The courtyard in the main School building
It is not for our family, it is not to secure a good position, it is not to earn money, it is not to obtain a diploma, that we study.
We study to learn, to know, to understand the world, and for the sake of the joy that it gives us.
– The Mother (CWM, 12:202)
At the age of about 9 we entered the Progrès section in the main School building.
Children on an outing with their teachers
Children must be taught to like to overcome difficulties, and also that this gives a special value to life; when one knows how to do it, it destroys boredom for ever and gives an altogether new interest to life.
We are on earth to progress and we have everything to learn.
– The Mother (CWM, 12:368)
This was a big leap forward for us. And in an atmosphere of love and care, we were encouraged to exceed our limits.
The alert back-benchers
And as for style, gender, and grammar too, the best thing is to read, to read a great deal. In this way all this goes into the subconscient. It is the best way to learn.
– The Mother (CWM, 12:326)
At this level emphasis was placed on the acquisition of study skills, on the growth of reading, grasping and assimilating faculties, as well as the methodical presentation of what has been acquired.
Regular academic subjects were gradually brought in. The full spread now consisted of: French, Engish, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Sanskrit, the Mother Tongue, Music and General Knowledge. Mathematics and Science were taught in French and History and Geography in English. This pattern would continue in the years to come.
Language classes can become an occasion to look at oneself
The first thing which should be taught to every human being as soon as he is able to think, is that he should obey reason…. One must obey reason and absolutely refuse to be the slave of instincts…. It is the basic wisdom of human life, purely human life…: every human being who obeys anything other than reason is a kind of brute lower than the animal.
– The Mother (CWM, 9:101,102)
When we were about 12 we moved on to En Avant Vers La Perfection (EAVP). We were now expected to become more and more conscious of ourselves, with the need for progress enabling us to assume more responsibility for our integral development.
The Laboratory
Science, art, philosophy, ethics, psychology, the knowledge of man and his past, action itself are means by which we arrive at the knowledge of the workings of God through Nature and through life. At first it is the workings of life and forms of Nature which occupy us, but as we go deeper and deeper and get a completer view and experience, each of these lines brings us face to face with God.
– Sri Aurobindo (SABCL, 20:492)
Stress was laid upon the growth and development of the various faculties of the mind.
Joshi-bhai explains the nuances of perfume-making at the Laboratory
By the education of the senses the growth of one’s general education is aided; if you learn to see well, exactly, precisely; if you learn to hear well; if you learn through touch to know the nature of things; if you learn through the sense of smell to distinguish between different odours – all these are a powerful means of education. In fact, they should be used for this, as instruments of observation, control and knowledge.
– The Mother (CWM, 6:82,83)
The teaching of Science progressively included Botany, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Applied Science and Computer Basics.
A class in progress on the galleries below the Hall of Harmony
The teacher is not an instructor or task-master, he is a helper and a guide. His business is to suggest and not to impose. He does not actually train the pupil’s mind, he only shows him how to perfect his instruments of knowledge and helps and encourages him in the process. He does not impart knowledge to him, he shows him how to acquire knowledge for himself.
– Sri Aurobindo (SABCL, 17:204)
Many possibilities and study options were placed before us: worksheets with texts, exercises in comprehension, individual study, group classes, etc. There was the option of Free Progress where we had much more freedom in organizing our time and choosing topics of study. In this flexible approach the teacher was more a helper and guide and we were the initiators.
Exploring resource material at the Resource Centre
To learn for the sake of knowledge, to study in order to know the secrets of Nature and life, to educate oneself in order to grow in consciousness, to discipline oneself in order to become master of oneself, to overcome one’s weaknesses, incapacities and ignorance, to prepare oneself to advance in life towards a goal that is nobler and vaster, more generous and more true….
– The Mother (CWM, 12:353,354)
One of the formats of learning that was available was the Project format. For a specified time the regular timetable was set aside or some hours are allotted every week for us to work on a project of our choice. At the conclusion of the project a presentation was made. The project method helped to develop initiative and self-confidence, it allowed us to enter in some depth into a topic (sometimes unconventional ones), and to schedule and plan our work and present it in a coherent form.
Engrossed in clay creations
Let beauty be your constant ideal.
The beauty of the soul.
The beauty of sentiments.
The beauty of thoughts.
The beauty of the action.
The beauty in the work
so that nothing comes out of your hands which is not an expression of pure and harmonious beauty.
And the Divine Help shall always be with you.
– The Mother (CWM, 12:234)
We were also offered a wide range in the Creative Arts – painting, sculpture, pottery, carpentry.
A sitar class in progress
The role of music lies in helping the consciousness to uplift itself towards the spiritual heights.
– The Mother (CWM, 12:242)
We could learn Indian and Western music and dance.
Students enact a skit
The vital is the seat of our power, energy, enthusiasm, effective dynamism. It needs a systematic education.
– The Mother (CWM, 14:376)
We took part in plays and quizzes, and delivered talks, which channelled our enthusiasm and youthful energies and enhanced stage-confidence.
Horse riding at the Lake Estate
…one must be master of oneself in order to be a master of others.
– The Mother (CWM, 12:195)
We worked on farms or at the Lake Estate Dairy, where we learnt to maintain horses and took lessons in horse-riding.
Students engaged in beautifying the School
In order to be truly happy in life, one must love work.
My dear children, love work and you will be happy. Love to learn and you will progress.
– The Mother (CWM, 12:339)
We also helped with cleaning and beautifying the School. All these activities rounded off our education.
Listening to the sound of silence at Golconde
When one has learned to silence the mind at will and to concentrate it in receptive silence, then there will be no problem that cannot be solved, no mental difficulty whose solution cannot be found. When it is agitated, thought becomes confused and impotent; in an attentive tranquillity, the light can manifest itself and open up new horizons to man’s capacity.
– The Mother (CWM, 12:29)
These were years full of varied experiences that shaped our personality, years that brought mental development and a growth in self-confidence, making us ready for the last lap of our studies in “Knowledge”.