Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto/
These are the planets which orbit round the Sun/
And they move so slowly you'll never see them run...

Mother Goose may not approve, but Rashmi and Jehangir Palkhivala say the rhymes they have penned for their own children -- dropouts from a stifling system but more erudite than others of their age -- are both easy to recite while also functioning as learning aids.

Far from the limiting, institutional confines of a formal education, Rishaya (5) and her brother Paritosh (3) are getting an education at home. Using the parent-child bond to personalise the learning process and the real world as their classroom, the Palkhivalas, residents of Pedder Road, feel there is no substitute for a hands-on education.

Explains Rashmi, a former model and speech and drama school teacher: ``Our bonding with the children has been so strong that both Rishaya and Paritosh were delivered at home. Thus, when we enrolled Rishayato a reputed school, we were uncomfortable with the sudden wrenching it entailed.''

Adds Jehangir, a yoga instructor: ``A school imposes so many curbs on one's natural impulses... tests and marksheets to boot. Even to go to the toilet, the poor child has to take permission. This affects the free flow of thought and feeling. In a school education, individuality remains dormant. We did not want that.''

As the children are still very young, reading and writing are not yet in focus. ``Rishaya wanted it, and so we taught her. We are more into doing stuff together -- hands-on experience -- like pottery, candle-making, Warli art,'' says Rashmi. Story-telling coupled with effective use of music is an important vehicle of learning, the Palhkivalas explain. So, every time they narrate a story (reading from books is a no-no as this gives little opportunity to emote), select background scores lace the sessions.

But the rhythm of learning has a logic as well. ``When Paritosh wanted to know about Hitler, I told himabout other conquerors as well. The teaching itself is not a conscious process. It is more a matter of imbibing. For instance, they are taught to identify numbers and concepts like multiplication through memory games,'' says Jehangir.

Advocating the cause of creative learning, Rashmi says that by two and a half years old, the children could identify more than just the primary colours, thanks to art and painting.

The Palkhivalas say they also invite friends who are specilaists to spend time with their children. ``Of course, we are not proficient in everything. So when we wanted our children to learn Gujarati and Marathi, we asked two women whom we know to teach them,'' says Rashmi.

Decision-making is taught through mundane experiences but the heightened consciousness that is fostered is invaluable in teaching the children to make choices, the Palkhivalas say. ``For instance, animal and dairy products are not encouraged. In school, they tend to offer tiffin that may not tally with the home rules. Today,my children are very aware of this. So, if Rishaya goes for white bread one day, she compensates by eating cucumbers later. Or if Paritosh decides to eat chips, he will later opt for raw food,'' adds Rashmi.

For the Palkhivalas, the television set is an idiot-box for the negative influence it has on young minds. ``When Rishaya was a year old, we dispensed with television. Today, the first thing our children do in the morning is look for titles in the bookshelf. Even when they go to places where there is a television, they would rather sit with a book,'' says Rashmi.

But are not the children missing out on social skills learnt primarily in the classroom? The Palkhivalas do not think so. Instead, they feel the interaction they provide, with other children their age and elsewhere, is even more enriching. ``In any case, we are not closed to sending our children to school. My daughter has been to school and chose to stop. If ever they feel like going back, we shall not object,'' says Rashmi. Of course, neitherRashmi nor Jehangir think the need will arise.

DOES IT WORK?

While emphasising the importance of bonding in infancy, educator Nalini Chhugani says that sooner or later, children need the structured environment of a school to assimilate the ways of the world. ``I would not advocate this alternative kind of learning for just any and everyone. Parents need to be extremely erudite and responsible to succeed,'' she says.

Child psychiatrist Harish Shetty says as long as children get the opportunity to play, fight, scream, shout and interact with others their age parents need not send their children to school. ``In fact, thanks to our faulty education system, in years to come alternative education will catch on to the extent that schools and colleges will remain only as centres for examination,'' he remarks.