The teacher is not an instructor or a taskmaster, he is a helper and guide. His business is to suggest and not to impose. He does not actually train the pupil’s mind; he only shows him how to perfect his instruments of knowledge and helps and encourages him in the process. He does not impart knowledge to him, he shows him how to acquire knowledge for himself.
– Sri Aurobindo
The name of the method given by the Mother to this approach in education is ‘FREE PROGRESS”. The name should not be misunderstood, it does not mean that the children are completely left to themselves, that they are allowed to create disorder. On the contrary, we want the children to remain in contact with their inner guide. This discipline from within, once developed, will always be strong support in difficult circumstances.
What is important in educating young children is to foster and protect the bright spontaneity that makes all learning a joyous discovery. From near to far, there is a world of wonders to be explored and each new discovery can be the source of inexpressible joy, each opening of the understanding a breathtaking surprise. If at the same time the children are encouraged to develop their instruments of sense and knowledge, the inquirer and explorer hidden in them will soon burst forth and orient the course of their development. We take it seriously that each child is unique, therefore no class is rowdy here and each child is given ample scope to express his or her way of thinking, talking, experiencing, experimenting and discovering his way of growing. Here we feel it is harmful to split knowledge up in subjects that do not relate to his/her way of life. Therefore, we cannot allow a mere bookish approach. We cannot burden a three-year-old child with a page of writing the alphabet or a page of number work each day. We cannot force a child to learn anything from a book without seeing, experiencing and experimenting. Here learning starts from concrete experiences of a child and uses, as in daily life. This integral approach is a tremendous help for understanding and getting insight into the working of society and the world.