Aaverbhav – Education for Life
What is the purpose/significance of education and life? This question was asked by Krishnamurti and has been an ancient one. As T. S. Eliot said to know what we want in education we must know what we want in general. Is education just to earn a living, life to enjoy or is there something more. To earn a livelihood and live decently in this world implies that education must equip with skills and knowledge. To ask the question is there something more and possibly find an answer to it, an openness is necessary which implies that education must keep alive the spirit of questioning and learning.
I came across J. Krishnamurti’s teachings quite by chance in 1992 and in the very first instance it struck a chord being logical, sensible and simple. K’s question ‘what are you doing with your life?’ and his saying ‘the benediction is where you are’ inspired me to initiate a school that would offer holistic education.
This education needs a matching curriculum and pedagogy. The education must be able to cultivate the art of seeing, listening, questioning, and learning along with equipping with skills and knowledge. This had to be started from scratch by an ordinary man in the midst of a concrete jungle where children are carelessly dumped into the ruthless rat race, goaded and cheered to achieve at all costs.
It was again quite by chance that I came across the Waldorf curriculum and pedagogy. Immediately I saw that what K pointed to and what was happening in the Waldorf classroom were essentially the same. Although Krishnamurti and Steiner spoke in different languages their approach to education and the child is the same being holistic. Both of them cautioned against turning their teachings/indications into dogma and advised to go to the source for true understanding’
A difficult journey
Aaverbhav was initiated on a pilot basis in 2002 in an apartment in a developed neighbourhood. It moved to a leased house in the same neighbourhood. In 2004 it moved to a better premises in a developing neighbourhood. The present school building is the result of my family’s committed effort to provide a decent learning environment for children. We have a nursery, kindergarten and grade II presently with about 20 children and have been following the Waldorf curriculum from day one.
Due to the small number of children the financial deficit is increasing and fast reaching the critical point. If more discerning parents admit their children and with more monetary and mentoring support it would be possible to pull out of the precarious situation. I have been giving my life to it for the past five years. It may blossom or wither in the bud.
Free orientation programmes for parents are conducted regularly and handouts distributed. Various advertising media and opportunities have been used to spread awareness of this education. But, the tide of mainstream system is so overwhelming here that the typical middle class parent succumbs to the deep rooted fear of competition and success. In the face of this tremendous challenge it has been our feeling that a concerted effort to present and build Waldorf education as a sound alternative is needed. Steering a middle course Waldorf curriculum is well founded and practical while being flexible and adaptable. This nature gives it a great potential for high organic growth compared to other alternative ways. I have been trying to spread this message both formally and personally. An offshoot of this effort has been our website at www.alternativeeducationindia.net. I have also written to the education Ministers and authorities to consider the wisdom in the Waldorf way/curriculum as a basis for the changes they are trying to bring.
Aaverbhav is just an attempt to bring about good human beings and a sane world with the conviction that a right kind of education is the key to transformation. Aaverbhav now facing an uncertain situation continues to give its best while hoping and looking forward to the blooming of Waldorf education especially in India.
K. Prasad (übers. hn)
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