That was enough for us to consider a program where we could explore with Ashna something that most of us had not come across earlier. The possibility that mathematics does not exist in isolation, that it is fully connected with life in all its fullness is something we felt we should explore. Ashna’s many years of teaching in a Krishnamurti school at Brockwood, U K and also the influence that J Krishnamurti’s teachings had on her are evident in her approach to the subject and to education.
So, that is how an online program was arranged on Sunday 10 October. We are so grateful to Sayan Mukerji for readily agreeing to explore through a conversation with Ashna. For him, that meant reading the book thoroughly in preparation. Sayan brings a lot of passion to everything he does, whether it is chess or music or writing poetry or anchoring programs. We knew we could depend on Sayan to explore all the various dimensions of the book and how it came about. And that is what he did so beautifully.
We are happy that the audience got quite involved and some interesting questions were put to Ashna during interaction time. That involvement in a spirit of openness and inquiry brought a lot of life to the program. There is an urgent need to re-imagine not just mathematics but the whole framework of education. The youtube link of the conversation appears below.
Ashna Sen seems to suggest that, like in all matters of education, there is much more to Mathematics than what we see. In the last chapter of her book, the following words sum it all up quite beautifully. ‘Why are we not drawn to mathematics, a subject of such immense reach. This and many such questions form the philosophical basis for this reimagination. Since many topics in the book like art, poetry and nature’s patterns have influenced the development of mathematics, can we devise a curriculum for ourselves that takes the subject as emergent from the Humanities. Or from the art and act of living – from the acknowledgement of nature as our first classroom’.
I’m reading Krishnamurti now; already came across excerpts & quotes from his writings every now and then, now trying to read him extensively. I’d be great to be notified of new blog posts. Thank you.