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2.6: "India dec 2003" - Page 5-8   |
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Fourth report from 4--6 dec 2003 Chirala "When problems are so many, you can be considered a very smart person if you know where to start...". Dear EQ-friends, (We hope this comes through, if so: it's 9th december, everything is well) On the 3th of December we were kindly escorted and brought to our compartment in the train to Chirala by Mr. Subramaniam, we thank him. It all looks that a lot has changed since the first trip: there are new platforms in train stations, it's all better organized and more proper and clean. Even there seems to be less ghetto-like places when we travel through suburbs of Hyderabad. The train is rather modern, travels on time, goes with good speed and is comfortable. After some 9 hours we came to our destination, that is, that's what several persons, including the train manager - who is responsible that we get out at the right place - told us. Unfortunately we got out - still everybody asking if it's Chirala (yes, yes) - one station to early. Imaging it is night dark, no signs to see where we are (from out the train you see only the darkness), no information at all. So we stood for more then one hour, in the middle of the night, hoping - as they said - a next train "would come in 10 minutes"...  Fortunately Bapa Rao and friends - all waiting in Chirala to pick us up - had handled with great (emotional) intelligence. Did some phone calls, questioned the train manager and end up sending a car to our station where we luckily were picked up! (Pfff...). A fantastic trip with high speed in the middle of the night through the bushy-area followed... Harry was enjoying this very much: as a western person sitting together with 3 persons in the front seats of an old and small car (which motor sounded as if it would soon explode, the wheels felt loosening and amongst others the steering wheel is not responding too well), there's only one way to act: sit, enjoy and don't worry! When we came through Chirala it was all bumpy roads from stone and sand and the city looked as if we where placed a few hundred years back in time. Anyway, we arrived safely in the Viveka Vidyalayam Humanist school and got a warmly welcome. It was after 3.00 hr. that we went for a short sleep... In the morning Mr. Bapa Rao tells us about his school and some of the problems he is facing. The children are from the rural area. Most of them are from backwards cast. There parents never had education. Child Labor is normal in this area. Parents are not interested to educate their children. In a way it's all about those many, many problems you see everywhere in India. Sometimes - just sometimes - one can become so confused by all this, not knowing where to start, how to begin, knowing it's all so little you can do and facing the fact that there must be placed so much more responsibility towards government, policy-makers etc. With many more people to come we know they will tell us even more and more problems. 
 This morning there came a 'magick-man' to entertain and learn the children. This is something the school organizes regularly. The man does some magic tricks, the children learn to think for themselves. It is a joyful happening. ...  Then we went by motorbikes towards Chirala and visit one of the Rahul Schools. Here some people from local TV-station are waiting to shoot an interview about what we are doing here. discussion is joyful and more effective learning. Mr. Bapa Rao and Mr Subbu Rahul bring in there ideas for more joyful learning and ask Dhyan questions. It happens in a very funny way, just sitting in the 'headmaster'-room where people are walking in and out the interview starts. When we see the recording later that evening on TV it turns out the sound had a very noisy humble in it, but hey, it was on the air... We later heard it was also on television the next morning.  Rahul School is a place where they also try to bring in some child-friendly modernizations in education. Still, these changes are hardly visible when we visit the 'classrooms'. But when Dhyan is doing some questions, telling story's and singing we notice that the children are more open minded, assertive and interested and having a more joyful approach towards what is happening. 
 The 5th of December starts by preparing the clinics and workshops for the teachers. At 10 o'clock the children come in. 30 Children in the age from 9 - 10 years old. Dhyan starts with a song and the group does some circle time exercises with EQ materials. The children in the circle enjoy it. The faces of the teachers sitting and listening are like masks, no open minds for this happening. After some time Dhyan does some body-mind work.  The second exercise is mathematics. Dhyan gives the introduction and we make little groups. The subject is triangles and the approach learning by doing and questioning. With a short cord the children has to find out what triangles they can made. As much as possible. Then they have to measure the cord and the sides and draw some proper triangles, name the corners and find out by themselves c>a+b etc. After this exercise children report there ideas to each other in the circle. We are wondering. The never measured before, all is new for them and they are learning so quick. Some of the teachers are active now and give some spontaneous coaching to the groups. Dhyan goes on guiding the teachers now. Faces are open and the process of learning for the teachers start.  After math Dhyan does some more bodywork and singing and we do an other exercise in social science. Children do a little project: making a presentation and map of there city Chirala about products, schools, social life etc. The presentations are good, children and teachers are enthusiast now. Most of the teachers are involved after a time. We close with singing songs from Europe and India. The afternoon workshop gives teachers the possibility to experience by themselves what circle-time and learning by doing in groups is. We start with multiple intelligence and EQ exercises. We end with thinking, sharing and presenting the subject in statements for new joyful and more effective learning in a multiple intelligent way.  At evening we have more general discussions with Siva and friends. They even managed to get hold of a bottle of cold beer, which we much enjoyed. When Harry showed them a movie on his lab top about future needs of sustainable energy and possibilities with hydrogen (in English) they where very interested. But instead of watching and listening to the movie they immediately started their own discussions, which to us felt a bit strange... Tomorrow a sort of similar program with other classes and teachers. And after that a meeting with some managers from schools in Chirala. When teachers are willing to implement some changes they need follow up in training and support. Here these managers have to come in... Saturday the 6th at 8.00 Harry went along with the school bus to pick up the children and some teachers from rural villages in the surrounding. There were also some children to pick up from center Chirala. This took some 1,5 hour. The use of this bus is very important: making sure that the children come to the school, children don't have to walk for many miles, carrying heavy bags with their books and it's also advertisement for the Viveka Humanist school.  Chirala is still a typical India-city. Roads from stone & sand, only few motorized traffic, lot's of buffalo's on the road etc. But yes, there is a modern cinema and at the outer center modern hardened roads begins. In the rural villages the most houses are still made from (palm tree-)leaves and wood. Nowadays the most of them have one electricity-light, but many don't. Everywhere buffalo's and chickens. 
