Salient features of the nature of growth experienced teachers and students of

Rishi Valley School set up by the Krishnamurti Foundation of India (KFI). 1

Sundar Kumar Gandikota

1.0 Background

The twentieth century has seen major breakthroughs and intense progress in many

areas of human activities. At the beginning of the century even electricity was not

available to most people and by the end of the century so many applications of

electricity have revolutionized life in unprecedented ways. Such an exponential

progress was observed in almost all fields resulting in immense material resources

and possibilities being created for the benefit of mankind. With the changing

nature of management of organizations man has been influenced in many ways.

During the last century the material wealth created by man for consumption is

both mind-boggling and disturbing. Mind-boggling because science and

technology developed at such a fast pace that a population of 6 billion can be fed

by the earth today with relative ease. It’s disturbing because this does not happen.

The outlook of man has remained quite ‘small’ and he is not able to appreciate the

cost at which this development has happened and he is also not able to integrate

the findings into the developmental endeavor. Since early times, educators have

also been concerned with education and development of young human beings so

that proper values are imbued in them to live life beautifully and harmoniously. In

most civilizations, especially in India, philosophers, saints and seers have been
1

1
concerned with welfare of the society and the world at large. They have

propounded and founded value based educational approaches for a lasting society

to be built upon.

2.0 Educational Philosophy of Rishi Valley School

The educational philosophy of the school of which development and emergence of

human values is an inescapable and naturally integral constituent is best described

in the words of J Krishnamurti, who founded the school in 1931. “The purpose, the

aim and drive of these schools, is to equip the child with the most excellent

technological proficiency so that the student may function with clarity and

efficiency in the modern world. A far more important purpose than this is to create

the right climate and environment so that the child may develop fully as a

complete human being. This means giving the child the opportunity to flower in

goodness so that he or she is rightly related to people, things and ideas, to the

whole of life. To live is to be related. There is no right relationship to anything if

there is not the right feeling for beauty, a response to nature, to music and art — a

highly developed aesthetic sense.

I think it is fairly clear that competitive education and the development of the

student in that process.... are very, very destructive. We must be very clear in

ourselves what we want – clear that a human being must be the total human being,

not just a technological human being. If we concentrate very much on

examinations, on technological information, on making the child clever, proficient

2
in acquiring knowledge while we neglect the other side, then the child will grow

up into a one-sided human being. When we talk about a total human being, we

mean not only a human being with inward understanding, with a capacity to

explore, to examine his or her inward state and the capacity of going beyond it, but

also someone who is good in what he does outwardly. The two must go together.

That is the issue in education: to see that when the child leaves the school, he is

well-established in goodness, both outwardly and inwardly.”2

The intention of the schools run by Krishnamurti Foundation of India (KFI) is to

awaken the intelligence of the student so that he or she may 'flower in goodness'.

The cultivation of a global outlook and a concern for our fellow human beings are

all part of this scheme of education. Some further goals of the educational

philosophy of Rishi Valley School are stated to be as follows.3

 To educate students so that they are able to explore both the natural

world and the world of feeling.

 To inculcate a love for nature and respect for all forms of life.

 To create an atmosphere of affection, order and freedom without either

fear or license.

 Not to condition students in any particular belief, either religious,

political or social, so that their minds may remain free to ask

fundamental questions, enquire and learn.

2
KRISHNAMURTI J. (1974). On Education. NEW DELHI: ORIENT LONGMAN.
3
Adapted from a draft of the school catalogue being prepared for prospective parents.

3
Based on this philosophy, teachers attempt to create an atmosphere of freedom,

care and security in which students are helped to enlarge their horizons and grow.

Human values are seen as an outcome of the inward flowering of the learners. They are not

attempted to be nurtured externally as part of the educational objectives. This seems to be

one of the distinctive differences between the schools of Krishnamurti Foundation of India

and the other religious trust based educational institutions.

3.0 Educational Intent4.

The educational intent of the school emerges from the teachings of Krishnamurti

and from the educational philosophy elicited above. Obviously, the way a person

understands the teachings depends on his own knowledge and experience. Hence,

different educators of KFI express the intent differently. Five of the trustees of KFI

were interviewed to ascertain what they consider is the educational intent of the

KFI schools. Their responses have been presented below as Perspectives 1 to 5.

