The visit is aimed at exploring Auroville’s innovative educational model and sustainable community practices.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A delegation comprising representatives from 13 countries is in Auroville to explore its innovative educational model and sustainable community practices.

The representatives hail from Indonesia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Fiji, Mauritius, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Ecuador, Madagascar, Mozambique and Eritrea.

According to a press release, the delegates visited the Sri Aurobindo International Institute of Educational Research (SAIIER), SVARAM (Sound Garden and Music Therapy), candle-making units, and leather bag manufacturing units.

Representatives of Auroville briefed the visitors on Auroville’s vision, purpose, and operational structure. They elaborated on how it was created as an international township dedicated to human unity.

They also explained The Mother’s vision and the purpose of Sri Aurobindo’s arrival in erstwhile Pondicherry, and the inspiration behind Auroville’s founding as well as the roles of various Auroville administrative arms such as the Auroville Town Development Council,and aspects of planning for the “City of the Future”.

The delegates had detailed discussions with the SAIIER team, who explained the distinctive approach of Auroville’s education system and its adoption of a unique educational methodology, which nurtures children from early childhood to their teenage years, encouraging a development from within outward.

The SAIIER team also highlighted how physical activities help children cut down on screen time by staying away from social media, mobile phones, and gaming devices. It was mentioned that each class in Auroville is limited to less than 20 students, allowing for stronger teacher-student relationships and individualised learning experiences.

The conversations also focused on how Auroville’s ongoing experiments in education can serve as a concrete model for integral, hands-on, and experiential learning. Delegates explored opportunities for deepening knowledge through practical engagement and how such approaches can be adapted and applied in diverse educational contexts.

G. Seetharaman, OSD, Auroville Foundation, also interacted with the visitors.

During the visit, delegates and Auroville educators explored ways to equip teachers with the necessary tools to nurture young minds in an ever-evolving world. On Sunday, the delegation visited the Last School for middle and high school students in Auroville to learn about mould-breaking approach to teaching and the institution’s open and dynamic learning environment.

According to the press note, the visit marked an important step toward fostering international collaboration in education and sustainable development. It also laid the groundwork for positioning Auroville as a hub for research, experimentation and teacher training for institutions in the global south.