Rishi Valley School

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Rishi Valley School
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Rishi Valley School

The school campus as seen from the adjoining hill

Location

Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh
India

Information

Type

Private boarding school (privately funded)

Established

1926

Founder

Jiddu Krishnamurti

Faculty

~50

Grades

4–12

Gender

Co-educational

Enrollment

~400

Campus

~350 acres

Houses

20

Affiliation

ICSE
ISC

Website

www.rishivalley.org

Rishi Valley School is an Indian boarding school, founded by the philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti. It is located close to the
town ofMadanapalle, Krishnamurti's birthplace, in the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Rishi Valley is a three-hour
drive fromBangalore and five hours from Chennai.
The school is reputed for its holistic approach to education in the spirit of Krishnamurti's pedagogical vision. Rishi Valley's
setting is spectacular - some 375 acres of an independent valley, surrounded by ancient hills, and tiny villages. Community
service and a range of extracurricular activities constitute an integral part of a student's schooling, as do discussions in (or
out of) classrooms, assemblies and club meetings. EducationWorld ranks the boarding school as the best residential school
in India.[1]
Contents
[hide]



1 Overview



2 History



3 Traditions and Culture



4 Other efforts



5 Notes



6 References



7 External links

Overview[edit]
The school follows the ICSE board for the ninth and tenth grades and the ISC for the eleventh and twelfth grades. The
school accepts students from the fourth through the twelfth grades (ages nine–eighteen). Twenty boarding houses
accommodate students across campus with 20 students in each house. The school is divided into a junior (fourth through
eighth) and a senior (ninth through twelfth) school. [2]
The school is known for the way Krishnamurti's teachings inspire its curricula, which includes developing an appreciation for
the environment, art and music, and athletics in addition to traditional subjects. Integrating itself into its neighbouring
villages, the school also runs the Rishi Valley Institute for Educational Resources (RIVER) program and a rural school (Rural
Education Centre) and a health center (Rural Health Centre). [3]
With a large campus spread over 360 acres (1.5 km2) in the Rayalseema area of southern Andhra Pradesh, Rishi Valley was
chosen by Krishnamurti for its atmosphere of peace and serenity, centered on a large banyan tree, one of the oldest in
India.[citation needed]
Rishi Valley is nestled in an ancient valley under the Rishikonda Hill where, as folklore has it, sages, or in Sanskrit 'rishis',
used to meditate. From those legends Rishi Valley derived its name. The Rishi River, a rain-fed stream, that flowed down a
surrounding hill and through the school has long since dried up, but Krishnamurti retained the name for his first school.
Ancient granite hills with striking formations surround Rishi Valley on all sides. [4]

History[edit]
Rishi Valley was born with the idea of starting a world university, conceptualized by Annie Besant, President of
the Theosophical Society, in 1925. Three possible sites were identified near Jiddu Krishnamurti's birthplace and he chose
the Thettu Valley because of the Big Banyan Tree, which implied the concentration of water and thus the possible
sustenance of an institution. The Thettu region was of no importance historically, geographically (it has a history of failed
monsoons and famines were usual occurrences and the banyan tree itself is withering away due to lack of water) or
economically; the only reason it was even considered was because Jiddu Krishnamurti was born in Madanapalle, a nearby
Town.[citation needed]
His colleague, C.S. Trilokikar bought the land—accumulating 300 acres where the campus lies. Starting in 1926 Trilokikar
traveled around atop a bullock cart buying up small parcels of land bit by bit. [5] Before the land was completely assembled,
Besant abandoned the idea of a world university because there were more pressing matters of national importance for her,
such as India's Home-Rule Movement. Trilokikar named the whole basin Rishi Valley, a name derived from legends
about rishis, who were rumoured to live in the hills surrounding the valley, thousands of years ago. [citation needed]
By this time, the Guindy School, based in Madras, started by Besant in 1918, was already well recognised before its
principal, G.V. Subba Rao (GVS), decided to relocate the entire school to the area purchased by Trilokikar. Space in the

