Alternative Schools in India; Some Advantages and Disadvantages
At axia college, working adults have a chance of earning a degree in approximately two years without the usual classroom setting.
This post is about alternative schools in India, with a focus on Krishnamurti schools, the advantages and the disadvantages-particularly from the point of view of my experience and the experience of a few other people I know who went to Krishnamurti schools.
The school I went to is classified as an “alternative school.” I went only for the last two years of my school life, whereas A was there for much longer (I met him there). I went to a fairly mainstream school in Bombay before that, though it did try to be different within the mainstream idiom.
What people define as “alternative” can vary-and this can simply mean an “alternative” board e.g IB rather than the Indian boards, or they might mean a style of education such as Montessori.
It cannot be stressed enough that children and young people can experience the same schools and styles of education very differently. Also, it must be remembered it has been some years since I went to school (!) though I am still in touch with my old school and what is going on there.
The post is inspired by a discussion on Poppin’s blog, where I couldn’t resist joining in and adding my two pence worth. Some questions arose there that I thought I’d address at greater length here.
What is a Krishnamurti school? Krishnamurti was an Indian philosopher who strongly believed that children should learn in an environment free from fear. He started some schools which are run by the Krishnamurti Foundation India. There are some other Krishnamurti schools, that are not a part of the Foundation, but are inspired his teachings. The schools are not religious, or based on any religious philosophy. Here is a link to what the KFI website says about the “K” schools.
I thought I’d tackle some of the common points (some of them myths) that arise when there is a discussion about alternative schools first:
The schools all have an international curriculum:
This is not true for all of them. A lot of them follow the ICSE system (as opposed to CBSE), an Indian board. For the 12th standard, the ISC board is followed. Rishi Valley School, The Valley School, The School etc of the “K” schools all follow an ICSE syllabus. The Rajghat School follows a CBSE syllabus. A lot of the newer alternative schools in India also follow the ICSE syllabus, such as the schools that follows the Steiner-Waldorf model. A few schools, such as Shibumi and Centre for Learning follow IGCSE/ GCE exams (administered by Cambridge University) and A levels.
Alternative Schools Are all very Expensive:
I think people often conflate alternative schools with “international” schools and automatically assume that they will be expensive. There are some very expensive international schools in India, that do follow alternative models, at least in so far as they are “alternative” to the more conventional schools. But there are alternative schools that have been around for ages, such as the K schools and Mirambika that charge around the same as lots of other schools. Some of the alternative schools are boarding schools and thus charge more, but are not necessarily the most expensive boarding schools around. Some alternative schools offer scholarships and take children when the parents are unable to meet the full fees. Rishi Valley School’s policy on funding is as follows:
In a typical year there are about 6 scholarship students, including children from families engaged in social work in remote parts of the country. Fee reductions are made available so that fees are adjusted to family incomes provided students qualify on the entrance tests.
Fees are not discussed before admission is offered. Families are encouraged to view fees as a contribution to sustain the school rather than a fee for a service. We have successfully put in place, with parents’ cooperation, a fee structure that reflects the family’s financial situation.
Children who go to alternative schools will not be able to enter good institutions of higher learning:
In my view this is nonsense, though some will disagree with me. People from my class went on to the finest colleges in India and abroad. I went to one of the best colleges in India straight after school and then to one of the world’s top universities. As did A. As did many of our classmates. The principal of my Indian college told me she particularly looked out for students from my school (I’m sorry if this sounds like showing off, but there is no other way to say it). Of course there are some who didn’t get into a “top college,” but then not everyone from a mainstream school gets into the best colleges, and this is due to a range of a factors. There is, also, of course, the question of whether one can always really judge a person’s intelligence by the college she gets into…
Children who go to alternative schools will not get get jobs (by this people mean the person will not be able to climb the corportate ladder):
Also nonsense, in my view. Not only are several graduates from alternative schools climbing the corporate ladder, they are pretty well off as well. In fact some of them are doing better than conventionally educated kids. It’s true that some alternatively educated children think of different career choices. But why not? Not everyone is cut out to do a corporate job. So what if they became scientists, academics, film-makers, dancers and musicians? Not all conventionally educated kids are cut out for corporate jobs either. The difference is that in an alternative school you may get a better chance to develop your talents and at least think of a career where you might put your talents to good use, instead of mindlessly doing something you hate, just because it’s the done thing.
