Schooling For Excellence

What is a 'good' school? Where you would like your children to study? As a teacher, where would you love to teach? When do you derive satisfaction from the fact that it is a "Sathya Sai School?" Where would you go to observe activities so that you may emulate them at your own school?

Does an impressive campus make for a good school? In "Shantiniketan", the World University established by Rabindranath Tagore, many classes are held under the shade of a tree. Is it the expensive equipment and technology in the classroom and laboratories? Real learning takes place, we are told, even in the absence of material aids. Are high tuition fees or a stream of chauffeur-driven cars bringing children to school an indication of the quality of the school? Is pin-drop silence in the classrooms, as you walk past them, an indication of children seriously absorbed in study? Obviously there is more to it.

ISSE’s Programmes ensure that such Excellence can be attained in the schools of today by adhering to certain principles and guidelines. Details are outlined in our Handbook for Schools & Teachers.

ISSE’s Training Programmes focus on the need for Schools to have Excellence in all of the three following areas:

a) Academic Excellence
b) Human Excellence
c) Environmental Excellence

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The School As A Model

Children are close to Divinity. They have not had much impact of the world around, which as of today is very negative. Therefore they have the spontaneity, creativity and innovativeness which is natural to any Diving being. Therefore children are in fact the first natural resource for elders to interact in order to transform themselves.

When elders like us are in the presence of children, love naturally flows out of us. The layers of, craftiness and cleverness, the superficial mannerisms, of which the world is made up, gradually wear off in the presence of children. It is important that this is continued, encouraged and promoted by the education system. An attempt at Transformation in society has naturally to begin in a school ambiance.

ISSE’s courses focuses on ways to teach Teachers how the School assist Self-Transformation in both Teachers and Parents.

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Role Of Parents

Most Parents are Role Models for their children. However, in today’s society most parents may be good in their professions, but they lack parenting skills. Parents do not know how to handle small children or young adults. They have no deep knowledge of their own culture, they practice no spiritual discipline, and they have no mental peace. How can they be expected to do justice to their onerous responsibility? Hence, Parenting skills need to be learnt, and parents need to adapt to the changing environment. This is where schools have to step in establishing and promoting the tripartite relationship by regularly interacting with the parents.

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Role Of Teachers

Teaching is a process of communication in which not only information and skills but also concepts and attitudes are transferred to the participants. In today’s busy environment where both parents are working, the Teacher perhaps spends more time with the child than the parents. Hence when the school arranges for the PTA, it should act as an open-door between the home and the school. Whatever the Teacher does in School has to be supported and nurtured by parents at Home. This is the essence of Sathya Sai Education that will help prepare the child to bloom to his full potential.

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The Impact Of Nature

'Nature is the best Teacher.' Nature exhibits the eternal values In abundance. In its pristine glory, all values are 'practised' by Nature. There is a strong tendency in Nature to restore balance between the five elements whenever it is disturbed. There is a Self-Healing process in Nature, in an undisturbed eco-system. Whether a tree or a bee, a bird or a beast, everyone follows it's 'Code of Conduct'. Nature adheres to its Dharma.

Essentially, man is a product of Nature. Peace can prevail, Love will radiate, only when man lives in harmony with Nature. Today, man has abandoned the practice of values; he is exploiting the Nature for selfish gains. In the present context, the only Role Model is a natural habitat; man must send his children to Nature, to learn 'at the feet of the Master'. To bring out values from the children, i.e., the process of Educare, children will blossom best in a natural environment.

The great advantage for all of us, having Schools of Excellence around, is that when we go close to the children, and in an environment where Nature is also supportive, then we don't have to be crafty or to be clever. We only have to be 'natural.' We have to be happy in a natural way. We only have to open our heart. We only have to love.

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"Tradition" in School

A 'Tradition' is an unwritten 'Code of Conduct', the benchmark for good behaviour. It has the sanction of the community in which we live. A good tradition serves to bypass the imposition of 'reward & punishment' as a means to achieve adherence to a certain action in life. The person is expected to monitor his or her actions and expressions in the larger interest of the community. A well-established tradition is like social heredity. In all societies, attempts have been made to establish such traditions, which foster harmony and unity of purpose. All cultures have their own traditions, which uniquely contribute to the collective happiness of the people. Sri Sathya Sai Baba has raised the five elements to a level of sacredness through His Message of Educare.

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