Guindy School was limited, the neighbourhood was noisy and crowded and each year the torrential Northeast Monsoon
would cause havoc, destroying the school's thatched roofs and blowing down its cottages. After a particularly bad cyclone in
1930, Krishnamurti met GVS, and it was decided that Guindy be relocated to Rishi Valley. The building of the initial
structures was undertaken by the Theosophists who were drawn to Krishnamurti's teachings. Many engineers were brought
in to oversee construction work on campus, all of whom refused to accept pay. By September 1931, the initial structures
were ready to accommodate the school. Shortly after this, Subba Rao relocated to their new campus with approximately
ninety students and teachers. Just as the moving was completed, an unprecedented 50 inches of rainfall graced Rishi
Valley's parched landscape and the area was inundated with water. The inhabitants of the surrounding villages thought the
coming of the school was a blessing and a sign of prosperity.
GVS was the first headmaster of the Guindy School at the time of the changeover and continued in Rishi Valley as its first
principal. He was instrumental in laying a strong foundation in the school in terms of education and administration, leading a
lifestyle of minimal possessions, dedicated to his work and love for children. [citation needed]
His decade long tenure (1931-1941) was a pioneering one, with some of the teaching methods carried over from his
experiences at the Guindy School. When he shifted to Rishi Valley, GVS became the first headmaster of an Indian boarding
school. At Guindy, Tamil was the medium of instruction; at Rishi Valley,Telugu was added as a language of instruction. GVS
laid the groundwork for the school by practicing a simple lifestyle that included meditation, a quiet life, austerity with material
possessions, and harmony with nature. Indeed, the beautiful natural expanse of the valley provides for some quiet retreats
for 'nature studies'--outdoor lessons as part of the timetable, which originated with GVS. On the sports field, he disallowed
prize-giving ceremonies, as he felt it harboured unhealthy competition. This feature in particular has been steadfast despite
the relatively 'modern' lifestyle that current students in Rishi Valley lead outside of school. [citation needed]
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, all senses of division were supposed to be eliminated: caste, gender, religion, and
that of anything which might cause fractious relationships among students. This too was important in a country on the brink
of a new era in history—one in which the aim was secularism and social parity.
One would expect a man as unassuming as GVS to make a quiet exit, but that was not to be. On 24 June 1941, an
unforeseen police raid rocked the school. Some 'prohibited books' and 'leftist magazines' were seized because under the
British these were banned books as they were thought to promote Indian independence. [6] Many teachers were put under
house-arrest, fined or were put under probation for three years. The Director of Public Instruction even forced two
longstanding teachers to resign. As a result, Subbarao became 'dangerous' for proliferating such material during the heat of
the freedom struggle and the wartime constraints Britain was facing at that time.[page 28] The truth of the matter was that
GVS stood by freedom of thought and made a wide range of literature available to his students. The perpetrator of this
incident was later found to be an unhappy senior student who tipped off the police about the presence of communist
literature on campus.[6] This unexpected event ended GVS's tenure as principal; it is remembered as merely a blot on an
otherwise expansive list of achievements.[citation needed]
The resignation of GVS had several consequences that brought the school to a standstill: expenditures were cut back
sharply and some of the best teachers left. This was also a period of transition at the school as several principals came and
departed quickly. At this time, Krishnamurti was in the United States, unable to travel, as he was marked as an “undesirable
alien”; he was only able to return in late 1947, after Indian independence. [7] A person who directed the school at this time,
and would later emerge as a driving force behind it, was Muriel Payne. She came to Rishi Valley, influenced by
Krishnamurti, in an attempt to revive it. Along with five others, she set up a group in 1948, which tried to gauge the situation
and get the school back on track. This experiment ended abruptly and in July 1949 the curtains came down on Rishi Valley
as an institution.
Ms. Payne's experiment might have failed, but her interest in the school had not waned. She was instrumental in restarting
the school under a new administration with F. Gordon Pearce, a noted educator, at the helm. Krishnamurti took a renewed
interest in the school. New people were getting involved and a new kind of school emerged. [citation needed]
In July 1950, the school was officially reopened. The fees were reduced to a level so as to attract a wide range of students
without putting too much pressure on the budget. To ensure a good start, the staff agreed to an initial lowered salary until
the school became stabilized. It was up to Pearce to revitalize the school. [citation needed]

Traditions and Culture[edit]
There are many traditions and cultures at Rishi Valley.[8] Some important practices that the school has maintained for over
fifty years are the morning assembly, Asthachal and folk dancing. During the morning assembly, thrice a week, the entire
school gathers for singing. Children learn traditional chants as well as songs by poets ranging from Kabir to Rabindranath
Tagore often set to the traditional south Indian drum, the mridangam. The rest of the week, students, teachers, and visitors
take turns speaking about various topics that interest them.[citation needed]
F. Gordon Pearce, the principal of Rishi Valley School after the Second World War, came up with the idea of Asthachal (in
English, sunset point), a tradition which survives today.[9] During Asthachal, children gather together on a cliff and sit quietly
while the sun sets. It is a short but peaceful space of time, which gives children an opportunity for quiet reflection,
observation of nature, daydreaming or watching their own thoughts. [citation needed]

