| EQ-network Europe www.eqee.org | |||||
2.6: "India dec 2003" - Page 4-8   |
|||||
Third report from 28-11-2003 to 3-12-2003 Hyderabad "Regarding education in India there seems to be so many separated good things going on. The problem is the sharing of all those good experiences and knowledge...". Dear EQ-friends, Greetings from India. Here our first real report from our events in Hyderabad. It's Wednesday morning 3nd December: we finally managed to get some spare time to write it... Everything is oat! The 28th at 17.00 hr. Srinagar's was waiting for us at arrivals of Hyderabad airport and guided us to our hotel. Traffic in Hyderabad is as bad as in Bangalore. The road is very dusty and too small for all this cars, scooter taxis, cows, dogs, ox and carriage, scooters and walking people. Every one is using the calcine. At six we arrived at Viceroy hotel and we could refresh ourselves. From our room we can enjoy Hussain Sagar Lake and Tank Bund Road. A half hour after we arrived we had to start: a meeting with Srinivasan, Jyotsna and Mr Maharahi RAO. Mr RAO tells us that he like to introduce us to some special friends who are doing good work and we develop the program for a seminar and workshop we have to do on Sunday and monday. Srinivasan explains us the program they made for the coming days. Here we interfere a bit as on the 3th we would have to travel for 4.5 hours towards (and 4.5 hours back) into rural area's just to visit a special school. We feel so tired already that we would like to change this day. It can, without problems. All this people are very kind and helpful. Next morning we had to wake up early and had a meeting with all including Mr Nagesawar Rao. He is the secretary General of the Academy for Rural research and development in Gudavalli. Sustainable agricultural production and rural development (health care and nutrition) with programs for very poor Children (special schools) and Adult education for poor farmers and woman who are living in absolute poverty are part of this project. They work from the grass roots. We think that HIVOS may be interested in this special subjects because this projects all promote sustainable production and development. They also work on self-reliance and selfsustainability of very poor farmers. The promoters most Radical Humanists are doing a very good job. They like to organize grass root knowledge and experience exchange programs with schools for agricultural education (AOC) and college's (VMBO) on the subject, health care and beauty and also technical education in the Netherlands. Good guided knowledge exchange and sharing ideas can give quick input for development. We exchange information and prepare some training programs we have to do from the 7th to 12 December in Gundavalli Andhra Pradesh. At 11.00 Mr. Rao brings us to a school for adult woman-education non-formal teachers training institute combined with a pre-school educational project (3-8 year children) that is very special for India. This college organized by Andhra Mahila Sabha is one of 52 organizational projects of this organization in Andhra Pradesh. They developed special materials for early child education for Physically Handicapped and a pre-school program with help from ICAS and UNICEF. These materials are good and we think they have to share the materials with other projects because there is a big need for good educational materials like this. 
 The education given is not traditional. It is a combination of the approaches of Montessori and other reform educational approaches. This all is a good place for UvH students to do their International practise we think. Because that; Dhyan asked Mrs Laksmi, head of the school about the possibilities for students to work in her centre. She is interested in this students and tells Dhyan that they are welcome. Dhyan will try to connect her with Prof. Dr. Henk Manschot UvH The Netherlands. This project can be a real good practise for other Indian schools too. Schools who are struggling to give child friendly education. Srinivasan will try to connect them with the schools who are asking for more effective and joyful education. At the same place nearby is a beautiful building where they developed a special course for Health and Art of living. This is developed by Dr Ravi Shankar from Bangalore.  The building where this course is given is very special. All over photo's of Gandhi, the father of India. After this visit we went to ANGRAU - Agricultural University of Andhra Pradesh. We were taken around the University by Mr. Marahari Rao, who is also from Agricultural background. We met Dr. Padma Raju, the Director of ANGRAU of Research and also Mr. Raghuvardhan Reddy, the Registrar of ANGRAU. Dr. Raju informed us that Mr. Boonstra visited Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh about 40 times till now and since he is aware of places in A.P., he can be of help for the development of the grass root sustainable exchange project. There are 5 NUFFIC programs in this university, and may be we can connect them to the grass root level. Dr. Reddy will help Mr. Rao in conducting exchange programs in the grass root project. This University is supported by many projects from Universities in the Netherlands connected with Water Saving and Biotechnology. After this we went to have a look at the 'Silicon Valley', "Cyberabad", a very modern and well flourished software technology park. With government's money all these incredible buildings are build to attract major company's like Microsoft. They are obviously interested since wages are low and these employers don't ask questions...  Just like in Bangalore, with all this establishment of western company's many things showed up in these fast growing city's: modern pubs, discotheques and other ... This new economy is good for India but it gives also a dark site...
