Learning in India has traditionally revolved around examination-focused, rote-based methods, especially in government-run schools. While rote learning helps learners memorise content and perform well academically, it often does not allow students to develop their creative skills, think critically, understand concepts, or engage with lessons. Recent discussions on education in India are more focused on moving toward learning that is experiential, child-centric, and skill-based. The National Education Policy (NEP 2020) and the NIPUN Bharat Mission strongly recommend joyful and experiential learning in classrooms.

This paper analyses the shift from rote learning to experiential learning in Indian public school education systems. Constructivist and progressive theories of education, as articulated by John Dewey, Lev Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, David Kolb, and Paulo Freire, will be discussed. These theories highlight that experiential learning aids learners in comprehending more effectively, promotes independence, allows socialisation, evokes emotion, and enables meaningful knowledge acquisition. In addition, issues related to the introduction of experiential learning methods into school education have been addressed, including infrastructure constraints, large class sizes, examination pressures, inadequate training, and rigid curriculum designs. At the same time, the benefits of experiential learning have been highlighted.

Drawing on the literature, pedagogical analysis, and policy interpretation, the paper shows that experiential learning is more than a pedagogical technique; rather, it is an educational philosophy with the power to transform classrooms into humanistic settings and to enable children's learning. This research concludes that any sustainable change in government schools is possible through learner-centric pedagogical practice.

 Keywords: child-centred education, foundational literacy, experiential learning, curriculum, rote learning, pedagogy