Overview
The Mirambika School, established in 1981, is a co-educational institution located on the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in south Delhi. It is an experimental innovative school, which follows the integral education sytem formulated by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. It is not affiliated with any exam board and offers education until class X with students writing the exam conducted by the National Institute of Open Schooling.
Says a school spokesperson: “Integral means total: our system is called integral because it addresses the totality of the being. We seek to educate not only the body, the emotions and the intellect but also work towards making these instruments function in light of our divine essence, the psychic being. The psychic being is the pivot around which the education of the surface instruments revolves. Thus, integral education differs from holistic education in that it does not treat each aspect of education as a component, but looks upon the head, hands and heart as the instruments that are interconnected, and when linked to the divine essence these instruments reveal an amazing latent potential.”
Campus
Mirambika is sited within the Aurobindo Asharm in south Delhi. The school building integrates the visions of Sri Aurobindo and Mother in its architecture. The school building resembles the Mother’s symbol — twelve petals and a centre called ‘Aditi’ signifying the ‘flame of fire’. The school campus houses a museum, library, art room, sports room, science laboratory, gymnasium and dining hall besides computer room, talk room, meditation room, music room, resource room and teachers’ training room.
Academics
There are no graded classrooms in Mirambika. The school is open to children aged 4 to 15 years. The curriculum is not rigid, and evolves as the class progresses, allowing each individual child to grow at the pace and in the direction best suited for her.
The younger children study in groups named after colours, like Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and Orange. The education system is called integral because it addresses the ‘totality of the being’. Children learn by doing, observing and reflecting rather than from instructive teaching. Project work is a major tool of learning.
Through a single project, the child trains the body, mind and intellect, awakens the psychic being and learns languages, mathematics and science. Children can study only up to class X and take the examinations conducted by the National Institute of Open Schooling.
Extracurricular: Besides project-oriented education, this school offers various co-curricular and extracurricular activities. Students participate in discussions, presentations and experiment in different subjects and learn different types of indoor and outdoor games. Drama, dance, music, film, art, craft and model making are also part of the curriculum.
Admission
The school admits children at 4 years only in the Red group. Application forms are available at the office. The school offers free seats for children of economically weaker sections and disadvantaged people.
A child is given admission after interview and group discussion with parents. Then the younger children attend a one-day observation session while and the older children undergo week-long observation. Children’s behavior is informally observed.
Achievements
Says a school spokesperson: “Integral means total: our system is called integral because it addresses the totality of the being. We seek to educate not only the body, the emotions and the intellect but also work towards making these instruments function in light of our divine essence, the psychic being. The psychic being is the pivot around which the education of the surface instruments revolves. Thus, integral education differs from holistic education in that it does not treat each aspect of education as a component, but looks upon the head, hands and heart as the instruments that are interconnected, and when linked to the divine essence these instruments reveal an amazing latent potential.”