The Three Categories of Teachers

The Bal Vikas programme, which was launched in a small way in 1969, has grown into a global movement for the transformation of the children of today into the moral leaders of their communi­ties in the years to come. The conspicu­ous growth of the movement within the past 15 years was demonstrated most powerfully at the five‑day World Con­ference of Bal Vikas Teachers and stu­dents which was inaugurated by Bhagavan Baba on December 27th in the Poorna­chandra Auditorium. Hundreds of Bal Vikas teachers and students started arriving in Prasanthi Nilayam from 22nd December and by the time the conference started, over 3000 teachers and 7000 children from more than 20 countries had been enrolled. The whole Prasanthi Nilayam campus was resounding with "Sai Ram" greetings and Bhajans by children in the morning hours. Dozens of shamianas were put up to accommodate the children and the tea­chers. The Teachers' Conference held three sessions on the 27th and 28th to review the Bat Vikas programme in the light of past experience and to consider proposals for expanding the movement, revising the syllabuses and teaching techniques in terms of new objectives, and to discuss the suggestions from State Presidents. Mr. V. Srinivasan explained the new objectives of the programme. Srimati Sarla Shah reviewed the 15 years' pro­gress of the movement. There were talks by Srimati K. Mani, Dr. Leelavati Pat­naik and Srimati N. Saxena on the sylla­buses for the three groups of Bat Vikas students. Representatives from different States spoke on various aspects of the Bal Vikas programme, including teaching techniques, parents' involvement, expan­sion of the programme, imparting a rural bias to it and spiritual exercises by teach­ers and students. Srimati Shanta Diwakar spoke on the programme for research and evaluation. Six sub‑committees were set up to con­sider detailed proposals for developing the movement under various heads. The reports of the sub‑committees were consi­dered by the World Council, whose deci­sions were announced at the valedictory session of the Conference on December 31. - Sanathana Sarathi, January, 1984