But people - human resources - are the most valuable asset of a nation, and their development is the most basic infrastructure of all. Progressive nations have strategically invested heavily in education on a long-term basis.
Good education (like other infrastructure) needs to be invested in, but once that is done, it produces consistent, unfailing returns worth many times the initial investment.
For a society, investing in education means recognising its importance, being willing to pay its costs and an unrelenting effort to develop good teachers. Teachers who teach English, History and Science, but first teach children. Teachers who love their pupils, love teaching, know their subjects and have the requisite teaching skills.
In a regular B.Ed. programme, students teach for about 30 days in a year. At Eklavya, they spend three hours almost everyday observing and teaching in a partner school for two years.
Practical training is supported by classes which use a variety of instructional methods like case studies, excursions, projects, seminars and meetings with practising education professionals. The curriculum is a modern one designed on internationally accepted lines after studying leading teacher education programmes in India and abroad.
Students are exposed to computers and the Internet from day one. Apart from this, one hour everyday is set aside for activities like Personality Development, Yoga, Art and Craft, Music and Dance.
Finally, attitudinal training is a key component of the programme. After all, enthusiasm can move mountains, and more can be achieved by a group of positive-minded, enthusiastic teachers than merely skilled ones.
