The child is the centre of all our aspirations. He is the protector of our country, Dharma (Religion) and culture. The development of our culture and civilization is implicit in the development of the child's personality. A child today holds the key for tomorrow. To relate the child with his land and his ancestors is the direct, clear and unambiguous mandate for education. We have to achieve the all round development of the child through education and sanskar i.e. inculcation of time honored values and traditions.
First Saraswati Shishu Mandir
This was the dream which, in 1952 inspired some RSS workers to take up education of children as a mission of their life. The people engaged in this noble task of nation building through proper education of younger generation, laid the foundation of the first school at Gorakhpur in a building rented at a monthly rent of five rupees. After due consideration, they named their school as Saraswati Shishu Mandir-Temple of the Goddess Saraswati dedicated to the children. Thanks to their zeal, dedication and hard work that such like schools began to be established at other places also. Prior to this Gita school was started at Kurukshetra in 1946. The foundation stone of this school was laid by Shri M.S.Golwalker- revered Shri Guru Ji.
The number of such schools increased rapidly in Uttar Pradesh. A state level Shishu Shiksha Prabandh Samiti was formed in 1958 for their proper guidance and planned development. Good education & sound sanskars at the Saraswati Shishu Mandirs earned for them due recognition, honour and popularity in the society. They spread in the other states also. Consequently Within a few years many schools had been established in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar & other states. People began to send their children to these schools in preference to christian convent-schools and over so-called public schools. In Saraswati Shishu Mandirs the children could learn about their Hindu culture.
State level committees were set-up in other states also as the number of schools began to increase there. Punjab and Chandigarh had a Sarvhitkari Shiksha Samiti while Haryana had Hindu Shiksha Samiti.The formation of all India body came in 1977 as a natural corollary of this process. Thus Vidya Bharati was established with its Registered office at Lucknow & functional headquarters in Delhi. All state level committees were affiliated to this Vidya Bharati Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Sansthan.
Vidya Bharati the greatest non-Govt. Educational Organisation.
Except Lakshdeep and Mizoram in the whole of the country, there are more than fifty state and Regional Committees affiliated to Vidya Bharati. Under these committees about 24,300 institutions are functioning where 30,02,820 lakh students under the able guidance of 1,30,278 teachers attain sanskars and education. VBABSS is running some teacher lraining Colleges besides 2624 effectively, ....teacher training colleges, ... degree colleges, 2624 High and Sr. Secondary schools, 13,345 Pre-primary & Primary schools, 8,331 Single teacher schools & Sanskar Kendra (Sanskar Kendras) and 7 Vocational & Technical Institutions. This nationwide Endeavour of Vidya Bharati for the spread of education through net work of educational institutions needs financial support them the society to make them viable, so as to impart education and environment for all round development of Children i.e. physical culture mental, emotional and spiritual development.
Vidya Bharati institutions function under a variety of names like Shishu Vatika, Shishu Mandir, Vidya Mandir Saraswati Vidyalaya, Higher Secondary Schools, Training Centers and Research Institutions. These are located in towns and villages, tribal belts and hilly terrains and even in slum localities. The number of schools, students and teachers is continuously increasing. Consequently, contact with parents and the Hindu society at large is also growing and is progressively influencing every section of the Hindu society. Vidya Bharati is today the largest voluntary educational organization in the country.
Basis of Vidya Bharati Educational Renaissance-Hindu Philosophy of Life.
Vidya Bharati is of firm opinion that education will be useful for a person and nation at large which has its roots in Hindutuva. So it is crystal clear that revival of Hindu Philosophy is the be-all and end-all of our educational Renaissance. The aim of education and the basic concepts of the development of the personality of the child are based on this philosophy.
Bharatiya Psychology- the basis of Educational Training.
Psychological needs of the child should form the very basis of educational Training. Even after fifty years of independence the prevalent system of education in India has its roots in Western way of fulfillment of life, But according of Hindu Philosophy, the all-round development of the personality of the child is not possible without spiritual development. The Western philosophy based on the concepts of Darvin & Trevd cant impart fullness to life. That is why Vidya Bharati has laid maximum emphasis upon Bharatiya psychology and made it the very basis of her system of education baptized as 'Saraswati Panchapadiya Shiksha Vidhi' These five steps are : 1. Adhiti, 2. Bodh, 3. Abhiyas, 4. Prayog, 5. Prasar-Sawadhiya and Pravachan and the philosophy of all round development of child is based on unfoldmans of five koshas i.e. Annamaya Kosha, Pranmaya Kosha, Manomaya Kosha, Jyannamaya Kosha & Ananamaya Kosha as envisaged in our upanishidie philosophy.
This philosophy has gained public esteem & appraisal in form of 'Saraswati Shishu Mandir' education system at primary stage and Vidya Mandir system of education at secondary & senior secondary level. education system at pre-primary stage.