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Journey of
Prerana |
Prerana' which means,
"Sublime Inspiration" was started in the year
2001 as outcomes of the immediate requirement to
bring into focus the changing needs of the
modern child. The drudgery of the endless exams
and tests early intellectualization, have
deprived children of their natural innocence and
the simple joys of childhood. It was in the
midst of burning issues, that 'Prerana' from an
inspiring ideal became a tangible reality.
Prerana has brought a happy smile and bright
light into the lives of the children and
parents. In the conventional schools where a
child is expected to sit at a desk reading and
writing for 3 to 4 hours, the teacher in a
Waldorf school strives to teach the children
through practical and meaningful day to day
activities.
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Core
elements
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Enable the child to grow psychologically by
providing meaningful learning
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Use art and craft as the base to grow
the physical and mental self of the
child
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Nurture social development by encouraging
participation
This leads to differentiating elements in
the learning process
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Activity based learning
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Art & craft
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Learning through play
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Celebrating festivals to understand
culture and social order
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Waldorf
philosophy |
Dr Rudolf Steiner (1861 -
1925) was an Austrian Philosopher and thinker,
whose life work enlightened areas such as
education, art, medicine, architecture and
spiritual philosophy. A new educational movement
occupied an important place in the developments
arising out of a spiritual Philosophy called
Anthroposophy. It means - human wisdom and
knowledge of the nature of Man.
His educational philosophy is
based on his understanding that child is a multi-faceted being,
with a threefold nature comprising
of body, soul and spirit. His aim is to make the
child healthy, strong and inwardly free through
education. Steiner says, "Receive the child with
reverence, nurture it with love and set it forth
in freedom". Steiner's public work in education
did not start until the end of I world war, when
central Europe was in utter despair and he was
concerned of the restoration of social order. The
first Steiner school was established in Stuttgart
in Germany in 1919.
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WALDORF
TEACHERS
The quality of a Waldorf teacher,
as a human being is of overriding importance and the
quality of education is bound up with the teacher's
caliber and attitude. Teaching children is a demanding
and responsible task. The teacher is confronted with
different children and each child brings with him, his
own particular character, temperament, difficulties,
stage of evolution, physical and mental quality. For
this the teacher has to be trained. The teacher need not
be a seer, it is essential that he understands the being
of man and the existence of a spiritual world. While
teaching the young children of under 7, the teacher
should be gentle, ideal and worthy of imitation. While
dealing with children of 7 to 14 he or she must teach
through beloved authority and with the students of 14 to
21, the teacher should be an authority in the subject
being taught and at the same time, respect the student's
growing independence. The class teacher takes the class
from I to VII or even VIII. This helps to really know
the children well.
So the teacher will have to
harmonize his nature and balance his temperament. A sense of humour is a great attribute. In contrast
to Waldorf education, the conventional education in
India is more goal oriented rather than child oriented.
Over intellectualizing, expansive syllabus, early and
traumatic exams, parental and peer pressure, all take a
toll on the child, right from the early years.
Conventional school education in India was introduced in
our country during the colonial rule but intensified in
the subsequent years, to the point that children of
today are heavily burdened with excessive information
which has little relevance. Subjects are taught in a
very abstract way, far removed from reality. Creativity
is stifled, as only the head is addressed and does not
give the opportunity to the student to think
independently that would help develop logical and
sequential thinking.
Competing in studies
may result in rivalry, selfishness and even ruthlessly
ambitious at a latter stage.
With an over emphasis on intellect, the child's
feelings and participation in daily life remain
untouched. Subjects like music, singing, painting,
drawing, art and handwork, which nourish the child's
deepest feelings and make them love the world, are not
given importance.
Most children may
have read the latest, Harry Potter, but not many would
have read the Indian fairytales or folk tales. In most
homes television is eating into the habit of reading.
Many children do not feel inspired enough to admire or
gaze at the heavenly bodies or even the myriad star
constellations in the night sky.
An attempt is made to
adapt Rudolf Steiner's original Waldorf curriculum for
the schools in India and is further enhanced by the
teachers' own knowledge, experience and imagination.
When the class teacher works systematically with the
Waldorf curriculum, the students will have knowledge and
at the same time reverence, for the subjects being
taught. Waldorf students have an added advantage of
learning new subjects such as Astronomy, Geology,
Climatology and also the charm of having learning each
of these subjects at the right stage of their
development. |