TM Krishna is a product of The School, Chennai, a Krishnamurti School, and is on record as saying his schooling had a great deal of influence on him.
I did my schooling in ‘The School’ K.F.I. This is an institution managed by the J.Krishnamurthy Trust. My education and grooming in this school has influenced my perceptions and outlook towards life. The school was different in terms of the atmosphere and method of education to all other schools. I was very interested in Economics from my school days. This made me pursue a graduation course in Economics. I did my B.A. Economics in Vivekananda College. I guess if I had not taken to music I would have followed up my graduation with something like management.
Clearly, he did consider a more “mainstream” choice, i.e. management. It’s good for all of us he chose to become a singer instead!
At my school, Carnatic music was offered as a subject for the ICSE, so those who could sing were encouraged to learn it seriously.
Alternatively educated kids will not be able to take competitive exams:
This is related to the points above: I took an exam to enter my college after school and then later the world renowned university I joined. I passed them. But I have to be honest and say that opinion is mixed about this issue.
R1, who also went to an alternative school (for longer than I did), feels that an inability to take competitive exams could be a point held against alternative schools. She says, “We aren’t used to mugging!”
Shripriya who went to another “K” school agrees with this view (see further below).
But I am not so convinced, especially since R1 is herself an example of a person who is very good at cracking exams.
A, who was in an alternative boarding school since the grand old age of seven, has been cracking exams with great ease for years. He says that the school tried to dissuade him from being so competitive and he resents that (though he loved the school). Knowing A as I do, I don’t think that what the school did was such a bad thing!
Here is a quote from a student who went to an alternative school who passed a competitive exam:
Amitabh shares the news that he has got through the IAS examination, then writes that people keep asking how he gets through competitive examinations after having studied in a noncompetitive school. “The school taught me to compete,” he muses, “not with others, but with my own self. I learnt to pursue excellence.”
Link.
On the other hand there are children who are very bright, but just not good at doing exams. I think alternative schools might be good for some of them, because they take some of the tension away. See further below.
Advantages of being in an alternative school:
Again, this section is totally coloured by my experience, others may have a different opinion.
Lack of pressure:
The first and overwhelming feeling I had, when I switched from my more mainstream school in Bombay to my alternative school, was the feeling of freedom. In Bombay I carried a heavy schoolbag, was constantly tired and had this unmistakeable sense of pressure looming over me. I found it much easier to study and enjoy my classes at my alternative school. This was despite the fact that I had many other things to occupy me such as violin lessons, games, hikes, yoga, pottery etc. In fact I think it was because of these extra activities that studying became easier. I had no school bag, we all did our “homework” together at prep time after PE in the evening and it was fun.
An emphasis on a natural environment:
The K schools at least, are usually situated in a lovely landscape; the sense of space and greenery made all the difference to our lives. We had space to play, time to observe the birds (in some cases this was compulsory!) and watch the rain while we sang (the auditorium was open on all sides). A and I became friends during a paper recycling class (also compulsory) while we were making paper pulp. We composted and gardened and studied calculus and French literature. My completely concrete school with a small sandpit in Bombay could not compare.
Good Student-Teacher Ratio:
I had one on one classes with some of my teachers who were PhDs in their subjects (and who also taught well). I would spend hours learning a particular subject, far beyond the allotted time, and it was ok. As long as I finished what was on the syllabus, we went far beyond it, studying anything that interested us. Classes for several subjects were conducted under trees.
Even if we were at full class size in the classroom, there was usually only a maximum of 25 students.
