Sandur Residential School

OurHistory5In response to a needThe Sandur Residential School was started at a timewhen good residential schools with a broad-based,progressive outlook were few in number. In 1959, agroup of friends decided to set up an institution thatcould impart an enlightened, liberal education.M.Y. GhorpadeM.Y. Ghorpade, an MA from Cambridge, has alwaysbeen deeply committed to the cause of educationand human resource development. He was Ministerof Karnataka’s Rural Development for severalyears. He is the patron of the Shivapur SikshanaSamiti, which is responsible for the management ofthe school.F.G. PearceF.G. Pearce was known and respected for his pioneeringwork in public school education. He plannedseveral of India’s best known residential schools,including the Scindia School at Gwalior and the RishiValley School at Madanapalli. He was the firstEducational Director of Sandur Residential School.MahalakshmiMahalakshmi, a well known educationist and teacher,(Chairperson of the Indian Public Schools’ Conferencefrom 1992 to 1994), was the Founder-Principalof the school. Her involvement contributed bothto the School’s development and stature.Today, the Sandur Residential School is an established,respected institution and one of 70 selectschools to be accorded membership to the IndianPublic Schools’ Conference.M.Y. Ghorpade conducts an English class.“The job of an educator is to teach studentsto see vitality in themselves.”—Joseph Campbell

OurHistory7Now, almost 50 years laterWe will be celebrating our Golden Jubilee in 2009.The greatest testament to our success is the hundredsof students who have passed through our portals,to carve successful careers for themselves inthe corporate world, entrepreneurial enterprises andgovernment and service organisations.In celebration of our 50th Anniversary, a new complexis being constructed. This will house a newlibrary, personality development centre, modern kindergartenand indoor auditorium.Artist’s impression of our upcoming Golden Jubilee hall“The whole purpose of education is toturn mirrors into windows.”—Sydney J. Harris

OurVision9Independence and responsibility• To give students individual guidance and attentionby keeping the school strength small andthe environment homely.• To enrol a cross-section of students from differenteconomic and social backgrounds.• To impart an enlightened, liberal education.• To impart the skill and competence needed tosucceed in this world of increasing specialisation.• To impart a sense of social responsibility andpurpose.• To help students develop an all-round personalityand creative attitude to life.• To draw out the best in every child.DEDICATIONSound education should be down-to-earth inevery sense and not removed from our immediatesurroundings and social conditions. The SandurResidential School’s main asset is the goodwill ofthe parents and the public. Its chief strength is itsdedication and faith in the present and the future.Its greatest reward is the quality of its pupils—andthe work they will do after leaving school—to builda strong and sensitive society.

AnOverview11Our staffWe have always believed that the key to a goodschool—and a good education—is the influence ofenlightened teachers. At our school, we ensure thatchildren are given the opportunity to make the bestof themselves, academically and personally.We maintain a student-teacher ratio of 15:1. Ourteachers are highly qualified, experienced and havethe skills and sensitivity to tap the full potential oftheir students. They constantly upgrade and updatetheir knowledge base through additional reading ofjournals and research on the internet.Very importantly, we have an equally well qualifiedand committed team of teachers for co-curricularactivities like sports, music, dance, dramatics, elocutionand art.“The objective of education is to prepare the youngto educate themselves throughout their lives.”—Robert Maynard Hutchins

AnOverview13Standards and syllabusThe Sandur Residential School is a co-educational,english medium school. It admits both day scholarsand boarders, from Kindergarten to Std 12.The school follows the ICSE syllabus up toStd 10. For the benefit of students in Karnataka whowant to study engineering or medicine, the schooloffers the State (PUC) syllabus for Stds 11 and 12.Apart from Hindi, languages taught at the schoolinclude Kannada, Tamil and Telugu.Students are taken on annual excursions to differentparts of the country, in order to broaden theirexposure and outlook.“The important thing is not so much thatevery child should be taught, as thatevery child should be given the wish to learn.”—John Lubbock