An American teacher, David Young, introduced Western folk dancing to the school. [10] Later, another teacher, David
Horsburgh, introduced European and American folk dancing. Folk dancing, or 'folkie' as students call it, is held once a week.
The seniors teach the dances to the junior students. Over the years, the dances have evolved and visiting alumni usually
join in.[citation needed]
Some religious and cultural festivals and occasions are also celebrated in Rishi Valley like Christmas, Ugadi, Shivaratri and
Makara Sankranti (Pongal) (when villagers come and perform for the school children). During Makara Sankranti, there is a
Bull Dance where all students dance along with the villagers and their decorated bulls. On such special occasions, students
are treated to a special dinner.[citation needed]
Apart from academics, students participate in various cultural activities including: classical Indian dance
(Bharatnatyam), Carnatic music, Mridangam, Violin, Tabla and Piano. Many important Indian artists have performed in Rishi
Valley including M.L. Vasanthakumari (Carnatic musician), Amjad Ali Khan (Hindustani musician), Nikhil
Banerjee (Sitarmusician), Palghat Mani Iyer (Mridangam musician), and Bombay Jayashree (Carnatic musician). Renowned
Odissi and Bharatanatyam choreographer and danseuse, Oopali Operajita, studied Bharatanatyam in Rishi Valley and
performed under the Banyan Tree in Rishi Valley's fabled dance dramas, for J. Krishnamurti. She was recently invited by
Rishi Valley to choreograph a dance drama - The Rishi Valley Dance Drama (from Kalidasa's Kumarasambhavam) - for the
school, reviving a Rishi Valley tradition which had lain dormant for 35 years.

Other efforts[edit]

The Yellow-throated Bulbul is found on the school campus

The school launched a reforestation and conservation drive that transformed the school campus into a forest area and the
once-barren hillside bordering the campus now has a green cover of young trees. In 1980, 150 acres of adjoinig hillside
were leased to Rishi Valley School by the Government of Andhra Pradesh for reforestation. [11] Conservation and
enhancement of the natural environment remains one of the school's core values. In July 1991 Rishi Valley was officially
declared a bird-preserve,[12] and was cited by the International Council for Bird Preservation (now BirdLife International) as
one of the sites where the Yellow-throated Bulbul is found. More than 200 bird species have been recorded in and around
the school campus. The Institute of Bird Studies and Natural History in Rishi Valley offers a six-month "Home Study Course
in Ornithology – Intermediate Level" at a highly subsidized rate. Over 1,230 students have enrolled for this course since
1997.[citation needed]
The rural education centre, run by the Rishi Valley Institute for Educational Resources (RIVER), established in the late
1970s, has sought to provide schooling to the children from nearby areas. In 1987 the centre received a grant to develop an
educational model. The result was "School in a Box", a system for learning that has been adopted at several satellite
schools administered by Rishi Valley in Andhra Pradesh. The satellite schools are run using the student fees from the main
school. The model has been adopted in many other parts of the world in collaboration with the UNICEF. The methodology
involves a sequence of activities with five types of activities, namely introductory, reinforcement, evaluation, remedial and
enrichment. These activities are taken up by students at their pace of learning. The rural education centre also provides
basic healthcare through a Rural Health Centre. [13]

The Mother's International School (MIS)
The Mother's International School (MIS) is a public secondary school in New Delhi, India. It is an establishment of the Sri
Aurobindo Education Society, an agency of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. It shares its campus with the New Delhi branch of the
Ashram. The school is an English-medium co-educational institution affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education
(CBSE).
It has featured thrice in the Outlook C-Fore Best School Survey as the best school in Delhi and one of the top 10 in India.
[1]
[2]

Education World magazine in 2010 ranked The Mother's International School among the top 5 Best day schools in India.
The Mother's International School was ranked the third best school in the country in 2010. [3] In 2011, The Mother's

International School was ranked within the top 10 schools in India. The school is also consistently within the top schools in
the national capital region comprising Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida.
The school shares a campus with other institutions including the alternative education school, Mirambika. Mirambika and
The Mother's International often collaborate to celebrate certain events like Mirra Alfassa's birthday. The schools share the
same sports ground on campus. The campus also hosts a bakery, iron-work unit, wood-work unit, candle-making and
handmade paper unit,vocational training centre, and book store. The school also has a "Pre-Primary Wing" after the closing
of Mira Nursery.
Contents
[hide]



