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By Diganatar, from 18th July 2005 to 31st December 2005
Introduction
When ever an organization starts a new activity, a new program or even takes up a new assignment the question of shortage of trained faculty always arises. Several assignments of training workshops and studies have to be left because of unavailability of suitable faculty members. In our own organization, Digantar, the work and approach to education also demands that newly recruited faculty should get a rigorous training in approach to education and style of NGO functioning. Often the newly recruited faculty as well as the old timers feel that development of proper attitude to work and team spirit may significantly benefit from a well-planned training program.
That is the expressed feeling of many other NGOs and agencies working in education, they face a similar shortage of trained faculty/staff who can coordinate, develop and look after their educational programs. The proposed course in Foundations of Education is planned to meet all these requirements and build a very good base for middle and top-level functionaries in education. We are of the opinion that the program is sufficiently broad based in nature and content to be very useful to most of the organizations, particularly NGOs, working in education.
Objectives of the program
The program aims at developing a sound understanding of educational theory and abilities concerned with planning and executing educational programs. The emphasis will be on ability to analyze a situation independently and formulate appropriate solutions. The students will get opportunities to analyze, develop ideas as well as access relevant knowledge in the context of educational programs.
Specifically the program would aim to
- Develop an understanding of concept, nature and significance of education in human life in general and in a pluralistic democratic society in particular,
- Build appropriate knowledge base of educational theory,
- Initiate into a wide range of capabilities, (some examples: classroom observations, teaching, curriculum development, workshop planning),
- Develop concern for equity and social justice, and
- Develop abilities needed in teamwork, pride in profession and respect for work.
Qualifications for admission
Direct admission: Post Graduate degree in a humanities or social sciences or science subject with a minimum of 55% marks; ability to read with critical appreciation and write in a coherent and orderly manner in Hindi and/or in English.
Nominated by an organization: Graduate in an appropriate discipline; ability to read with critical appreciation and write in a coherent and orderly manner either in Hindi and/or in English.
Medium of instruction: The course shall be taught in dual medium, Hindi and English.
Duration and mode of the course
The course will run in workshop mode with intervening time for independent assignments. There shall be four workshops of two weeks each and three intervening slots of five weeks each. Total duration of the course will be 24 weeks.
| Likely Timetable of a Workshop Day | |
| 08:45--09:00 | Cleaning and arranging |
| 09:00--10:00 | Singing and diary by one person |
| 10:00--11:30 | Session One |
| 11:30--11:45 | Tea |
| 11:45--01:00 | Session Two |
| 01:00--02:00 | Lunch |
| 02:00--02:45 | Logic and Language Exercises |
| 02:45--03:15 | Session Three |
| 03:15--03:30 | Tea |
| 03:30--04:30 | Session Four |
| 04:30--05:30 | Arts and Handicrafts |
Curriculum
The curriculum is loosely organized into five blocks in a way that allows the later blocks to build upon the work done in the earlier blocks. Each block is an integrated plan of interconnected tasks and topics from various disciplines, and is designed to prepare students for educational interventions. But care will be taken to give the students a flavor of relevant disciplines also, though the course is not designed to teach independent disciplines. A brief outline of the curriculum is given below:
- Introduction to education and school as an institution: School and classroom observation, introduction to critical appreciation of classroom and school processes, assumptions behind educational endeavor and running a school, profile of a five year old child, introduction to the ideas of aims in education, curriculum and teaching methods. (School observation and its analysis will be an integral part of the course.)
- Thinking about education: Understanding Human being and Society; Understanding Learning, Understanding Knowledge, Skills and Values, including nature and implications for pedagogy of different subject areas; The Child, learning and context. This portion will involve a serious study of selected readings from philosophy and psychology of education. Understanding the socio-economic, cultural, historical significance of context.
- Preparation for Action: A vision and framework for education (aims, curriculum, pedagogy, material and role of teacher). Team work, workshop planning, teacher education, report writing, project development, planning an educational study.
- Practical experience: working in a school—organization, classroom teaching, school management. Observations and studies. Accessing material. Critical appraisal of curriculum, textbooks, and pedagogy. Planning. Paper writing and presentations. Arts and handicrafts.
- Three guest lectures by eminent educationists.
The course would heavily rely on involvement and contribution of the student in an active pedagogical process. Dialogue, observation, reading, critical appreciation, and practical experience will all be appropriately used. Presentation and lectures by the faculty will be used but minimally. The fundamental principle of the pedagogy shall be cooperative learning in a group.
An elaborate scheme of continuous and comprehensive evolution will be used. Students will be periodically apprised of their progress. All help will be available to them, but those who are found to be unwilling to work hard shall be asked to leave the course.
Digantar will award a certificate at the successful completion of the course. The certificate will be awarded in a convocation function by an eminent educationist.
Batch Size: Between 20 and 30 students.
Course Fees
Tuition Fee: Rs.16,000/- per student for the entire course.
Course material and library fee: Rs.2000/-
Boarding and lodging: Shared accommodation in dormitories and simple meals shall be available at Rs.100/- per day. The dormitory will have only very basic facilities. In the non-workshop intervening periods staying at the campus will not be compulsory; those who want to make their own arrangements will be free to do so.
Faculty
Course Director: Rohit Dhankar
Coordinator: Shri Dilip Singh
Guest faculty: Several prominent and well-known educationists will deliver gust lectures and participate in the assignment seminars to give feedback to students on their work.
Scholarships:
Scholarships amounting to Rs.45,000/- for the entire course shall be available for deserving candidates. Each candidate availing scholarship will be expected to sign an agreement stating that s/he will work in a voluntary organization for two years subsequent to successful completion of the course, if an appropriate job with appropriate salary is offered. In case of not honoring the agreement or in case a candidate leaves the course unfinished or in case a candidate is asked to leave the course because of lack of seriousness or misconduct, s/he will be to refund the entire amount taken by him/her as scholarship.