KOCHI: At the Tattwa Center of Learning, it is the ‘principle’ that matters. The city-based school has broken free of the conventional syllabus-based schooling under boards such as the CBSE and ICSE, and adopted the National Institute of Open Schooling Board (NIOS) norms.
The institution is run by principal Maya Mohan (the former principal of Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Vaduthala), mentor Kamakshi Balakrishnan, and directors Dr Shailaja Menon and Rema Jayaram. It welcomes students who wish to achieve more than just a school-leaving certificate, homeschoolers, who require a flexible study schedule, and who find it difficult to cope with the academic stress of conventional schooling.
Being part of the regular educational system for decades, Maya never imagined working for something as unconventional as Tattwa. “After stepping down from my earlier position, I was briefly associated with NIOS and I came across a few exam answer sheets. They were well-written and read interesting too. As I enquired more about it, the NIOS regional director gave me the perception of a learning mode in which students have the liberty to pace themselves, thereby making the process of learning more enjoyable,” says Maya. However, lack of awareness made the public perceive the board and Tattwa as a place that is not for the academically-inclined.
“People should understand that a board is just a board, a means for accreditation. NIOS is equally good for students that fall in any ranking system. Interestingly the JEE entrance exam was once topped by a NIOS student,” says Maya. Tattwa recognises itself as a next-generation school. “We offer an alternative mode of schooling, but it is never an alternative school this welcomes a lot of negative connotations. If people consider us to be different, that’s because students here are able to experience different things,” adds Maya.
The syllabus offers science, mathematics, social studies, computer science, business studies, accountancy, mass communication, painting, and psychology. Unlike the rest, NIOS is flexible in terms of choice of subjects. Students take five subjects for the board exams. They don’t have to write the exams of all these at one go. Instead, they can take two years. “They don’t have to write many examinations and they can also choose the order of subjects. This will not put students under much stress. Our motto is to unlock the potential of a child,” says Maya.
The learning centre has a broad curriculum. It incude subjects like financial literacy, and effective communication. Rithika Mahesh Nair of Class 11, moved to NIOS from CBSE, right after passing her 10th. “At Tattwa, one is not burdened with many assignments and class work. Here, students have the time to concentrate more on academics and excel in their interests,” she says.
Besides the set syllabus, Tattwa also redefines the purpose of education. As per Tattwa, education should make students blossom and think. That is why the school’s ‘Book Week’ organised several activities that help students think outside the box. The school also has sessions on etiquette and fine dining.