An emphasis on independent thinking:
Both A and R1 came up with this when I asked them what they felt was the advantage of going to an alternative school.R1 said “it forces you to approach everything in life actively, questioning rather than accepting.” A says he wasn’t tied to any single belief, religious or otherwise and also metioned being questioning about everything.
An ability to attract highly qualified teachers really committed to education:
There are many PhDs in math and science, historians and linguists, who have a passion for education and give up lucrative careers to teach and to teach in a way that is inspiring.
Disadvantages of Alternative Schools:
I am not sure all the points here will be viewed as disadvantages by everyone. It depends largely on what opinion one holds on “conforming.”
Being unable to “conform:”
R1 said alternatively educated kids might
find it harder to ‘settle’ or conform with the standards in society and keep up with life’s milestones – work, marriage etc. Of course, one could philosophically question whether one should feel obliged to stick to these milestones, but in real life it can get pretty hard when you deviate from them.
I think us “alternative” products have conformed, i.e. married, had kids, worked-but maybe done these conformist things in a non-conformist way, sometimes.
MaidinMalaysia, in a comment on Poppins blog, had this to say some friends of hers who went to The Valley School:
— they are original thinkers, and march to a different drummer.
i dont think they were even aware that there was a rat race and they had to be in it.
i would call them gyan-driven as opposed to moolah-driven
Now whether one sees this as an advantage or a disadvantage is up to the parents really!
A lack of good teachers
Now this may come as surprise, given that I’ve just said above that alternative schools can attract the best teachers! Sometimes they attract teachers who are “running away” from the world and have a host of issues (particularly if it is a boarding school) that leave them unable to deal with their charges.
Secondly, some alternative schools pay their teachers a very low salary, so some good teachers are forced to leave, despite their commitment to teaching and education. This is an area I think my school got terribly wrong.
CFL says its salaries are need based, “calling for commitment and openness from the staff.” I think this calls for an extraordinary level of commitment, that can be rather unfair on both teachers and students.
Teachers and their families have to survive too, and that is increasingly difficult. As for the students, on the one hand they can get a really committed teacher, on the other they can get really bad teaching, because bad salaries often attract only the worst teachers.
Students can thus be left with teachers who aren’t very good at all, and the consistency in the quality of teaching can be lacking, but it must be remembered this can happen in a conventional school as well.
Shripriya summarised what she sees as the pros and cons of alternative schools as follows:
Pros
- sense of self; not defined by the crowd. they really encourage this. it is awesome
- respect for authority, but a good amount of disdain for it as well. they used to allow us to walk out of class if we wanted. it goes to #1 as well.
- learned in a non-traditional way – going and examining leaves for science class. walking outside. unheard of in the traditional sense.
- exercise. daily instead of weekly at most regular schools.
- arts and craft – also a lot of exposure to this and very non-traditional stuff. i used to learn how to model in card board, papier mache, photography (at 7/8 years old). i mean, seriously, they made this part of the education, not something that was tacked on because it had to be.
- singing – lots of singing. singing classes, singing bhajans, singing carols. it was awesome.
- it just felt free and enjoyable. i used to love to go to school. i used to cry if i couldn’t go. now, there’s a reversal if there ever was one.
Cons
- unfortunately we live in a world where competition exists. where public exams exist. where there are, in fact, losers and winners. so, in this regard, the school was like an unreal bubble.
- it was really bad at preparing students for exams. i finally got taken out of my alternative school at the end of the 6th grade – when the first batch went through their public exams and things didn’t go so well. I went to a regular school with lots of mid-terms and test. i was paralyzed and had no clue how to take these simple little tests.
in retrospect, leaving KFI when i did was the perfect right thing. just like spending my youth there was also the perfect right thing.
My experience was the opposite of Shripriya’s in that I joined an alternative school for the 11th and 12th and thought that was perfect! I wish I had joined a little earlier, maybe around the 7th standard.
