Educational Innovations (A theme that demands central attention) I We may recall that the great struggle for freedom had, in its early moments of resurgence, placed national education as an essential aspect of its core Programme for achieving India's independence. Under the inspiring leadership of the greatest educationists, radical experiments were carried out. National education was visualized in its widest implications so as to foster both nationalism and internationalism, and the lessons learnt from the great systems of education that had developed in India since its ancient period as also from progressive experiments which have been carried out in mo

Introduction Our system of education is the legacy of the colonial past. Sixty years have passed since we attained independence, but even though promised during the freedom struggle, we have not been able to change the system, except very marginally. There are, however, voices all around which demand radical changes in education. A study of this demand brings out one common cry; we want better education. Nobody will dispute with this demand. But disputes arise, when we try to define and give content to the phrase "Better Education". The theme of this book is that "Better Education", whatever it may mean, is not enough. The country needs a kind of

INNOVATIONS IN EDUCATION Innovations In Education by Kireet Joshi The Mother's Institute of Research, New Delhi, mothersinstitute® hotmail. com © author All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, or by any means, without written permission of the author or the publisher. First edition, 2011 ISBN: 978-81-909651-4-9 Published by: POPULAR MEDIA, Jhilmil Industrial Area, Delhi-110095 E: Pop

Innovations The proposed innovations will be related chiefly to the quality of education. It has been increasingly acknowledged that our education system is deficient in many ways, but the deficiency in respect to quality is perhaps most deplorable and in need of urgent but careful repair. If we examine innovations which are being advocated in regard to the quality of education, they can be grouped in three categories: 1.Those related to aims of education; 2.Those related to contents of education; 3.Those related to pedagogy and methodology of education. We may formulate a list of these innovations and make relevant remarks. 1. Innovations related to ai

Note: Suggestions for innovations in the Schedules I, II and III have been carefully pooled together from various sources and practical experiments which have been conducted in India and elsewhere. Further explorations and experiments will need to be conducted under the expert guidance of the Educational Commission for Innovations. New suggestions will be welcome. Schedule I Innovations related to Aims of Education 1.Aims of liberal education, vocational education and professional education need to be adequately addressed. For this purpose the following elements need to be harmonized: Promotion of liberal education with its emphasis on scientific knowledge and sc

SCHEDULE III Innovations related to Methods and Processes of Education I Child-centered education is being increasingly advocated in all programmes of innovative methods of education. That education should aim at each student's ability to exceed the present boundaries of limitations may be regarded as one of the possible formulations of child-centered education. How to materialize or actualize child-centered education is a difficult task, and it can be facilitated only if we can pool together the results of great experiments connected with basic education or Nayi Talim, or with Swami Vivekenanda's message of man-making education, creative education conceived and

-05_Parvati^s Tapasaya.htm Parvati's Tapasya A blazing fire sprung from Shiva's third eye, had consumed Cupid,1 the mind-born god, and reduced him to ashes in front of Parvati, thereby shattering her hopes. Then the daughter of the Mountain2 blamed her own beauty in her heart. For what use is beauty if it does not attract the beloved? She decided to take recourse to austerities and mind-centered meditation in order to make her beauty bear fruit; for how else could she secure such love and such a husband? Mena, hearing that her daughter, who had set her heart on Shiva, was resolved to practise asceticism, clasped her to her bosom and spoke, trying to dissuade her from the terrible vow

Glossary 1. Cupid: god of Love (or Desire) for the Romans. In Sanskrit this god has many names: Kama (desire), Manobhava (born of the mind), Smara (remembrance), Manmatha (the one who churns the mind), Madana (the one who intoxicates). 2. The daughter of the Mountain: Parvati means the daughter of Parvat, i.e. the mountain, Himalaya. Shailaja, another name for Parvati, means also the daughter of the rocs or of the mountain. 3. Shirisha: One of the most beautiful Indian flowering trees (latin name: Albizzia lebbek). The delicate flowers (also called Sitapushpa) look like miniature powder-puffs. The leaves are sensitive and fold up on being touched. S

Uma - Abaninidranath Tagore Parvati's Tapasya Introduction Her aim was nothing less than to win the heart of the supreme ascetic, silent and motionless in his abode of ice and snow. The great Shiva clothed in ashes, whom neither desire nor grief can touch, whose meditation is like Infinity contemplating Infinity, by whom worlds are created and worlds are destroyed, who can immobilise the raging Ganges streams in his matted locks and bear in his throat the fire of the primordial poison, on that god, Parvati, the lovely daughter of Himalaya, had set her eyes. This was not for the first time. She had been his from the beginning of time, in other li