Krishnamurthy's Rishi Valley School in A.P.

RISHI VALLEY EDUCATION CENTRE CHITTOOR DISTRICT,ANDHRA PRADESH - 517352INDIA TEL: 91-8571-280044/280086/280582/280622
EMAIL: OFFICE@RISHIVALLEY.ORG

Rishi Valley Education Centre is run by Krishnamurti Foundation India. It is located in a sheltered valley in the interior of rural Andhra Pradesh, about 15km from the nearest town Madanapalle, and about 140 km north-east of Bangalore.
The site of the school, chosen by Krishnamurti for its remarkable atmosphere of peace and serenity, is an undulating landscape of fields, rain-fed streams and scattered villages, surrounded by ancient granite hills with striking rock formations. Located in a drought-prone area, the hill slopes were once sparse in vegetation and the valley floor dotted with an occasional banyan or tamarind tree. Years of sustained reforestation and water conservation measures have transformed the school campus into a veritable forest area and the once-barren hillside bordering the campus is now covered with a green cover of young trees. Conservation and enhancement of the natural environment remains one of the school's core values. In July 1991 Rishi Valley was officially declared a bird-preserve, and was cited by the International Council for bird preservation.


AN OVERVIEW
Rishi Valley School is dedicated to drawing the phlosopher J. Krishnamurti's challenging vision of education into the daily transactions and practices of a school situated in the Indian countryside. Rishi Valley School has 360 boarding students from different states of India and sixty highly qualified faculty members. Regarded as one of the leading residential schools in India, Rishi Valley School provides a distinctive educational environment that enables young persons to grow not only in intellectual capacities, but also in other dimensions of their being.
New students to the school are chosen from an annual pool of applicants on the basis of character, talent, academic ability as well as parental background. The Junior and Middle School, with around 190 students from classes 4 to 8, provides a flexible curriculum, free from the pressure of examinations. This creates an atmosphere conducive to innovative teaching and a rich range of learning.
The Senior School, with 160 students from classes 9 to 12, is affiliated to the ICSE and ISC examination boards. The emphasis at this level shifts towards an in-depth preparation of students to meet the academic requirements of the prescribed syllabi. While developing the students' intellectual faculties, there is a conscious effort towards creating a wider awareness of the world and giving space for the development of the aesthetic, moral and emotional dimensions. Our hope is that students passing out from Rishi Valley School would grow into self-aware, sensitive and responsible human beings who remain life-long learners.
Facilities for the staff and students are simple but well maintained.
While the residential school is only one unit among others in the Education Centre, it functions as a resource base for other units by providing them with administrative support and broadly sharing with them its educational and human resources.



