Socially Useful Productive Work (SUPW) is a "purposive productive work and services related to the needs of the child and the community, which will be proved meaningful to the learner. Such work must not be performed mechanically but must include planning, analysis and detailed preparation, at every stage so that it is educational. Adoption of improved tools and materials, where available and the adoption of modern techniques will lead to an appreciation of the needs of a progressive society based on technology." Students learn to work as a team, with skill and deftness. It was introduced in 1978, by the

Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

to promote

Gandhian The followers of Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest figure of the Indian independence movement, are called Gandhians. Gandhi's legacy includes a wide range of ideas ranging from his dream of ideal India (or ''Rama Rajya)'', economics, environmentalism, ...

values and educational ideas of

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

. SUPW remains an ancillary, but a mandatory part of the course curriculum in schools affiliated with the

Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) is a privately held national-level board of school education in India that conducts the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) Examination for Class X and the Indi ...

(CISCE), which conducts two examinations in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

: the

Indian Certificate of Secondary Education The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) is an examination conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, a private board designed to provide an examination in a course of general education, in accordance wi ...

(ICSE) and the Indian School Certificate (ISC). It is taught in some

Central Board of Secondary Education The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a national level board of education in India for public and private schools, controlled and managed by the Government of India. Established in 1929 by a resolution of the government, the Board ...

(CBSE) schools, which include

Kendriya Vidyalaya The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan () is a system of central government schools in India that are instituted under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, Government of India. , it has a total of 1,248 schools in India, and three abroad in Moscow ...

and

Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) is a system of central schools for talented students predominantly from rural areas in India. They are run by Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, Noida, an autonomous organization under the Department of School Educa ...

schools. In addition to developing individual skills, SUPW helps in developing among the students the habit to work as a community, increase awareness of scientific advancements and develop a scientific outlook. The training acquired in the classroom helps students solve the day-to-day problems of the community.

History

Recommending education through craft, Mahatma Gandhi said, "The core of my suggestion, is to give skills and knowledge in craft to students from 8th standard and goes on until the students have reached the 12th standard. It is for both production of work and for developing intellect of the pupils". This idea was taken forward by the Kothari Commission (1964–66), which suggested introduction of 'work experience' in education. Subsequently, after the recommendations of 'Ishwarbhai Patel Committee' (July, 1977), which first coined the term 'Socially Useful Productive Work' or SUPW, the subject was first introduced to the

school curriculum In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...

in 1978, by

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

Crafts and Hobbies

As per the "Program of Action of the National Policy on Education of 1986", which emphasizes the promotion of culture and creativity in school children, SUPW curriculum may also include, Pottery, Clay Modeling,

Papier-mâché upright=1.3, Mardi Gras papier-mâché masks, Haiti upright=1.3, Papier-mâché Catrinas, traditional figures for day of the dead celebrations in Mexico Papier-mâché (, ; , literally "chewed paper") is a composite material consisting of p ...

, Mask Making, Tie & Dye,

Rangoli Rangoli is an art form that originates from in the Indian subcontinent, in which patterns are created on the floor or a tabletop using materials such as powdered lime stone, red ochre, dry rice flour, coloured sand, quartz powder, flower petal ...

, Wall decoration, Cane work, Bamboo work, Bookbinding, Paper toys, etc.

References

Additional sources

Socially Useful Productive Work
Board of Secondary Education, Madhya Pradesh * *

External links

* {{School education in India Education in India 1978 introductions

History

Crafts and Hobbies

Further reading

References

Additional sources

See also

External links