For decades, children have been learning by rote Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of Gravitation. But soon they will get a chance to try it out practically before learning it.

If the Directorate of State Educational Research and Training (DSERT) has its way, children will get to test every theory before accepting it.

Deviating from the traditional methods of teaching, the DSERT in association with the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is introducing on a trial basis a new way of education where children would gain knowledge through experiments instead of remaining dependent on teachers or parents.

The project will be first started in the north-eastern parts of Karnataka for Class III and IV students in December. This pilot project minimises the role of teachers and expects students to pick lessons on their own and develop their own knowledge. Specially designed study material will be provided to children who would learn the subject by implementing it practically.

DSERT Director M N Baig claimed it was a first-of-its-kind initiative in India. “The teacher used to be a giver of knowledge in the traditional way of teaching. In this unique method, teachers are just facilitators who assist children in improving his or her knowledge by testing the subject,” he said.

He said children will follow whatever is given in their specially-designed study material.

The course will challenge the student in understanding the subject. If the child’s conclusion at the end of study does not match the expected result, the teacher will guide him.

Aiming to cover nearly 200 schools during the trial stage, the basic condition of the project is the child must have the ability to read and understand the subject. After understanding, the child must be able to do things or act as directed. Under the project, each child is considered to have the ability to build his own capabilities to understand the subject.

This project has six stages: In stage ‘A’, all children of the selected school will have to undergo initial testing. Children capable of quickly grasping the subject will be sent to stage ‘C’. Students having difficulty in understandi
ng the subject will go through stage ‘B’ where the teacher will assist them in understanding the subject.
After the students in stage ‘B’ understand the subject, they’ll be sent to stage ‘C’ where they’ll be taught language and math. Later, they’ll be promoted to stage ‘D’ where they learn science and social studies.
In stage ‘E’, children are asked to use libraries and go out into the world to check whether their study of the subject and conclusions drawn by them can stand the test of truth.

Finally in stage ‘F’, students are asked to give classroom presentations
.
The director said the Rs 2.5-crore project of DSERT is funded by Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, with free study material for children. He said if the experiment yieldspositive results, it will be implemented in lower-level classes all over the State from the next academic year.