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PUBLICATIONS
Publications Programme
The publications programme is based on educational materials developed for Rishi Valley School and Rural Valley Institute for Educational Resources (RIVER) by their staff and educational associates. Our goals are to document and further advance Rishi Valley's distinctive approach to education in a village environment, including current efforts to integrate the education of boarding school students with rural activities, satellite schools, and the regeneration of the earth. Our publications are designed to provide enrichment material for students from the urban middle class and those from rural areas, and to reach out to other schools and the general public with a view to testing our materials for their wider educational relevance.
Our educational priorities are to promote awareness and care for the environment, which sustains our lives, to develop concern for fellow human beings, to ensure excellence in academics, and to nurture a sense of beauty. With these aims in mind, we have launched the Rishi Valley Education Series. The Series aims for quality publications of the highest standards. The following books are already in print or will be published soon.
Nature Studies
Birds of Rishi Valley and Renewal of their Habitats, by S. Rangaswami and S. Sridhar. A richly illustrated compendium of nature lore, including a field guide and an extended study of habitat renewal and its impact on local bird life. Fifty colour plates by eminent photographer and naturalist S. Sridhar, drawings by Gerry Balcombe. Published 1993.
Insects of Rishi Valley, by Rebecca Thomas and Geeta Iyer. An illustrated study recording the diversity of local insect life and tracing its role in preserving the environment. Based on the two authors' many years of experience teaching biology in Rishi Valley School and using local case studies, the book emphasizes the rich interdependence between biological species, which sustain life on earth. (Forthcoming)
Home Studies Course in Ornithology by S. Rangaswami. A six-month Home Studies Course in Ornithology.
History and Social Studies
Prehistory for Indian Schools: Our Tribal Ancestors by Radhika Herzberger.
Prehistory for Indian Schools: Shepherds and Farmers by Radhika Herzberger.These text for Middle and High School students traces the paths the human race has taken from its African origins through the Stone Ages to the beginnings of settled life, with detailed case studies of tribal cultures in India that have survived into the 20th century.
Ancient History for Indian Schools, by Radhika Herzberger. (Forthcoming)
The First Forty Years, by Roshen Dalal. A brief history of the early years of Rishi Valley School.
Songs, Stories and Theatre Kits
Vennela Vindu ('A Moonlight Feast'), by Jai Sitaram. Poems and songs for children of all ages, with beautiful and distinctive artwork by the noted illustrator T. Gangadhar (Telugu). Published 1991, 2nd printing, 1992.
Panchatantra with Puppets, concept designed by YAP Rao and Rama Rao; plays by Vejendla Sambasiva Rao (Telugu) and music composed by V. Seetha Devi; orchestration by Seshadri. Stories from the ancient classic, adapted for elementary schoolchildren, especially first generation learners. Includes scripts of the plays, a teacher's manual, a student workbook, music score, audio cassettes containing the soundtrack, and a puppetry kit adapted from the traditional style of leather puppets from nearby Nimmalakunta in Andhra Pradesh.
Panchatantra with Puppets, concept designed by YAP Rao and Rama Rao; plays by Sri Sri Prasad (Hindi) and music composed by Smt. A. Yosha orchestration by Seshadri. Stories from the ancient classic, adapted for elementary schoolchildren, especially first generation learners. Includes scripts of the plays, a teacher's manual, a student workbook, music score, audio cassettes containing the soundtrack, and a puppetry kit adapted from the traditional style of leather puppets from nearby Nimmalakunta in Andhra Pradesh.

Education Kits
School in a Box, by Y.A. Padmanabha Rao, Smt. Rama Padmanabha Rao, and Rishivanam staff. A comprehensive educational programme based on the multi-level, multi-grade methodology. With almost 2000 illustrated study cards and other teaching aids, it is meant to completely equip an elementary school in the areas of Telugu, Mathematics, and Environmental Studies up to class 5.
Apna Path Pitara concept designed by Y.A. Padmanabha Rao, Smt. Rama Padmanabha Rao. Text by Sri Sri Prasad. It is a comprehensive educational programme based on the multi-level, multi-grade methodology. With almost 2000 illustrated study cards and other teaching aids, it is meant to completely equip an elementary school in the areas of Hindi, Mathematics, and Environmental Studies up to class 5.
Mothers' Stories
A unique collection of traditional stories retold by mothers of the Boya community, retold, transcribed and illustrated by the children.


Work Books
As part of the 'Child-to-Mother Literacy Programmes' these workbooks are aimed at providing support to the mothers in developing literacy skills. They were tried out in a pilot project and the response was excellent - not just the mothers for whom they were prepared, but even their children seemed to enjoy using them! These workbooks are based on school-in-a-box materials and methodology.

Teachers' Resource Pack
Its salient volumes include a training guide for planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating multi-grade programmes; a hand-book for introducing theatre and craft into the classroom; scripts and audio cassettes for staging stories from the Panchatantra in Hindi and Telugu; a planning and achievement tracking diary for teachers.
Prices will be available on request. Email: office@rishivalley.org


FUNDING
Krishnamurti Foundation India is registered under the Societies Registeration Act XX1 of 1860.
All donations to Rishi Valley Education Centre are eligible for 50% exemption under section 80G of Income tax Act.
Rishi Valley Education Centre is registered under the Foreign Regulation Act under Section 10(23)C, and eligible for receiving grants from abroad.


