The Genesis

 

Bodh came into being as an expression of social commitment and concern of a group of Jaipur based social activists, who believed that it was through equitable and quality education of deprived children that lasting social change, based on social justice and democratic principles, could be effected. Bodh, accepting this challenge, took up the task of developing an appropriate elementary education system for deprived children. In pursuance thereof, Bodh raised first Bodhshala in Gokulpuri, a slum of Jaipur city. As an organization, Bodh got itself registered in 1987 as Bodh Shiksha Samiti.
At That time, the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, had initiated a scheme entitled "innovations and experimentations in primary school education". With an initial grant under this scheme, Bodh raised four more Bodhshalas in as many slums of Jaipur city, thus raising the number of Bodhshalas to five. Two more Bodhshalas were raised later on. By this time, Bodh had developed some sort of a framework for the education of urban deprived children. It was through extensive deliberations, based on experiences gained through interaction with children and the community, that Bodh realized the need for evolving an educational system, particularly in the context of deprived children, which could ensure holistic development of the child. Gradually, the main contours of the overall objective, which Bodh intended to realize, began to emerge.

In the process Bodh, became firmly convinced that the appropriate school education system for deprived children must have the following characteristics:

It should be child centered, keeping in view the essentiality of the child's self esteem and his/her right to live his/her life with freedom to give expression to his/her aspirations and inherent creative.

It should be community based, in order to ensure its active involvement and participation in the education of its children.

It should be non-discriminatory in terms of gender, religion, caste and community.

It should be quality education with social and secular perspective creating in the child scientific temper, logical thinking, initiative, gender sensitivity and concern for human progress.

It should be a medium for creating a demographic environment and commitment to above stated characteristic features.