The Peepal Grove School
| The Peepal Grove School | |
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| Location | |
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| Information | |
| Type | Independent school |
| Motto | Samvo Manāmsi Jnānatam (With Our Minds Put Together May We Understand) |
| Established | 2006 |
| Principal | Sunanda Ali |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Enrollment | 150 |
| Campus | Rural |
| Website | www.peepalgroveschool.org |
The Peepal Grove School is a co-educational boarding school and alternative school in india (affiliated to the CISCE Board) located in Gongivari Palli village, Sodam mandal in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh (India). The school was founded by Sri M (Mumtaz Ali), a spiritual crusader, and was inaugurated by the then President of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam in December, 2006.[1] The student population is around 150 ranging from grades 4 to 12 (8.5 – 18 years). It is one of the few schools providing alternative education in India.[2][3]
Purpose
The purpose of the school is to "encourage each student to think critically, creatively and independently to achieve academic and personal goals; to celebrate his or her cultural roots while embracing a global perspective."[4] The motto of the school is 'Samvo Manāmsi Jnānatam' which means, 'With our minds put together, may we understand'. The school is run by the Satsang Foundation (which also runs another school called Satsang Vidyalaya for underprivileged children).
The Governing Council guides the school. It consists of:
- Justice M.N.Venkatachaliah, the former Chief Justice of India;
- Dr. V.S. Ramachandran, neurologist;
- Ms.Sunanda Ali, Principal of The Peepal Grove School;
- Dr. Vijayanarayana Reddy, quantum physicist;
- Mr. Ajai Kumar Singh IPS, Senior Police Officer (Karnataka cadre);
- Mr. Jayabharat Reddy IAS, former Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh;
- Ms. Tara Singh IAS, Senior IAS Officer (Govt. Of Karnataka);
- Dr. P.K.Krishnaswamy, Director of Basic and Clinical Research, Manipal Hospital;
- Mr. Ramesh Reddy, builder (Chennai);
- Ms. Rukmini Krishnaswami, Director (Spastic Society of Karnataka) and an educationist;
- Ms. Jyotsna Singh, educationist and Women’s Rights Campaigner;
- Ms. Soumini Reddy, educationist in Andhra Pradesh;
- Major General Ram Naidu (retd.), Indian Army;
- Mr. Jerry.G. Jones, philanthropist and businessman (U.S.A.);
- Mr. Brij Sethi, Vice President, Ecoeye, Social and Community Initiatives (Wipro Technologies);
- Ms. K.C. Anita Reddy, social activist and educationist (Bangalore);
- Dr. Brijesh Kumar, IT expert and educationist (Aligarh);
- Mr. Ajay Bhatia, entrepreneur and educationist (Dubai); and
- Mr. Sukhbinder Takhar, validation architect at Intel.[5]
Culture
Most students address the teachers as bhaiyya (brother), dheedhee or akka (sister). Almost all the teachers reside on the campus with the students thus staying very close to each other. Freedom 'along with' responsibility is fostered; rewards and punishments are kept to a minimum. The dress code at The Peepal Grove School is 'tidy casual'. Students are drawn from all regions of the country and also from abroad.
Apart from structured activities children indulge in free play, sharing their ideas and experiences with their friends or house parents. Older children often play the mentoring role by helping them keep their belongings neat, helping with their home work or including them in their games. In the evening the children exchange ideas with the house parents in an informal setting. Children like to share a story they have read, share a poem they've written or discuss their hobbies and ideas.[6]
Education
The school believes that the "education is founded upon the acquisition of core skills and knowledge taught through integrated experiences." Critical thinking is stressed.
The school is affiliated to the CISCE Board, Delhi. The school has students in grades 4 through 12 (8.5 – 18 years). In grades 4 through 8, the school's focus is on developing the fundamental skills – Explanation, Interpretation, Application, Perspective, Empathy and Self Knowledge. The emphasis is on collaborative learning (rather than direct teaching) which is student centric.
Students are also taught spoken Sanskrit – as the language is the cultural base of all Indian thought.
In grades 9 through 12, the course becomes more rigorous and there is a greater focus on the ICSE and the ISC examinations. Students make use of multi–media facilities, a library and laboratories. Extra curricular activities, discussions, arguments, socio-eco responsibility, arts, yoga and sports complement the academic work.
Campus
The school has dining and sporting facilities, besides the facilities for academic and leisure purposes. The school is set in a verdant environment. Surrounded by hillocks and adjacent to a lake, the school has a salubrious climate round the year.
The school fosters its students to appreciate nature and care for it. The students go for treks to nearby hills along with some teachers frequently. Almost all the teachers reside on the campus which makes it possible for the children to connect with them very well and to interact and learn with them in an informal setting. The school is located in a village that helps the students connect with the villagers. Most of the non-teaching staff are from nearby villages.
The school has started a rural outreach program under which activities are held on weekends.
See also
External links
- The Peepal Grove School official website)
- The Satsang Foundation
- The Hindu: Tamilnadu/Chennai News: A unique school for holistic education
- The Hindu: Andhra Pradesh News: The President visits The Peepal Grove School
- Address and Interaction of The President of India, Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, with the students of The Peepal Grove School
- Alternative schools in India
- About some of the alternative schools in India - The Peepal Grove School
References
- ^ The Hindu: Andhra Pradesh News: The President visits The Peepal Grove School, Chennai, India, 2006-12-03, retrieved 2010-12-25
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Alternative Schools: Andhra Pradesh, India, retrieved 2010-12-26
- ^ Alternative education: India - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, retrieved 2010-12-26
- ^ The Peepal Grove School - Philosophy & Ethos, retrieved 2010-12-23
- ^ The Peepal Grove School - Governing Council, retrieved 2010-12-23
- ^ The Peepal Grove School - Students, retrieved 2010-12-23