Humanistic education in north-west India
- Dr. Harmeet Kaur
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
By Dr Harmeet Kaur
Can schools do more than prepare children for exams and employment? Harmeet Kaur describes an innovative fellowship programme in north-west India that seeks to nurture critical thinking, emotional maturity and humanitarian values through experiential learning.
Dr Kaur is Clinical Psychologist & Fellowship Director at the International School of Humanitarian Thoughts and Practices, India.
Humanism has always affirmed that every individual possesses the capacity to think critically, act compassionately, and contribute meaningfully to society. Yet in today’s world, these capacities cannot be taken for granted. Children and young people are growing up amid information overload, increasing emotional stress, social polarisation, digital manipulation and growing intolerance. The challenge for educators is therefore not merely to impart knowledge but also to nurture individuals who can think independently, regulate themselves wisely, and uphold the dignity of all human beings.
This challenge has guided the work of the International School of Humanistic Thoughts and Practices in Kurukshetra, Haryana, in north-west India.
The school was established to carry forward a tradition of humanistic education inspired by the work of Swami Satyanandan Manavatavadi (1960-2018), whose lifelong mission was to promote humanitarian values through education, dialogue and social engagement. His vision was that education should not simply produce knowledgeable individuals but thoughtful, compassionate human beings capable of contributing to a more peaceful and just society.
Building upon this legacy while responding to contemporary psychological and educational challenges, the International School launched the Confirmed Intellect and Self-Regulation Fellowship Program in 2025.
Our objective is straightforward but ambitious: to cultivate confirmed intellect, self-regulation, humanitarian values, and the capacity for constructive resistance among children, adolescents and young adults.
Why ‘Confirmed Intellect’?
We deliberately chose the expression confirmed intellect because intelligence alone is not sufficient for the twenty-first century. Children today have access to more information than any previous generation. What they often lack is the ability to evaluate that information thoughtfully, distinguish evidence from opinion, recognise manipulation, and make ethical decisions independently. Confirmed intellect refers to an intellect that is reflective rather than reactive; evidence-based rather than dogmatic; and open to dialogue while remaining capable of independent judgement. A confirmed intellect enables young people to question prejudice, challenge misinformation, appreciate diversity, and make reasoned decisions grounded in both critical inquiry and human dignity.
Self-Regulation: The Foundation of Ethical Freedom
Freedom becomes meaningful only when accompanied by responsibility. For this reason, the fellowship places equal emphasis on self-regulation – the ability to understand emotions, regulate impulses, manage frustration, sustain attention, communicate respectfully, and respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively. Psychological research consistently demonstrates that these capacities influence not only mental wellbeing but also empathy, learning, relationships, leadership and ethical decision-making. Our experience as psychologists and educators has reinforced the belief that children become more compassionate when they first learn to understand themselves.
Learning Through Experience
The fellowship is intentionally different from conventional educational programmes. Rather than relying primarily on lectures, we use interactive workshops and experiential learning as the central mode of education. Children and young people participate in carefully designed activities that include:
collaborative problem-solving
reflective dialogue
expressive arts
storytelling
role-play and simulations
ethical decision-making exercises
mindfulness and attention training
creative projects
emotional regulation activities
guided self-reflection
Each workshop concludes with discussion and reflection, allowing participants to connect personal experiences with broader humanistic principles. Through this approach, empathy is practised rather than preached, critical thinking is developed through questioning rather than memorisation, and humanitarian values emerge through experience rather than instruction alone.
Humanism Across Development
One of the distinguishing features of the fellowship is that it recognises human development as a lifelong process. At present, 32 participants, ranging in age from 5 to 24 years, are enrolled in the programme. Rather than offering identical instruction to every participant, the fellowship is organised into age-specific learning groups, each with developmentally appropriate objectives, activities and training modules. Younger children engage in play-based experiential learning that strengthens emotional awareness, cooperation, imagination and self-control. Older children and adolescents participate in increasingly sophisticated activities involving critical thinking, ethical reasoning, communication, leadership, conflict resolution and community engagement. Young adults explore humanitarian leadership, reflective practice, social responsibility and the practical application of humanistic principles in professional and civic life.
Although the learning experiences differ across age groups, they are united by a common purpose: enabling every participant to become a reflective, emotionally balanced, socially responsible and ethically engaged human being.
Teaching Constructive Resistance
Another distinctive feature of the fellowship is its emphasis on constructive resistance. Resistance, in our understanding, is not hostility or confrontation. It is the courage to resist prejudice, discrimination, misinformation, emotional manipulation, violence and dehumanisation while remaining committed to reason, dialogue, compassion and respect for human dignity. Children learn that resistance often begins with everyday actions:
refusing to participate in bullying
challenging stereotypes
supporting someone who is excluded
questioning misinformation
speaking truth respectfully
making ethical choices despite peer pressure
Such acts may appear small, yet they are precisely the behaviours upon which democratic and humanistic societies depend.
Psychology and Humanism Working Together
As a clinical psychologist, I have long believed that psychological development and humanistic education are inseparable. Children who become emotionally aware think more clearly. Those who regulate themselves communicate more respectfully. Those who learn reflective thinking become less vulnerable to manipulation. Those who experience compassion become more capable of extending it to others. For this reason, the fellowship integrates insights from developmental psychology, social-emotional learning, reflective practice, expressive arts and experiential education within a distinctly humanistic educational framework.
Looking Towards the Future
The Confirmed Intellect and Self-Regulation Fellowship is still young, yet it represents an important educational experiment. Rather than asking how children can become more competitive, we ask how they can become more humane. As well as preparing them for employment, we seek to prepare them for responsible citizenship, thoughtful leadership, ethical decision-making, and compassionate participation in society.
Humanism has always affirmed the possibility of human growth. We believe that such growth begins early in life, through experiences that encourage reflection, empathy, dialogue, courage and intellectual independence. If we hope to build societies grounded in freedom, justice, reason and compassion, then education must cultivate not only knowledgeable minds but also balanced emotions, ethical judgement and humanitarian commitment.
The future of humanism will be shaped not only through philosophical debate but also through the everyday experiences of children who learn to think critically, regulate themselves wisely, and recognise the equal dignity of every human being. The Confirmed Intellect and Self-Regulation Fellowship is our contribution to that future.
About the Fellowship
The Confirmed Intellect and Self-Regulation Fellowship Program was launched in 2025 by the International School of Humanistic Thoughts and Practices. It currently serves 32 participants aged 5–24 years through developmentally tailored modules delivered using workshops, experiential learning, reflective dialogue, creative arts and community-based activities. It aims to foster confirmed intellect, self-regulation, humanitarian values and constructive resistance in the next generation.
Contact
Dr. Harmeet Kaur
International School of Humanitarian Thoughts and Practices
+91 8743001881
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