celebration of the vedic culture and tradition
News
In our winter 2006 India-Journey to Sri Paramhansa Swami Maheshwarananda Research and Education Centre in Jadan, district Pali, Rajasthan, we – foreign visitors and disciples of Yoga in Daily Life – were invited by the head of the Vidyalaya school – Mrs. Neha Agnihotri to attend to a celebration of the vedic culture and tradition performed by schoolchildren on January 12th, 2006.
Can you imagine a rhythm of drums, which makes you want to dance just the moment you hear it? Or visualize a happy and proud look of kids performing on the stage? Or a sound of loud and rhythmical voices singing spiritual songs and recitations of vedic mantras creating a powerful vibration of spiritual strength and its call for freedom?
celebration of the vedic culture and tradition
The whole picture was that of a creative spectacle of bursting life and children’s will to grow and to live happily. With girls and boys passionately dancing, chanting and reciting poetry, school teachers were carefully watching, guiding and assisting the performance of their offsprings. The spectacle of music and dance was enriched by informative speeches of Mrs. Neha Agnihotri on school education principles and teaching traditions and of Swami Gadjanand ji on four yoga paths: knowledge (Jnana Yoga), exercise (Raja Yoga), service (Karma Yoga) and devotion (Bhakti Yoga).
Personally we were deeply touched and impressed by the discipline and commitment of children to school’s schedule. We highly appreciate the work and motivation of the school head and its teachers in leading the school in such a way that leaves no doubt in quality, functional diversity and social benefit of the school’s education programme as well as personal wellbeing of its students.
Members of our association took an opportunity to speak to Mrs. Neha Agnihotri and to ask her in more details about school routine, educational programme and actions being sponsored by the funding association. Here is a short-cut of the interview content:
Mrs. Neha Agnihotri
Dear Mrs. Neha Agnihotri we kindly thank you for the given opportunity to learn more about the school and its routine. In order to get a brief insight into current school life for us visitors and foreigners, please let us pose to you a few following questions.
First of all, how many students are being currently taught at school and at which age?
At present the school educates 380 children, including 148 girls. Children start education at a kindergarden level at the age of 3 and after two years enter the secondary school level. The secondary school education lasts 10 years, next year it will be prolonged to 11 years. At the end students need to pass final examination approved by Indian government.
What is the school education aimed at?
The standard of the education is high and its goal is to enable its students a good foundation for personal development and freedom of personal choice.
In particular the educational goals are
- To give general knowledge and to skills to read and to speak fluently
- To build up self esteem and confidence (students tend to be very shy when they enter the school)
- To enable a free choice of the path for personal growth and self-realization
Three main qualities are specially required from students:
- Discipline
- Dedication
- Devotion
What is required from children to apply for a school education?
In order to be accepted by the school committee students need to pass an entrance examination. Furthermore it is required that kids’ parents commit themselves not to engage their children at seasonal agricultural works on their fields. Every month teacher committee meets parents to create a better understanding of school values and teaching principles and improve mutual collaboration.
Tuition fees for children amount Rs 50 – Rs 100 per month (is equivalent to € 1-2). The female children and 60% of male students have no obligation to pay at all – only the costs of school bus transportation
What is an average school class size?
An average school class teaches 25 – 35 partly up to 40 children, being led by a class teacher.
How are school teachers being selected?
The school committee recruits its teachers through announcements in print or internet and interviews them thoroughly throughout the process of job application. Accepted candidates are highly qualified. They teach Hindi, English, Mathematics, Biologics, Chemistry, Physics, Geography, Environmental Science, Computers, Music, Sports, Country Chansons and Dance. Instead of teaching one particular religion the students get the knowledge of universal moral and ethic principles coped with an insight in different world religions.
What would you wish for a new school building planned for construction?
We would highly appreciate and require the following:
- A hall for sport activities (at present sport takes place outside on the sand ground)
- A separate room for young students
- A video room
- A big hall for school meetings (currently they take place daily to chant prayers, listen to a reading of newspaper, and perform small acts of art like group dancing or singing)
- A place for basketball and a cricket
Do you have any particular needs for its interior?
If I dare to wish I would name sport machines and devices, music instruments for accompanying traditional Indian dance and singing.
Dear Mrs. Neha Agnihotri we thank you for an interesting and informative interview and look forward to speak to you during our next visit to India.
It was my pleasure to talk to you as well. We all thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support and guidance. I myself and the whole school are very much looking forward to welcoming you in India again. Please let me us send our multiple gratitude to all our foreign sponsors and helpers in the name of all school members.
“The most valuable gift that we can give is wisdom. The best help that we can provide is to help people to become independent and thereby to become able to help themselves”
Paramhans Swami Maheshwarandana – the Patron of the Assosiation and the acknowledged promoter of peace, tolerance and understanding among nations, cultures and religions
News
In 1999 the Society introduced the Gyan Putra Scheme which aims to encourage children from financially disadvantaged background to stay at school and complete their education
I want to help!