In conclusion, therefore, I think one must take each school on it’s own merits, and see whether one’s child will fit in there. It really is different strokes for different folks when it comes to schools. And there’s a vast variety of alternative schools-they can be quite different from each other, even when they follow the same model-such as the K schools.
Some articles on alternative schools in India:
http://www.lifepositive.com/mind/education/alternative-education/education.asp
http://www.lifepositive.com/Mind/education/alternative-education/alternative-education.asp
http://www.alternativeeducationindia.net/altschools.htm
http://www.alternativeeducationindia.net/
Links to some alternative schools in India: (Please feel free to leave more links in the comments):
The School, Chennai
Centre for Learning
Rishi Valley
Sloka, The Steiner school in Hyderabad.
Mirambika
Shibumi
The Blue Mountains School
The Sahyadri School
Tridha
Books on Schools in India:
Alternative Schooling in India by Sarojini Vittachi
Alternative Schooling in India by Nagendra Singh
Selected Public Schools in India
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This is awesome stuff, uttara. Very valuable to parents who are investigating educating their children in India. We visited the school when we first moved to Bangalore. I wish we had this sort of detailed information and a view from the ‘inside’ then. Will link this up in my Bangalore schools posts.
Thanks Suj. Did you visit the Valley School?
Interesting post.
In my view, you have not covered the spiritualist world-views propagated in most of these alternative schools.
You, and the readers of this blog, might want to go through the following article and the ensuing discussion:
http://harmanjit.blogspot.com/2009/02/child-education-without-belief.html
Also:
http://harmanjit.blogspot.com/2009/02/debate-on-moral-education.html
Regards,
Harman.
Harmanjit, it’s difficult to define what “spiritual” means. If it means developing a love of nature, respecting the environment, a sense of compassion, a wish to see a more equitable world, then the K schools do try and impart that but not from within a religious framework.
This is a fantastic post. I am going to show it to my friends who are struggling with deciding whether to put their children in the “traditional” schools with tried-and-proven results in the mug for competitive exam routine, or whether to go with their instincts and put their children in schools – like the Krishnamurthi Foundation schools you have written about – with a far broader vision and perspective. Personally, I have seen the child of a very close friend blossom into a confident, happy young girl after a mere 2 years in The School (Chennai) with a curiosity and interest in learning and the world that is so heart-warming to see. It is such a shame that educators the world over have lost sight of what education is really about – instilling a life-long love of learning, of curiosity and questioning.
Thanks! Your friends can mail me if they want
awesome uttara.
totally with you. my only issue with the options available when we moved to india were that all of them were miles away from civilization and so one or all of us would have needed to spend hours commuting. a friend sends her kid to the valley school, so great was their conviction that this is THE school that she did not apply to any other school plus moved to a house in the middle of nowhere just so that the kid doesn’t need to commute.
my kids did go to a Montessori before we moved back to des, it was easily the best thing that happened to us. i was often asked when they’ll start ‘proper schooling’!
Yes they are miles away! I think they have to be, for all the acres of rolling space. Also some of them are boarding and not really appropriate for all ages. CFL seems to have found a compromise by having students board for the week and go home for the weekend.
Some of the newer ones appear to be opening within cities, like Sloka, Shibumi and Tridha…so that cuts out the need in some cases for boarding and/or commuting.
Your kids have clearly been “properly” schooled, what were those people on about?!
Nice post! I had a friend from one of the Krishnamurty schools, he then passed his A levels (international board) and was studying with us in college (one of the best in India). Due to his A level studies he had already learnt most of what we were learning in college.
Don’t think he faced any problems with higher academics.
That’s nice to know, hope everyone sees your comment!
Very, very fair and well-thought-out post, uttara: and perhaps something I needed to read as we decide about Nino’s schooling.
I know some friends who went to Rishi Valley – but there are no such schools in A’bad – and boarding is a few years, and a few fears away.
Thanks! Boarding is certainly out for Nino, he’s too young. But I have a vague memory of someone telling me about some school in A’bad that was alternative…or maybe I’m mistaken. If I find out I’ll tell you.
