Date: Feb 17–21, 2016
Place: Society House, Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry
A group of 5 educationists from Goa, lead by Smt. Surekha Dixit, member of Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), Goa, visited Sri Aurobindo Society from February 17 to 21, 2016, to get an introduction to Integral Education and also to explore ways and means in which the educational work in Goa can be improved. The team included Shri Kalidas B. Marathe, Member of Gomantak Bala Shikshan Parishad, Goa; Dr Narayan Desai, Ex-Principal of a Secondary School in Goa; Smt Swapna Dukhar, Retired Headmaster, Goa; and Smt Sundanda Marathe.
Their programme itinerary was as follows:
February 17
Interaction with Shivakumar, Director, India Council for Integral Education (ICIE), an initiative of Sri Aurobindo Society: Shivakumar gave them an insight and preview to Integral Education and how the awareness of this can be spread among the teaching community. He also discussed with the visitors various plans for improving the educational work in the government schools of Goa. At the end of the discussion, Shivakumar extended an invitation to teachers selected by this group for an intensive training and exposure to Integral Education, to be held at Puducherry during May 2016.
February 18
8:30 am: Dr Sampadananda Mishra, Director, Sri Aurobindo Foundation for Indian Culture (SAFIC), an initiative of Sri Aurobindo Society, conducted a session titled ‘Role of Sanskrit in Our Education System’. Dr Mishra explained how Sanskrit is a powerful tool in fulfilling the deeper yet pragmatic aims of education. Because of the purity of the vibration of its sounds, rhythmic beauty, systematic structure, utmost flexibility, this ancient Indian language helps the child in her inner growth and also in the practical sense Sanskrit can help in concentration, linguistics, memory and de-stressing of mind and body.
10:30 am: Visit to Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education (SAICE): The group was explained the way education happens at the SAICE, a school started by the Mother which strives towards the evolution of a child-centred education called ‘Integral Education’. This education aims to develop in children the three aspects of their personality—the physical, the emotional, and the mental—in an environment of spirituality. There is an underlying unity in all knowledge, which the artificial boundaries between academic subjects fail to emphasise. The Centre encourages its students to choose subjects without regard to specialization or the pressures of having to choose a career.
3 pm: Visit to Aha School, Auroville. Shanker, an Aurovillian who is looking after the Aha School, explained the concept and the underlying aspiration of the school. He told them how they wanted to create an environment conducive to the complete blossoming of the human spirit and mind; free of fear, imposition, ambition, comparison, pettiness and violence; based on mutual respect, personal integrity, freedom of learning and growing so that each child can explore and experience as per his/her own capacities. The school is envisioned as an extension of home where parents, facilitators, and children are all co-participants in an on-going learning process.
February 19
Visit to Matrimandir, Auroville: The Matrimandir (Sanskrit for ‘Temple of The Mother’) is an edifice of spiritual significance for practitioners of Integral Yoga, situated at the centre of Auroville, an international township founded by the Mother of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. It is called soul of the city and is situated in a large open space called Peace. Matrimandir does not belong to any particular religion or sect.
February 20
6:30pm: Interaction with Vijaybhai, wherein the group discussed their plans for improving education in Goa.
Overall, it was a very fruitful visit where the group not only got exposed to various aspects of Integral Education, but also could discuss plans for the educational work in Goa. The visit culminated with the celebration of the Mother’s Birthday at the Ashram on February 21, 2016.