These responses reflect the educational intent of all the JK schools in different

shades. They all emerge and are influenced by the teachings of JK. The

perspectives have been presented below.

3.1 Perspective 1

FIGURE 3.1
PERSPECTIVE 1

4
Awareness of oneself and of one’s environment
The phrase ‘educational intent’ could be considered to be analogous to the terms vision and strategy used in other
contexts. One of the main differences seems to be that the word vision reaches out to the world (from the mind of the
visionary) and attempts to shape it by deploying appropriate strategy. The word intent seems to be speaking about what is
in the heart and mind of the ‘visionary’ but he is focusing on it, in an intrinsic manner, without an attempt to influence the
world in an explicit manner, although there is action emanating from the intent. The intent may bring about passion in
people or in the institution, which influences the world, but this is not an objective.

4
 To be able to see both the whole and its parts. To understand how they
interact with each other and make up the whole.

Recognize the potential of children and enable them to bloom.

Within the above domains develop various conceptual and analytical skills.

Within all the above develop functional skills like academic, games, arts etc.

3.2 Perspective 2

FIGURE 3.2
PERSPECTIVE 2

Provide freedom and space to the teacher and child.

In the backdrop of this freedom develop the ability to observe and listen.
This brings about a deeper relationship with people and nature.

Within this develop specific skills and talents.

3.3 Perspective 3 Enable learning situations to develop insight and concepts.

FIGURE 3.3
PERSPECTIVE 3

Life centered school that is organic, evolving in an all-encompassing and holistic manner.

Rural development in education.

Rural development in medical facilities.
Rural development in other areas: training, jobs

5
 Global outlook in teachers and children.

Care and deeper relationship with nature.

Provide an environment and example to teachers and students to

develop a keen sensitivity and sensibility.

Provide space for teachers and students to grow.

3.4. Perspective 4

FIGURE 3.4
PERSPECTIVE 4
Developing a keen sensitivity towards others.

With this backdrop to enable a love of learning.

Against this backdrop, all other skills to be learnt in a happy and joyous manner.

The function of the school is to provide the environment of freedom and

space for all the above to come about.
3.5. Perspective 5

Objectives and goals are not fixed rigidly, but are taken up in an exploratory spirit

and modified with experience. The vision and the dreams of JK and the school are

always kept in mind and heart, and depending on the contexts and possibilities,

goals are evolved in a certain sense. The pursuit of goals is merged into the organic

6
processes of the school very finely to ensure a very smooth implementation, by

consensus. A consultative, committee based management style helps in all the

above.

4.0 Goals of education.

(As emergent from the nature of growth observed in students)

The educational intent of five of the whole-time trustees of the Krishnamurti

Foundation of India has been elicited in point number 7.2.1 (Page 431.) The trustee

concerned spontaneously stated each of these perspectives. There was no

published or unpublished document spelling out the educational intent, however,

they all emerge from an exploration of the teachings of JK and experience in the

field of education. It has been observed that the school does not have any fixed

goals of education or mission in the field of education. There is a background

intent emerging from the teachings of JK and with this background tentative,

exploratory action emerges.

For the sake of this tentative management model, some of the important elements

of growth observed in students at RVS have been taken to be the goals. These

elements have been presented as possible educational goals below. As indicated by

the factor analysis, most of these elements are manifestation of one underlying

phenomenon, which has been called as integral child development in this thesis.

They have not been presented in any order so that one looks at them closely rather

than attempting to make abstractions or categories out of them too quickly. Based

7
on their educational intent, some of these goals may not be acceptable to other

schools.

 Widening the range of interests.

 Improving the self-confidence.

 Improving the academic abilities.

 Improving the abilities in arts/crafts.

 Improving the overall sense of responsibility.

 Improving the urge to perform better.

 Care of belongings.

 Improving the abilities in sports, games.

 Improving the abilities in music/dance.

 Bringing about more orderliness.