 Here the outcasts are living who are banned from normal society. There are only bumpy sand roads. The view is beautiful: width views over rice-fields with here and there the silhouettes of palm trees. Then Dhyan started a second workshop with school classes of Rahul school and Viveka Humanist school 4th and 5th standard (age 7-9) and teachers. 24 children and 7 teachers enjoy the clinic. We did some mathematics in cooperative research groups and a circle time exercises. Followed by drama, role play and drumming, clapping, dance, singing songs in English. In the afternoon teachers give there statements for new joyful and more effective education in there (3) schools. Here they are: 1. M feels: While teaching we must consider the slow learner. 2. H feels: We must find out the interests of the child to make learning more child centered. 3. feels: We should give lively examples and create free environment. 4. S feels: We should have complete understanding of what we do in education. A group of teachers: We think that teachers, managers and parents should come together to form a syllabus which makes the learning more multiple intelligent and joyful, all learning tools can be in and we need more pictures and interactive methods. This are the points of action of the teachers in Viveka Humanist school and Rahul schools: 1. By using playing methods we can produce good education for children. 2. By listening and working in groups we learn to be free and express our feelings without fear. This is good for teachers and children. 3. We should move freely and friendly to getting the inner feelings of children (nowadays in most of the schools children are beaten for learning discipline because the parent ask the teacher to beat the child; Jyotsna, Bapa Rao and a lot of teachers are telling us.) 4. We can create good atmosphere for children. 5. Through pictures and examples involved in real life we can make more effective learning. 6. Language mainly depends upon communication skills, we have to communicate. 7. By re-questioning "what is this?" (like by experimenting) children learn to think for themselves; we will give them this opportunity. 8 By sharing our views we can implement more things, teachers training is a life long process. 9 By recollecting and forth the ideas from nature using the environment, we can teach more things. 10. We should develop a positive feeling among children by circular activities.  In the afternoon we visit the 'quiz-sessions' the school every Saturday organizes. This is a relaxing way of scoring points when the children have to answer questions the teacher(s) asking them on last week(s) subjects. At the end of the year there will be a winner-group. For us it's rather particular when groups of children are sitting very quit for some two hours. One of the teacher is reading questions from the curriculum towards every child. When they know the answer another teacher writes a mark on the schoolbord for their group. Teachers are also sitting - everyone seems not very interested. Then one of the teachers is even lying down reading the questions. Now Mr. Baparao interferes: showing them they should be having a more active approach by standing, walking and doing the questions without the books.  Then we went of for a seminar on "Buddhism and Humanism", organized by the Rahul Educational Society, where Dhyan was asked to unveil a Buddha's statue... First several speakers talked about the inspiration that Buddhism could give. Dhyan made an interaction with the children singing a song together and she did a short speech according her view: "What can Humanism in relation to the words of Buddha do for joyful and equal education." Education with respect for all differences between people and there right for good and equal education. Mr Ravipudi Venkatadri the president of Radical Humanist Initiated the seminar. In his lecture he started with the same view as Dhyan did and from there he presented an overview regarding to the relation between Humanist approaches and Buddha's message for education. His message to India is rationalist Humanism. Why rationalism. For a long time India was suffering in a tradition who discriminate people in casts. Most of these ideas are funded in religious sentiment. For Ravapundi Venkatadri reason is only a means, it is not an end. Rationalism is only a way, it is not an ideology. Reason has to be used as a tool to forge the ends of life;the efforts to achieve those ends must be rational; the mode of thought which proclaims that attitude is rationalism. This rationalism will give Indian people the possibility a more realistic view by using scientific method too here and now.  "Parents and school managers play a great role in the efforts to change education". Next morning there was the training session for managers from several schools... We were already been told about the influence parents have. They just ask teachers to beat their children even more when they stay behind in their curriculum or remove their children to an other school or even just keeping them at home to work when they don't see the results they expect from the school. Any changes in the educational program is considered bad & useless, since parents only look at results in examinations (which is only about reproducing from memory). Joyful learning, learning by doing, learn to learn are all concepts they don't understand or recognize... So schoolmanagers are afraid to implement changes, since they mostly have to consider the number of children on their school... At first a lot of managers were invited, but with all the experiences and what we've been told we wondered... So, all the school managers - some 25 - were phoned last evening once again by Mr Siva Subbu Rahul, manager of the Rahul schools. He asked if they were facing any problems at their school and were willing to learn and change... Everyone who said that at his school there were no problems and everything was alright, was kindly given notice that it's better they would not come! So we ended up with some nine - motivated - school managers. This turned out to be a successful strategy. Harry showed the powerpoints and movies from example-schools in the Netherlands. Dhyan told about multiple intelligence and all were very interested. Some practising in good acting as a manager even made one person become very emotional, he had never experienced a situation where he was able to exercise, be in front of a group and... is also friendly helped when doing something wrong or not knowing the answer. So now they had this first start and are willing to proceed and help each other...  Afterwards we said goodbye for now (coming back after a few days...) and then went by car to our next place...  That's for know, Greetings from India, India2-team  European Network on Emotional Quality © 2002-2008 |