Mulyavardhan

Introduction

Developed and offered by Shantilal Muttha Foundation (SMF) on a no-profit basis, Mulyavardhan is a Programme for helping schools provide child-friendly and value-based education to nurture democratic citizenship. Currently being offered for the primary-school level, the Programme is designed to be an integral part of a school's functioning.

Salient Features

Mulyavardhan is in consonance with the Constitution of India, the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005 and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE Act) 2009.

Holistic view of Value Education

  • The Programme is based on a whole-school approach to education for values, which is conceptually 1 better than the traditional method of “teaching values”, and is recommended by NCERT .
  • The Programme takes a comprehensive approach to education for values, incorporating the cognitive (knowing and thinking), affective (feeling, valuing, committing) and behavioural aspects of values.
  • The Programme has well-defined educational practices for students to learn about democratic values and develop related attitudes and competencies, in an enabling school climate with appropriateschool processes.

Flexible, Implementable by Any School

  • With capacity-building support from SMF, any school can implement the Programme, according to its needs, priorities and resources.
  • The Programme is attuned to existing school processes.
  • A school does not have to allot additional financial or human resources to implement the Programme.
  • Schools can implement the Programme year after year, making changes as they go along.

Evolutionary Design

  • The Programme is based on insight, experience and expertise gained over a period of six years
  • Apart from learning gained from field experience, the design of the Programme is based on intensive study of NCERT's Education for Values in Schools – A Framework document (2012); the 2 internationally recognized CASEL framework for social and emotional learning in schools ; and 3 related, long-standing, successful and well-researched programmes like Caring School Community , USA.
  • SMF is committed to develop the Programme further, for implementation in higher levels of schooling, and on the basis of feedback from schools, and evidence from research studies.

Potential Benefits

Mulyavardhan offers important potential benefits for all school stakeholders, as shown below.

Students

  • Student-friendly school climate.
  • Improved relations with teachers, other students.
  • Varied opportunities to express oneself openly; share concerns; discuss with others; experience the joys of cooperation, sharing, and contributing to the wellbeing of others.

Parents

  • Opportunities to discuss value issues with children.
  • Increase in incidence of caring and responsible behavior by children.

Headmasters

  • Increased participation of students in school activities.
  • Increase in incidence of students demonstrating self-discipline and responsibility.
  • Improvement in school climate, leading to improved relations with and between school staff and students.
  • Opportunities to develop and demonstrate leadership skills.

Teachers

  • Increased participation of students in classroom processes and activities.
  • Improved relations with students.
  • Increase in incidence of students demonstrating self-discipline andresponsibility.
  • Opportunities to develop and demonstrate skills for using a student-centredapproach to teaching and learning.

School management

  • Participatory decision-making on school policies and planning, leading to committee(SMC) shared ownership and responsibility for school performance.
  • Enhanced image of school among students, parents and local community.

School owners

  • Enhanced image and reputation of school in the neighbourhood/region.

For information about the program, please visit: http://www.mutthafoundation.org