Saraswati Vidya Niketan
(An initiative to provide an opportunity to the children hailing from rural tribes of North East India)
Location: Diphu, Karbi Anglong
The beginning.
Saraswati Vidya Niketan was founded in the year of 2011 as an adult educational program where we educated, did several workshops and seminars for the local village youth who were previously working in nearby towns and cities as a labourers. Most of them were suffering from alcohol abuse, addiction to gambling, etc, which severely affected their economy, ecology and cultural roots.
The program initially started as a training initiative on organic farming in the land provided by the village head Mr. Kharsing Terong. During this program, the youths were given training on various types of agriculture practices such as cultivation of varieties of rice, sesame, sugarcane, corn, and various seasonal vegetables and fruits. The result was very encouraging. The youths saw a ray of hope and expressed intent to return to their lands and practice organic agriculture instead of slogging in cities as labours. Eventually, a few early bird enthusiasts took it up to practice and proved to be an example to others. The educational program continued to give them all encouragement and technical support in this regard.
During this phase, few bamboo houses were also constructed using locally available materials. With the help of donors, purchases of cows were also facilitated for families in the village. Such families were also trained in cow care and in use of various products such as cow dung, cow urine, etc for agricultural purposes. Apart from agricultural use, education about the importance of nutrition through indigenous cow milk and milk products were imparted.
With pursuance of this program for the next two years resulted in what we saw as a positive impact on the quality of life among youths in the village. The alcohol addiction, gambling menace among many such other social evils significantly came down and many giving it up completely. Rather, youths slowly got involved in a positive dialogue for various developmental works in the village.
Soon it was felt that there was a need for a school for small children. With continued support from our well wishers, we constructed a structure made of bamboo that house a couple of classrooms for children.
Photo: Saraswati Vidya Niketan bamboo primary buildings. Courtesy: ManuPrakash
The concept behind the school is to educate the budding inhabitants of the tribal villages in and around. The education is to build the right character, cleanliness, and training for self-sufficiency in food, shelter, clothing and healthcare. The training includes not only classroom based education but out practically with Mother Nature for various activities.
About the school:
Saraswati Vidya Niketan (SVN) is currently run as a model school. It is open for both day scholars as well as for those staying in the campus as boarding students. Students are enrolled in the junior and senior grades. SVN is a private entity run with the assistant and support of ‘Centre for Traditional Education’.
The Vedic curriculum imparted as per the need and inclination of the individual student focuses on value education, scientific upliftment of consciousness, intellectual growth, 64 traditional arts, sportsmanship, and community service.
Our Culture:
Education is a life-long process. This life-long quest for the Absolute truth is envisioned to be laid as a strong foundation in the school. Therefore goal of the school is to inculcate in the students a love for enquiry, practice, learning and a desire to become expert to serve the Absolute truth. The school also aims at equipping the students with the spiritual, intellectual and practical skills that are necessary to meet the challenges in the future. The value education at the school aims to promote confidence, direction and critical thinking that leads to the development of well-adjusted, adaptable and integrated personalities. In other words, Saraswati Vidya Niketan offers comprehensive and holistic education.
The School is especially committed to the under privileged segments of the population, such as gifted applicants whose parents could not attend school, and children with high potential facing difficult financial circumstances. This contributes to a strong sense of community life, so characteristic of the school. In other words, children belonging to every strata of society are given the opportunity to study here. The school does not in any way, discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex, caste or creed, in the implementation of its admission policy.
The Curriculum:
At present in current academic year the School has students enrolled from grade 1 to grade 5.
Subjects Offered:
| Subject | Description | Remark |
| Language | English & Hindi – Compulsory (Subject Option 1); Elective- Sanskrit | |
| General science | Excellent academic and practical education on Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, Physics etc | |
| Social science | History (ancient & modern) Geography, sociology, economics political science with special focus on development and challenges of Tribal people of North east, | |
| Environmental science | With emphasis on natural resources with proper management and protection, understanding of renewable & un-renewable energy resources. | |
| Sustainable development | Ecology & sustainable development through holistic agricultural practice. | |
| ITC | Computer & Information Technology |
Professional development
Students also imparted a professional development program along with their academic program. This is to encourage that the students become financially less dependent upon their parents after completion of their academic program. Various local crafts, agricultural practices, cow protection, handloom and handicraft are introduced with scientific, modern and economical values along with marketing and business development skills. This encourages entrepreneurship in students. To further this support, we are also tying up with various entrepreneur development institutes.
School calendar
School starts new admission in the month of December 25 to January 15, of every year.
