ABOUT
We strive to provide an ecosystem for students to explore and expand their inherent potential, organically.
ETHOS
BALANCE
We appreciate diversity and believe in the interconnectedness of life
QUESTION
We groom individuals who think sensitively, creatively and critically
RELATE
We believe in that a close teacher- student relationship is the bedrock of a healthy learning environment.
ASSERT
We care for the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of each individual to create self-confident and assured human beings
DISCOVER
We follow a process oriented approach where learning happens through hands-on understanding
FEATURES
OUTDOOR
Surrounded by forested hills and ponds, students enjoy trekking, bird watching, cycling and bio-diversity studies
WORKSHOPS
Professionals are invited to share and interact with students on a variety of topics for a broader perspective
ACTIVITIES
Yoga, Kalaripayattu, Music, Dance & Art are an integral part of the curriculum.
HEALTH CARE
Our kitchen serves nutritious vegetarian food. An in-house nurse is on call 24/7. We also have an experienced psychological counsellor
1:5
TEACHER-STUDENT RATIO
12
YEARS
30
ACRE CAMPUS
90
SPECIES OF BIRDS
20
STATES AND COUNTRIES
LEADERSHIP
De-conditioning and Questioning is the key
FOUNDER
The Peepal Grove School is a project of The Satsang Foundation founded by Sri Mumtaz Ali or M, as he is popularly known. He is a social activist, educationist and a crusader for inter-religious harmony with a deep knowledge of world religions. He has been associated with the Ramakrishna Mission and was a trustee of the Krishnamurti Foundation.
Sri M travels worldwide and holds dialogues with people from all communities and persuasions on the spiritual quest for the multi-dimensional essence of life. His book, “Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master – An Autobiography of a Yogi”, is a modern spiritual classic. He spearheaded the epochal Walk of Hope – a Padayatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir in 2015-16.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Sunanda Ali has been in the field of education for over forty years, of which she has spent fifteen years in The Peepal Grove School as Principal. She has taught in regular fee-paying schools as well as in free schools for economically disadvantaged children.
She says, "Schools in our country place an obsessive emphasis on performance and marks and hence encourage unhealthy competition and comparison. Education instead should open out the world for the child, encourage her to think on her own and discover things for herself. This will inculcate a love of learning which should last her throughout her life. Through the educational process, a student should learn 'how to learn', what she is good at and what is deeply important to her. In school, students should also learn how to live with and learn from others, a skill much needed in today's world which is fractured by divisions and violence."
PRINCIPAL
After completing his Masters from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (Mumbai), Viraj Naidoo joined The Satsang Foundation in 2002. Initially, he worked as an apprentice at The Satsang Vidyalaya at Madanapalle. He was then invited to join the team tasked with starting the residential school - The Peepal Grove School. He was the Academic Coordinator of the school from its inception in 2006. In 2021 he was invited to assume the role of the Principal.
Viraj is very passionate about providing an engaging learning environment to students. He believes that an educational institution should be willing to constantly adapt and innovate to meet the diverse needs of students. For this to happen, teachers and students must develop a good rapport. "The key role of teachers is to be enablers and not enforcers. When students are given significant agency in their growth and development schooling can be a transformational experience for students. The main focus of schools must be to meet the fundamental needs of students: the need for autonomy, relatedness and competence. The Peepal Grove School is not just a place of learning, it is a school that learns".
NOTE FROM FOUNDER
Children are sensitive, open-minded and vulnerable. They need to be shown ways and means to gather knowledge and understanding, and learn for themselves. And since learning is associated with space (both internal and external), at The Peepal Grove School, we include experiences like outdoor classes, bird-watching, trekking, painting outdoors (instead of only within the four walls of the classroom) all of which we feel are crucial to the growth of young minds. Here teachers play the role of friendly guides who inspire students through dialogue and discussion, instead of ‘spoon-feeding’ them.
That this vision, of learning how to live and learn together in harmony, will be taken forward into the future, we have no doubt. The younger generation of both teachers and administrators have participated in several dialogues and training programmes where they have learnt that to live the philosophy is more important than mere verbal communications.
De-learning or de-conditioning is an important part of what the guides/teachers learn and this is how they stay open to learning new ideas. I am confident that the ideas I have about education will be taken forward organically and not just seen as a ‘mission statement’ to follow. My younger associates who will see the school forward are like students themselves in their desire for learning and personal growth. They are to a great extent successful in bringing young minds together under the Peepal trees that grow abundantly in our campus.
Chittoor Dist. Andhra Pradesh
India 517123