1 History



2 Enrollment



3 Academics



4 Facilities



5 Extracurricular activities
o

5.1 Computer Club

o

5.2 Publications





6 Sports
o

6.1 Track Field

o

6.2 Quizzing

o

6.3 Volley Ball

o

6.4 Football
7 See also



8 Image gallery



9 References



10 External links

History[edit]

Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Delhi campus

The school was founded on 23 April 1956 by founder Shri Surendra Nath Jauhar "Faquir", with the blessings of The Mother,
Mirra Alfassa, a spiritualist, the spiritual partner and collaborator of Sri Aurobindo.
The school's motto "More True, Forever More True" was given by the Mirra Alfassa, known as the Mother, and the school's
emblem portrays a bird in flight rising towards heaven. When asked about the date of the school's opening, the Mother
replied "23456". And as the only possible date was 23 April 1956, it was this day that the school first opened.
When the school started out, a batch (or a grade) was of about 15 children, but today a batch has 180 students. The school
has three wings, the Pre-Primary, Primary and Secondary. The pre-primary program of The Mother's International School
replaced Mira Nursery, a pre-primary school it previously shared campus with.

Enrollment[edit]
The school has a student population of about 2,100 pupils with an average section size of 35-37 students. Each grade has
five sections, A-E.

Academics[edit]

Road between Senior Building and Aspiration Hall

The school teaches four languages: English, Hindi, Sanskrit and French. It also teaches mathematics, science and social
studies till Class 10. There are three main streams for study beyond Class 10: Science, Commerce and Humanities.

MIS has featured thrice in the Outlook C-Fore Best School Survey as the best school in Delhi and one of the top 10 in India.
[4]

It has also been a participant and a winner at the Inter-School Maths Competition and many more other such competitions

such as the Sri Srinivasa Ramanujan Maths competition.
For classes 1 and 2, there is only 1-3 teachers and they teach all the subjects; in the 3rd grade and above, there are a
different teacher for each different subjects, with one class teacher. The student/teacher ratio is approximately 1 teacher for
every 35 students.

Facilities[edit]

School Building



The Book Shop



The Matri Service Store



The Sunlit Path



The Library



The Technology Centre (MINET Lab)



The Hall Of Grace (succeeding the Hall Of Aspiration)



The Cafeteria

Extracurricular activities[edit]
Extracurricular activities include art, craft, dance, sports, vocal and instrumental music.
The school is a member of SPIC MACAY, and has drama, quizzing, yoga, taekwondo, gymnastics, music (instrumental as
well as vocal) and art groups. The school is a host to inter-school competitions.
Each year, inter-house competitions are held in the school, like the Bag drama, oral interpretation, Poem Festivals, and
debates. The children also showcase their talents on the Talent Fiesta, held yearly on the 23rd of April, which is also the
school foundation day.

Computer Club[edit]
The school's computer club, MINET (MIS Information Network) maintains the school website. [5] The students have won
prizes at computer and IT festivals in Delhi, and at the National Science Exhibition and International Olympiad in

Informatics. The school computer club organizes an annual computer festival, in which most of the schools
in Delhi participate. This inter-school competition includes various events like Quiz, Web designing, Gaming, Group
discussion, etc.

Publications[edit]
The school has an annual magazine called 'Navchetna' which in Hindi means 'new thoughts' or 'innovation'. The magazine
is a medium for expression of thoughts and ideas and contains poems and articles submitted by the students themselves. It
also has information about the achievements of the students, staff et cetera.
The magazine is developed by teachers and an Editorial Board consisting of students of class 11 and 12, who are chosen
through a written test.

Sports[edit]

Track field along with the football field

Track Field[edit]
The Track Field has a running track of 1000m. There are two full basketball courts, three badminton courts, two volleyball
courts, table tennis room with eight tables, sepak takraw nets and a football field. Every alternate year the sports section
prepares an annual day function. There is also an athletic meet every year, and the last one was held on 28–29 February
2014.

Quizzing[edit]
Awards to the quiz team include the Columban Open Quiz, the Bournvita Quiz, the HT Pace Quiz, and the Japan Quiz.

Volley Ball[edit]
The school curriculum has now in the session 2014-15 introduced Volleyball, with an expert sports staff.

Football[edit]
The school's annual football tournament is the 'Surendra Nath Jauhar Tournament', in which many of Delhi's schools
compete. The tournament, being a knockout competition, lasts for about 4 days.

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