Most people curious about homeschooling often ask about post-school options. They seem to suggest that it can be considered ok to not send a child to school but then what after the schooling years? The funny part is that the same query holds true even for those who have gone to school. After school – What?
There are no readymade answers. But if one wishes to seek answers in a framework that does not assume or predict your dreams then there is a real faltu university which you may find interesting and inspiring. It is called the Swaraj University.
Swaraj University is not a typical university with huge buidlings, large gates, complicated logos, plethpora of degree options and senior professors. On the contrary, it is located in a farm and the alumni is never awarded a degree. And to strike the balance, the university also does not ask for any certificate or mark sheet to join in. All that one needs is the desire to explore and pursue a dream.
No degree is awarded for this two year programme because this is not a degree programme. It is a learning programme that focuses on self-designed learning. This self-directed learning process invites learners to identify their hearts’ visions and engages them in developing the skills, relationships and practices they need to manifest those visions. Be it green entrepreneurship or business basics or ecological sustainability or social justice… it is for the khoji (yes, this is what a ‘student’ is called at the university – खोजी – the explorer) to decide what he or she wants to explore and learn.
The university openly proclaims its pride in being totally unrecognized and un-deemed. They state that ‘we believe in creating portfolios based on one’s own experiences rather than degrees and certificates as a proof of one’s education.’ The university is also a part of the campaign, Healing Ourselves from the Diploma Disease, a national campaign to say NO to degrees and certificate and promote better evaluation frameworks that are based on experiences and portfolios.
Swaraj University was formed in 2010 with Nitin Paranjape, Reva Dandage, Manish Jain and Deborah Frieze as co-founders. The main office and physical campus are in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. The campus is based in Tapovan Ashram, a holistic, organic centre located in a beautiful and isolated valley 30 kilometres away from the city of Udaipur.
In the following YouTube link you can hear of one of the co-founders talk about the adventures of learning in a real faltu University.
If this idea excites you and you want to explore further, please visit http://www.swarajuniversity.org for more details.
An inspiring speech from Swaraj U’s Co-founder Ms.Reva Dange. I am going to take this mission forward. Your thought are mine too on the Education. I am a non-paper(degrees/Diploma) qualified person.
May the God of All (human) Bless you all
CONGRATULATIONS,Ms.Reva Dange! An excellent exposition of your ideas, that which have led you to act and so to createa path-breaking learning set-up ( i would not call it “faltu” in any way)! The ideas you have expounded are ,indeed, mind-boggling for me just now(of course, i want to learn more about this)— you most certainly don’t sound like someone who failed the Class XII board exams in our country! This is what “whole-being learning” is all about, I guess. If education is “enabling the head to think, the heart to feel, the body to act”,then learning is “enabling the head to feel, the heart to think, the body to be”— how do we find the BALANCE between these two? I would like to visit the Swaraj Univ and also to hear from you. Thank you.
Really a innovative concept of education to freedom of choice, not to fail and win but think and rethink,feel and re feel and also do and re do for excellence of self.
REALLY VERY INNOVATIVE IDEA. THE IDEA OF LEARNING AND UNLEARNING WHAT WE LEARNT IS TRUE AT TIMES IN OUR LIVES .
Oh, what a wonderful article! I did not know such a thing existed! Really, in today’s day and age, people are ready to spend 4 years or 6 years to get a degree, whereas the time wasted there could be put to great use by this kind of a self exploration course!
Thank you so much Navin for this article.