What if the school was a dreamboat instead of a rigid disciplinarian camp? Prabhakar Sastry Nandula’s his school was a dreamboat rather than a rigid disciplinarian camp.
What if you were allowed to select excursions and nature walks to write your term exams? What if your teachers decided that exams were not for students but were ways to assess their teaching progress? What if the school was not just about sitting and learning but gave you the freedom to hold skits, set up school shops, and grow green gardens? He made it all possible.
It is the story of a man who dreamed of a school that taught more than rudimentary information. It is the story of a man who founded a school where children could explore life while they learn and live with empathy as they grow.
He worked at Jiddu Krishnamurthy’s Rishi Valley School and was influenced by UG Krishnamurthy’s school of thought.
Prabhakar Sastry Nandula – His story
Prabhakar Sastry Nandula is the Headmaster of Giddalur’s Archana school, the teacher who was loved by all.
The cocoons that taught life lessons:
A student once came to me talking about Sericulture farming. He learned quite a bit about it from a farm nearby. He was keen to start a small budget experiment at the school. His infectious enthusiasm got me, and I made a plan.
The students set up the whole set-up for silkworm rearing in a quiet corner of our library. The students took care of everything from budgeting to feeding. These eggs had visitors from students of all classes every day. There was an intangible excitement surrounding the whole thing. Soon, the eggs grew into cocoons.
Students came up to me, saying it was time for the harvest.
I asked them: “So how do we harvest these cocoons?”
Students: “We will soak the Cocoons in boiling water to kill the pupae. We can then take the silk threads from the cocoon.” The idea sounded too violent for me, so I shared my concerns and asked them to let the pupae hatch. They agreed.
It became a live science event, a valuable learning experience, and a treasure of memories for everyone on campus.
Shining in their way:
The students used to be involved in several projects like this. They grew several plants in the flowering pots. They ran a school store at a point in time. Goodies were either prepared at home under their parent’s guidance or bought from sellers under the guidance of a teacher. He used to oversee the financial management too. The students in charge of the store used to gather and decide how to spend their profits.
Sometimes they bought new flowering pots for the garden. Sometimes they chose a charity of their liking. But whatever they did, they lived and learned.
When students’ creativity and initiative are encouraged, you’ll be surprised at what they can do! There is a lot to these organic, free-flowing ways of learning that the constricting school systems lack.
One of my students once brought a love letter she received from one of her classmates. I carried a reputation of dealing with such situations gravely. I asked her how she’d like to deal with the situation. She called for the boy and, very kindly, advised him to improve his grammar.
As if it was a cosmic joke, she ended up as his Project Lead years later. The empathy, psychological composure, and emotional intelligence with which she dealt with the situation surprised me!
I believe these are perks of the natural ways of learning. At Archana, learning and playing are not separate. Students learn outside the class as much as they learn inside it.
Every week, all teachers discuss their syllabus agendas for the week ahead. Subjects are integrated into language and play. Social studies are taught through skits, jumping at alternate numbers to teach about even and odd numbers.
We went on forest walks, had meditation camps, invited professionals for lectures, staged shows with local people. Archana School was a utopia of sorts. All the kids grew up and reached all corners of the world. People ask me to revive it, but I believe it was a one-time phenomenon. Now, it only lives through the students and teachers who once were a part of it.”
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