Gijubhai Badheka was a pioneer in pre-primary education in India who founded the first preschool, Balmandir, in 1920. The book Divaswapna documents his experiment in implementing child-centered teaching methods with 4th standard children. He challenged the traditional examination-focused system and advocated letting children learn through enjoyment. His new techniques like activity-based learning were initially resisted but proved successful in developing students' writing, speaking, hygiene and zeal for learning. The book highlights the importance of treating children with humanism rather than behaviorism.

1. DIVASWAPNA
By group 1 ( Heena Saini , Neha
Verma, Preeti (1220), Ritu
Rana, Vijeta, Nikita, Himanshi)

2. About The Author
Gijubhai Badheka
Girijashanker
Badheka, generally known
as Gijubhai, the most
outstanding personality in the
field of pre-primary education
was born on November
15,1885.

3.  He began his career by practicing as a high court
lawyer.
 In 1913, the birth of his son set him thinking about
child upbringing and child development.
 Looking for new ideas in education, he discovered
the writings of Maria Montessori. So impressed was
he, that he left his legal practice to devote himself to
children and education.
 In 1920 he founded the first preprimary school –
Balmandir.

4. Introduction
 Divaswapna was first published in Gujarati
language in 1932 and was translated into different
languages subsequently.
 The book was broadly divided into four main parts - the experiment begins
- the progress of the experiment
- at the end of the term
- the last gathering
 These four chapters bring into light the concepts,
the experiment, the challenges and the outcomes.

5. Background
The author, Mr. Gijubhai Badheka, was a strong
antagonist of the existing education system which he
incidentally called in his book “the old servile system”.
He was strongly against the kind of school whose sole
objective was to teach and guide students to overcome
the ultimate test at the end of the year called the
“examination”.
He has propounded a new and different perspective,
concept and method of his own to counter the
existing system

6. He propagated that school should be a place where
children feel free to learn, enjoy and like.
Teacher should be like a friend and not feared by
children. Children should develop the zeal to learn and
experience the joy of learning in the school.
With his enthusiasm to highlight the fault in the
existing system through his own concept, he took the
extra step in convincing the Education Officer to
provide him the opportunity to experiment his concept
in the school, which he succeeds with his
perseverance.

7. He has experimented these concepts among the
4th Standard children in a school in Gujarat. This
book “Divaswapna” is where he put down into paper
his experiences in the entire process.

8. Challenges
Orthodox teaching method
- Rote memorization
- Corporal Punishment
- Reinforcement
Personal Cleanliness
Physical fitness
Lack of resources

9. New Methods of Teaching
Mr. Gijubhai introduces number of new technique in
teaching, which, others teacher felt very threatening to.
However, his new methods of teaching work out very
successfully with the children. Through these methods,
children developed the art of writing, speaking, orderly
behavior, hygiene or cleanliness. In short, children
attained the zeal of learning and experience the joy of it.

10. HUMANISITIC APPROACH
Humanism concentrate upon the development of the child's selfconcept. If the child feels good about him or herself then that is a
positive start.
Feeling good about oneself would involve an understanding of
ones' strengths and weaknesses, and a belief in one's ability to
improve.
Learning is not an end in itself; It is the means to progress
towards the pinnacle of self-development, which Maslow terms
'Self-actualisation'.

11. A child learns because he or she is inwardly driven, and
derives his or her reward from the sense of achievement
that having learned something affords. This would differ
from the behaviorist view that would expect extrinsic
rewards to be more effective. Extrinsic rewards are rewards
from the outside world, e.g. praise, money, gold stars, etc.
Intrinsic rewards are rewards from within oneself, rather like
a satisfaction of a need.
This accords with the humanistic approach, where
education is really about creating a need within the child, or
instilling within the child self-motivation. Behaviorism is
about rewards from others. Humanism is about rewarding
yourself!

13. Theoretical Linkages
 Behaviorism
 Humanistic approach i.e. child centered
teaching
 Peer learning
 Curriculum
 Attitude

14. Peer Learning
 Children learn from their peer groups more easily than
their teacher.
 Students learn a great deal by explaining their ideas to
Humanistic approach i.e. child centered
others and by participating in activities in which they can
teaching
learn from their peers.
 They develop skills in organizing and planning learning
activities, working collaboratively with others, giving and
receiving feedback and evaluating their own learning.

15. Curriculum

Curriculum was started in 1918
 All the learning which is planned and guided by the
school or teacher whether it is carried out in groups or
individuals. It comes from latin word which means to
learn a course.
 Indian education curriculum does not explain the
primary education as such. Importance should be given
to primers and primary education system.

16. Attitude
 Teacher‟s attitude towards children matter a lot.
Basic trust and understanding must be there.
 Teacher should act as a „facilitator‟ rather than an
authoritative figure.


17. What We liked About Book




Activity based learning
Height of teaching
Montessori Approach
Breaking the orthodox education system

18. What We Did not like About
Book
 The story tells about the height of teaching which seems
impractical at many points of time.
 For instance :
ANTAKDI a game in which students have to recite a
poem from the last word like we do in the game of
antakshri.
I don’t think students of standard 4 are capable of playing
such games in practical.

19.  The story tells how deeply the casteism was rooted in
Indian society at that time. Though the caste division is
a reality but the time young educationist like laxmiram in
story asks about the caste of a particular child to know
his background does not seems good to me. He could
have asked about child’s father occupation or something
else.

20. Conclusion
"The primary purpose of a school is to guide the child‟s discovery
of his or herself and his/her world and to identify and mature the
child‟s talents.
Just as each seed contains the future tree, each child is born with
infinite potential. In the article he suggests that many teachers and
parents try to be potters instead of Gardeners in moulding their
children‟s future.” Imagine a school in which sees children as
seeds to be nurtured-here the teacher is a gardener who tries to
bring out the potential already present in the child.
The author Gijubhai Badheka in Divaswapna has made an attempt
to explain possible areas for developing knowledge and learning
skills of a pupil which intern helps all round development of the
child