Education
He studied in England at the University of London - SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) and returned to India to work as a teacher of English, first in Mysore and then at Rishi Valley School.
He studied in England at the University of London - SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) and returned to India to work as a teacher of English, first in Mysore and then at Rishi Valley School.
He first came to India in 1943 while serving with the Royal Air Force. He felt very much at home in the region and was moved by the poverty and poor educational opportunities for rural children he encountered while living in a small village in the North East. After the war, on his return to the United Kingdom he vowed to return to India and become involved in education.
He also worked with the British Council in India and the National Council of Educational Research and Training.
He later founded a school, Neel Bagh in Kolar district - about 100 km outside Bangalore. He is known for his contributions to the area of educational reform, especially the introduction of Activity-based learning.
David Horsburgh introduced a variety of learning approaches and these creative methods involved taking part in a range of activities. These pedagogic materials were systematically planned, with sketches and drawings and an occasional touch of humour.
In modern times this approach to education has been followed in the Corporation schools of Chennai, from 2003, as an effort to provide special schools for children who had been freed from bonded labour.
David Horsburgh was a man of many talents - carpenter, poet, author, educationalist, teacher, classic car enthusiast, artist and linguist. He had many friends and was known for being gregarious, overly generous and full of ideas and pranks. His ideas and methodology around teaching practice were highly regarded by many.