 Improving the ability to express freely, forthrightly.

 Becoming more adaptable.

 Ability to consider different perspectives.

 Freedom from emotional upsets.

 Being able to take a balanced view while deciding.

 Improving interpersonal relationships.

 Improving the ability to draw the right lessons from failures.

 Improving the sense of relatedness to the people around.

8
  Improving environmental awareness.

 Developing freedom from fear of teachers.

 Becoming more sensitive towards nature.

 Sensitivity towards other people.

 Improving the ability to listen and observe.

 Improving aesthetic sense.

 Shifting from external motivation to self-motivation.

 Developing freedom from dislikes prejudices.

 Developing freedom from tendency to dominate.

5.0 Scope for growth

A school is an institution which offers scope for growth to students and to the

teachers. The characteristics of the scope for growth offered by the Rishi Valley

School have been determined and analyzed on an exploratory basis based on the

following intuitive clusters.

 Scope for basic-functional growth

 Scope for emotional-sociability growth

 Scope for inward-psychological growth

5.1. Infrastructure and facilities (Scope for Abilities - Functional growth): This

cluster covers the elements, which are observed to account for the growth of

students in basic abilities and functions.

9
5.2. Scope for Emotional – Sociability growth: This cluster covers the elements,

which are considered to be accounting for, based on participant observations, the

emotional growth of a student so that he or she becomes more sociable and is able

to build good relationships with people around.

5.3. Scope for Psychological - Inward growth: This cluster covers the elements,

which are considered to be having the potential of accounting for the

psychological and inward (introspective ability) growth of students.

6.0. Growth Experienced

Growth experienced

 Basic abilities - functional growth leading to professional and

material well-being

 Emotional-Sociability growth leading to emotional balance and inter-

personal harmony

 Inward-psychological growth leading to human values and intra-

personal harmony.

10
Perception survey was conducted amongst randomly chosen parents, present

students, ex-students and teachers on the above elements and the mean of the

perception data was calculated. The mean of the three clusters of elements was

determined and the correlation coefficient between the two was determined.

By the way a school conducts itself the scope for growth is utilized and actualized

by the teachers and students to experience growth and development. In this

research study the type of growth has been intuitively clustered into three types.

6.1. Abilities-Functional growth: This cluster of elements reflects the growth in

the students or teachers with reference to their functional abilities. It is the basic

type of growth expected in the process of schooling of any child. The width or

range of abilities a child develops in may vary from school to school but some

elements will obviously be common. In the present study an attempt has been

made to capture the perception about growth experienced in the students and

teachers. This cluster includes a range of abilities, which would partially or fully

overlap with other schools, including other public schools.

6.2. Emotional-Sociability growth: This cluster of elements reflects the growth in

the students or teachers with reference to their ability to understand and resolve

their emotions so that they are able to improve their intra-personal and inter-

personal relationships. This cluster of elements might be found to overlap with

those of many other public schools. However, the emphasis towards the elements

may be different between Rishi Valley School and the others.

11
6.3. Psychological-Inward growth: This cluster of elements reflects the growth in

the students or teachers with reference to their ability to observe and be aware of

the inner and the outer worlds in a comprehensive manner. Most of the elements

of this cluster may not be an area of so much emphasis in most schools. As there

do not seem to be proven and easily comprehensible tools for bringing about

‘choice less awareness’ schools or institutions do not seem to work much in this

most important aspect of education.

SUMMARY OF SAMPLE MEAN OF GROWTH PERCEIVED

Parents’ Ex-students Teachers’

perception of Students’ perception perception of perception of
Child’s of Growth in oneself Growth in Growth in
Growth oneself oneself
Abilities-
6.8 6.8 6.3 5.9
Functional Growth

Emotional-
7.4 6.9 6.5 5.9
Sociability Growth

Psychological-
7.7 7.4 6.8 6.9
Inward Growth

7.0 Conclusion

All categories of respondents have perceived that the growth in the psychological

domain has been higher than the growth in the other two domains. The

12
psychological and inward growth is what leads to principled, value based and

naturally ethical manner of living by individuals.

13