Many Goans, especially from among the older generation, recollect the glories of the city of Coimbra in Portugal. During the pre-liberation days, many dreamt of pursuing their higher studies there. Others spent a few years at the university, weaving their future amidst intellectual curiosity, poetic outflow, romantic love, song and dance. Coimbra, the 'University City' was in the mind and heart of every Goan. The university embodied the spirit of the Portuguese fado-heartbreaking, poignant and nostalgic.
The Lyceum building (high court of Bombay at Goa today) on the banks of the River Mandovi brings back memories of Coimbra situated on the banks of the River Mondego. Coimbra was a university city that developed from the year 1290 onwards. The city is today full of students who stay at hostels or in pensoes at every corner.
Such educational culture is worth promoting. Goa evidently had a good share in its historical past. But even places that may not have such an opportunity are conceptualizing educational hubs for higher learning. Across India, at different corners, educational hubs are catering to highly specialized tastes.
Symbiosis International University at Lavale campus is capturing global attention for research . Situated in a village, it is fast developing into a hub. It is also known as a knowledge village. If one can be permitted to borrow the terminology, Goa could set up a 'Knowledge village' for elementary and secondary education. It could also look up alternative names based on its culture, literature etc.
The knowledge village could be set up at a centrally located village in Goa . The selected village has to capture within its radius, the beautiful landscape of Goa and its rich flora and fauna. The sprawling campus could be designed as per the concept and requirements of the institution.
One of the objectives of the knowledge village is to conduct some research on the status of elementary and secondary education. By collecting appropriate data, it can gauge the level of education imparted in schools. The exercise should be done not like a taskmaster trained to catch their victims on the wrong foot. Under the present scheme, it should be a cooperative exercise where all the parties put their heads together to come up with a solution.
The knowledge village has to be an institution to empower all schools in Goa, irrespective of other considerations. The aim should be to bring up every school without exerting pressure or tension, but in an enjoyable and creative way.
Sharing experiences is an important objective of such a knowledge village. It can experiment with teaching methodology, project work, student participation, group work and so on. The feedback could be freely made available to schools. An effort could be made to see that the results of experimentation reach the grassroots level, empowering schools in Goa.
There has to be some 'special' infrastructure in the knowledge village. For instance, laboratories for speech, science, botany etc. Some of this equipment could be moved to school premises. Those facilities that are available only on the spot could be shared with schools for a day or two under planned schemes.
The knowledge village has to have specialists in dramatics, fine arts, puppetry, poetry, which make teaching - learning interesting. Such faculty could be rotated under a faculty-lending scheme to different schools of Goa. Similarly, other specialized human resources could be made available to schools .
Also, the knowledge village itself could conduct summer courses, seminars, conferences etc for students and teachers. That will lead to an exchange of ideas between institutions.
Goa needs an archive for educational experimentation and innovation. Often, a humble primary teacher, sitting in a quite corner of the staff room has lot of innovation up his sleeve. His students benefit, but the treasure is lost, in a sense, in the long run. It is necessary to tap innovative methods used, creative projects done, plays and dramas staged. This is easily possible today with the evolution of cameras, computers and so on. The knowledge village could provide a forum, a collection point for this archival material. Sometimes, it is the students who make innovative designs, projects etc which also could be collected, archived and exhibited at the knowledge village.
A well-planned knowledge village, based on a scientific approach will surely strengthen elementary and secondary education in Goa. The village could also be linked to other institutions world wide. That will provide a much-needed breath of fresh air into our educational system.
The Lyceum building (high court of Bombay at Goa today) on the banks of the River Mandovi brings back memories of Coimbra situated on the banks of the River Mondego. Coimbra was a university city that developed from the year 1290 onwards. The city is today full of students who stay at hostels or in pensoes at every corner.
Such educational culture is worth promoting. Goa evidently had a good share in its historical past. But even places that may not have such an opportunity are conceptualizing educational hubs for higher learning. Across India, at different corners, educational hubs are catering to highly specialized tastes.
Symbiosis International University at Lavale campus is capturing global attention for research . Situated in a village, it is fast developing into a hub. It is also known as a knowledge village. If one can be permitted to borrow the terminology, Goa could set up a 'Knowledge village' for elementary and secondary education. It could also look up alternative names based on its culture, literature etc.
The knowledge village could be set up at a centrally located village in Goa . The selected village has to capture within its radius, the beautiful landscape of Goa and its rich flora and fauna. The sprawling campus could be designed as per the concept and requirements of the institution.
One of the objectives of the knowledge village is to conduct some research on the status of elementary and secondary education. By collecting appropriate data, it can gauge the level of education imparted in schools. The exercise should be done not like a taskmaster trained to catch their victims on the wrong foot. Under the present scheme, it should be a cooperative exercise where all the parties put their heads together to come up with a solution.
The knowledge village has to be an institution to empower all schools in Goa, irrespective of other considerations. The aim should be to bring up every school without exerting pressure or tension, but in an enjoyable and creative way.
Sharing experiences is an important objective of such a knowledge village. It can experiment with teaching methodology, project work, student participation, group work and so on. The feedback could be freely made available to schools. An effort could be made to see that the results of experimentation reach the grassroots level, empowering schools in Goa.
There has to be some 'special' infrastructure in the knowledge village. For instance, laboratories for speech, science, botany etc. Some of this equipment could be moved to school premises. Those facilities that are available only on the spot could be shared with schools for a day or two under planned schemes.
The knowledge village has to have specialists in dramatics, fine arts, puppetry, poetry, which make teaching - learning interesting. Such faculty could be rotated under a faculty-lending scheme to different schools of Goa. Similarly, other specialized human resources could be made available to schools .
Also, the knowledge village itself could conduct summer courses, seminars, conferences etc for students and teachers. That will lead to an exchange of ideas between institutions.
Goa needs an archive for educational experimentation and innovation. Often, a humble primary teacher, sitting in a quite corner of the staff room has lot of innovation up his sleeve. His students benefit, but the treasure is lost, in a sense, in the long run. It is necessary to tap innovative methods used, creative projects done, plays and dramas staged. This is easily possible today with the evolution of cameras, computers and so on. The knowledge village could provide a forum, a collection point for this archival material. Sometimes, it is the students who make innovative designs, projects etc which also could be collected, archived and exhibited at the knowledge village.
A well-planned knowledge village, based on a scientific approach will surely strengthen elementary and secondary education in Goa. The village could also be linked to other institutions world wide. That will provide a much-needed breath of fresh air into our educational system.
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