NEW DELHI: At a time when different milestones of the freedom struggle are being commemorated, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has drawn up a scheme to revive and sustain alternative traditions of education that blossomed during the colonial rule as a reaction to the Macaulay system of education.

Eager to keep alive these traditions — many of which withered away after Independence for want of funds and encouragement — the NCERT has evolved the Revival of Heritage Schools Programme. Under the programme, financial and academic support will be given to schools founded during the freedom movement, which were inspired by nationalist educational philosophy.

Only those schools will be considered which have represented a heritage of innovative pedagogy or innovative educational techniques as a viable alternative to the system of formal education evolved during the colonial period. Besides, they should have developed innovative learning materials using local knowledge, inculcated the dignity of labour through curricular and co-curricular activities and endeavoured to develop skills and abilities among pupils and interconnections in an attempt to build all-round development of personalities.

They must have a heritage of active engagement with the local community, and worked towards the eradication of superstitions, gender inequality, caste prejudices and poverty. Also, they should have instilled democratic participation among pupils and promoted such values in running the school.

While there are no grandiose plans to mainstream any of these traditions, the idea is to keep them alive and internalise some of their salient features into the prevailing structure of education. As one member of the NCERT's Executive Committee, which cleared the proposal, put it: "Many of these traditions died or got homogenised soon after Independence."

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