We wish all our members and readers a very Happy New Year. In this special double-themed issue of our Newsletter, we contemplate awhile on the beginnings and existence of an institution conceptualised to actualise an important aspect intimate to the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother - Education. The institution is none other than the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education (SAICE), the first if its kind, closely run and directed by The Mother in the early days in order to practice and experiment with that kind of education that was meant for the man of the future; a man who is tuned to live the integral life on earth and create here centres of existence of a higher order; man aspirimg for the transformation of his nature and making it ready for the descent of the Divine in order to allow the Divine to manifest here in earthly life.
SAICE is a part of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and therefore integrally linked with the practices of the integral yoga of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. The Mother opened it first on the 2nd of December 1943. In 1951, The Mother called for a convention which resolved to establish the Sri Aurobindo International University Centre, which was renamed as the Sri Aurobindo International Centre for Education, in 1959. The school holds an average enrolment of 400. The children are exposed to the humanities, the sciences, Languages, Engineering Technology, and Physical Education. The centre offers facilities for drawing, painting, handiwork, music, dancing, dramatics, arts and crafts, libraries, laboratories and practical and manual work. This array of activities serve to expose children to a wide variety of skills as well as the opportunity to excel in any skill that he or she is inclined towards, during his course of study in the centre. Since the ethos of the centre points to self-discovery and perfection in as many parts and planes of the being as possible in order to facilitate the growth of a versatile personality, there are no external pressures in the guise of examinations, nor are the courses children choose meant for career opportunities. Children also do not face the stress of specialization since there is no need for specialization in the school. Notably, there are no degrees or diplomas or certificates. Above all, children of SAICE are led to understand that the true pursuit for them would be to discover their true purpose here and increase their perfectability through the training of all the faculties that make up the integral being. SAICE was never conceptualized as a regional or national body but an international one, where students of all cultures around the world find here their expression. There is much inspiration to be drawn from this centre of education with its multi-pronged experiments with life.
This newsletter edition also highlights The Mother’s words on the descent of the Superman and its significance, on the 1st of January 1969, exactly half a century ago. This is a must read for all of us who want to know even a little of the characteristics of Superman and the significance of that presence here. Through these words, let us be inspired to aspire for a progressive life as we march forward into the year of 2019.
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