Nino’s mom – what about – http://www.schoolriverside.com/default.aspx
thanks to sujatha(blogpurrai).. I landed to notice very well written article. while I agree most of it. but i believe its not the education course(/standards/boards..) will many great different (it might) but delivery matter much much more. good interacting teaching & open course materials,et.. will many huge impact. atleast I think so.
Excellent post – informed choice is what we need to make; but often run short of validated information & the benefit of the experience of other parents who face the same dilemma! Thanks for putting this together and sharing it.
Even a couple of years of a great school can change you for life:)
I have visited Rishi Valley, and was fascinated by the place.
Yes! I did go to a very good school in Bombay and that did mould me, in a very good way (it was stronger on some points than my other school) but those two years really had a huge influence on me.
brilliant post uttara and couldnt have come at a better time… we have been debating about this at home a lot lately… will pass this link to N too…
currently Ojas is going go to a Montessori and then the later part ur post has made very very clear in my mind
Glad to be of service! Hope he’s very happy, wherever he goes.
What a fabulous balanced well researched piece this is – it belongs in a newspaper or publication not just a blog!
Thank you from the bottom of a parent’s heart for this post.
Thanks! I’d love to expound on this in a newspaper, but don’t know of anyone who’d take it!
Yup you do have a point.
Have been to Sloka uttara. This was when we were contemplating on a move to Hyd. The ethos was fantastic. The campus however isn’t big by any standards. Not their fault at all – it is in Jubilee Hills, which is prime real estate.
Another school one could add to the list is Vidyaranya in Hyd – though not a K school it is based on a similar philosophy. Now this one has a large campus in the middle of the city, but then it is more than four decades old.
Have heard lovely things about Vidyaranya, but couldn’t find a website a to link too, do you know if it has one? Knew some people who went there too.
this might help – http://www.vidyaranyaschool.com/
Comprehensive post. One of my regrets – not going to an alternative school. If I were in India I’d probably send my kid there. I still wish someone would do a similar good post on Montessori Vs public and Private schools here in the US. I am not quite convinced either way after age 5.
I came here from Nino’s mum’s blog post about schools. This is a very informative post for many parents who are looking for alternative education in India and often think that it is expensive.
What’s with so many options, schooling these days is one of the toughest decisions to make.
Thanks uttara. IOU one. I will be bookmarking this post for future reference.
Thanks for this post !
i have helped around with TCS IT quizzes
and always found these
Pallikoodam kutties to be very smart.
http://www.pallikoodam.org/
Hey R thanks for the pallikoodam link!
Alternative Schools ?
All of my education in the countryside looks like Alternative Education,by these classifications.The most important thing is what the parents believe in.
When got close to my Matriculation exam- SSLC as it was called then-the format was such that the entire exam would be over in a “monday-saturday” stretch.
The sunday before it had to start, I was getting a bit mixed up about my ability to switch from one subject to another , within a few hours in the day (morning to afternoon) and the slightly larger window between one evening and the next morning.
My Dad who was watching me getting nervous at 9 am , kept his newspaper down and asked my elder sister – “Whats the morning show movie at Theatre Gayathri ?’
Pat came the reply- “North by Northwest”.
“Come’ he pulled me along .”keep your books away and stop fretting.Let me teach you how to relax before the big event.If you have done you work right, all through the year , I cannot understand your behaviour , now”.
Mom kept protesting , but I hear his loud voice even today – “Even if he fails because of my decision , it will be worth it- I take the responsibility- But I am not going to have a son who is fidgeting around like this ” .
Years later , my small hometwon would be surprised to see me play carrom in my local club till 12 noon, come home for a bath-lunch and then go to college to write my Engg exams.
) education for me
All the 10 of them.I stood 6th for the Mysore University , but the launching had been done much earlier.
That hero in the fields and aeroplane whizzing past him , time and again.
