Building & BALA Initiatives

Building As Learning Aid is popularly known as BALA. BALA concept is basically about developing school buildings as a learning aid. BALA provides children learning opportunities in the school environment and makes learning fun and child-centred. BALA is about exploring the uniqueness of three-dimensional space as a child-friendly learning resource for all children.

BALA project is an innovative concept towards qualitative improvement in education by strengthening learning efforts in school infrastructure and creating a child-friendly environment. These are visual, tactile, olfactory and specially designed kinesthetic movements, which provide unique learning experiences to school children. BALA is classified into three types, Sahaj (natural), Kalaj (seasonal and age) and Yuktikrita (act of intelligence).

BALA aims to enable children to learn in a child-friendly environment from every corner of the school. The building elements of common concrete shapes are innovatively modified to engage children creatively. The concept of using the built environment as a learning aid emerged during 1996-98 when an architecture research and design group was working in 60 rural schools under the Lok Jumbish educational program in Rajasthan, India. BALA paintings stimulate curiosity in children to learn and remember easily.

Kendriya Vidyalaya Silvassa has also made improvements in the current building according to the concept of BALA. Concept of BALA has been given special attention in the new building and that too not only in the architectural or structural plan of the school building but also in the colours used in wall paintings and planation in the vidyalaya premises. Every nook and corner of the vidyalaya building is designed with child-centric approach according to the concept of BALA.