BACKGROUND:
The
activities initiated by VSK during its formative years were as follows:
1. Introduction of
discovery –oriented approach in
science-teaching:
Curriculum of science and
teaching methodology at school
level were reviewed. Efforts were made to make it relevant to village life .
The existing pattern of book-based, non-interactive science teaching makes it alien to people’s lives , therefore it
has no real meaning for the society . Under this scheme of working the subject matter is divided into several small
learning segments and related simple experiments are designed to be performed
by the students. Experiments are planned to use mostly locally available
resources. Each experiment is carefully done; the students are asked to observe keenly and note down
results in their notebook. These results are then discussed with their
teacher for developing understanding
about that particular subject.
In fact basic aim of science learning for students is to explore and understand rather than
accumulate facts and figures in mind
all the year round to download at examinations. Such a learning should apply to entire educational
process i.e to all subjects of study
and learning-methodology should follow discovery-oriented approach i.e.
learning by doing.
One of the initial activity of
VSK was to introduce such learning process in some secondary schools of Banda
district. Teachers were duly trained,
administrators convinced and
students exposed. We started with
science curriculum but once students started enjoying this learning process
they demanded such exercise in other
similar subjects of study.
The process was initially supported by NCERT, Govt. of India.
2. Popularization of science and scientific methods amongst
masses:
Efforts were made also in
village-society to initiate process of
questioning the existing situation, lack of education, poverty, and social
evils in order to understand the underlying causes. In groups we discussed such
questions and also organized villagers’ and youths’ get together from time to
time.
Agriculture was reviewed and scientific methods were discussed
with farmers. Occasionally scientists from Kanpur and Allahabad participated in
these meetings in order to guide them towards relevant techniques.
Waste- utilization was one of
the important themes which gave us
opportunity of thinking of organic composts and the rice-husk based cements
(ASHMOH) a product developed by renowned metallurgist Prof. P.C.Kapur of IIT/ Kanpur.
An effort was made to initiate
an Agro-Industrial School at AAU village near Atarra town
in order to prepare students and the youth of the area towards
self-employment.
An important outcome of
such efforts was awareness-building amongst scheduled caste- landless communities of these villages and change in their
attitude and behaviour of other segment
of the society. Women’s uprising later
in these areas also had root in
our efforts of promoting comprehensive developmental process.
3. Socio-economic study of villages in
order to formulate strategy for
development:
An important activity in the
beginning of the work was undertaking a
base-line survey of the associated fifteen villages in two clusters. Purpose of this exercise was to understand the
existing socio-economic situation , health condition, educational status and the available resources and the potential
of the area. Outcome of this
survey gave VSK a preliminary line of working in the villages.
This exposure changed VSK’s
previous concept of working as
an institution . More emphasis was
then placed on building local
youth-organizations to work as
catalytic groups and promoting
and enabling rural development through people’s own efforts rather than
through externally acting forces.
4. Agro-industrial
education & training on the
processes based on locally
available resources and wastes etc.:
A plan was chalked out in
order to promote following activities in
future and all efforts were directed to seek assistance for taking
up such action-plan :
·
Training
in agriculture, agro-processing, bio-gas technology, machine-work and
maintenance, rice-husk based cements and cement-products, dairy and other traditional
trades,
·
Village-service
centers managed by landless youth for agriculture, input-supply, and
surplus-marketing,
·
Organising
small farmers and the landless community to struggle against their exploitation and start managing their own affairs through
self-reliant measures.
·
Respecting
locally existing human as well as
material/ natural resources and its
conservation and promoting cottage
industries and utilization of wastes etc.