Inspired by stalwarts of education both outside and in India, Gram-Mangal’s education is revolutionary in many respects. We are strongly against schools being used as military style training academies (strict discipline, lots of rules, complete standardization – uniforms, benches, etc) that essentially stifle a child’s learning process. Gram-Mangal schools exemplify the principles of joyful learning. Here, children learn by ways that are naturally suited to them, not to adults or military cadets.

These are some specific ideas that have moulded our teaching methods; the Golden Rules for all Gram-Mangal schools:

• Freedom of a child
• Importance of humor
• Get rid of the benches!
• Let them talk!
• One size doesn't fit all!
• Who is a good teacher of children?
  

Mm Montessorie’s thoughts on the freedom of a child have scientific basis. She has also asserted that one can study child-psychology by observing their behavior in minute details. Her thoughts on their freedom are summarized below:

• One cornerstone of her concepts on child-freedom concerns the release from psychological disorder and restoring its normalcy, in order to be able to observe a child.
• A child behaves by its internal compulsions. That is its natural instinct. It is required for the child’s growth. It is important to allow full freedom to the child free from all sorts of restraints to develop its instincts.
• A child learns through emulating its elders. This is deliberate emulation. It is a kind of educational effort. It is a repetition for giving practice to the muscles as also to facilitate introduction on an intellectual level.
• A child is sensitive since birth. Its instinct for learning is ever present. It is important to preserve this instinct. So education should not be thrust on it.
• A child yearns for independence. The natural instinct and the need for progress are behind this. So, instead of creating blocks to its efforts at independence, it should be given ample freedom in its efforts – both at home and in school.
• Creating an atmosphere conducive to its self expression is what an environment for independence is all about. It inspires activity and provides challenges – so it is important.
• By nature, every child is a separate entity. Every entity has its individual birth, growth and death.
• A child must also have the freedom of achieving its own progress. To enable a child achieve this progress on its own terms and at its own speed is the meaning of independence for it.
• A child must never be fearful, either at home or at school. School-teachers, discipline, punishment, exams – they pollute the school atmosphere with fear. A child is deprived of its freedom of learning, as a consequence.

• In recent times, a lot of research is being conducted on humor. It is providing a lot of insights.
• Just as ‘playing’ is natural for a child, so is ‘laughing’.
• Humor is essentially a form of play for children.
• Humor generates a pleasant atmosphere amongst them.
• Humor generates intellectual curiosity among children.
• Humor helps develop capacity to tackle problems.
• It helps in increasing creativity among children.
• It generates pleasant and friendly atmosphere.
• Humor provides supreme happiness for children.
• The type of Humor understood and appreciated is age-specific.

• Recent research on brain has revealed that till the age of eight years, the left brain and the right brain can not co-ordinate with each other. But to make them work in coordination and to increase their efficiency, it is necessary to allow for free physical movement.
• Do not tie up the children to the benches in classrooms; do away with desks; design classrooms to allow for relaxed movement for children. Movement during education actually helps in speeding the learning process.
• If a child is allowed free movement while acquiring knowledge or new competencies, it assists education more effectively.
• On the contrary, if children are tied up to their benches or desks, this may prove to be a great hindrance in their educational process.
• Binding children with ties and boots also creates similar hindrance.
• To be able to move freely is a basic educational need of a child.

• Many experiments on animals have proved that social contact is the principal factor in education. If communication is not allowed, it affects the proper growth of the brain.
• Studies conducted in orphanages, where communications are similarly very limited, have also confirmed this conclusion.
• Communications amongst children and conversations are extremely important for the growth of their brains and especially for their education.
• Let children come in contact with more and more people, during their learning years. Let them converse mutually, connect mutually.
• Create opportunities for such contacts and conversation in school and in classrooms too.
• Talking with each other helps in language proficiency and expression. Progress in understanding of language alone can help understanding other subjects.
• Mutual contact enables control on emotions.
• A traditional classroom, so constrained to remain quiet, is not conducive to good education.

• Intelligence is not a general competency.
• There are varieties of intelligence, and types of intelligence.
• The spread of intelligence that each one is endowed with is different.
• Different people look at the same thing from different perspectives.
• Each one has a different method of understanding.
• Differing intelligence spread also means differing way of learning.
• Look for the strength in each.
• Work on the strengths; the weaknesses gradually diminish.

The one who possesses the following traits:

1. She constantly endeavors to understand a child.

This works on two levels.

a) In order to understand a child, in general, help is required from physiology, psychology, neurology and the science of education.

b) It is necessary to understand the family background, the individual intelligence levels, the habits, the likes and dislikes as also the needs of the moment of each child in order to get to know it individually.

2. She takes efforts to create an atmosphere in the school, conducive to the growth of a child. Such an atmosphere must be of a type, which helps healthy growth, which provides equal opportunity for all, which fosters the concept of equality in them, which opens up opportunities of education and which is always pleasant and full of love and affection.

This will include:

a) A pleasant and beautiful environment,

b) An environment of social cooperation,

c) An environment conducive to learning (full of activities and supporting material), and

d) A cheerful atmosphere