Introduction – Why I chose Imara’s Holistic Education for my Child

A five-part series on one parent’s journey through understanding and embracing Imara’s holistic education (commonly referred as alternative education) system, and its impact on her child as well as the broader society.

True knowledge is not attained by thinking. It is what you are; it is what you become.

― Sri Aurobindo & The Mother

As much as this quote discerns a human being’s true purpose, it also validates the status quo of the world we are in today. We are at a cusp of ‘evolution’ and ‘revolution’ as a civilization – on one hand, we are uncovering colossal amount of knowledge – about the universe and about our own selves – and on the other hand, we are harnessing this knowledge to make our lives – and our tomorrow – better. Yet this competition for knowledge and advancement just grows fiercer and the impact is not entirely positive!

For my husband and I, this was naturally our biggest concern for our son. Undoubtedly, we wanted him to go to a school where he could learn about the various subjects and excel at learning. But beyond, we also wanted his education – and his school – to be the primary role model in sculpting his mind and personality, and make him better equipped to take on the worldly challenges and stresses, while achieving his goals and passions.

After months of research and dozens of conversations with family and friends, we chose Imara for our son (and later for our daughter too), and we already have a feeling that this may have been the most valuable decision that we made for him.

Within the following blogs, I have illustrated my own experiences with Imara’s holistic schooling (commonly referred as alternative education) methodology, how it is different from the conventional education system, and the impact that it has already had on my child and the society.

1. Part One: The Role of Facilitators at Imara
2. Part Two: Why Does the World Need Integral Education?
3. Part Three: How does Imara’s Way of Teaching Nurture the Physical Being?
4. Part Four: Helping our Children Become Joyful Learners
5. Part Five: The Importance of Emotional Intelligence

Next: Part One: The Role of Facilitators at Imara