Discussion on Differences Between India and Norway: Focus on Child Rearing

On the rooftops of sunny Delhi, children exchange notebooks for pots. When tiny sprouts appear, they absorb knowledge about food, nature, and responsibility in ways that cannot be taught only in a classroom.

The Origin of the Idea

Pragati Chaswal did not initially aim to change the education system. Her initial goal was for her son to eat more vegetables. However, a small home garden gradually turned into something much larger.

Everything changed when she watched her son care for the plants. She notes: 'He began to feel a connection to the soil, watching the plants grow and understanding that plants, just like him, need care. It was a world of learning that textbooks could never teach.'

Creating the Educational Program

Inspired by this experience, Pragati founded the 'SowGood Foundation' and developed a three-year curriculum. Today, 78,000 children in 28 schools are learning the principles of urban farming.

Children do not just read about composting or climate change; they grow food daily, prepare compost, and gain practical experience in sustainable development. Pragati emphasizes: 'The experience of interacting with nature is learning in its purest form.'

Integration into the Curriculum

Any unused space—from hallways and rooftops to classroom windows and recycled bottles—can become a healthy learning garden. She reminds schools: 'There is always a way to find a place.'

Fast-growing crops such as microgreens, mint, and spinach maintain children's interest. They harvest fresh produce, cook it at home, and proudly share their experiences in class.

The gardens become living classrooms where lessons in science, mathematics, and language come alive. Measuring plots, tracking growth, and keeping observations give meaning to every lesson.

Developing Children's Responsibility

As children water, compost, and tend to their plots, they begin to make decisions and solve problems together. Pragati explains: 'When children feel that the farm belongs to them, they start taking responsibility.'

For Pragati, the ultimate goal is not a single gardening event but long-term change. She believes that schools should start small but remain committed to the cause, making farming a permanent part of education.

Ten years after the #FeesMustFall protests brought university funding to the center of national debate in South Africa, thousands of students continue to struggle with affording higher education.

The Funding Problem Remains Relevant

Despite a decade of discussion and good intentions, many students, especially those from low and middle-income families, remain outside the higher education funding system. The rising cost of living, complex economic conditions, and intense competition for state resources make sustainable and predictable support inaccessible to too many people.

In fact, the need is growing faster than the available support, leading students to bear emotional and financial consequences. While some receive full funding and others can support themselves, a large group falls in between. These students, often termed the 'missing middle class,' frequently come from households whose income is too high to qualify for many traditional forms of aid but too low to realistically cover tuition, accommodation, transport, study materials, and other necessary expenses.

Consequences of Financial Pressure

As a result, students are forced to work long hours in part-time jobs, take fewer modules than they could academically, skip meals, or drop out entirely when financial strain becomes unbearable.

Initiatives to Bridge the Gap

ISFAP is at the forefront of efforts to bridge this gap by combining funding with structured comprehensive support. Through partnerships with donors, corporations, and institutions, ISFAP focuses on students from impoverished backgrounds and the 'missing middle class,' particularly in priority fields such as engineering, medical sciences, ICT, and other critical skills.

The program provides not only support for tuition and living expenses but also elements like mentorship, psychosocial assistance, and academic support. These factors play a key role in helping students not just enroll in university, but complete their studies and transition into employment.

Sustainable Funding Models

Early results demonstrate that this approach can improve retention and graduation rates among funded students, even in a challenging economic environment where families face increasing pressure and labor markets are unstable. Sustainable funding models now involve not increasing expenditure, but leveraging partnerships, improving student performance, and maximizing the return on every unit of currency spent.

During Mandela Month, the question is not whether the country spoke loudly enough about the right to education. Instead, the real question is whether South Africa is organizing its resources, partnerships, and innovations in a way that truly opens doors for those who need it most, a decade after #FeesMustFall.

ISFAP believes that no single organization can solve the student funding crisis. However, by sharing what works and highlighting existing gaps, the organization hopes to contribute to a more honest national dialogue on how to support the next generation of graduates. Werner Abrahams, CEO of the Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme (ISFAP), emphasizes that the focus post-#FeesMustFall must be on practical, scalable funding solutions, and calls on potential partners to join in shaping the future of student support.

The Knowledge Arena project, developed in collaboration between teachers and students of the Architecture and Urbanism course at Centro Universitário Senac, together with Estudio Guto Requena, aims to create an environment that promotes welcome, permanence, and exchange.

Connection between fields of study

This initiative unites the fields of architecture, sustainability, and education, proposing an in-depth reflection on how relationships between individuals, knowledge, and spaces can be built.