Academic Program
We have a practical, down-to-earth approach to education, which originates in common sense. Our educational program is not examination-focused at all. It is as deep and as extensive as the learner is capable of and willing to make it.
With the exception of conventional educational set-ups, there is no situation in life where a child would find herself in the society of thirty or more children of the same age. This, in our perception, is a very unnatural setting. We are also aware of the fact that chronological age is not a reliable or accurate indicator of a child’s total development - psychological, cognitive, or social. Hence, at Bhavya we have a non-graded program which permits a multi-age organization of learning groups. This makes it possible for us to personalize education in a natural setting and children are not forced to take on learning tasks for which they are not ready.
We design our own curriculum basing it on children’s needs and interests:
• In the earliest years from 3-6, children are in a completely free-flowing environment. They move from one activity to another without any interference from the adult. Adults intervene only when the children need some material, or help to resolve a conflict. Children are, generally, left alone to form their own ideas, and to pursue their goals individually, or in groups of their choice. They communicate freely with one another while being respectful of the needs of others using the same space.
• From 6-9 years, they begin to experience and learn, among other things, the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics.
• From 9-13 years, along with the continued strengthening of their language and mathematical skills, they are introduced to the rudiments of research and reference skills as an essential tool for lifelong learning.
• From 13-16 years, children continue to expand their learning both in depth and extent while they move, simultaneously, towards their first examination in NIOS at the class 10 level.
• One of the main features of the Bhavya program is to involve children 14 years and above in work situations. We are looking at apprenticeship opportunities like accountancy, carpentry, gardening, landscaping, farming, photography, etc., as the children’s interests guide us.
At every level, we ensure that the children have adequate space to explore and develop their own learning agenda during the day. Not being bound by silence, through this freedom they are able to explore their thoughts as they think them, express them, hear them, and, moving on to the next stage of the thought, go through the process again. Slowly, but surely, as they take each thought through to completion, they grow in intelligence and self-confidence. They are filled with a deep sense of satisfaction. Pure, intrinsic, instinctive and essential, this naturally flowing process, unrestricted, leaves them with a feeling of tremendous peace.
Our Beliefs
The Bhavya program is based on the belief that Nature has blessed each child with a unique plan for growth. At Bhavya, we respect this uniqueness and provide the space that each child needs to grow and achieve the inner balance she seeks.
Bhavya is, simply, an extension of the home where the children, their parents and all adults present are free of anxiety.
How is the Bhavya Program structured?
At Bhavya:
1. We Nurture Organic Learning
2. We Encourage 'Play'
3. We Practise Unconditional Acceptance of Every Child
4. We help Children Develop Conflict-Resolution Skills
5. We Invest in Forming A Strong Partnership with Parents to Create an Empathic Environment at Home
6. We Emphasize Quality in Learning
1. We Nurture Organic Learning
We have observed that effective learning takes place only when the child is emotionally settled, and when the child herself feels emotionally capable and inspired to explore new challenges. We are careful not to rush new children into adjusting to their new environment. Each child is provided adequate space to ease herself into the new setting. We take care that no adult who is a stranger to the child overwhelms her with unwanted attention. A child who is three or four years old comes to Bhavya with her mother and is left to explore the entire environment, material and human, in the security of her mother’s presence. As she gradually becomes more comfortable and is ready to trust the other adults in the environment, she approaches them herself.
We see that our role as adults in 'teaching' academics is to ensure that each child encounters learning experiences which are commensurate with her level of maturity and understanding. These experiences are challenging, yet, not frustrating. As the child does her own investigating and makes her own discoveries, she finds that the sense of achievement and the resulting satisfaction are rewarding enough in themselves. She is happy to have learned and eager to learn more.
This inherent motivation to learn (as opposed to learning for fear of disapproval or desire for praise) is, we believe, the prerequisite for any real, significant and sustained learning to happen. We have observed that when this space and freedom is given to every child, her curiosity is retained and her initiative is high. She has a high level of investment in, and enthusiasm for, her work. Towards this end, we have a very well-planned, organic, and material-rich, learning program at Bhavya which the child may explore as and when she is ready.
