Pathashaala is being created on a large campus, about 80km from Chennai in an area between the villages of Vallipuram, Vazhuvathur, Elumichampet and Aanoor in the district of Kancheepuram. It is envisaged as a residential wing of The School in Chennai fostering individual autonomy and encouraging intelligence and coexistence with nature. Both campuses will function together enriching and strengthening each other organically.
Pathashaala draws on the thirty-six years of experience of The School KFI in the beautiful campus provided by the Theosophical society in Adyar, Chennai. The educational work at The School has provided many insights into education, administration of a school, the relationship between the learner and educator, the educator and parent and most importantly relationship among educators. The collaboration amongst educators has led to many structural and pedagogic changes.
Pathashaala will commence its first academic year in 2010-11 with a middle school class of 30 students – boys and girls – between the ages 9½ to 12½ in a mixed age group. The school will grow in a phased manner to about 120 students between the ages of 9½ to 16½ with a teacher-student ratio of 1:6.
In the tranquil atmosphere with distant hills and fresh breezes the staff and students will learn an environmentally sustainable way of living. The campus is designed to use alternative energy – solar energy, windmills and biogas. It will be sensitive to the use and pollution of water and be committed to ecological sanitation. The campus will have only dry composting toilets for use by all residents. There is adequate vegetation with careful planted trees, herbs and grasses.