girls again placed 1st, and another girl 2nd!!!

 
GRAM-MANGAL HELPING REVOLUTIONIZE CHILD EDUCATION IN INDIA