2. We Encourage ‘Play’
We perceive no distinction between ‘play’ and ‘work’ in childhood, and possibly, throughout life. When we refer to ‘play’ we mean the kind of self-determined and self-directed exploration of material objects and relationships, which is often seen by the adult mind as “messing around” or “wasting time”. During this process, the learner explores, investigates and lives out her fantasies. This is a prerequisite to real understanding and, therefore, to learning. Hence, unstructured time in the day is an essential requirement at Bhavya. The amount of unstructured time decreases as the child grows older, but it is given due importance at all stages of growth. This is the time when children pursue their interests, and explore their environment alone or in interaction with one another. In the process of taking charge of their lives, the children become more self-confident and responsible.
3. We Practise Unconditional Acceptance of Every Child
Bhavya is a place, where a child, no matter what her difficulties, or 'problems', or moods, is accepted - not for how well she pleases the adults around her, or for what she can do or achieve, but simply for being herself.
Every child in Bhavya, is given all the time she needs, by the adults around her, without judgment and with total acceptance, to grow in accordance with her nature. The child is encouraged to express her feelings freely and spontaneously at any time she feels the need during the day. The calming and catharsis this produces in the child is immense.
For instance, when a child is angry with an adult, or another child, or emotionally hurt in some way, we empathize with the child. We give her enough space to verbalize her feelings freely. At no stage is the child judged and made to feel guilty. As a result, she feels heard and accepted. She is now able to see the situation more clearly. The anger/pain has been expressed and she is freed of the need to hurt the other person.
4. We help Children Develop Conflict-Resolution Skills
A concern often expressed by adults is that children who are left to their own devices will fight and get into ‘mischief’. As in any other life-situation, conflicts between children do arise during the course of their interactions. When they do, we work with them to resolve the conflicts. Adults are always available to them, to hear each one of them with empathy and help them find their own solutions to problems. It is rare that when a problem occurs, a child goes home feeling unheard, or powerless to do anything positive to resolve it. Because the situation is personal, the children involved internalize the experience well and in the course of time they develop effective problem-solving skills.
5. We Invest in Forming A Strong Partnership with Parents to Create an Empathic Environment at Home
We believe that emotional settlement in a child and, consequently, her state of mind are, essentially, linked to the environment available to her at home. How much time are parents able to give to the child at home? How total and unconditional is both the parents' acceptance of the child as she is?
We spend a considerable amount of time interacting with parents in an attempt to understand each child’s personal situation. We do not believe in addressing behavioural issues such as aggression, violence, lethargy/listlessness, restlessness, etc., cosmetically by penalising the child for offences, when the source of the behaviour lies outside the child.
We expect all adults at Bhavya to understand that the emotional well-being of a child must come first. When the child is emotionally unsettled, her ability to concentrate, absorb, assimilate and thus learn, are adversely affected. Hence her true potential as a whole person is never achieved.
One of the major goals at Bhavya is to help parents become aware of the ways in which they might help their children become emotionally strong individuals. We ask parents to respect their children’s natural needs. We encourage them to spend positive, constructive time with their children. We ask them to respect their children’s views and always give them a patient hearing.
We take a great deal of care to help a child make a peaceful transition from home into the environment of Bhavya. We have found that when there is a forced separation of young children from their mothers for even a few hours in a new or strange environment, it leads to considerable emotional distress. To avoid this distress we insist that the mothers participate actively in this process by coming to Bhavya with their children everyday. This continues until the children are comfortable in the new environment and happy in their independence. Often, even after the children have settled down completely at Bhavya, some of the parents continue to come to Bhavya and participate in one way or another.
Parents and other adults are sincerely welcome at any time in Bhavya, to observe children/adults at work, be with their children, or help at Bhavya, provided they follow a few basic guidelines while interacting with the children. On any given day, one can observe at least 5 - 6 parents with their children at Bhavya.
6. We Emphasize Quality in Learning
By neither rushing the child nor cluttering her mind with excessive, irrelevant content, we are able to ensure quality and meaningfulness in everything that the child does.
We find that when they are not under any compulsion, they are intrinsically driven to do, to the best of their ability, whatever they might undertake. Hence, naturally, they are quite focused and involved.