That was some alternate (
Your dad had the right attitude. And I enjoyed North by Northwest with my husband a few years ago!
This is a wonderfully researched post. I’ve always been interested in education (esp. alternative) though my discipline is something else altogether
Just wanted to leave you a link – http://www.fountainheadschools.org . It’s started by 2 IIM Ahmedabad graduates in Surat who’ve been trained in the Steiner method
Thanks Shivani, Nino’s mum might find that link useful.
Sounds interesting, uttara! Having graduated from a ‘regular’ school in Canada, I never knew that álternative’ schools could be an option for students.
Im a trained teacher, and when I look at my own schooling in retrospect, I found so many flaws in the education system itself. I think the biggest flaw was the amount of time teachers spent in front of the classroom giving information to students, as opposed to facilitating the learning process by allowing for independent research and analysis.
Along with homeschooling, alternative schools will certainly be an option when considering schools for my own kids (which I don’t have yet : D)
Muhajababe, I am sure some regular schools in Canada look “alternative” to some of the regular schools in India-where time spent on memorising information rather than actually learning anything is often given more importance…
Homeschooling is certainly a viable option, especially for a trained teacher! In the US a lot of religious fundamentalists seem to have taken to it-not sucha good idea there I think.
Hi,
My problem with all this alternative schools is that they are not affordable for most of the people. I guess it is like you take more fees and then you are able to hire good teachers and hence you can can provide lot of different kind of facilities and hence lot of exposure to the children. Some of these schools that I visited had lavish libraries, laboratories, huge playing area. And in my experience of going to this school is that children get so arrogant and get so used to all this setup. I kind of find all these very artificial.
I guess quality education is about how much can teachers keep students motivated and engage him/her in activities outside the books. And I have seen schools which are very modest but with excellent teachers, who achieve the same thing without such high costs.
Goli, as I tried to explain in the post, this isn’t true of a lot of alternative schools. Again I reiterate, many people confuse international schools with alternative schools. An international school in India may be an alternative school, and might be expensive, but this is not the case for many of them. Compare the fees of Rishi Valley School (a boarding school that is alternative) to other boarding schools. You might find that it is fact cheaper than some others.
Again compare day schools like The School in Chennai to other day schools and see how much the difference is. I’ve even put quotes in the post to show that some alternative schools do not take into account the student’s financial background while awarding admission-see the policy of CFL for example.
Teachers at these schools are paid very little-this often happens because fees are so low.
updated to add:
I completely agree that a school can be modest and be very good and that access to good education is very limited in India. I am aware I am addressing a largely middle class audience, and that many others do not have the same opportunities.
thats true. Although Mirambika is reasonable – the other so called alternative schools are more than a lakh a year and not even residential.
it might be cheaper than some schools, but I am still curious to know what is the fees like. I know a normal school in Bangalore cost something like 150-500 a month. Am not sure if any of the above schools fall in that range.
Most alternative schools are private schools-you can compare their fees with other private schools. Their fees will be available on their websites.
It is true that the education offered in all these, schools not just alternative schools is beyond the reach of many Indians. However, there are some alternative schools doing something about it…most of the Krishnamurti schools are in rural settings and have education programmes for the area surrounding them. Rishi Valley for example, has a Rural Education programme (using alternative methods) and they have over a thousand satellite schools I think. Which is more than a lot of other private schools, that charge a lot more do.
Hi Uttara,
Just when I had gotten comfortable with the notion of getting our kids into one of the good CBSE schools in Bangalore, your article is giving me reason to pause.. The concept of alternative schools has always held ‘romantic’ appeal but when it comes to decision time… the tried-and-tested comfort ground seems to rule.
What would be really interesting is to understand the thought process of your & A’s parents and how they decided to make the ‘leap of faith’ because it is that right? Perhaps a few guest posts from parents who sent their kids to alternative schools?
