At a time when mainstream education remains highly focused on typical syllabus-based studies, a dedicated school on the outskirts of Delhi is planting the seed of difference by blending arts and studies. In this eco-friendly community school, NIV Vidya Mandir, underprivileged kids are taught creative skills, focusing on painting, sketching, stitching, crafts, doll making, cooking, and basic computer skills.
In most regular schools, art, music, dance, and theatre are often undermined in the curriculum with a laser focus on syllabus-based studies, even though the National Curriculum Framework 2005 recommends the inclusion of arts as a compulsory subject up to Class X.
Set in an eco-friendly environment with gobar (cow dung) smeared on the outer walls and a lotus pond inside, the school started with a mere twenty students in 2011 and now has 200. Located in Delhi’s Yamuna belt, the school stands true to the proverb—“Where there is a will, there is a way.”
Students of NIV Vidya Mandir benefit from the artists’ fraternity from all over the world associated with NIV Art Centre, which is located in New Delhi. The artists’ groups regularly conduct special art workshops with these students, during which they interact and learn various skills, techniques and art forms.
Talking to The Voices, Pravesh, a teacher at NIV Vidya Mandir, says that the school mainly has students whose parents have migrated to Delhi from areas of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. The NIV Vidya Mandir decided to focus on these children from underprivileged families. With the help of parents and a push from the school authorities, students are showing interest in particular arts and crafts that they are likely to pursue as careers in the future.
The children of underprivileged families of the area, including the children of daily wage labourers and farmworkers in Delhi’s Yamuna belt, often lacked opportunities for education, as no schools were nearby at the time when NIV started.
With the start of NIV Vidya Mandir, the humble goal of ensuring every child has access to education got a purpose, and many students, who otherwise would have missed the bus of education, got educated.
Niv, meaning “foundation” in Hindi, has an inspirational story that everyone should know. Inspired to make a difference and lay the foundation of education among the underprivileged kids, founder Mr. Shaji Mathew offers basic education to over 200 students, where teaching art forms and techniques has taken on a special significance along with regular studies of reading, writing, and arithmetic. The school is preparing them as a training ground for high school, as NIV Vidya Mandir goes up to 6th grade. Notably, NIV follows a syllabus recommended by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). It has a total of 4 teachers who are dedicated to grooming the children with all-around development, providing basic hygiene, etiquette/mannerisms, and social and civic sense.
Children are being trained in handicrafts, stitching, sketching, and basic computer skills.
Speaking about the school’s development, NIV’s founder and director, Mr. Shaji Mathew, says, “In 2011, when we began, we only had 20 students. Even convincing parents to enrol their wards isn’t easy. We had to ensure a consistent run not only in the education sphere but also in motivating students through multifaceted cultural activities, something that NIV strongly stands for. Today, in 13 years, we have 200+ students.”
The key highlight of the institute, which has attracted more and more students to the place, is the regular workshops done by global artists to impart knowledge of arts, crafts, and music, since it is closely associated with the NIV Art Centre. Recently, the children’s terracotta artwork was exhibited alongside senior artists at the NIV Gallery in New Delhi, receiving significant praise from art enthusiasts. Plus, NIV Vidya Mandir has garnered support from various organisations and independent donors, such as the Korean Cultural Centre and bioscience companies, who share its commitment to the children’s educational journey.
The students have previously performed at the India Habitat Centre and the Korean Cultural Centre on several occasions. Currently, with the support of the Board for Research Education and Development (BREAD), a Noida-based organisation working to ensure every child has access to both food and education, the NIV Vidya Mandir provides midday meals, which is another incentive for the students to come to school and ensure their regular attendance.
Laxmi, the mother of 10-year-old Shalini, expresses her joy that her daughter is already appreciated so much for her art and dance abilities.
She states, “My child is a star already in my eyes. People at our slum call her to perform for any special occasions and festivities. She has performed in several programmes. I am making sure to help her with the preparations along with the teachers. I hope she grows up to be a successful artist someday.”
In a world full of thorns forcing children towards only syllabus-based learning, NIV Vidya Mandir is a rose in Delhi’s Yamuna belt. It is redefining learning by blending arts with academics for underprivileged children. Founded in 2011 by Mathew and backed by the NIV Art Centre and global artists, the school’s unique model is a stage that provides empowerment to children of daily wage workers by helping them explore their artistic talents and gain confidence. NIV Vidya Mandir continues to fulfil its mission of providing underprivileged children with access to mainstream education, giving them the foundation to dream of a brighter future.
Copyeditor: Abhijeet Sen