Kerala   

Giving a new dimension to education

NEW PERSPECTIVE: Gopalakrishnan and Vijayalakshmi

<36,2,,,,,,2>"Knowledge in the hands of persons without an ethical bent of mind will be dangerous. Complete education in our sense comprises three important factors, ethics, knowledge and understanding," say Gopalakrishnan and Vijayalakshmi, who are experimenting with new forms of education among children.

The couple began their own school in 1982. `Sarang' was the name of their home and school. The Sarang Basic School in Attappadi did not have a smooth functioning and had to be eventually closed down. "But we learnt a lot from handling the children at the school."

The thoughts and experiences of this couple on education have been compiled in a book `Thangavunna Vidyabhasam' (affordable education), which was released by poet Sugathakumari here on Saturday.

Ashraf Chemmappilli, who had to stop formal education in fifth standard but went on to make little innovations in physics in his later life, received a copy of the book on the occasion.

The book puts forward a new educational perspective that is affordable to parents, who otherwise have to shoulder a huge burden financially in the form of uniforms, umbrellas, shoes, water bottles, books, note books, tuition fees, PTA and other kinds of funds.

The couple say they want to transform students into compassionate human beings and responsible citizens of the country. The book is an effort to evoke responses from people and to have more interactions with them, so that their experiments get more public support.

The couple began their own school in 1982. `Sarang' was the name of their home and school. The Sarang Basic School in Attappadi did not have a smooth functioning and had to be eventually closed down. "But we learnt a lot from handling the children at the school."

"Actually the children taught us many things. We learnt what the children need from them. The children are bored of the same situation of a teacher inside a classroom beside a blackboard. There should be different situations. I actually tried out this when I was working at the Kottamala Government UP school during 1983-85 even before the DPEP project was launched. I took the students to different situations, beneath a tree, on the bank of a river. Then I took them to a police station, panchayat office, telephone exchange and a bank.

But there was opposition from other teachers.

Following complaints, an inquiry was conducted. Finally, I resigned from Government service in 1985," says Gopalakrishnan.

The couple hopes to start a `Rural University,' where facilities can be provided to talented young people of the village to continue their research and where people of all walks have facility to learn and try out experiments.

J.S. Bablu

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Hike in festival advance for Kerala Government staff
Balanced development of the State need of the hour
Giving a new dimension to education
Powerlifting gets a boost
Improvement of facilities at Kannur station sought
The same old tale of woman-bashing
On a mission to empower women
Evils of child marriage
Plan now for a better career
Next issue
Close encounters of the reptilian kind
Throwing traffic out of gear
For a bountiful Onam
Briefly

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu