Every Child Can : Riverside School's DesignLed Approach to Empowering Children

by Kiran Bir Sethi, Apoorva Bhandari, Mohan Gudipati

Genres: Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

Published January 31, 2024

Reviews

[Pramila Kudva · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could not have picked up this book Every Child CAN at a better time. With NEP and NCF trying to make a paradigm shift in the educational process, this book demonstrates a change that was achieved not by accident but by design.

The style of writing is simple narrative with case studies and innumerable examples to drive home the point. If you are genuinely interested in making a change, you would find it hard to put the book down.

The author elaborates the 4 habits needed for Cultivating the Design mind set.
Habit 1 stay curious start with Empathy
Habit 2 Co-create Negotiate
Habit 3 Start small Grow Big
Habit 4 show not tell

Author goes on to mention a simplified 4 step process represented by the acronym FIDS
Where F stands for Feel .
I for Imagine
D for Do
S for Share

What struck me most was the Time Table the brain of the school system that holds the innumerable stakeholders together is used as a conscience keeper. The holistic and experiential learning makes the young minds realise ‘Being the change changes the being’.

The school is compared to a garden. The Head of the school by default becomes a gardener. There is a need to water the plants but not so much that It drowns the plant. The manure, the soil these also need nourishment. Finally, not all plants require a similar treatment. This is just what NEP talks about under differentiation.
The author stresses on the need for Role modelling.. ‘Children have never been good at listening to their elders but they have never failed to imitate them’. This statement speaks volumes.

Another interesting concept is the Identity Curriculum. The underlying premise here is that our children have to believe that they are remarkable and not just markable. Perhaps this would bring an end to young minds giving up on their lives.

‘Every child CAN’ is a Page turner.

Dr. Pramila Kudva

[Sindhu Vinod · Rating 4 out of 5]

A uniquely innovative school that places the focus on developing the child’s agency and character at the heart of education is the famous Riverside School founded by Kiran Bir Sethi. The author, an alumnus of NID and an award-winning educator has leveraged the design process to reimagine and rework all aspects of how a school should function. Right from setting the timetable, teacher training, school-community engagement, parent-school relationship, and pedagogy, the design-led approach empowers the child to be confident, creative, and compassionate with an “I CAN “mindset.
The author shares the story and philosophy of how the school was designed and is now a model for multiple schools across borders. The book is informative, inspiring, and practical. Divided into three parts, part one explains the design process and how it can be applied to education, part two showcases the different tools, processes, and practices that Riverside School has developed and implemented and part three discusses the challenges, and opportunities of scaling up and spreading this design-led approach to other schools. Filled with case studies, first-person narratives, and examples of teachers, students, and parents from the Riverside School the book illustrates the impact of the design-led approach that has potential. There are also tips and resources for parents, teachers, or anyone interested in bringing a change in the educational sector.
This book is highly recommended to anyone passionate about education and who wants to learn from a model that is successful and acclaimed globally. It is not only an account of the Riverside School but indeed an invitation to create a sustainable future for every child by joining the movement of design-led education.

[Marcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful and inspiring book for anyone interested in education. I love the way Sethi applies design thinking to every aspect of a school from timetables to curriculum - and then even beyond the borders of the school. A brilliant model and lots of interactive QR codes throughout the text if you want to see how each element works in practice.

[Tashi Lhamo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspirational book by the educator.

[Dandy Dzakyesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book during its launch at Be The Change India 2023 (and got my book signed by Kiran herself!) and had the chance to visit Riverside School.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I think it would be hard to follow for those who never knew about Kiran, Riverside, or Design for Change.

I think it would be better if the book contained more historical and geographical background about India, more on design and education from academic perspectives, more images and context on important moments of the school, and more pages about Design for Change.