At Akshar Forum in Pamohi, Guwahati, students bring plastic waste from their homes each week as their school fees. Founded in 2016 by Mazin Mukhtar and Parmita Sarma, the school combines academics with vocational and environmental learning. Collected plastic is recycled into eco-bricks and other useful products, linking education with waste management and practical skills.
Turning Waste Into A Learning Resource
Akshar Forum was established in 2016 in Pamohi, Assam, as a model school focused on combining conventional education with practical learning. The school was founded by Mazin Mukhtar and Parmita Sarma, who developed an approach that connects classroom education with skills, environmental responsibility and community needs.
One of its most distinctive practices is its weekly “Plastic School Fees” system. Students bring clean plastic waste collected from their homes instead of paying conventional school fees. The school’s official website says students contribute plastic waste from their homes each week, while older students are also involved in collecting plastic from surrounding households.
The idea turns something commonly treated as waste into an educational resource. Rather than allowing plastic to be discarded or burned, students learn how it can be collected, sorted and processed. The model therefore places environmental responsibility alongside regular learning.
The school’s approach has also been publicly highlighted by the Government of India. In a 2023 edition of Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to Akshar Forum in Assam and said students collect plastic waste each week, which is used to make products including eco-friendly bricks and key chains.
From Plastic Waste To Eco-Bricks And Products
At Akshar, recycling is incorporated into the learning process. According to the school, students and teens work with collected plastic to create eco-bricks used for construction. The school also makes products such as flower pots, dog bowls, jewellery and other items from waste plastic.
Earlier reporting by The Week described how the school’s recycling centre processed non-recyclable, dry plastic packaging into eco-bricks. Between 20 and 40 packets of plastic waste could be packed into a single discarded plastic bottle to create a sturdy brick for simple construction work.
The recycling process is part of a broader curriculum that combines academics with vocational education. Students can learn skills such as carpentry, gardening, recycling, tailoring, electrical work and teaching. The school’s model links these activities with academic subjects, allowing students to apply classroom concepts to practical tasks.
The model also gives older students opportunities to take on responsibilities within the school. They can help younger children, work in areas such as gardening and recycling, assist with school operations and participate in building or repairing classroom infrastructure. Akshar says these activities are intended to encourage self-sufficiency and help students develop practical and professional skills.
Connecting Education With Environmental Responsibility
The plastic-fee system is part of Akshar’s wider effort to make schools centres for environmental awareness. Its education model encourages students to participate in activities that directly address needs within their communities.
The school says students learn about ecology and responsible environmental stewardship while actively maintaining their surroundings. Alongside plastic recycling, students grow food, plant trees and participate in other activities connected to sustainability.
The initiative also reflects a wider concern around plastic waste in communities. Earlier reporting on Akshar described how the school developed its recycling system to prevent plastic from being discarded or burned and to give students a practical role in addressing the problem.
Rather than treating environmental education as a subject confined to textbooks, Akshar integrates it into everyday school activities. Students encounter the entire process: collecting waste, sorting it, learning how it can be reused and, in some cases, turning it into products.
Beyond One School
Akshar’s work has expanded beyond its model school. Its official website says the foundation is working with government schools in Assam and training teachers to implement elements of its education model. The organisation describes Akshar Forum as a free, 100-student model school and says it has launched a project to implement its NEP 2020 model in 100 government schools in Assam over three years.
The foundation also says it has partnered with the Government of India to provide training and equipment for teachers in 100 Assam government schools. The training includes areas such as student tracking, peer learning, vocational and entrepreneurship training, instructional technology and sustainable community development.
Akshar has separately described a Swachh Schools Campaign launched with Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and the Guwahati Municipal Corporation, under which students in government and private schools segregate plastic waste and bring it to school for recycling.
The model therefore extends beyond the simple idea of replacing money with plastic. Its central approach is to connect education with practical skills, environmental responsibility and community participation.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Akshar Forum’s plastic-fee model demonstrates one way schools can incorporate environmental responsibility into everyday education. Students are not only taught about waste management but also participate in collecting and reusing plastic. By combining recycling with vocational training and academic learning, the initiative presents environmental action as part of the school experience rather than a separate activity. Its expansion into government-school programmes also reflects an effort to apply elements of the model beyond its original campus.
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