17/02/2024
Sholai school is an educational community set within the campus of the Centre for Learning, Organic Agriculture and Appropriate Technology (CLOAAT).
Sholai is a residential school in the sylvan valley of the Palani Hills, in Kodaikanal. It is surrounded by reserve forests, where we practice living in harmony with nature.
We follow a holistic approach to education, inspired by the teachings of J. Krishnanmurti. To achieve balance between intellectual, emotional and physical development, we include classes such as Food and Nutrition, Yoga, Woodwork, Music and Organic Farming. Our school is registered with the Cambridge International Examinations board and we offer exams at the higher levels.
CLOAAT is supported by our community of workers, mostly from neighbouring villages, who have been integral to building the school and maintaining our campus. Our community includes builders, carpenters, a mechanical department, farm workers and kitchen staff. The CLOAAT campus includes 3 hostels, an auditorium, a swimming pool, a sports field, science labs, staff accommodation, a dining hall, vegetable gardens, fruit trees and coffee estate, as well as bio-gas plants, a micro-hydro, solar power units and numerous classrooms spread over the campus.
We live completely off-the-grid, deriving all our energy needs from the various appropriate technologies we have on site. We also follow rainwater harvesting practices and recycle our own waste.
Sholai School welcomes children from a variety of backgrounds - geographical, social and economic - including students from the surrounding villages. We offer scholarships to those who cannot afford the full fees. This helps us create an inclusive learning environment, integrated with the local community.
At Sholai CLOAAT we emphasize the importance of sensitivity and awareness, in our relationships, and towards our natural environment. It is intended to be a space of sharing and learning, for all ages and backgrounds, to explore together creative and conscious ways of living. We hope to inspire a movement towards creating regenerative and life-enhancing systems.
To learn more, please visit our website. Link in bio 🌿
