CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE
"By education, I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in child and man—body, mind, and spirit." - Mahatma Gandhi
Education is a continuous process which helps to prepare an individual to play his/her role as an enlightened member of the society. It means an all-rounded development of the person. Education is a holistic process that shapes the mind, nourishes the spirit and prepares individuals to live in harmony with themselves, others, and the world at large.
There was a time when ignorance was bliss and knowledge was a sin! Those were the pristine days when a man was a jungle resident. But times have changed when man became a social being with no return to those pristine days. And the old saying took a U-Turn! Now ignorance is sin and knowledge is power. Education gives us that powerful weapon called knowledge.
Without education, there is no difference between human beings and animals. Education is a powerful tool capable of solving all the social, personal and family problems. However, education is not merely the accumulation of knowledge, St. Mary’s Schools believe that every individual has an inherent potential that can be drawn out and nurtured through the right kind of education. Our education curriculum encompasses the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of the individual, aiming to create well-rounded, balanced human being who can contribute positively to the society.
In a world with an ever-changing pace, where people are being overstimulated and overwhelmed with a plethora of information with each passing second, holistic education becomes more important than ever in this condition we find ourselves in. We must train our children and youngsters to grow into robust human beings who can foster healthy communities with qualities like resilience and compassion, instead of merely equipping them with technical skills.
Schools are institutions that sow academic seeds in our children, help them bloom and shape their minds to build good characters. The Gandhian philosophy urges schools to concentrate on the growth and development in children from all spheres. With adherence to NEP, our school develops a space that promotes movement and supports emotional well-being as well as nurturing the spirit of the children. Physical Education is an integral part of the curriculum, not only to keep the children fit but also to foster discipline, teamwork, resilience and sportsmanship. Arts and humanity subjects are celebrated alongside sciences and mathematics to help in the development of creativity, emotional intelligence and cultural awareness. We firmly believe that engaging in activities that feed the soul through value based education or voluntary services, is an important part of how students can feel whole.
Ideally, holistic education not only positively impacts the individual. Education of the whole person—body, mind, and spirit—produces persons capable not only of thinking but also feeling deeply on an intellectual level; having a strong moral character matched with emotional stability as well as being socially responsible individuals. And these are the attributes which enable us to tackle the grand challenges we face as a world today. The most important lesson we teach our expats is that “good” grades are meaningless if they emerge from a system of deceit, fraud, and self-deceit; inculcating these values into our students not only ensures their success in the workplace but can also be life-changing in its impact. We are developing the leaders of tomorrow—those capable of making informed, ethical decisions; who care about their fellow man; and have the knowledge to help create a fairer, kinder world.
Ultimately, the vision of education Mahatma Gandhi held—education as an all-round drawing out of what is best in a child and man—should inspire our collective search for better schooling. Amidst a world that often forgets what these broader aims of education even are, fixated on high-stakes academic metrics as it is, its important to return here. This is the vision that, at St. Marys School, we are working to achieve. We believe all education should be an empowering experience while developing the growth of each individual student, ensuring they are well-equipped for today and tomorrow. Through a careful understanding of these elements, we take great strides towards crafting technically and professionally successful students who are also compassionate, ethically sound human beings. But as an educator, a parent, or just part of the community, it is our job to make certain that what we are calling education matches up with this vision. Together, let us build the true educational system that calls forth from every child their highest self to live as purposeful, harmonious beings!
God Bless!
Rev. Fr. Aji K. Chacko
Chairman