30th November, 2003 begins with a quiet morning and at 11 A.M. Mr. Rao knocks the door and asks Ms. Dhyan to come with him to the meeting of the Radical Humanists in Hyderabad. On our way traveling in an old fasion ambassador's taxi we see representatives of various woman organizations and political parties formed a human chain at Tank Bund. demanding prohibition of liquor in phases. At the meeting place there were several very active Humanists. Dr. Innaiah welcomed everyone and introduced Madam Malladi Subbamma - Feminist, Humanist, Rationalist and a powerful woman full of zeal. She wrote about 15 books on Status of Indian women, Democracy and Human Values and Women and Social Reform. In a highly traditional society, Malladi Subbamma starts writing when she was 15 years old. She read Literature about Science by herself. She never had first education. Then she starts a study at Medical college obtaining her Medical Degree in 1984. She worked in Public Hospital for 8 years. She was an active propagandist of Family planning movement and propagate the ideal of clean elections and Voters Council Movement. She is a foremost fighter for womens freedom and equality. She is also an organizer and builder of many institutions to empower women. Most of her writings she published are feminist ones. In 1996, she received the Thomas National Human Rights award, after receiving more than 8 other rewards. Now she is 80 years young with the same spirit and positions. She held various positions of great value. She was the Founder-president and Director of Mahila Abhyudaya Samstha, Director of Stree Vimochana and Secretary of Sramika Mahila Seva to name a few. Ms. Dhyan was wonder-struck to hear her speech and felt proud of such powerful women in India. She gives Dhyan 5 books, all signed and asked her to read it and after that to give the books to the formal head of the University as a gift from her to the students in The Netherlands. In the afternoon we went to SAHARA, an organization to serve the poor and needy, specially from the rural areas. It also supports and extends service to empower women and uplift the underprivileged. Their vision is sponsoring more girl children to continue school education and vocational training. Dhyan made a small program by singing and encouraging the children gathered there for a small award ceremony by the organization. It was a very good response from the children who enjoyed every moment singing and dancing forgetting the rest of the world.  Next we travelled for Bibinagar, in the rural area outside Hyderabad. MACTS in Bibinagar, is a private organization who try to help the untouchables in finding a place in the society. They try to help them to find means for them to live. There are many places in India where there is discrimination on grounds of caste and creed. One such is this place, where a small sect of people are away from the rest of the society, fighting for equality. MACTS (Mutual Adith Credit and Thrift Society) is helping hundred groups of women. They started with 238 untouchables and now they are about 1100 people working together, saving Re. 1/ per day and helping the needy partner of the group. Srinivasan was visiting these groups along with Mr. Subramaniam on his motorcycle and after his visit, he came in with a bright plan to empower these women groups in the rural areas. He likes to bring them together with farmers and other persons on the market. He organized a meeting for self help and we went there. Coming there, we went to the village community center, because we thought there will be a gathering of the group we liked to meet. But surprisingly, we were shocked to hear that this group was not allowed to enter the community hall because they are untouchables. The village is a village of very poor people. The little houses, not more than a tent are very proper. In the village, everywhere were flowers and plants. We were wondering about this good and proper environment, because the people can't eat food everyday. The meeting we conducted was in front of house on the street and in the dark of night. They do not have proper power supply. 25 women were sitting on the ground and Jyotsna Srinivasan welcomed them in their mother tongue, Telugu. She did an activity with Dhyan's support, by distributing EQ Emotion Masks cards to the women. They were all enthusiastic about it and involved themselves discussing the emotions and tried to relate it to their reality.  