The Theosophical Society, Chennai, is starting a school this year on its tranquil campus at Besant Gardens. Called Adyar Theosophical Academy (ATA), a centre for transformative education, the school will have classes in LKG, UKG, Grade 1 and 2. The capex for the school will be funded by the society.
ATA will prepare students for the Indian School Certificate Examination (ICSE) with English as the language of instruction. Emphasis will be given to the development of life skills including self confidence, effective relationships, conflict resolution among others.
Character building will be an essential element in ATA, said Sonal Murali, director, Adyar Theosophical Academy.
“The school will commence from June 2019 and it will not have more than 20 students per class with a high teacher student ratio,” she added.
The school is coming up on the premises where the society had its publishing house.
“We had a building for publishing which is being shifted. Now we are using it for the new school,” said Tim Boyd, international president, The Theosophical Society. He explained that the school would focus on the philosophy of the Theosophical Society.
Talking about the rationale behind setting up this school, he said, “In Philippines we have a model school called the Golden Link School, which has been developed very successfully. And now we are trying to bring that model to India through this new school.” According to Mr Boyd, students from the school in Philippines are highly sought after by the business community, because apart from high grades, they also exhibit certain sense of integrity at the workplace.
ATA is also looking at introducing SEE learning (social, emotional and ethical learning). SEE learning is a school curriculum developed by Emory University’s Center for Contemplative Sciences and Compassion based ethics in the US, in association with the Dalai Lama Trust.
