Sarang school
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2017) |
| Sarang school | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
| , | |
| Coordinates | 11°04′26″N 76°39′09″E / 11.0738°N 76.6525°E |
| Information | |
| Established | 1982 |
| Founder | Gopalakrishnan Sarang Vijayalakshmi Sarang |
| Website | dakshinasarang |
Sarang is an alternative school on a hill top started by a teacher couple, Gopalakrishnan and Vijayalakshmi in Agali Panchayath in Attappady, Palakkad district, Kerala, India. The school's curriculum includes organic farming, art forms and environmental conservation among other subjects.[1]
History
[edit]Sarang School was established in 1982, on forest land stretching to about 1 acre, on the foothills of Attappady, in the district of Palakkad, in the south Indian state of Kerala.[2] The school was founded by Gopalakrishnan, a school teacher from Idukki district and his wife, Vijayalakshmi, 60, who also had been a teacher.[3] They quit their jobs and started the school with the intention of introducing an alternative way of education, discarding a regular curriculum, text book based education, syllabus and examinations to focus more on lifestyle education where farming, cooking and other life skills were given prominence.[4] Together with the students, they planted the barren forest foothills and built check dams for conserving water. However, due to financial constraints, the couple had to close the school after two years. However, assisted by the efforts of their son, Gautham, they were able to reopen the school.[4][5]
Overview
[edit]Sarang School now sits on a land extending to 12 acres.[4] All the structures in the campus have been built using materials available locally, such as mud, bamboo and wood.[5] The school runs on solar energy, the cooking is done in the conventional way of fire stove, and all the waste is composted to make manure.[6] It occasionally hosts interns from other universities such as Azim Premji University.[7]
The couple, along with their son, and two daughters, Kannaki and Unniyarcha,[8] and their families, live in the campus.[2][9]
References
[edit]- ^ The Hindu : Giving a new dimension to education[dead link]
- ^ a b "Sarang couple: A, B, C, D of love and education". OnManorama. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- ^ Staff Reporter (6 February 2017). "'Tribal people have lost their identity'". The Hindu. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- ^ a b c "Sarang Hills a rural university in making". ManoramaOnline. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- ^ a b Sivaswamy, Ranjini (17 August 2017). "This Family Did Not Send Their Children to School, but Taught Them by Creating a Forest". The Better India. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- ^ "This unique school in Kerala doesn't believe in certificates - The couple with a mission". The Economic Times. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- ^ "Exploring Sarang : Kerala's experimental forest school". Medium. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- ^ B, Viju. "'The school should come to you'". The Times of India. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- ^ M, Athira (24 November 2023). "Social media handle Dakshina showcases the way of living at Sarang, a one-of-its kind alternative school in Palakkad". The Hindu. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- GRAND TALKS (10 May 2021). "Sarang: An Alternative School at Attappadi in Palakkad of Kerala". Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- Future School Leaders (23 August 2023). "UX (User Experience) in Education: an educator's perspective - Gautham Sarang, Director-Sarang Hills". Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- "'Ashanum Ashathiyum', a short film series from Soumya and friends". The Hindu. 13 July 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2025.