The
Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) has been set up in
the
service of education specialising in the area of linking education with
culture. In its academic programmes it has conducted pedagogical research
in the study of methodologies for providing a cultural input in curriculum
teaching. The CCRT organises a variety of training programmes for administrators,
teacher educators, inservice teachers of all levels and students. These
aim at sensitising the participants to the aesthetic and cultural norms
governing all creative expressions. Educational visits to historical
sites
and museums encourage participants to use these as extended centres of
learning. The major focus of the training, however, is on project work
and preparation
of action plans for integrating various educational disciplines using
a cultural base. The training also provides an opportunity to acquire
skills
in traditional arts and crafts so that this knowledge may be used to
discover the creative potential of the students.To supplement the training,
the CCRT
collects resources in the form of sound recordings, slides and photographs,
films and other audio-visual materials on the arts and crafts. These
are
then used to produce teaching materials for creating an understanding
and appreciation of the diversity’and continuity of the Indian cultural
traditions.The CCRT’s audio-visual and publication material on the
arts and crafts of India are being widely used for cultural education. Though
some of these materials focus on a specific art form they are also used
to enrich teaching of different disciplines of the curriculum. The publications
include sets of illustrated material ‘with suggested activities
for students and teachers. The slides, with descriptions cover a wide
range
of cultural manifestations. The audio and video cassettes on the traditional
performing arts and on historical and cultural sites are informative
and
aesthetically produced. The CCRT is implementing the Cultural Talent
Search Scholarship Scheme and is giving scholarships to talented school
going children
to study the traditional arts and crafts of their regions.The CCRT has
instituted a few awards for trained teachers who are doing commendable
work in the
field of education and culture.
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