Aditi Vasudevan: A testimony

Arasavanangadu, a sleepy village in a small district of interior Tamil Nadu, appears unremarkable- another stereotypical village among the thousands present in the country. Yet, this village houses a gem that represents everything education in India could be. That gem's name is, of course, Shikshayatan Middle School.

Shikshayatan, and Arasavanangadu, were places I constantly visited in my childhood.  I have many fond memories here, from my stubborn two year old self who insisted on sitting in on the eight standard's classes; to the nine year old who loved to spend her summer afternoons in Shikshayatan’s beautiful library- only taking the occasional break to play a game of table tennis with any teacher who had some time to spare!

Yet, I only truly experienced Shikshayatan when I came to begin my A-levels in January, 2015. It seems incredulous, given my previous experiences with the school, that Shikshayatan was more than

A bit of a cultural shock. Everything in the school seemed to exist to defy my expectations. I spent months constantly exclaiming, “You mean you can actually do that?” One has to admit, it takes a special school to have children who pelt water balloons at unsuspecting head teachers and principals with the same glee they express when voting for Committee heads to manage some of the school’s affairs or sitting in class trying to understand a concept.

I will always treasure Shikshayatan’s liberalism. The school’s appreciation for its students ‘opinions, interests and freedom is not one that can be easily matched. However, Shikshayatan’s approach to liberal education is their greatest achievement. I was introduced to this approach in two different ways- the first as a learner, and the second while teaching the occasional class at the school. As such, my appreciation was two-fold, as I gained a very wholesome view of the method. As a learner, it gave me a very visual understand that made it very easy to remember. The maps, flashcards, and charts I made for history especially, gave me an insight to the events I had never before had. This is especially applicable to timelines which, I was shocked to find, were more useful than simply gaining you a very cramped notebook page with irrelevant sample dates and five marks in the 1st term paper of Standard Six. As a person who remembers the sequence of presentation better than dates, I could stop believing the Vedic Age was between the Mauryan Dynasty and the Sufi movement. Similarly, the flashcards and charts I was taught to make for the Unification of Germany ensured I could aggregate information from several parts of the textbook. I could even add information from other sources I had to read to create a complete profile. I continue these methods in college. I must admit, however, that I have much more fun when the flashcard’s answer reveals the name of an insane German duke, rather than census statistics.

I also simultaneously appreciate that I was allowed to choose to study about the insane German duke. Although said German duke, Ludwig II, was a choice made with the limited options offered byte examination, most of the interests I pursued outside the specific courses’ limits were fuelled solely by self-interest. This included daily German classes with a native volunteer, twice-a- week lectures and discussions on the Indian Independence movement, Hindu philosophy and even permission to sit on Teacher Training Courses. Interestingly, the only non-academic class I attended was initially stressed upon by my teacher and aunt, who insisted I accomplish some physical activity during the week. While my karate classes became very important to me, it was a far-cry from the oft-used words, “It’s a Physical Education class, and it doesn’t really matter.”

I was equally pleasantly surprised when I realised, almost embarrassingly late, that all the aspects of my learning where common-place and in fact the preferred method to teach in school. Charts and entire kits were present for every topic. Students could sign up for clubs that discussed anything from Tamil Literature to Weaponry of the World Wars to a very active Gardening club. On a normal everyday basis, Students were allowed to mess with models of the human brain without supervision during Lunch. Young Kindergartners did not shy from constantly and casually hugging or draping themselves on a teacher. Similarly, teachers did not balk from allowing gruesome tales written by students, not even ones named ‘the Girl who was Eaten and then Ate’, to be added to the library to appreciate the children’s efforts.

It is this extraordinary and unique efforts to cater to a child's learning and wholesome development that I shall always attempt to carry forward in my life. I believe most sincerely that every child on this planet deserves the education that Shikshayatan promises and delivers.