RISHI VALLEY SCHOOL
Rishi Valley School is financially autonomous. Funds generated from its approximately 310 fee-paying students cover all running expenses.
In a typical year there are about 6 scholarship students, including children from families engaged in social work in remote parts of the country. Fee reductions are made available so that fees are adjusted to family incomes provided students qualify on the entrance tests.
The School contributes about Rs. 100,000 to the Rural Education Centre and its activities.


SOURCES OF THE OUTREACH PROGRAMME
Rural Education
The Rural Education Programme incurs an annual expenditure of around Rs 2,500,000. The Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, has since 1987 provided support from its Scheme of Assistance under Experimental and Innovative Programmes.
Sir Ratan Tata Trust contributed funds for community programmes, and for documentation, including a film on RIVER's methodology and a 5-volume Teachers' Resource Pack.
Rockefeller Foundation gave a one-time grant for publication in 1996.
Catholic Relief Services of India supported aspects of the community programme.
Rishi Valley School continues to make and annual contribution of Rs. 125,000 to the programme. Any shortfalls in income are met through training programmes conducted by the centre.


RURAL HEALTH
Manmohini Kaul Charitable Medical Trust provides funding of about Rs 100,000 per annum, which is used to subsidise the cost of medicines, meet some hospital and laboratory expenses for the poorest of the poor, as well as supporting the Antenatal programme. The Baroda-based company LOCOST supplies necessary medicines at minimal cost.
The Eye-Care Programme depends on private donations; Ms Girija Krishnan is a major contributor. Dr Krishna Reddy, an eye surgeon from Madanpalle, continues to contributes his skilled services to the Centre.
The Tuberculosis Programme is supported by SIDVIM Foundation, Mumbai. Mr Jadish Dore, an alumnus of Rishi Valley School, initiated the programme with a grant of Rs 100,000.
The Antenatal Programme is being supported by Manmohini Kaul Trust and 'Indians for India.'
The Diagnostic Centre was established with a seed grant of Rs 150,000 from Dr R Ramkumar, an alumnus of Rishi Valley School.
An X-Ray machine was donated by the SIDVIM trust.A break up of the costs involved for the treatment of our patients.
Cost of treating one OPD Patient: Rs 30
Cost of treating one Cataract Patient with IOL: Rs 1200
Cost of treating one TB Patient: Rs 1500
Cost of treating and following up one Antenatal: Rs 1200
Cost of one Domiciliary Delivery: Rs 1000
Cost of one Hospital based delivery: Rs 3000
Annual requirement of Drugs: Rs 150,000
Annual requirement for meeting costs of investigation and treatment at secondary and tertiary care centres: Rs 150,000
Any contribution, however small will be of great help to us in providing quality healthcare to the rural poor.

Herbal Medicine Programme
The Herbal Garden was established with help from the Rishi Valley Estate.
Subsequently, Sir Dorabji Tata Trust gave a grant of Rs 1,000,000 spread over three years for preventive health care work and for wider dissemination of information about curative properties of Ayurvedic medicinal plants.

We are presently receiving a grant from the Environmental Ministry of the Government of India.
Land Reclamation Project
The watershed management and soil conservation programmes were supported by one-time grants from the State Government of Andhra Pradesh and from the Wasteland Development Board of India.
Saving Indigenous Draft Animals
A seed grant from the Navadanya Foundation helped us enabled the purchase and transport of the animals to Rishi Valley. The annual expenditure of around Rs. 1000,000 is borne by Rishi Valley Education Centre.


How You Can Help
Donations for Educational Programmes
The cost of supporting a student at Rishi Valley School is Rs. 1,10,000 per annum.
The cost of sponsoring a student at the Rural Education Centre or any one of its Satellite Schools is Rs. 8,000/- per annum.
Cost of sponsoring an entire Satellite School is Rs. 1,25,000/- per annum.
Donations may be sent in the name of: Rishi Valley School (KFI).
Donations to any of the outreach programmes are welcome.