Vishy
Vishy, sorry for the late reply, I have been away. Since you are in Bangalore, you will find a lot of such parents…since Bangalore and its surrounds have a concentration of such schools. In my case, my parents are alternatively inclined in most things! In A’s case, I think it was the fact that his parents were in a transferable job and were looking for a good boarding school-and he already had a cousin there who loved it.
Any parent who can align his child’s education and upbringing with a wider concern for the society and environment, he/she wouldn’t seek a tried-and-tested comfort ground. My son, who did all his primary schooling in UK, is now studying in Rishi Valley School. I want him to be exposed to the rural life in India and develop a concern for the rural community. It gives me an immense satisfaction of contributing to the rural economy when I pay his term fee every six months. Where can you find a school which sources food for all its residents locally and employs all local workers? I strongly believe in this quote “Families are encouraged to view fees as a contribution to sustain the school rather than a fee for a service.” A child, who is educated in an inquiring and fearless environment, can develop objectivity in life and make a significant contribution to the society in which he lives.
Hello uttara,
It was extremely REFRESHING to read your post here – to put it mildly!
I have been researching and associating with ‘alternative’ education for a while now – and have become quite fed-up with the huge pile of worthless, intellectual jabber that usually does the rounds.
So, your post, from the ‘horses mouth’, with a well thought-out body, and more importantly, a lucid and DIRECT narrative, was quite invigorating.
While you have amply elaborated on quite a few of the important and recurrent questions around ‘alternative education’, one point that I would have really liked to hear more about from you, having been a STUDENT in an alternative school yourself, is -
HOW ‘ALTERNATIVE’ DO YOU THINK ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS REALY ARE?
I have myself studied in a quasi-alternative school in Kolkata, back in the ’80s. Then I went to a so-called alternative college (probably the only one in India).
Finally, I began my 6-year long teaching career at a KFI school. Which I quite in total frustration after about a year.
My experience with these so-called ‘alternative’ institutions have been rather dire!
In my opinion, most of these organisations suffer from a mix of a deep-rooted, almost subconscious conformity to status-quo, a lack of courage, spirit and creative innovation in the present-day ‘leaders’ of the organisations who try in vain to live up to the ideas of the original founder, and the ever-increasing lure of ‘good-business’ that the Education-Market promises today, especially when it comes with a ‘different’ tag!
Of course, this is strictly my PERSONAL opinion – most people will probably say I am over-generalising.
I have tried working in various schools, over a 6-year period – alternative as well as main-stream. And I have finally given up! I have realised that I have to start my OWN school, if I am to pursue my passion of working with children ever again.
I have actually drawn out a detailed plan for such a school – and the project is now awaiting the arrival of like-minded people… whoever and where ever they maybe!
I would be very eager to hear you and your alternative-school friends’ take on the school I am planning – so, if you are interested, do visit the (interim) website I have put up, delineating the ideas behind my school and the overall plan for launching it.
The URL:
Cheers!
Aaditto.
EDITED TO ADD: COMMENT ORIGINALLY LEFT ON 2009/10/20 at 5:50pm
Hi Uttara,
Can you tell me the right age at which a child should be sent to such alternative schools?
Hi Aparna,
As you can see from the post, views differ on this. If it’s a boarding school then I’d suggest from 7th std onwards. If it’s a day school, it can be at any time, it depends ont he parents, the school and most importantly the child and what fits her/him. As Shripriya said, the time she left was good for her. Others like to stay in such schools throughout, and yet others join towards the end of their schooling.
Hi Uttara,
I would like to know the best 5 alternative schools in India. Also through some light on Blue Mountain School in OOTY and CFL in Bangalore
Kishan, it would be hard to make a list like that, because chosing a school is such a subjective choice. It’s really not the same as making a top ten B school list.
The best way is for parents to visit the school and spend some time there and think about their whether their child will fit in and thrive there. Its also a good idea to talk to the alumni. Also see what board the school is following-I have a bias towards ICSE and IB over CBSE and State Board.
