DriveChange

Learning & Resource Centre (DLRC)

BACKGROUND

Despite the growing need to find gainful employment and increasing demand (by employers) for skill
based education,, the last four years of schooling are spent preparing for competitive exams in the
hope that the child will get into a prestigious university (within India or abroad). In­spite
I of this
effort, of the 266 million graduating students in India less than a fifth are enrolled in higher education,
one of the lowest ratios in the world.

On one hand the students do not get into the college of their choice and on the other hand they are
deprived of the development of their mental functions and the function of the will. There is enough
research to substantiate that age 14 14­21 can be broadly categorized as a time when a child’s rational
thinking blossoms. It is characterized by a wish to make one's life one's own. The adolescent begins
to discover him/herself in the world of ideas. Ideas are to be enjoyed, explored, and argued. A
personal search for truth emerges as does a new questioni
questioning – of themselves, society, parents,
teachers, values, meaning of life and others. The high school period is characterized by a life of
thinking­ – crucial for the cultivation of good judgm
judgment and clarity of thought.

Associated with this comes a healthy and valuable idealism which, if not nurtured, can quickly
descend into cynicism and, combined with the extreme sensitivity of this age
age­group,
group, can
ca make for
great vulnerability. Young people at this time are looking for role models and need to be surrounded
by positive, compassionate adults who hold up a mirror showing all that a human being can become
and can achieve.

This developmental need combined with the skill gap amongst the employable youth, provides an
ideal ground to offer an educational product tha
thatt combines education and skill building experience
in the 4 years of high school.

CONCEPT

The school plans to have an initial intake of two batches of 50 students for a two year period. The
basic educational need for admission will be Class 10. The intake will be gradually raised to 100
students per batch over the succeeding two years

Priority for admission will be given to students who are better equipped with their social
backgrounds to pursue such programs as the School will offer. The School also proposes
propos to offer
scholarships and such other incentives for financially challenged but merited students

The Course Content for the Program will be shaped by the central need tto o promote skills as opposed
to the conventional forms of education that has deskilled large sections of the society. The programs
will cover current sustainable energy market trends – the need for ecologically friendly generation
and use of sustainable energies. Students will spend 50% of their time working (under guided coach
within commercial entities) and the balance 50% of their time will be spent learning and reinforcing
n the last 6 months of the 2nd year,
the concepts that they are applying in their work environment. IIn
students will be prepared to sit for Class 12 and competitive exams. Following 2 years, the students
could either go for higher studies or continue working with one of the commercial entities.

www.dlrc.in 3, Sus Rd, Mohan Nagar Co­Op Society,

ociety, Baner, Pune­411021
Pune
 DriveChange
Learning & Resource Centre (DLRC)

The students will be trained with on

on­site
site programs that will give them a thorough working
knowledge of all that she/he
he/he needs to know on to provide locally produced energy for local
agriculture, industrial and household usage
usage. The objective is to ensure that the child is equipped at
the end of the program to independently manage the production and usage of sustainable energies.
Instead of directing scarce resources to foreign countries to pay for oil, he will make business sense
to invest in local agriculture and manufacturing sectors with additional benefits of strengthening
local economies and rise in livelihood oppo
opportunities

The course content will be supported by well

well­tested
tested syllabi drawn from one or two well known
international or national undergraduate schools specializing in the field of sustainable energies.
energies The
faculty for the school will be drawn from amongst field technicians, professionals from sustainable
energy industries and invitee­project
project managers from live projects who will share hands­on
hands
experience; professionals from the social sector who will bring with them their development
experience in these areass and so on
on.

The School for Sustainable Energy will produce competent well trained professionals in the areas of
sustainable energy, environment management, water conser
conservation
vation and livelihood generation.
generation These
students will be equipped to make a living o
on their
heir own or from employment in industry.
industry

The course content will be designed to qualify School’s students for academic pursuits in the areas of
engineering – mechanical, electrical and electronics and other allied areas. The School will provide
for campus recruitment for companies which seek specialized skills for their own sustainable energy
initiatives.

www.dlrc.in 3, Sus Rd, Mohan Nagar Co­Op Society,

ociety, Baner, Pune­411021
Pune