Work and Wisdom

of
Vernacular Educators
from India

4
Jane Sahi

Taleemnet Goa, India.

Email: [email protected]
Website: www.multiworld.org

Supported by: UNESCO

(Under the Search/Research Programme in Education)
India 2004-2005

Jane Sahi
Sita School Vishram,
Silvepura, Turbanahalli P.O.
Bangalore 560 090

Interview and Visit: Yashodara Kundaji

Photographs: Yashodara Kundaji
January 16 - 21, 2005 Silvepura, Bangalore, India

Report prepared by: Taleemnet, Goa, India. (www.multiworld.org)

About Sita School

Sita School is a daytime, alternative school, about

The school functions five days a week, Monday

28 kms to the north of Bangalore, started in 1975

to Friday. Older children are in school from 8.30

by Jane Sahi.

a.m. until 6 p.m. and younger children from 8.30

Forty children, mainly first generation school

a.m. until 3 p.m. The school provides a breakfast

learners, aged between four and 15 years, come to

drink of ragi ganji (millet porridge) and a simple

the school from the surrounding villages. The me-

lunch is served consisting of the customary ragi

dium of instruction is Kannada and the children learn

mudde (small millet balls) with tarkari saaru (veg-

English and Hindi as additional languages. The

etable stew).

majority of the children take the Karnataka State

The children come from the neighbouring four

Boards seventh standard examination in the

villages of Silvepura, Fatimapura, Thimalapura and

Kannada medium as private candidates as and when

Hurulichikanahalli. They are largely from the socially

they are prepared for it. So far all the children have

and economically underprivileged sections of the

successfully qualified. At present one student is even

Dalit community who converted to Christianity. Chil-

preparing for the tenth standard examination of the

dren belonging to Hindu and Muslim communities,

National Open School, New Delhi, in the English

children of migrant workers, children of uprooted

medium. Although the school does not have formal

and unstable families all study at Sita School. It is a

recognition from the educational authorities, a

place where children who, for socio economic or

number of its ex-students have become teachers,

other reasons, have dropped out of regular school

gone in for art training, nursing, joined the semi-

or have not found a place in the educational main-

nary, undertaken vocational training and have

stream but still wish to get themselves an education.

worked their way towards acquiring college degrees.

The daily schedule is as follows:

Sita School began in 1975 with four children in

8.15 a.m.

the 46 years age group, in the home of one of the

day begins with cleaning

duties

teachers. A year later, a room was constructed to

9.00 a.m.

keep books and materials. In 1985, one third of an

silence/meditation/play
for the juniors.

acre was donated to the school and a low cost school

building was constructed. The initial years were rather
difficult as there was no electricity and water was in

9.15 a.m.

assembly and prayer

9.45 11.15 a.m.

first session

11.15 11.30 a.m.

porridge break

11.30 1.00 p.m.

second session

1.00 2.00 p.m.

lunch break

2.15 4.30 p.m.

last session

5.00 6.00 p.m.

silent study

short supply. In 1987, an adjoining acre of land was

gifted to the school. This has been developed as a
garden with fruit and flowering trees. An existing
building closeby, also donated to the school, is used
as a work space for teachers and for housing the
library, learning materials, etc.
3

Sita School is structured in a way that children

can enter at any level and are encouraged to learn
at their own pace without pressure of exams or fear
of failure and disapproval. Literacy is only one aspect of education. Learning that fosters solely the
growth of the intellect is often fundamentally disconnected with life and therefore, oppressive to children who are full of feeling, sensitivity, eager to learn
and wanting a direct experience with life in all its
entirety.

