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85-Year-Old Teacher Uses Sand to Educate Kerala's Children
5 Nov
Summary
- An 85-year-old woman teaches Malayalam, Hindi, English, and math.
- She uses sand, a stick, and fingers for writing practice.
- Her method revives Kerala's traditional early education practices.
Indira Amma, an 85-year-old educator from Kerala, is keeping a traditional teaching method alive by using sand and a stick to instruct young children. She teaches Malayalam, Hindi, English, and mathematics, with children gathered around to observe and practice writing letters and numbers in the sand. This method allows for repeated practice and easy correction, fostering a stress-free learning environment.
Her technique is deeply connected to Kerala's historical educational practices, reminiscent of the 'Ezhuthiniruthu' ceremony and 'Aashan Kalari' systems. These traditions introduced literacy through tracing in sand or rice before modern tools became prevalent. A video of her teaching at the Temple of English School in Alappuzha recently gained widespread attention on social media.
While this sand-based exercise is an excellent early learning activity, it serves as a complement to formal education rather than a replacement for books. Indira Amma's dedication highlights the value of traditional learning methods in contemporary early childhood education, demonstrating that effective teaching requires no complex equipment.
