“Alternate Education”, the term
itself may sound a bit weird and offensive to many of you at the very first
utterance. However, the term though it lacks a definitive meaning, has
different approaches to its interpretation. Alternate Education is a special
form of education that is beyond the traditional schooling system. It focuses
on innovative approaches to deliver education to students’ in schools and
colleges based on their interests and capabilities.
Traditional
Schooling vs. Alternate Education
- Curriculum – The curriculum in this method of education is more innovative and designed as per the students’ interests through special programmes that focus on specialisations right from the early age.
- Student Spread – The students in this method of education are school/college drop-outs, people below poverty line, underprivileged youth, mentally gifted students, home schooling etc. as compared to traditional schooling where the same thing is taught to all.
- Exams, Tests, & Grades – In this method of education the students do not have the pressure of giving examinations & tests to get good grades and qualify to the next level, which is vice versa to the traditional method of education.
- Parental Involvement – Unlike the traditional where the parents are required to visit the schools/colleges only during Parents’ meet or during declaration of results or complaints regarding their children if any; the alternate education method involves the parents during the process of providing education. These are called as, “special learning days” wherein parents participate in the lessons being taught to children.
- Infrastructural Differences - The traditional method of desks and benches, merit based qualifications, etc. have been discontinued by many of the alternate educational institutions. The school architecture is often environment friendly with organic shapes & forms such as round walls, woods, jungle, natural habitat, etc.
Alternative education system
has proven to be ahead of traditional schools, wherever educational
alternatives combine customised learning with collaborative group learning in
authentic, inquiry-oriented projects, provide their students with access to
diverse knowledge sources and assess them for deeper understanding and further
learning. They can serve as meaningful models for the renewal of mainstream
education across the globe.
The
aim should be to develop the whole human being – “Head, Heart, & Hands”
