What good is any alternative education if the student eventually has no choice but to fit into the traditional system ? Today alternative schools from Montessori, Krisnamurti, Gandhian, Steiner to De Bono are appearing in decent number across India. A lot of traditional schools are claiming to offer alternative methods of education. However, what happens to these so called "alternatively schools" kids after they are out of school ? What is the whole point of taking the pain and creating the Hullabaloo of alternative education if eventually these alternatively schooled kid just succumb to the pressure of conventional way of living and learning ?
Precisely, that's what it seems to be happening these days. Infact in some cases, the alternatively schooled children are worse off.
If we need to really change education, we need to alter the entire ecosystem- social, economical, political. Educational Revolution is actually a revolution that encompasses all facets of life. Education alone CANNOT change !
If we are teaching kids to live and learn alternatively - we must also strive to provide avenues that allow them to take their search and ambitions forward. There is no point if they had to come back to the thorny path after a short stint on the rosy roads. We must unable them to believe that alternative schooling is not limited to schools but extended to life and its possible to live happily and comfortably without becoming part of the "conventional system".
Initiatives like "Gap Year College", "Swaraj University", "Jaaga" are some rays of hope in this direction. However, we must persist to broaden our range of offering. Only then there will be true culmination of the alternative schooling. Only schools which provide alternatives to schooling will not be able to change much. We need alternative colleges, universities, learning centres, parks, communities, travels, groups, companies. Most importantly - an alternative world view and life style.
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