Integral Education

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Holistic
Integral education aims to address the physical, emotional and mental aspects of the individual and help a child to understand her/himself from within. It focuses on developing key faculties (abilities and talents) so that a child grows up with not just information and training, but becomes a total individual who goes into a life long journey of evolution and growth. The focus and emphasis shifts in this type of education from information acquisition to self development in its essence.

Friendly atmosphere
The emotional development of students is made possible because of the non-threatening and friendly atmosphere, wherein a child learns to cultivate self-discipline while being sensitive to the needs of others. A joyous involvement of the child in an atmosphere of freedom and support, brings out the best in him. There is an encouragement on the progress of the child at his or her own pace, without constant comparison or competition. A sense of introspection and self-reflection is inculcated, that helps the child to understand values at a deeper level. Further the serene environment help the child to become calm and centered. The child grows with trees, flowers, friends and fun. This creates a space of joy and ease in the heart of the child leading to true emotional development.

Powers of the mind
Integral education focuses on development of the faculties and development of qualities which form the back-bone of all meaningful learning. Language, music, arts, crafts, dance, theatre, scientific exploration, games and sports are a part of the curriculum. The ‘learning by rote’ method is replaced by interesting activities and absorbing projects that greatly stimulate the interest of the child and evoke deeper response from him.

Individual importance
An individualised approach is adopted for children in order to bring out their full potential. Children may have some elements or exercises tailored specifically for their unique talents and needs. It could take the form of extra challenges, special creative exercises, extra or different classes and programmes suited to needs and talents of the individual child. This naturally implies a small number of students in a group to facilitate individual attention (25 per group

At our school emphasis is laid on a holistic approach encompassing the body, the emotional wellbeing, the mental development with strong accent on self understanding and introspection. Our methods and approaches have the following characteristics:

• A friendly, safe, supportive environment that encourages self-discipline and introspection
• An emphasis on inquiry based learning rather than rote based learning
• Inter-disciplinary approach to knowledge is encouraged, so that the child can integrate knowledge of different subjects for a natural, holistic and integrated along with self-development.
• A direct focus on developing powers of the mind and qualities of the heart through special programmes and classes.
• The teacher often leads by example to inspire learning and creates an environment where collective learning and sharing of skills is encouraged.

Students are given a taste of exams and are acquainted with the needs of the education system.  This helps them to understand the ways the world functions and also how it changes. However, more importantly, students are helped to understand that education is more than formal evaluation and that evaluation is more than organized exams. The deeper, wider, broader concept of evaluation through self examination along with objective evaluation is a part of their school life.

Continuous and varied forms of evaluation are used, which include exams but are not limited to them.

Learning is not confined to the walls of classroom or bound by formal school hours. Learning happens consciously and sub-consciously, directly and indirectly. From our understanding of the learning process, come our methods and approaches. These are varied and while encompassing traditional chalk and talk methods, go much beyond them. They include games, discussions, silence, drama, debates, speeches, music, art and a variety of activities. Several features are woven in the curriculum so that they blend naturally with everyday learning in and outside the classroom. Several elements are included that will have far-reaching and deep impact on the growth and learning of the child. 

Learning a language is always fascinating, and even more fascinating is learning Sanskrit. Sanskrit, as many conscious learners have experienced, generates joy, clarity, purity and peace. The vibrational quality of Sanskrit is said to have a direct impact on the functioning of the brain, and can help in enhancing memory and the ability to concentrate.  It helps the child’s entire oral apparatus to become versatile and develop clear enunciation skills.

We introduce Sanskrit from the beginning to give the children a unique, unparalleled base in learning languages and developing the powers of the mind. Sanskrit is the ‘mother’ or root language. Anyone who has mastered Sanskrit will find it very easy to learn other languages.

Sanskrit also helps the child to connect to and absorb the essence of Indian culture with all its richness. In a way it is like opening the door to whole world of knowledge and beauty.

To make individual attention a reality and not just a utopian concept, there will be no more than 25 students per section. The small numbers allow for individual attention as well as the richness of interaction among peers.