Newsletter April 2006

Educational system in India has undergone a major change. A child's education is no child's play. Our toddlers are made to jumpstart early in their lives. Just imagine , our young children in the sophisticated
"new age schools" - where a child no longer draws on a paper but on computer screen with a mouse. With computers in every classroom , in these Hi tech schools , stories are not told any longer but are shown with CDs . With tecnology getting more and more advanced children are getting that much more isolated with self indulgent activities - video games, TV and now the monster i POD.

It may be hypothetical to say that universities are turning out more and more skilled barbarians. But we are tempted to ask a vital question - "then what is education? How is different from literacy ?" If literacy is just the ability to read and write - then one more burning question emerges"Are all literates educated ?" Not necessarily.

While our conventional education focuses on literacy , syllabus completion , misplaced competetion along with the handicap of an established pattern that one fears to turn away from, we feel that waldorf education is the only respite that meets the needs of today's children and gives them a platform to
launch their creative credentials.

It includes qualities like self respect in place of fear and motivation instead of pressure. In our ancient Vedic Education, Recitation was the common mode of communication and it is generally believed that understanding would come later . And our conventional education has not moved away from this learning mechanism. But the need of today is that we should focus on comprehension, creativity and cosmic individuality as the necessary tools to realise the spiritual and academic goals .

Above all , Indian Teahers connect well to Waldorf education because of the spiritual freshness it ushers in and this is transferred to the curriculum. For us , it is not just method of teaching. What makes it special , is the deep sense of understanding of the self that comes about with it .

In our country , the class divide of the rich and poor is vast. our endeavour is never to say 'no' to a child's admission into the school on grounds of financial deficiency. So what if a common man's child cannot afford all these New Age schools . May they have Waldorf Education very stongly in their destiny. And if we can extend this help to them, then we have surely made a difference in this world. We thank all individuals and institutions who helped us in our endeavours.