HOLISTICEDU was founded with an intent of making holistic education accessible to all. The current education system suffers from standardisation – whether it is content, methods of instruction or assessment. Mainstream schools across the country continue to use a standardised curriculum irrespective of the region (rural / urban, hills / plains). The learning takes a child away from nature and away from his roots.
There are a few alternative schools across the country who have explored and now successfully implemented alternative educational practices that are more holistic in nature. These schools are often the living embodiment of renowned educationists like J. Krishnamurti, Rabindranath Tagore, Gandhi. These practices simultaneously address most of the limitations of conventional schooling. But the number of such schools are less and most parents cannot afford the fees of such schools.
Through HOLISTICEDU, we would like to bridge the gap between these two systems. We wish to bring to conventional schools across the country holistic practices that will help transform the schools. Through our programs, we make schools aware of vast resources available outside the classrooms including community / elders etc.
Our theory of change hinges on the philosophy that learning does not happen in a vacuum. A child is more likely to enjoy learning when they see the taught concepts and values affecting their life in a meaningful way. Creating a holistic environment at both school and homes helps the child immerse in the experience. Thus working closely with all stakeholders is imperative to us.
At the school level, HOLISTICEDU works with both the teachers and the management.
The workshops are created in such a way that all facilitators’ individual visions are aligned with the vision of the school management. School transformation can truly begin only when every stakeholder’s vision is aligned towards a common goal of enhancing student outcomes. Our workshops which are designed in a phased manner are experiential and immersive allowing teachers to demonstrate practical understanding and application of concepts.
At the same time, we believe that while schools equip children with skills and competencies, it is the parents who play a vital role preparing them for the opportunities & challenges they might face in the future. This means understanding the nuances of how a child sees, learns and grasps new information. Our workshops for parents help them understand the uniqueness of their child, which is explored through practical research oriented concepts.
We also engage with students in separate workshops to help recognize and foster their capabilities. This helps children own their learning and be more involved in the experience.
At HOLISTICEDU, our vision is to make learning more integrated and relevant to real life, at the same time joyful and experiential with methodologies that celebrate the uniqueness of each child rather than continue to force fit them in archetypal paradigms.
The story behind HOLISTIC EDU –
Founded by Puja Uchil who is on a mission to make education more child-centered and contextual by empowering primary stakeholders with necessary knowledge and tools in order to create a holistic environment for the child.
Puja is a chemical engineer, who spent over 10 years leading teams and projects in corporate India . A deep rooted desire to contribute to the social sector especially education took her to rural India to lead a non profit school for underprivileged children.
This experience not only gave her a deeper perspective of challenges and needs of the education sector, it also gave her field experience and in depth knowledge of the issues at the ground level in rural areas.
The need to understand how to bring a change in the current education system took her to study holistic education in depth at Bhoomi College. Studying at Bhoomi, led her to examine the current paradigms of education and to rethink and reimagine education. It enabled her to understand the needs of a child and redesign curriculum. It helped her create HOLISTICEDU, an organisation that aims to empower stakeholders with holistic educational practices that center on the evolving needs of a child.