What do we see around us? Learning nature words with

Jane Sahi

Says Jane: At Sita School we try to create an environment which stimulates the child not just intel-

within the family. Instead children are overloaded

lectually, but also emotionally, creatively and socially.

with intellectual work where the connection with life

We try to draw on the feeling and imagination of the

has been severed and thus education becomes mere

child in a broad non-sectarian and spiritual sense.

drudgery. Children are thus deprived of the enjoy-

We try to cultivate a sense of wonder, an apprecia-

ment and pride of doing at least one thing well. This

tion of the beautiful and the healthy. At the same

brings about a sense of failure, inferiority, boredom,

time, we actively cultivate cooperation, sharing and

passivity and dependency. Thus, cleaning and car-

respect for the other and towards nature and mate-

ing for the school premises, arranging books and

rial things, to foster a just and balanced way of life.

material, serving lunch, gardening etc. are tasks woThe school affords opportunities for many types

ven into the fabric of daily routine and done by adults

of learning. In addition to language study, practical

and children alike with a sense of duty and enthusi-

math, social studies and science, children learn clay

asm.

work, tailoring, needlework, printing, first aid, food,

The school children are grouped into five groups

health and home remedies, kitchen gardening. Thea-

on the basis of abilities. There are four full-time teach-

tre, art and craft lessons bring creativity into their

ers, a part-time needlework teacher, a cook and a

learning experience.

gardener. Jane Sahi, the founder teacher, is the heart

and soul of the school. She teaches English, fills in
for other subject-teachers whenever required and
coordinates all the activities of the school.
The teachers and the children have over the years
put together a wide variety of teaching aids and activity material for use in the classroom. Games, newspaper and magazine cuttings, a wide selection of
textbooks, childrens pictures, greeting cards, a small
but well stocked library, simple science equipment
are all used effectively in the class. Apart from this

The week- long 'Water Project' findings written and illustrated

there are flashcards, reading cards, work cards,

charts and pictures all painstakingly made and il-

Children spend as much time writing as they do

lustrated by hand. This enables the teachers to be

in conversations, listening and telling stories, sing-

flexible in handling the mixed-age, multifaceted class

ing, craftwork, cleaning, cooking, gardening and

effectively so that each child is given activity mate-

prayer. Work and play are balanced in the course of

rial appropriate to his/her level.

the day. Traditionally, learning, working and living

Teaching at Sita School is largely clustered around

were bound together and the child was very much a

themes (also known as the project method). Chil-

part of an adult persons life. Today after the child is

dren are encouraged to plan, explore, experiment

detached from adult struggles and concerns, it does

and evaluate topics in a variety of ways that cut across

not even contribute to productive and necessary work

traditional subject boundaries. Classes are highly in4

The Teachers
The school is fortunate that it has a core
group of very unassuming, hard working
and energetic teachers, who have thoroughly
imbibed the spirit of the school and give
shape to the ideals of the school.

to her hometown, Sirsi, to get married and

raise a family. Within four years she returned
to Sita School with her three and a half year
old daughter and husband in tow, and now
the family lives on campus. Her husband
commutes daily to Bangalore for work while
Sarojini teaches Social Studies. Medini, her
little daughter is part of the youngest group,
Karuna, in the school. We learnt about
freedom, to be free from tradition and rigid
ways, to teach without textbooks, to grow
simply by oneselfthis is what I value about
Sita School.

There are no formal staff meetings. As and

when a need or problem arises, a meeting is
arranged. Spontaneous sharing of class
experiences, what to teach and how to plan
work happens during the ragi break or at
lunch. Jane and the teachers share a very
close personal relationship that overflows
the boundaries of their school work.

