Santiniketan, around 158km northwest of Kolkata in West Bengal, embodies Rabindranath Tagore’s vision for an educational model town. His vision differs from the stereotypical claustrophobic educational system where we are enclosed within four walls of a classroom, he is the type where you are allowed to explore the practical side of education along with the theoretical side which is derived from books.

Tagore modelled Santiniketan on the principles of humanism, internationalism and a sustainable environment. His curriculum had a unique blend of art, human values and cultural exchange. Classes took place under the canopied chhatim trees which offered shade to the students. Class timings were also altered according to the seasons. Students sat on mats which were hand-woven, they were also allowed to climb and run beneath the trees during breaks. This school which started with 5 students and now has established into a world-renowned university was known as Patha Bhavan. It is now known as the Visva Bharati University which offers courses in humanities, social science, science, fine arts, music, performing arts, education, agricultural science, and rural reconstruction. Its art college, Kala Bhavan, is widely considered to be one of the best art colleges in the world. 

Rabindranath envisioned an education that was deeply rooted in one’s immediate surroundings but connected to the cultures of the wider world. It was then that he established the experimental school in 1901, Patha Bhavan. Of the 5 students, it also included his eldest son. It was originally named Brahmacharya Ashram, in the tradition of the ancient forest hermits called tapoban. Tagore himself described the guiding principle of this school as, “The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence.”

A mixture of the eastern and western system of education, the curriculum revolved around nature and classes held in the open air. Tagore wanted his students to feel free despite being formally educated to allow them to think in an easier manner. Students were encouraged to follow life patterns around them, to give emphasis on vocational education and have a sense of obligation towards the larger civic community.

Santiniketan took a leap with breaking a stereotype in the field of education when the country had just begun adjusting to the European model of education. It offered one of the first co-educational programmes in South Asia. Tagore’s winning a Nobel Prize for his Gitanjali is what enhanced the prestige of his school and converted it into the university, Visva Bharati University. Different art forms were united and encouraged to be developed, festivals like Basant Utsav and Poush Utsav became important cultural events. Today, people from various parts of the country come to Santiniketan to celebrate these festivals.

It is debated whether this model of education would work for schools today or not. Not every student needs the burden to be buried into fat educational books all day long, giving them a practical approach would increase their interests as well. It is not necessary to compulsorily shift to this model of education immediately as many places may not have the proper place to accommodate a large number of students this way. However, instead of being burdened for infrastructure, a lot of rural places would find it an advantage to using the concept of studying under trees, it is an environment-friendly method as well. The concept of vocational education has been brought into a lot of good schools who emphasize the importance of a study-play balance and wish to unburden their students of the shackles of conventional education. Many attempts are being made in the recent times to decrease a child’s burden of education and make it more friendly and enjoyable. We are, perhaps, unknowingly imbibing Tagore’s principles already.