As Dr Narendra Gauniyal said in his poem
जख्या-दुबलू वख आज जम्युं चा
मेरा प्रवासी भै-बन्दों सूणा,
चाहे छा तुम दुन्या कैबि कूणा
तुम ख़ुशी से कमावा अर खावा
कब्बि -कब्बि तुम पहाड़ बि आवा
Poised with beauty of majestic Himalayan ranges, the state of Uttrakhand is favored by travelers from across the globe for a life transforming experience. The land of Gods, this state in Northern part of India is bestowed with quaint and pristine beauty where temple bells synchronize with multiple Garhwali and Kumaoni dialects. One can find out the best hamlets, hidden gems and picturesque hill stations within kilometers. From its snow-clad peaks like Kedarnath, Nanda Devi, Dunagiri to rivers like Ganga, Bhagirathi and Alaknanda everything makes it a land of all things beautiful. But wait, there’s more. The picturesque beauty is just one side of a coin. This Himalayan land is predisposed to earthquakes, landslides, flash-floods, cloudbursts, avalanches, as well as droughts. Uttarakhand’s exceptional geography and topography makes it particularly vulnerable to climate-induced natural disasters. Disaster risk is a function of the interplay between three key elements: hazard, exposure and vulnerability. These disasters lead to an unprecedented effect on the life and livelihood in this region. When it comes to children who witness such devastating disasters at young ages often live with its aftereffects. According to the National Disaster Management Authority, children are the worst affected (Children Worst Affected in Uttarakhand Disaster, 2013, p. (1)). The NDMA study states that the trauma of flood, loss of parents and relatives during such disaster impacts education in the state at many levels, be it dropouts or infrastructure. To see their own homes, collapse in front of their eyes can be distressing, to say the least! Imagine the kind of trauma children experience when they have no belongings of their own left. When everything you have goes away, it becomes doubly challenging to keep hope, aspirations and dreams alive.
It is often said, ‘Think globally and act locally’, armed with this thought, the Uttarakhand Education department was looking forward to work in the area of well-being for a long time and Delhi government’s Happiness Curriculum came as an inspiration and paved the way for Anandam Pathyacharya in this Himalayan state. In the first-ever India Happiness report 2020, Uttarakhand languished among the bottom three states. Anandam translates to happiness and bliss and Pathyacharya to Curriculum. This experiential learning curriculum called as Anandam Pathyacharya was launched by Uttrakhand government on 14th November 2019 across 17752 government schools for classes 1st to 8th. The curriculum looks to create a stimulating environment for learners through a variety of methodologies with the aim to explore, experience and express Anandam (happiness). Learning to live together and learning to be were, – two of the main four pillars that Delors Report (Jacques Delors, 1996, p. (2)) proposed way back in 1996 for holistic and integrated vision of education based on the paradigms of lifelong learning were focused for Anandam. The education system in its earlier form largely focused on learning to know and learning to do. Anandam is an amalgamation of four aspects, mindfulness, story, activity and reflection. These four horizons come together in Anandam classes and creates magic within and in the surroundings. Mahatma Gandhi said, “Our greatest ability as humans is not to change the world; but to change ourselves.” A person who derives happiness from learning and awareness can sustain their happiness, is balanced in the face of difficult situations and is able to retain a sense of calm and peace. This individual will not only be empathetic and compassionate but will be able to find meaning and purpose of life. Learners today are exposed to a high level of sensory happiness in its different varieties. These crucial aspects of harmony, feelings in relationships and understanding & awareness are largely not given the focus it requires in the current form of education. Thus, even a highly skilled and competent individual can remain unhappy and dissatisfied despite excellent academic qualifications, due to conflicting emotions within and lack of lasting happiness. The Anandam curriculum seeks to bridge this gap. This enables the learner to comprehend happiness within self, relationships, society and nature. The Anandam curriculum is a landmark first step in expanding the scope of a public-school education system to move beyond mere utilitarian objectives and enable the holistic development of each child by including it in the mainstream academic structure. Approximately 23000 teachers have been trained through face to face and virtual mode for state wide execution of the Anandam Pathyacharya programme.
I share the feedback we have received on this programme!
“Students have started connecting Anandam stories with their own lives and share their personal stories with everyone”
“It is an endeavor to connect everyone around to losing human values and respect in relationships”
“It is observed that students study their subjects well and score good, but life skills have somewhere taken a backseat”
“Anandam will pave a way for resilient students who are the future of planet”
“Being a part of this amazing initiative by government not only inculcates a sense of hope but also I feel proud that I am a part of this change”
“Even the teachers will understand the importance of relationships with staff, students and community. This understanding will help our schools grow holistically.”
“Society is interlinked with relationships, healthy relationships will nurture healthy society, healthy society will create an aspirational nation”
“Students remain joyful and ask for Anandam classes and get ready themselves”
“We have students from challenging backgrounds, and it is usually observed that these kids are in stress because of reasons within families, neighborhood etc. Mental development and psychological boost will help them achieve their aspirations as they are talented and have capabilities to excel. Students just need a little push!”
“My relationship and communication with grandparents have become effective and I love talking to my Dadi now (Grandmother)”
“Anandam is not only helping our students but us (teachers) also in developing life skills”
“At the end of the day, it all boils down to how capable your citizens are. So, if we invest in quality education, enhancing capabilities of our children, we will definitely see the results in due course.”