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Keywords
Alternative School, Rural, Primary, Upper-Primary, Farming
Geographical Location
Dharmapuri District, Tamilnadu
Languages
Tamil, English, Hindi
Work Description
Puvidham is a small and beautiful village school in Dharmapuri district in Tamilnadu. The whole district is dry and drought prone; the school is remotely located and serves a good purpose for the poor in the area. Puvidham's history is closely tied to that of Meenakshi and Umesh, who in 1992, bought a 12 acres piece of land in Dharmapuri district, dug bore wells, and finished building a house on their own by 1994. The school Puvidham was started in 1999 and has been steadily growing in strength. The school started with seven children (two of whom were children of Meenakshi and Umesh). Currently the school has over 50 children and 5 teachers. Most of the children come from the two villages, Kalani Kattur and Avvai Nagar and a few from Savalukkuttai and Kuduppatti.
The school also started with the belief that long lasting change could be brought only by introducing children to the methods of organic and sustainable farming. Sustainable farming methods are introduced as a part of the curriculum.
The medium of instruction in the school is Tamil and English. The school believes that children learn most by engaging in hands on activities. The school does not follow a very structured timetable. Activities are sometimes guided by what the children are interested in learning that day. Many teaching aids are made in the school by the teachers and children. Learning aids such as puzzles, Montessori like learning aids, cards, and many such materials have been made using local materials. There is a lot of flexibility in how the materials are used by the teachers.
The school has a variable fee structure, depending on the economic situation of the child’s family. Parents are encouraged to pay a fee so they feel a sense of responsibility and participation. The fee is decided in consultation with parents, taking various criteria like the gender of the child, economic situation of the family etc. The school buys the notebooks in bulk and provides it to the parents at a lower rate than what they would get in the stores. Textbooks are provided by the school. Parents who can afford to pay for new textbooks pay for it. Otherwise the children are given used textbooks.
The school session begins with prayer started with some songs. After this the children volunteer to recite a poem, song or tell a story. After this the children split into 3-4 groups based on their age and pace of learning. Many hands-on-activities are used for language, mathematics and science teaching. Story telling is also integrated into the curriculum. Tamil and English are introduced to the children from the beginning. Drawing, arts, crafts and music are highly encouraged and children do one of these activities every day.
Resources Available
Teacher training on the methods and philosophy followed in the school, Exchange student program.
Contact Information
Meenakshi Umesh
Puvidham Learning Center
Nagarkooda vill & Post (via)
Indur, Dharmapuri 636803
Phone: 04342-311641, 98427 32210
Website Links
Puvidham website
Annual report for 2003-2004
Annual report for 2002-2003