Frequently Asked Questions: General

  • Will my child have a secure career at the end?

    The deepest concern of the school is to bring up children who are free, responsible and concerned with the whole of life. The intent of the school is not to help children find security through material comfort or by conforming to the current values and ambitions of society. It is, rather, to help them to be free of fear and be able to act sensitively in a world that is destructive and degenerating.

    To be independent and to earn a livelihood is one aspect of being responsible. The school is not merely adhering to some idea or philosophy at the expense of the children; nurturing each child is our deepest concern. As a natural part of this concern, the school will equip children with the skills to earn a livelihood. More importantly, the school will help them discover what they love to do, and help them do it with all their heart.

    Right education is to help you to find out for yourself what you really, with all your heart, love to do. It does not matter what it is, whether it is to cook, or to be a gardener, but is something in which you have put your mind, your heart. - J. Krishnamurti

    It is difficult for this flowering to come about if we, as parents, are constantly pressurising and limiting our children in our own fear and anxiety about the future. It is important for us to be questioning the conclusions we have about security and success, and to be deeply examining our own fears and prejudices. It is important that we have the clarity to give the child the space and time to grow into a free individual.

    Moreover, the relationship with the school does not end with children being left to fend for themselves, in a harsh world. The school will continue to help the child whenever needed.

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  • Is this school suitable for all children, or do some need more structure?

    The programme is individualised, keeping in mind each child’s specific needs. So to some extent, the amount of structure would vary from child to child.

    However, all children respond to an atmosphere where they are trusted to take responsibility for themselves. Problems only arise when there are differences that lead to conflict between home and school. A child who gets different messages from the atmosphere at home and that at school is bound to be confused. It is important that the parent understands the intent of the school and can provide an interaction and atmosphere at home that is in harmony with that absorbed by the child at school.

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  • After such an alternative education, will my child be able to fit into the real world?

    Throughout their time at school, children will be encouraged to explore areas of interest so that they may discover what they really love to do. They will be equipped with the skills to earn a livelihood. More important, they will be equipped with the clarity and confidence to face life’s challenges. While in school, children will be part of decision making, learning to be responsible for the community and for themselves. When they go out into the adult world with that sense of responsibility, they will be able to respond sensitively to whatever comes their way.

    In fact, it would be a mistake to separate the world that the child is part of, from the ‘real’ world. At any point of time, the surroundings that the child is in is his world, and we would like him to function with clarity wherever he is. At school, though protected from the brutality he may encounter outside, a child will not in any way be isolated from the world that is rampant with deprivation and suffering. And with sensitivity and confidence, we would like a child to be able to question and step out of the violent, deadening systems of the world. We would like him to respond to the world wholly, with affection and awareness, instead of being preoccupied in trying to fit in and find a secure space for himself. It is this fearful preoccupation that makes the world as harsh and violent as it is today. We would like to bring into the world children who can stand up against society with clarity, a sense of freedom, and deep affection.

    It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti

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  • What does Shibumi mean?

    Shibumi is a Japanese word that means 'effortless perfection'. Anything that is Shibumi is quiet in refinement, noble and fulfilling in a manner that is not shaped exclusively by analytical thought. In Japanese culture, Shibumi implies 'a simplicity of spirit; an attitude of refinement without pretension, honesty without apology, beauty without artifice. Western mystics try to attain or achieve a state of inner peace, but shibumi must be found, not won.' Shibumi is understanding rather than knowledge, it is harmony in action. In art, it is understated beauty, articulate brevity. In philosophy, it is spiritual tranquility that is not passive; it is being without the angst of becoming.

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