If you are based in Bangalore I suggest you visit Shibumi, CFL, the Valley School, and, if you can, drive down to Rishi Valley in AP near Madanapalle. Not sure how long it takes to get to Blue Mountain from there.
Thanks a ton for this post. My son is abt a year old and I have started a search for where to educate him. Im myself disillusioned by normal schools where I went throughout my life. Im definitely going to send my son at CFL. If required, I will shift to B’lore.
Also I was thinking abt putting effort into getting a higher education insti going which would be alternative in nature, but alternative edu is itself abt choosing your own path & learning to learn whatever u choose. So what purpose would such an insti serve? I mean at around 18 when u pass out of 12th, u can start working smalltime and side by side keep learning what u choose to specialise in.
I would love for u and ur alternatively educated friends to spare some time & share a thought or two abt it.
U may choose to correspond over email on this.
Thanks again
Manish
Manish, I think you’ve answered your own question. We do need higher education institutions that allow you to choose your own path in a more creative way. In India we tend to specialise and concentrate only on one discipline. We need more institutions with a wider liberal arts curriculum. We need insts of higher learning whereby an enginner can take modules in music, a historian in biology etc.
Hello Uttara,
That was a splendid piece of information and very well written. during my younger days, I alwasy wanted to be in an alternate school. Cause i used to see the Rsihi valley school pass by and see all the children in teh bus were a lot of happy bunch of kids. they seem so without any guile.
Thanks again
Jasper
Hi!
Came over through Choxbox’s blog. Loved this post. It is great to hear a point of view from someone who has gone through alternative education and speaks so articulately about the pros and cons. I picked a halfway route with montessori and can see the difference in how my kids learn and how the way they learn is fostered.
I would like to blogroll you. May I?
of course!
That is a very good and informative article. I would be interested to hear about KFI Rajghat Besant School, Varanasi
I don’t agree with this argument (which I hear all the time) that the world is competitive and therefore we need to pull out our kids from alternative schools as they do not prepare us for exams, competition and the real world. The real world — what you live in, how you live is all up to you. I know so many people who are leading lives in the real world which would be considered ‘alternative’ but to me seems perfectly normal, and the only way to live. My son studies in an alternative school. I am not anxious about how he will cope later on with exams and the real world because
One needs to question the necessity for exams, the education system that says one has to pay through the nose and fill the coffers of the colleges and schools to get a a piece of paper — a degree — only then are you considered to be qualified for the work you want to do. I know several people who chose to drop out of the system and are doing well. If you look back just a few decades, so many people were educated at home by tutors. Sometimes they’d be sent to school, another month they’d be pulled out as the family was moving somewhere. It was all very informal. Yet everyone came out of this higgledy piggledy way of learning very well. And went on to do well or be ‘successful’ in their lives. My father was one such product. He went on to become a senior manager with GEC. More recently, a friend of mine whose father was with VOA went through the same experience. She and her sisters were sometimes in Shantiniketan studying with Santal kids, sometimes in a school in Calcutta. Then back again. She learnt to swim in a pond in a village. I too am a droput. One day while giving my second year exam in college, wondering for the umpteenth time why I was doing it, I elected to watch a vintage car rally pass by our windows. And gave in an empty paper. I know of many such people.
I have seen that ultimately even an alternate school has its rigid rules and strictures in place. Ultimately they too will ‘dovetail into the mainstream and exams’ (that’s what I was told by my son’s school). What is needed is a complete breakaway from the system. Which thankfully many people are doing.
Wow!
I loved this post. One of the best posts I’ve seen in a very long time. Very well constructed, thought of and paints a true picture. Some of the things people say about K Schools or alternate schools in general is utter nonsense. I’m a student of Rishi Valley School, now in a prestigious college in Pune and I know what I want in life and how to get a job. It’s silly to think to the contrary.
Great writing!
Keep it up.
Sloka has moved to a bigger campus now. I would also like to hear more reviews about The School, Chennai. I have been considering it for my daughter who is 4 now.