Evaluation
At SVN, we consider that either written examination or oral examination is a very narrow minded methodology to evaluate a student. Therefore, a unique evaluation is carried out wherein the teacher provides a case study, a scenario and a task to complete. The student is then observed for grasp and application of various subjects taught. An evaluation is drawn holistically to encourage the students to further their study and learning in the proper application of the subjects.
For certification purposes, the modern examination method is necessary for certain subjects. Hence, the students are also trained to successfully appear for the modern examinations.
About the Diphu centre
The school is getting established in hills of Terong village by the kind donation and support of local village head and community members. There are no schools within eight kilometres from the village. Students had to hitchhike three hills to get to a government run school. This resulted in increased school dropouts as well as prolonged leaves in case of agricultural seasons or during ill health of a student.
At this juncture, SVN endeavour has brought a ray of hope in the people of the village. Moreover, since SVN operated with the a model of Nai Talim system, the students help the parents in their fields and also learn things practically.
About Centre for Traditional Education
Centre for Traditional Education is a non-profitable & non-governmental organization dedicated to the field of traditional education. CTE is registered trust in the state of Mysore (Karnataka) primarily operating in states of Kerala, Karnataka and in Assam. We are having a team of inspired individuals working with the aim of supporting and reviving traditional educational. We believe that traditional education concepts, curriculum and methodology have a solution to the quagmire of complexities that is exists in the society today due to lack of value education. Research, networking, organizing parents and establishing model traditional education centres are our core areas.
In support to this aim, we also intend to do the following:
- To document the knowledge, techniques and methodology related to the traditional education from create a Meta data.
- To widely network with the existing traditional schools and likeminded organisations to create a resource book and update the same.
- To research manuscripts, translate in different languages and publish them in order to re-establish the lost curriculum and methodology of traditional education.
- To conduct workshops, seminars and conferences’ to advance the cause of the Traditional education.
- To promote and facilitate cow protection as an essential and integral part of traditional education.
- To popularize Sanskrit as the most scientific language and as an important medium of instruction.
Support the School
In order to carry out this noble cause we need your support in form of kind and kind.
- Adopting a child for one year– Adopting one child for his entire education which includes academic fees, books and stationary, cloth, and food and educational tours.
| Sl No. | Donation | Description | For One Month | For one Year |
| 1. | Academic fees | includes admission, monthly, educational tour, fooding and boarding) | 9000.00 INR | |
| 2. | Books and stationary | As per NCERT standards text book cost and Note books, pen & pencils, geometry items other lab materials, | 800.00 INR | |
| 3. | Students cloth | Three pairs of cloth in a year | 1200.00 | |
| Total | 11,000.00 INR | |||
- School infrastructure development
The present building is having a six rooms and serving as in day as class room and in night hostel. In order to provide proper facility we are in a need of separate hostel facilities and also an guest house for visiting guests, scholars, researchers to provide them good support and stay during all seasons.
| Sl. No. | Description | Amount | Amount |
| 1. | Hostel with six rooms veranda | One room cost 10,000.00 | Six room cost 60,000.00 |
| 2. | Guest house three rooms with veranda | One room cost 10,000.00 | Six room cost 60,000.00 |
| 3. | Construction of student toilets- Sanitation and water facility | Three for boys and three for girls cost 10,000.00 |
- School library development
A good library is required at SVN to help students, teachers, visiting scholars and guest to learn, teach and update.
| Sl. No. | Name | Description | Amount in INR |
| 1. | Donation for books | 5000 books on various subject | |
| 2. | Study table | 10 study table and chairs for students | |
| 3. | Bookshelves | 10 bookshelves to protect books |
*Also donation of Books can be made on various subjects for school library.
- Various other important funds
| Sl. No. | Fund name | Description | Amount in INR |
| 1. | Laboratory fund | For experimenting and testing purposes | 20,000.00 |
| 2. | School land fund | For development of school campus | 5,00,000.00 |
| 3. | School administrative & academic development fund | For various administrative and academic purpose | 1,00,000.00 |
| 4. | School kitchen garden and nursery development | For all varieties so seasonal vegerables and flower for practical demonstration to childrens | 50,000.00 |
Volunteer opportunity
Soon we are opening for various teaching, internship and research opportunity on various subject related to tribal development, sustainable practice, forest protection, botanical and herbal garden etc, tour assistant/guide
All donations can be made to
Current A/c: MPS Educational Trust
A/c No- 56720200000101
IFSC- BARB0ZOOTIN
(Note- FIfth letter is numeric zero)
Bank of Baroda, Zoo road Branch, Guwahati (Assam)
In case of further queries on donations, please write to us at- mpseducationaltrust@gmail.com
*All donations are eligible for 50 % tax benefit under sec. 80G of the income Tax act.
Posted 29th April 2015 by Anonymous