Then Jyotsna asked some women to come forward and tell the women what she imagined looking at the card. Her problem was she did not have enough money to live. She was afraid of this fact. Other women came in telling her, that they all will help her collecting some money, but they did not know how. Then Dhyan was asking them if they knew some special skills to workout a way to earn money. The women told that they can do an art craft, stitching, embroidery, because they undertook the training in this skill. But then another problem came up that it was not at all implemented. So they need some more training. And after that they liked to find a marked, but did not know how to do that. Then came in Srinivasan with a bright plan. He said, if they make some beautiful samples, he will take the samples to Hyderabad and find out a way to market it. Then another problem came up, saying how to get the materials? Dhyan told them she will lend them some money for a little start off. Srinivasan encouraged them to help themselves and begin with small efforts. Then Jyotsna asked the group to choose a manager out of their own group and also an assistant. They will stay in contact with Srinivasan. Meanwhile Harry took several photographs of the event, and specially all the children were hilarious when he showed their token picture on his digital camera... (Unfortunately all the pictures of this day were lost (oh so tired), but we still have the video shootings.)  This was all a great success with efforts put in by Ms. Dhyan, 'oncle' Harry, Ms. Jyotsna, Mr. Srinivasan and Mr. Subramaniam. Dhyan likes to ask to you all EQ Europe Group members and HIVOS and other Humanists groups to adopt these initiatives, because this is the way women can be owners of their own factories, which will empower them to be self-sufficient in future. We would like to ask HIVOS to help us, since, HIVOS is active in extending help towards projects with regard to Art and Culture. It was middle in the night when we decided we have to leave for our hotel. We only had 5 hours sleep and had to get ready for the next training session with some 50 teachers... At 7.00 hr we went with a taxi. Joytsnja had given the driver the place to pick her up: somewhere along a road in outer-center Hyderabad. We could not find here and ended up driving in the opposite way in busy traffic... After a half hour searching we found here and had to move on to a crossing where all teachers were gathered waiting for the bus to pick us up.  The bus came not in time so the meeting had to start quit late. It was in a conferenceroom in a place some 20 km from Hyderabad. This - a small disney-like park - was beautifully located in rural area. At the gate Dhyan was welcomed by a specially made banner. All of us had to write down his/here name on a list and were given a yellow colored tape on the arm by security people, all this before we could enter.  Then we could finally start: Srinivasan give his welcome to the group of 50 teachers and school managers. Jyotsna tells her story: she was a teacher but after a time she realized that she was very unhappy because the usual way of working with children, the beating and bad discipline, the long day only sitting memorizing in silence, no time to play no chatting. Now Jyotsna like to help teachers to make education more joyful for children.  During the Introduction Dhyan gives the aim of this symposium and workshop. "To experience the possibilities of forms for more effective and joyful education." First a short powerpoint giving us some more information of long term learning effects. By memorizing and reproduction the long term effects are not more than 20%. For real learning the brain have to construct connections between brain modules. Memorizing in a foreign language will give less long term learning effects because children not really understand what they are learning. By memorizing and visualization the learning effect can be higher. By using multi intelligent learning methods (linguistic, musical, visual mathematical and physical and social emotional ‘heart’ intelligence) the long term learning effect will be much more. Learning by doing (experience) in a multi intelligent way and understanding (presentation) and (self) judgement will give good and long term learning effects (80 % or more). Every one agree with the statement of Dhyans organization: Every child in this world has the right for joyful education Every person in this world has the right to develop talents and personal qualities. We all are equal and all are different. Students and teachers has to be empowered to examine their possibilities, limitations and talents and become able to define there progress. This can be done through interactive learning in contact and engagement with others. The school has to be conscious of care for the physical and mental health, and well-being of children and students including the special needs for girls at a certain age. The school will give children the possibility to increase their experience through the development of practical social skills. The