An interactive workshop for teachers to explore their issues and concerns as educators organized by The Krishnamurti Foundation

TCT Desk, Kolkata:  J Krishnamurti, the well know world teacher, often spoke about the significance of right education in meeting the world crisis through a new generation of human beings. He said that this can happen only when children grow in love and goodness, in freedom from fear and prejudice and along those lines Krishnamurti Foundation India, Kolkata organised a workshop to enable educators explore some of these issues highlighted by Krishnamurti.

The workshop was conducted by Mr. Alok Mathur, Trustee of the Krishnamurti Foundation India and former Director, Teacher Education, Rishi Valley Education Centre and Ms. Chandrika Mathur, former Joint Director, Rishi Valley Institute of Teacher Education. The workshop was held over 2 days (5^th & 6^th July) at Birla Industrial & Technological Museum (BITM).

Many important issues plaguing the teachers of today came up during the sessions. Teachers brought up pertinent questions in understanding the psyche of students, with so much educational pressure along with the expectations of one and all, their struggles with depression and how a teacher could alleviate the same. Teachers themselves are also burdened with administrative restraints which hampers their natural thinking; ways to tackle the issue was also discussed at length. However the most important topic discussed was how the teacher as an individual could bring about a positive change personally so as to implement an overall change in the education system. In talking about right education, Krishnamurti said that the educator needs education as well since at times they too are fixated on orthodox ideas and with this conditioning he or she approaches the responsibility as an educator.  Much of that influences the way the educator relates to the child. Hence the title of the workshop, ‘Educating the Educator’. 

There were about 40 participants at the two day Workshop which saw attendance of representatives from institutions like Modern High School for Girls, Visva Bharati University, Apeejay School, South Calcutta Public School, Mahadevi Birla World Academy, Assembly of God Church, Bidhannagar Govt. High School, Patha Bhavan (Shantiniketan), Hope Town Girls’ School (Dehra Dun) and many more.

Mr Alok Mathur said the response to the workshop has been very encouraging. He hopes that by the end of the workshop, educators would have deeply explored their own crucial role and potential in the creation a different kind of education that supports the holistic growth of young people. “It could well be the start of something quite significant and that is the inspiration for the event.”