And also, when we know that now there is a need for Integral Education and on the other hand, we see the conventional schooling way, which is not plastic and open to change, then how will change come in this system and how will there be an opening for accepting Integral Education?
Integral Education implies two main ideas. First and foremost that the Education, to be complete must include the development of all the different parts of the being. This is not so difficult to implement if there is a will to make it essential. It will benefit the students greatly and there should be no great difficulty in implementing it in at least some modified way.
The second part is the idea of free progress, a progress guided by one’s own soul, letting a child grow at his own unique pace along his own intrinsic lines. This is difficult in schools run according to a standard package.
The solution, in my view is not modifying the existing schools which, as you rightly say, have their own agenda and goals. Even if they accept the ideal, they would only pay lip service to it because their very goal is different.
The way forward is to allow a parallel schooling system for those who are keen to develop the Integral model and see their children grow along these lines. The only thing then required from the government would be to recognise these parallel or alternate systems and whatever informal degree they may provide. Something of this kind of experiment is already happening in the open school systems. Once the different possibilities are provided, then the citizens make their own informed choices.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