school will care for a healthy and harmonious (school) community: the knowledge and the management of ‘one’s own and others‘ standards and values. The teachers ask some questions they are inspired and the problem how to develop more effective education comes up. Some teachers are afraid that parents (who are paying for education) don't agree with new educational development. Dhyan tells that every school has the possibility to develop new tools and methods for more effective and joyful learning. Some methods like circle time and musical and interactive ways of teaching can developed without any money. Some school managers give an example of what they are doing, they have already some good practise. Srinivasan ask this schools to exchange there knowledge and experience to other schools. He like to manage this and hope that school managers and teachers will learn from each other. This is not what they are doing now because the concurrence on the market for private education. The managers and teachers of this 16 schools agree with the statement that they can be stronger if the are connected under the flag of Joyful and effective learning. Then other subjects are coming in: Appreciation, caring, courage, and compassion has to be part of education. Dhyan tells that this are examples of core ‘frequencies’ within the bandwidth of heart-intelligence. Each time you generate one of these frequencies or positive emotions your physiology shifts into a more efficient mode. If you can manage these shifts with exercises education will become more effective and more joyful for children. She shows some educational settings, and practises from schools in The Netherlands. This film material supports new ideas and questions.  So the workshops can begin. First the teachers like to try out circle time. Working in mixed groups and circles is not usual in India. First we have to form mixed groups for circle time. Dhyan invite 5 women to come in the front of the room and asked each of them to invite a man for her group. After that the man can invite a woman and that woman a man. There is a lot of joy because this unusual way of working. After a time all people are working in circles, doing the exercises and working out the problem.
Everywhere discussion. Every group choose one woman or man to manage the discussion. Every person will have the possibility to bring in a statement for discussion. One of the group has to present one of more statements the group choose in the afternoon. Woman are equal to man and can also be a manager or presenter. (that also unusual in India). The model of circle-time follows a firm structure so that the group moves from warm- up exercises and fun into a round where every person is given the opportunity to speak individually. The respect afforded to an individual and their choices is very powerful in raising self-esteem. For just a few minutes, they are in the center of attention and a whole group of people is listening intently to everything they say. The round progresses to ‘open forum’, where issues and individual problems are aired and brainstormed. This activity often leads to an individual or group action plan. The next stage is to celebrate success and finally to end on fun.  Lunch time is there. We all have a good Indian lunch. In the corners people of different schools discussing there local problems and ideas for development. After lunch. Dhyan guides an exercise for multiple intelligence using posters.The posters made by APS visualizes every intelligence apart. Teachers are telling which way of learning the like most and why. The teachers are wondering because the differences. After the meeting the will ask for the posters because they like to do this exercise with other teachers in there school. It is a good and effective way to be aware of multiple ways of teaching. In the Afternoon the groups present there statements plenary. Some statements of the managers and teachers of the Hyderabad schools:
The government has the responsibility to promote training possibilities and life long learning possibilities for active teachers and school managers. The evaluation of the seminar and workshops showed us that everyone enjoyed it. Schools ask for follow up insite and outside the school. Srinivasan and Jyotsna will try to organize the follow up program together with the persons out of there community. They, family & friends all did a very good job this day by assisting the circle time and doing all the organization. Thank you all! 
 Today we will leave for a 10 hours long train journey to Chirala... We hope we will find the time and the technical opportunity to report from there. So, till next time and greetings to all our friends! The India2-team European Network on Emotional Quality © 2002-2008 |