Interaction with Students of University of IOWA, Iowa, U.S.

Shivakumar, Director, India Council for Integral Education, interacted with the students of the University of IOWA, Iowa, U.S., on the topic ‘Integral Education’ on December 29, 2017. The programme, which was organized by Satya Special School, was held at Hotel Atithi, Puducherry. Eighteen students, who will graduate as teachers at various levels along with two faculty members, participated in the interaction. Ms Chitra Shah welcomed the students and introduced the topic.

The discussion started with the questioning of the existing teaching–learning setting in the U.S. and how much of it is child-centred. A deeper query revealed that the current curriculum is more subjects-centric and less that of child-centric.

Shivakumar explained how Integral Education looks at a child, its growth and how the curriculum is developed based on the needs of the child. Here, all the subjects and topics are to be taken up only as tools to achieve this. Finally, there was a discussion on every child carrying a dream within himself/herself; all agreed that the education should help in turning this dream into a reality for each child. Everyone present believed that teachers, the curriculum and the school should endeavour to facilitate this.

The interaction concluded with a brief description of the system of education in place at the Centre of Education of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Puducherry.