Frequently Asked Questions: General

  • Will my child have a secure career at the end?

    The deepest concern of the school is to bring up students who are free, responsible and concerned with the whole of life. The intent of the school is not to help students find security through material comfort or by conforming to the current values and ambitions of society. It is, rather, to help them to be free of fear and be able to act sensitively in a world that is destructive and degenerating.

    To be independent and to earn a livelihood is one aspect of being responsible. The school is not merely adhering to some idea or philosophy at the expense of the children; nurturing each student is our deepest concern. As a natural part of this concern, the school will equip students with the skills to earn a livelihood. More importantly, the school will help them discover what they love to do, and help them do it with all their heart.

    Right education is to help you to find out for yourself what you really, with all your heart, love to do. It does not matter what it is, whether it is to cook, or to be a gardener, but is something in which you have put your mind, your heart. - J. Krishnamurti

    It is difficult for this to happen if we, as parents, are constantly pressurising and limiting our children in our own fear and anxiety about the future. It is important for us to be questioning the conclusions we have about security and success, and to be deeply examining our own fears and prejudices. It is important that we have the clarity to give the child the space and time to grow into a free individual.

    Moreover, the relationship with the school does not end with students being left to fend for themselves, in a harsh world. The school will continue to help the student whenever needed.

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  • Is this school suitable for all children, or do some need more structure?

    The programme is individualised, keeping in mind each students’s specific needs. So to some extent, the amount of structure would vary from student to student.

    However, all students respond to an atmosphere where they are trusted to take responsibility for themselves. Problems only arise when there are differences that lead to conflict between home and school. A student who gets different messages from the atmosphere at home and that at school is bound to be confused. It is important that the parent understands the intent of the school and can provide an interaction and atmosphere at home that is in harmony with that absorbed by the student at school.

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  • After such an alternative education, will my child be able to fit into the real world?

    Throughout their time at school, students will be encouraged to explore areas of interest so that they may discover what they really love to do. They will be equipped with the skills to earn a livelihood. More important, they will be equipped with the clarity and confidence to face life’s challenges. While in school, students will be part of decision making, learning to be responsible for the community and for themselves. When they go out into the adult world with that sense of responsibility, they will be able to respond sensitively to whatever comes their way.

    In fact, it would be a mistake to separate the world that the student is part of, from the ‘real’ world. At any point of time, the surroundings that the student is in is his world, and we would like him to function with clarity wherever he is. At school, though protected from the brutality he may encounter outside, a student will not in any way be isolated from the world that is rampant with deprivation and suffering. And with sensitivity and confidence, we would like a student to be able to question and step out of the violent, deadening systems of the world. We would like him to respond to the world wholly, with affection and awareness, instead of being preoccupied in trying to fit in and find a secure space for himself. It is this fearful preoccupation that makes the world as harsh and violent as it is today. We would like to bring into the world children who can stand up against society with clarity, a sense of freedom, and deep affection.

    It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti

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  • Once my child is admitted to Shibumi, does that mean he can stay at the school till the end of his school education?

    Students are individuals and many factors go into shaping their responses and reactions. When they are young, they are content if the environment is one of love and security. However, as they grow older, this might not be the case. They are looking at the world around; they are comparing themselves with other children of their own age. They are constantly being bombarded with media messages. All these can influence their thinking and attitude. There is no way to isolate them and protect them from all this. It may not even be healthy to attend to it. If any student shows that he is not responding in a spirit of freedom and cooperation to the environment that Shibumi attempts to sustain, we will request the parents to put him or her in a school which is more suited to his or her temperaments.

    We have noticed that these movements can be perceived from the age of 12 upwards. Generally, we find that we can work constructively with students till at least the age of the normal school-leaving examinations of the 10th standard.

    Only those who have no resistance to dialogues and self enquiry and the quiet life style that the school offers will remain with us for their A levels or beyond the age of 17.

    The second reason for requesting a student to leave the school may be because the parents no longer genuinely agree with the education the school offers. Normally, such parents would withdraw their child on their own, but sometimes this is not a very clear step because many factors may play their role in a decision to keep the student in school. We are committed to having thorough dialogues in such situations to clear up all misunderstandings and ensure that there is harmony in the way we adults, parents and teachers, are looking at education and the atmosphere that Shibumi offers. However, if it is seen that such harmony is not possible, we might request that the student be withdrawn.

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  • What does Shibumi mean?

    Shibumi is a Japanese word that means 'effortless perfection'. Anything that is Shibumi is quiet in refinement, noble and fulfilling in a manner that is not shaped exclusively by analytical thought. In Japanese culture, Shibumi implies 'a simplicity of spirit; an attitude of refinement without pretension, honesty without apology, beauty without artifice. Western mystics try to attain or achieve a state of inner peace, but shibumi must be found, not won.' Shibumi is understanding rather than knowledge, it is harmony in action. In art, it is understated beauty, articulate brevity. In philosophy, it is spiritual tranquility that is not passive; it is being without the angst of becoming.

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