Editors’ note: Sholai School, in Tamil Nadu, is an education centre inspired by Krishnamurti’s philosophy. In this interview, Alok Mathur queries its founder, Brian Jenkins, on the origins of the centre and different facets of its educational intent and practices. When, where and how did Sholai Scho

Transition from school to college One fine day, a group of students with fresh faces but a little bewildered, clearly anxious, were sitting in an open classroom near the riverside area. Perhaps they were the newly admitted students. They became quiet, very quiet, simply watching the river in front.

Background and intent As schoolteachers we are often looking to create learning contexts that draw from real world situations, not just simulations of them, or even abstract learning left to extrapolation with examples in the classroom. It therefore makes sense to have flexible institutional structu

Coming from a research background to teaching, I find one of the most notable aspects of Pathashaala to be its emphasis on project-based learning— where students gain hands-on experience with academic concepts, making learning a deeply immersive process.

What enables learning? When there is a natural rhythm or flow to life there may be a conducive environment for learning. What then is a natural rhythm in the context of living our daily lives? A feeling of oneness, perhaps, along with a careful listening to the cues and subtle directions that nature

Through ignorance I once imagined I was bound. But I am pure awareness. I live beyond all distinctions, In unbroken meditation. Indeed I am neither bound, nor free.

divided inwardly, fragmented in one’s thought, feeling and action. As we live with many ‘roles’ and ‘identities’ that are ascribed to us, or that we take on, in multiple contexts and relationships, we generate shifting images of ‘self ’ and ‘others’. We find ourselves negotiating the changing contex

In his 1964 lecture titled ‘The Relation of Physics to other Sciences’, the physicist Richard Feynman speaks about the connectedness of everything. A poet once said, “The whole universe is in a glass of wine.” We will probably never know in what sense he meant that, for poets do not write to be unde

Priyanka Soman* Over the past six years, I’ve had the joy (and occasional experience of chaos) of working closely with middle school students. It’s a rollercoaster phase in their lives—packed with changes, emotions, and moments of self-discovery. It is also one of the most fascinating chapters in these children’s development. I often find myself reflecting

Parenting is one of the most significant responsibilities that a person can take on. It involves raising another human being with the right value systems so that the child can become a responsible individual in society. Education plays a major role in this upbringing, both at school and college. Mos

When the Indian men’s team won the T20 cricket World Cup in June 2024, there was a great outpouring of emotion from Indian players and fans alike. There was the joy following a hard-earned triumph, obviously, but there was also the relief that India had finally won a global trophy after coming close

As teachers and house parents, we observe on a daily basis words and actions that indicate sensitivity, intelligence, fellowship, kindness, conviviality, respect, humour, responsibility, creativity, thoughtfulness and so on. At the same time, we observe insensitivity, rudeness, arrogance, harassment

When we see how little we can express, it is a wonder that any man ever takes up a pen a second time.

How do we describe a language? A language, as it is often characterized, is a means for communication. But does it really stop there? To me, a language we know and speak is also several layers of fragrant memories packed together. Is it not the first endearment we heard and still remember after seve

Ibegin the school year with my third graders by spending time developing their growth mindset, creating a culture around math where mistakes are celebrated, and where struggle and hard work are valued over getting things ‘right’. Once this has been established, then I know we will go far with our ma

If you do not know yourself, your unconscious as well as your conscious states, all your inquiry will be twisted, given a bias. You will have no foundation for thinking which is rational, clear, logical, sane. Your thinking will be according to a certain pattern, formula, or set of ideas

Adecade ago, when I stepped into Rajghat Besant School, I was awestruck by the vastness of the space. There was something very alluring about the campus. As I began my journey in teaching, many questions have arisen in my mind related to the ambience of the place. I often used to ask myself—what tho

I have often wondered what it truly means to learn with children: if it is about absorbing their experiences and delighting in the candour of their unfiltered utterances, if it is being open to the newness of their ideas, if it is about being fully present in their journeys, or if it is something a l

Anyone who is aware of the state of the world will recognize that we are at a point in human history where we are facing unprecedented challenges. Wars are raging, some of which are genocidal in nature. The threat of nuclear war has become imminent with the advent of authoritarian regimes all over t

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold … WB Yeats: The Second Coming

Parenting, an essential human activity, has seen several rapid changes and resulted in varying trends which are influenced by current events, and these trends are becoming widespread due to increasing global connectivity. The Self Esteem Trap: Raisin…

deeply is quite another matter. Sustaining ownership of the measurables is easier than sustaining ownership of intention. Good institutions work for shared ownership of intentions by many. Without individual questioning, there would be no movement in…

Not long after I came to Rishi Valley as a teacher, we hosted a public Gathering. It was during the Diwali vacation and the weather was chill and wet. It had to be held during the break so that participants could be accommodated in the student hostel…

Change, the oft-overused cliché, is as real as birth and death. One may romanticize it, anticipate it, welcome it, dread it, fear it or go through all of these emotions at various points in time. As an educator, an adult, a human being struggling to …

One can bring cooperation into a game, but it is very difficult to take competition out of it. An important aspect of playing sports has always been the tendency to compare two individuals, two teams, who wins against whom and who loses against whom….

“To learn not to repeat the mistakes of the past.” “To understand human behaviour.” “To understand the present, why things are the way they are.”…