Tensions and worries of our ages affect our younger generation to the same extent as or more than other generations. Unfortunately no in-depth discussion is held on the matter. It is not secret that some forces have been bestowing a lot of attention to carry their ideas to the younger generation. More than half of TV advertisements are prepared with children as characters and are carefully designed to catch their attention.
Globalization rooted in competition and wealth stifles the creative instincts of children and converts them into racehorses most befitting the market. Even the so-called outstanding formal education system is based on the principle that life is a competition. Its consequences are terrible. Japan is an example. There 70% of students who participated in a survey stated that they have no hope about the future. If this is the outcome of most of the outstanding educational system, nothing needs mentioned about other countries including our country.
In India, education is becoming more and more based. Crores of children belonging to the backward section are far away form formal education in spite of constitutional promises. Inferior education to the backward students, middle level education to the middle class and excellent education to those at the top of the hierarchy is the present public practice. It is not a secret. Our formal education system has become the playground of commercialization and all out competition. The informal sector launched to overcome some of the shortcomings of the formal system and to influence it to an extent is mostly in doldrums. Science stream is considered as punishment/scary - from pedagogical point of view, this is the reason; enrolment into science stream is falling day by day. Children show less interest towards science.
It is in this serious background that BGVS takes initiative to hold a BAL MELA: JOY OF LEARNING, in Delhi, in order to develop interest in children towards science, science as fun as not fatigue, inspire them towards science & technology, draw science & technology from every day phenomena/ world around us.
The joy of learning method have proved very effective in promoting creativity of children to the maximum against the backdrop of prospects and challenges of new era, inspiration from science and & technology.
Bal Mela means - fair for children, this will be an attempt to use creativity as a means inducing interest towards science. The current project is being proposed with a view to promote science awareness, creativity, curiosity and co-operation among children to the maximum against the backdrop of prospects and challenges of the new era.
Objectives of the project:
To promote creativity, curiosity and cooperation among children.
To develop scientific attitude in a humane approach. Both these aspects are interrelated.
To learn science in cooperative mode-peer learning.
To integrate reality though the “disciplines” are differentiated; show by actual/field demonstration, integrated nature of science.
Target group(s) with location specific information:
Creative writers/artists/teachers will be participating in the children folk material development workshop and children festival.
Writers of popular children science material will be participating in the children material production workshop.
Various children science moments, children’s clubs, organizations working for children, teachers, schools and others who are interested in large- scale dissemination of scientific, as fun will able to make use of these materials.
The target group will be general children with specific focus on rural children, girl child and children from under privileged sections.
BGVS has been working in the area of literacy as a starting point for social transformation. BGVS has also been crusading against communalism and for national integration - a struggle to make our democracy meaningful.