Kamalamma, who presently teaches math

Divya Jyoti joined Sita School in 1980 as a
and science, joined in 1995. She lives on the
full time teacher. Earlier, she pursued a
campus with her husband and daughter.
crche nurse-training course in Bangalore.
We take individual
She feels she has
care of each child,
learnt the most, more
and
there
is
than all the children.
absolutely
no
Jane is my backbone,
violence. Jane too
my adhara sthambha
does not impose any
who showed me that
views or methods on
I had the ability to do
us, we freely express
and teach things I felt
and share thoughts
I was not able to do
and doubts and help
before. Initially when
each other out.
I came, I knew and
Sarojini, Divya and Jane
taught only Kannada.
Rebecca is Sita
Now I confidently teach Hindi, Social Schools gift to itself. When she was six years
Studies, even Math. She awakened in me the old Rebecca joined the fourth batch of
capacity to write stories and songs too! I wish children at Sita School. After spending five
we had been exposed to such educational years, she left to complete her studies and
opportunities in our school days we would returned to teach at the school. Rebecca now
have excelled and gone a long way in our steers the youngest group through all school
lives. Divyas daughter Supriya studied in subjects and activities with utmost patience
Sita School, did the National Open School and confidence. She remembers the
exam and is now undergoing training in difficulties of the initial years in school,
Odissi dance at Nityagram, a performing bringing water from far awayno power,
arts gurukula founded by the late Protima no TVs and VCRs in the village. But she feels
Bedi, the renowned danseuse and also there was more strength and substance in
studying a degree course.
the children and their lives in her childhood.
Now, nobody cares for each other, people are
Sarojini came to the school in 1989, taught
obsessed with money and hanker after the
at Sita School for nine years, then went back
falsehoods shown on TV.
5

teractive and activity based. Topics include: Our

and placed on a rangoli (decorative art work on the

Homes, Our Clothes, Our Village, Buildings Around

floor) made of fresh leaves and flowers. Songs are

Us, the Agricultural Cycle, the Town, Sight, Air, Earth,

sung from all traditions Sanskrit chants, Christian

Ancient India, Man and Animals and so on. A theme

prayers, Hindu bhajans. Festivals are very basic to

is usually explored for between one to three months.

Sita School life: Childrens Day, end of term, Ganesh

Chaturthi,

Some of the topics explored during a particular

Christmas, etc., are all celebrated with

equal enthusiasm.

year are reflected in the colourfully illustrated screenprinted calendars made by the children each year.

In the initial years of the school it was felt that the

In 1979, when the unit was first set up, around 400

values of the family and community should be

calendars were printed and sold. In 2003 the school

strengthened. The spirit of sharing and accepting

responsibility within the family was highlighted as a
value to be preserved. Despite ongoing rifts and divisions between different families, there was a feeling of overall unity in the village. This was consciously
stressed and valued in the classroom.
The syllabus which has evolved over the years
has been built on the childs own experience and
knowledge of the immediate environment and the
community. This gives a sense of relevance to their
learning. In school, children are given the space to
bring what they already know into the classroom so
as to bridge the world outside the school with the
world inside, thereby joining experience and reflection.
Cooperation, sharing and respect for the other is
consciously fostered. There are many opportunities
where responsibilities can be shared in small groups
like making wall charts, murals, even their own
books. Children in the course of the year make books
on a variety of subjects and illustrate them for the
use of younger children. Each child takes the trouble to write neatly and illustrate the book profusely
because they know it will be shared and used. They

Pattern writing activity with Karuna Children

also make books, reading cards and dolls for each

other.

supplied 1300 calendars to two firms in Bangalore.

Older children help the younger ones with class

However on an average, the school makes around

work and children of different abilities and ages work

500 calendars every year. The sale of the calendars

together in groups. There are five multi-level groups

is a source of income for the school.

at present: Karuna (4-8 year olds), Sadhana (8-12

Some calendar themes have been: Games in the

year olds), Vasantha (12-14 year olds), Sangeetha

Village, Festivals, My Mother, Trees, Birds, Excursions,

(13-14 year olds) and Gulabi (children appearing

The Story of Buddha, People of India, Energy Sources,

for the Karnataka State Seventh Standard Board ex-

Water, Jataka Stories, Chipko Movement, Seasons

ams).

and Flowers.

