Lalaji Memorial Omega International School, Chennai

Promoted by renowned seer Chariji in 2005, Lalaji Memorial Omega International School, Chennai has quickly earned a reputation for providing values-based spiritualism combined with international standard K-12 education Sprawled over an 18-acre campus in Kolapakkam, Chennai, the Lalaji Memorial Omega International School (LMOIS, estb. 2005), promoted by Tamil  Nadu’s renowned spiritual seer Sri Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari, has quickly earned a reputation for providing much-needed values-based spiritual education (VBSE) combined with international standard K-12 education. Started as a Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)-affiliated school, it now boasts an aggregate enrolment of 3,300 students instructed by 205 teachers. Two years later, in 2007, Lalaji Memorial Omega International School, Chennai was awarded the status of a Cambridge International Centre (CIC) and also affiliated with the UK-based University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE). Currently its constituent class I-XII Cambridge International School offers the CIE primary and lower secondary programmes, International General Certificate of Secondary Education, International Certificate of Education (ICE) and other advanced level examinations to 300 students instructed by 22 highly qualified teachers. Self-evidently, the distinguishing features of Lalaji Memorial Omega International School, Chennai are its VBSE and meditation programmes propagated by the school’s founder Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari (‘Chariji’), managing trustee of the Sahaj Marg Spirituality Foundation (SMSF), a non-profit organisation established in 2003, which offers instruction in the Sahaj Marg system of meditation to followers worldwide. Currently over 100 schools across India implement SMSF’s VBSE programme. Closely associated with Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation), LMOIS’ VBSE programme is based on the core human values outlined in Unesco’s sourcebook Learning To Be (2002), and has adopted its “nine gems of life’’ — health and nutrition, self-awareness and self management, environmental morality, citizenship, sensitivity and creativity, truth and wisdom, peace and justice, love and compassion and spirituality, towards holistic development of students. The school is also affiliated to Unesco’s Associated Schools Project Network, a global network of 7,900 educational institutions in 176 countries, which supports education innovations and positive change. In addition, the school offers the International Award for Young People (formerly the Duke of Edinburgh Award), a self-development programme for students. “Though we provide an enabling environment for students to excel in academics, our greater emphasis is on infusing VBSE in our students to shape them into emotionally balanced, physically strong, morally sound and spiritually enlightened individuals who can assume leadership positions in society,” says S. Ramakrishnan, a retired banker and experienced practitioner of Sahaj Marg meditation who is designated ‘correspondent’ of Lalaji Memorial Omega International School, Chennai. To deliver well-rounded education to its students, the LMOIS management stridently encourages co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, which are integrated into the curriculum. The school’s many on-campus clubs include the Gaia (Greek for mother earth) club quiz; art, astronomy, maths, creative lab, ideas factory, robotics and dramatics clubs. The school has also undertaken several green initiatives to educate children in the judicious use of waste material to reduce the use of conventional energy sources. “Eco club members have established a waste paper recycling unit,…