Bye to school, 11-yr-old left to nature’s class

Experimenting with alternative learning, Vedant’s parents have allowed their son to cut loose from the academic regimen. So, replacing science, history and geography in the curriculum, Vedant has adopted the world as his classroom.

At Thane, the boy hurriedly opens a notebook and scribbles something before raising his binoculars once more. A flutter in the distance tells you he has identified yet another bird.

‘‘He is a bright child,’’ says Vedant’s mother Manjushah, adding that her son had scored 85 per cent in Class IV. ‘‘We had been contemplating this for a while and finally decided it was time to allow him to do as he liked. To study nature, to read without having to worry about reproducing the content, to engage in all those activities that a child his age would love to do but can’t while reeling under homework,’’ says Manjushah.

But isn’t it risky to experiment with one’s own child? Explains Vedant’s father Raju, who was conferred this year’s award for excellence in teaching by the Pune Zilla Parishad: ‘‘Well, Vedant’s principal, teachers and our friends did advise us against this. They felt he shouldn’t lose an academic year.’’

But his wife and he were convinced that they were on the right track. ‘‘Classroom education does not allow children to grow conceptually. So, we thought why not allow Vedant to learn as he pleased for a year,’’ says Raju, who is also a member of the Children’s Science Congress. Raju also teaches at Shri Shivaji Vidyalaya where Vedant is enrolled.

So, has the experiment clicked? ‘‘Vedant has changed for the better. For instance, he has opened up and is not afraid to ask questions,’’ says Raju.