School Building As a Learning Aid  (BALA)

BaLA (Building as Learning Aid) is an innovative concept towards qualitative improvement in education, through intervention in school building infrastructure. 

What is BALA ?

BaLA is a way to holistically plan and use the school infrastructure. It incorporates the ideas of activity based learning, child friendliness and inclusive education for children with special needs (CWSN). At the core, it assumes that the architecture of school can be a resource for the teaching-learning processes.

Since buildings are the most expensive physical assets of a school, efforts should be made to derive maximum educational value from them. Thus, BaLA is about exploring uniqueness of three dimensional space as a child friendly learning resource for all children. 

The building elements of normal concrete shapes are modified innovatively to involve children creatively. The different elements of BaLA may be located in interior and exterior spaces like classrooms, corridors and backyard so that a variety of learning situation are generated across the school space. The built structure of the school can also provide shelter during educational activities.

Examples of BaLA implementation

The different elements which have been considered and constructed by SSA in different schools of Gujarat are given below:

Alphabet shape Board 

Grooved Writing Patterns on Walls 

Measurement Scales 

Door Angle Protector 

Planetary Orbits on Ground 

Map of Classrooms

Map of the School on a Platform 

Map of a State Country 

And many more......😇😇