A mixed age group has the advantage of an in-

While the school is not sectarian, different reli-

formal atmosphere where the teaching and learn-

gions and festivals do play a major role to give

ing is among children themselves. In the absence of

rhythm and joy to the school year. Morning assem-

rigid standards, rewards and punishment, each child

bly begins with lighting a lamp that has been cleaned

has a chance to establish his/her own pace of growth,

About Jane Sahi

Jane was born in 1949 into a Quaker family
in England. She went to a Quaker residential
school. Her father taught the philosophy of
education and through him she was exposed
to alternative ways of education, particularly
the ideas of Rudolph Steiner and A.S. Neil.

integration with all that is natural and

elemental.
In addition, Jane has been influenced by the
Free School Movement in the West which has
stressed the necessity of the individuals
development in an environment free from
the pressure of adult artificial expectations.

She came to India in 1968 in search of a

deeper understanding of Gandhijis life and
values. She met a number of individuals
who helped shape her perspective and
ideals. She mentions
Marjorie Sykes and the
Quaker Centre at
Rasulia, Radhakrishna
Menon, Banwarilal
Choudhary, Laurie
Baker amongst
innumerable others
whom she continues to
draw inspiration from.

She has been considerably influenced by

Rudolph Steiner, and of late has discovered
Martin Bueber, the Jewish existentialist
thinker who she feels
has finally provided her
with a philosophical
framework for her
thinking.

The informal network

of alternative schools
that has been meeting in
different places in India
once a year for the last
In 1970 she married
twelve years has given
Jyoti Sahi. Soon after,
her a space to reflect.
they
moved
to
Sharing her experiences
Jane Sahi
Bangalore and settled
and doubts with this
down near Silvepura
wide variety of people in search of a similar
where she now lives with her husband and
quest she says has sustained her through all
her large family of five children (and two
her trials. She hopes that as individuals and
grandchildren).
groups we can together address the question
Gandhiji continues to be to a strong source of oppression of children both within the
of inspiration, in particular, his vision and school and outside.
theory of basic education which is rooted
She is constantly energized by ideas people
in the soil both literally and figuratively.
bring when they come as chance visitors or
Gandhiji insisted on the dignity of labour
volunteers. Even the places she visits leave
and on work being an integral part and
her with new thoughts and connections to
means of intellectual growth.
mull over. Jane particularly mentions how
Tagore also had a profound influence on deep the impression a visit to the
Jane. Tagore rejected the artificiality and permaculture farm at Pastapur made on her.
barrenness of English oriented bookish She saw close parallels between agriculture
education that seeks only to train the mind and education and subsequently wrote
and that too, only by suppressing ones about it in an article on sustainable
creativity. At Shantiniketan, Tagore education. All her writing, Jane claims, is the
established a school that stimulated a vision result of reflection and outpourings after
of beauty in material things and an vigorous discussions at meetings.

in an atmosphere free of competitiveness and, at

standardized and thus effectively paralysing crea-

the same time, be aware of each others needs.

tivity and spontaneity.

Jane suggests that it is difficult to prescribe a de-

Yet, it is the teachers responsibility to prepare

finitive method or a set of methods for alternative

children for freedom, to equip the child with tools

education. If education is to be vital and meaningful

that enable him or her to accept responsibility and

it has to be organic, and open to change. The basis

maturity in its fullness.

is not so much a prescribed method but a relation-

Art is not an additional activity limited to the weekly

ship, where individuals can constantly respond to

drawing class, but is the basis, the underlying means

themselves, to others and to their environment. Each

of expression of all learning especially at the pri-

child is so specific and unique that we have to evolve

mary level. Nearly all the children at Sita School

ways to deal with each one of them.

draws profusely and spontaneously and without in-

There is much talk today of child-centric educa-

hibition. The school walls are decorated with chil-

tion in opposition to teacher-centric education. What

drens work in a riot of colours and their yearly cal-

is needed is the space between these two ap-

endars are much sought after for their colour, har-

proaches. The child must be taken beyond what he

mony and forthright expression.

