Innovative Schools
Every Indian school child is taught about the unity in India’s diverse cultures. But few are taught why we have such diverse cultures. Cultural diversity is not a historical accident; it is the direct outcome of the country’s extraordinary biological diversity. Until the global “multinational culture” fuelled by the industrial revolution hit the world, each culture- in India, as much as in the rest of the world- was the result of the people trying to survive within their immediate environment and indeed of an attempt to optimize the resources of their environment.
Aims and Objectives:
Aiming at furthering the goal of education, change and social development in Sambalpur, BISWA with the help of Asha for Education: a philanthropic trust in USA and our friends from USA, lunched 20 numbers of schools in the rural parts of its home district Sambalpur titled as "Innovative Schools" with the intention of undertaking, support and sponsor study and spread of education in its different facets that include:
- All types of formal & non-formal education with constant search for innovative ideas & techniques.
- Facilitate total development, in body, mind and spirit through provision of external stimulation based on the inner urge and motivation of target groups.
- Development and strengthen the necessary institutional framework in rural & tribal areas which will initiate, promote & sustain the objective of education & social transformation.
- Establish open communication channel between people and policy makers.
- Equip children with the knowledge necessary to become active participants and positive contributors to their communities.
- Provide children with a joyful and creative school atmosphere that incorporates the education and skills relevant to a meaningful and dignified existence.
Our Activities:
These schools impart elementary education for class one to seven according to the state course curriculum around the area. An addition to it the traditional system in land-use, in water-use and water harvesting, in agriculture and animal care, in food preservation, herbal medicine and a host of other activities i. e. bamboo work, pottery, broom making have invariably proved to be ecologically sound and innovative for the students thus have found an important portion of teaching in these schools .
We take an attempt to prove that the traditional systems are extremely important even in the so called world of modern science and technology. Their ecological rationality remains valid even in the modern context. School children and the illiterate villagers know their environment very well and experts too must learn from the villager with respect. The students are made aware regarding their livelihood pattern and its impact on the environment and ways & means of regenerating the lost environment. The schools run from 7a.m to 10 a.m on every working day so the students are provided with a mid-day-meal consisting of a balanced diet for children as Healthier children are more effective learners.