AnOverview15Campus and facilitiesThe school is located outside the town, in a clean,green and peaceful environment. The 75-acre campushas been designed to provide a homely, friendlyenvironment that is modern and aesthetically pleasing,without being ostentatious. The campus includesclassrooms, laboratories, a library, an auditorium,play fields, dormitories, a dining complex, principaland teachers’ quarters and guest house.“Education is not the filling of a bucket,but the lighting of a fire.”—W. B. Yeats

Academic facilities17Library, laboratories, computer studiesNamed after Jawaharlal Nehru, the school library wasbuilt in 1964. It has an excellent selection of books:on academics, reference, fiction and non-fiction (classicsand contemporary) and magazines. Children areencouraged to cultivate reading habit—for knowledgeand pleasure. Teachers use the library for referenceand to broaden their teaching methodology. A newlibrary, as part of the Golden Jubilee complex, isbeing constructed.Well-equipped science laboratories add new dimensionsto our students’ understanding of physics,chemistry and biology. Students are also encouragedto join the school’s science clubs—which coveractivities that include bird watching, photography,collection of botanical and biological specimens—and take part in science fairs and experiments.The school has a modern computer laboratory runby expert teachers. Students who want advancedtraining can enroll at the Sandur Polytechnic,Yeshwantnagar, 7 km away, which offers vocationaltraining in data entry, office automation and otherbasic computer courses—and is also managed bythe Shivapur Shikshana Samithi.The world is rapidly becoming a global village.While regional languages will have to beprotected, promoted and cherished, familiarity withEnglish is becoming increasingly important. To thisend, we have instituted a state-of-the-art Englishlaboratory to help students—especially those nottoo familiar with English—rapidly improve theirpronunciation and reading and writing skills.“I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember.I do, and I understand.”—Chinese Proverb

Residential facilities19A friendly, safe and home-like environmentWhen you entrust your child to our school, you placeyour child in a warm and nurturing environment.Our residential facilities are comfortable and wellmaintained. Dormitories have been rebuilt, in orderto provide better features and facilities for boarders.Each room accommodates 2 to 3 students and has anattached bathroom, with hot water facility.We have a central kitchen and dining facility atwhich nutritious meals are prepared under hygienicconditions by a team of experienced cooks. Studentseat together in the dining room. Matrons superviseall meals.“Good schools, like good societies and good families,celebrate and cherish diversity.”—Deborah Meier

Physical education21A 50-acre sports complexThe school has an excellent sports complex thatextends across 50 acres. This includes a full-fledgedcricket ground and pavilion, a 400-metre track,tennis courts and two large playgrounds for sportslike football and basketball.We place special emphasis on physical educationand outdoor activities of different kinds. Gamesplayed at the school include hockey, football,cricket, basketball, tennis, kabaddi and kho-kho.Track and field events like running, high jumpand long jump form one aspect of our physicaltraining activities. We also teach yoga and malkambh,to build body strength and dexterity. Andto promote all-round development, we provideinstruction in swimming and horse-riding. Indoorgames played at the school include table tennis andcarrom.“The purpose of educationis to bring out the best in you.”—Mahatma Gandhi

Co-curricular activities23Arts, crafts and social workIn keeping with our focus on developing the all-roundpersonality of a student, we give a great deal ofimportance to co-curricular activities. Education atthe Sandur Residential School includes exposureto music, dance, dramatics and arts like painting,clay modeling, paper and needlework and carpentry.The school has an orchestra and school band,which play on a wide range of Indian and Westernmusical instruments.The school has different teachers for art, craft,dance and music. We have a modern stage and anopen-air auditorium for performances. An indoorauditorium is also being constructed as part of theGolden Jubilee Complex.In order to create social awareness and responsibility,we encourage students to become members of theNational Social Service(NSS) and National CadetCorps(NCC).“Learning is a treasurethat will follow its owner everywhere.”—Chinese Proverb

For details, please contact:The Principal/Secretary, Sandur Residential SchoolSandur, Bellary District 583119, KarnatakaPh: 08395-260246 / 196e-mail: prsrs@rediffmail.com, admoffice_srs@hotmail.comwww.sandurresidentialschool.com