Lessons from the Hills

Steering away from conventional education, a school in Uttarakhand's hills is bringing children back to their roots

- By MOHD SHEHWAAZ KHAN

In a classroom at Suraah school in Dehradun's Katapatthar village, students receive a fictional letter from archaeologist Alexander Cunningham, requesting their help in investigating an Ashokan edict found nearby. Curious, the children visit the site, study the ancient inscriptions, and then respond to Cunningham's question: If you were to leave behind an edict of your own, what would it say and in what language?

This curiosity-driven and student-led journey into history, is one among the many lessons that take place at the school everyday, one that reflects the philosophy of its founders, Shrey and Jyoti Rawat, who believe learning should start with wonder rather than textbooks.