knows in order to learn things that his immediate

Jane believes that a child can sometimes visually

senses and observation cannot tell him because he

express something that would otherwise on a verbal

lacks the necessary tools and experience. The teacher

level, remain suppressed. Through painting and

through making learning more concrete and practi-

drawing pictures the child can give form to inner

cal, and by showing the connections to the known

feelings and sometimes can help depict a very sig-

and familiar is able to integrate the old with the new,

nificant, but negative experience. Art itself can then

the known with the unknown.

become part of a healing process by helping to ex-

Jane stresses the centrality of the living relationship between the child and the teacher.

press, make conscious, and come to terms with the

Children

negative or difficult experience. An observant and

are encouraged to think and work on their own but

perceptive teacher often can, by looking at a childs

this does not reduce the teacher to the role of an

drawing and pictures, become aware of his/her

observer leaving the child to deal with the imper-

growth, problems and needs.

sonal written word and self study.

Seeing that a child has a natural expression and

There is a delicate balance between freedom and

pattern of discovery, Jane says that we must realize

authority in the classroom. It is difficult as a teacher

how harmful adult interference can be. It is not pos-

to respond to each child as a person with a unique

sible to accelerate the process of a childs expres-

potential, an inner freedom, a special history and

sion by showing how the human person is to be

an unknown future. A gardener has to recognize the

drawn, or insisting on the right colour or the correct

qualities of a plant he cannot mould the delicate

proportion. Interference creates dependency and

white jasmine to the flaming extravagant orange of

destroys the childs confidence in his own particular

the gulmohur. A teacher is faced with the danger of

flow of expression.

feeling in control, imagining that growth can be

Jane quotes the Stuttgart Steiner School principle: Art and religion are so basic, they are part of
every activity in the school. The adult, however, has
a role in creating an atmosphere that is supportive
and not dominating, but one that stimulates the child
to draw on personal experiences that are meaningful. Art is often considered an exclusively individual
activity. Jane reminds us that traditionally it was very
much a community affair. For example, a simple
activity such as bringing out the school newspaper
with poems, pictures, description of events in the vil-

Chanting and Prayers

8

lage, school news, suggestions for improvement,

Sita School is not without its share of problems.

provides an opportunity to share and explore feel-

The city of Bangalore has reached the doorsteps

ings and thoughts on subjects that touch childrens

of the school. The villages have undergone profound

lives.

socioeconomic changes in the last 25 years. Villages,

Every Monday the younger children spend the

far from being largely agricultural rural communi-

morning writing a weekly diary that covers signifi-

ties, have become a base from which unskilled la-

cant events experienced during the previous week.

bourers commute to nearby industrial estates. Mo-

Writing is combined with drawing colourful pictures.

bility is high, as people have sold their lands to city

Some events that the Sadhana Group wrote about

speculators and lost their single sense of security.

in their weekly diary were: two drunkards beating

Urbanization has brought amenities and conven-

one another, a special puja (worship) in the temple,

iences, TV and mass media into homes. This arouses

taking akka (a respectful address for female elders)

expectations without providing people the means to

to hospital, catching rats to make saaru (curry), play-

fulfill those dreams and expectations.

ing marbles on Sunday, winnowing ragi with the fam-

So, there is constant economic pressure on the

ily.

children to contribute to the family income. Older

Jane believes that poetry, drama, stories, pup-

children tend to leave school to care for animals,

petry, painting, making models involve children in

siblings, or take up work as domestic servants. The

understanding a subject in a way that abstract learn-

dropout rate is very high and in the last few years,

ing cannot. If children participate actively in draw-

probably due to higher job mobility, entire families

ing, painting, drama or craft as a part of their learn-

are leaving the village to take up work in unknown,

ing, whether it is number work, a lesson about the

far away places.

plough or examining our cultural roots, the children

Divya, one of the teachers says: Initially, my ex-

are more likely to integrate and retain the knowl-

pectations from the children were very high the

edge if it is imparted in an imaginative way.

