Designwala

Designing for effective education

by Shagun Singh

Barefoot college in Tilonia, Rajasthan, is a system of education that believes in the capability, knowledge and skills of the rural community and trains them further in specialized fields like solar engineering, rain forest harvesting, health and hygiene, wasteland development, and traditional media to name a few.  The education is practical and combines indeginious local methods with specialized engineering techniques to create a system where the students go back to their communities as leaders and experts in specific fields.

Started by a social activist by the name of Sanjit ‘Bunker’ Roy, in the year 1973, the college is designed on simple and practical system of hands on knowledge. The college lays special emphasis on woman and children which are can be seen in the initiatives such as the night school system and the Mahila Samitis.

This is a special place. It learns from the context and people and uses western and local technology to solve problems. It is a place designed for optimum education and maximum returns. This is truly democratic system designed by the people, of the people and for the people. It is successful because of that very reason.