Shortlisted Entry

Ishita Kohli

EDUCATION FOR ALL, EDUCATION BY ALL        


Education is the primary driving force in the social and economic progress of a nation. 

By studying the initiatives taken by the government and through surveys & interviews, the thesis analyzes the condition of the Indian education system in terms of infrastructure, social equity, community participation, methods of teaching, etc. 

Based on government policies, case studies, and other literary works, a method is developed to envision an alternate mode of learning in an urban setting. It envisages an experimental decentralized mode of education that is free (or easily affordable), equal, non-mandatory, and state-funded. It is provided through a common learning system with neighborhood schools and the absence of commonly conducted examinations as assessment instruments.

The dissertation recognizes that schools are the primary source of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy skills and should continue imparting these skills. But argues that other forms of learning must also take place outside the school. 

It aims to provide students from multiple schools, both public and private, with a common space for sharing ideas and discovering themselves through mainstream subjects and other co-curricular activities of their own choice but outside the bounds of a curriculum. It also identifies nature conservation and technology as an integral part of education and tries to integrate them into the various ways of learning.