first batches of children were remarkable all-round-

The school works on a very modest budget. The

ers, excelling in everything they did. I expected this

parents of the pupils contribute a small amount of

trend to continue. But now I am more realistic. These

Rs.10 per month towards the costs of running the

days, children are disinterested; perhaps it is be-

school. There is a conscious effort to minimize needs

cause they are getting mixed signals. Their parents

and to use less expensive materials in keeping with

are not motivated, they dont take interest in their

an attitude of using the earths finite resources with

children or what the school does, and perhaps they

care. Salaries and running expenses are met by per-

are distracted due to the lure of the city, TV and in-

sonal donations and individual grants from friends

creasing social mobility.

and well-wishers. Whenever required, funds have

To the question: How far is Sita School integrated

been raised for building and repair work. For the

into the life of the community? Jane candidly replies

past three years the school has been partly funded

that the impact of the school on the life of the com-

by a Buddhist organization based in Pune. The school

munity has not been as great as it ought to have

also receives a steady stream of volunteers from In-

been and while the school has definitely affected

dia and abroad who stay for periods ranging from

individual lives and some families it has not directly

one month to a year and unstintingly give of their

been an effective agent of change and progress in

time and labour.

the village as a whole. But this is also because the

In 1981, Sita School joined hands with two other

preoccupation with daily tasks and the practicalities

schools serving underprivileged children to form a

of teaching leave little time for either her or the teach-

new group: The Society for Educational Exploration

ers to engage in these wider concerns at this mo-

(SEE). Though ideals are common, SEE is a purely

ment.

functional body and the individual schools function

In response to the question: What are we prepar-

as autonomous entities each making its own policy

ing children for? Jane says: In this rapidly changing

and taking other decisions within the school itself.

society I still see that our primary objective is to im-

part values and ideas that enable a person to live

Bibliography

fully

List of work published and unpublished:

and

m e a n i n g f u l l y.

Quoting

from

E . F.

Schumachers book, Small is Beautiful, she says, Our

1. Viability of Small Schools 1985

task and the task of education is to understand

2. Creative Education 1987

the present world and the world in which we live

3. The Place of Art in Education 1987

and make our choices.

4. Symbols of Peace: a teachers manual Jane and Jyoti

Jane believes that her effort is neither pioneering

Sahi India Peace Centre, 1991

nor a path breaking one. There is nothing new about

5. Sustainable Education 1995

the vision of the school, nor is there any effort in any

6. The Relevance of Gandhis Ideas On Basic Education,

way to impose a vision either on the children or

Visthaar, 1996

the adults in the school, she asserts. Whatever the

7. Treasure House of Stories 1997

school has achieved uptil now is the result of team-

8. Creativity and Spirituality 1997

work, a mutual sharing of hard work, ideas, abili-

9. Education and Peace 1998, Akshar Mudra, 2000

ties and talents. She is grateful that she has a sensi-

10.Work, Play, Discipline 2001

tive and reliable team of colleagues and is deeply

11.The Promises of Schooling: Dreams and Reality 2002

indebted to them.

12.Child Centred Education 2002

In her reflections on sustainable education, Jane

13.Words and Stillness 2003

writes: We simply foster values such as sharing, co-

14.Creativity in School 2003

operation, diversity, self-reliance, being conscious

15.Education as Dialogue Martin Bueber 2003 (Publ.

of our interdependence with the whole of existence

2005 Educational Dialogue)

all traditional values, and our common heritage of

16.Culture: In and Out of School, Educare 2004

human wisdom. However, while it is no longer fea-

17. Everyday English Book I Pragat Shikshan Shantar

sible to imitate traditional patterns, for the context

(2005).

has changed, it is our present challenge to arrange

18. Art and Education Handbook NIAS (to be published

what was always there in a different way.

2006).

For Jane, school is a preparation for life. Joy,

wonder, reverence, sensitivity, creativity, caring for
the weak are qualities not usually found within the
hard covers of the textbook. They are conveyed not
so much by what we teach, as how we teach, the
atmosphere of a school and the lived values of the
teachers.

10