Maharishi School
Why Maharishi School is Unique
knowledge is structured in consciousness
IN THIS SECTION
Why Maharishi School is Unique
The Maharishi School is currently the only school in the UK that uses the system of Consciousness-based Education.
Consciousness-based Education, or “CbE” for short, is a system of education founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1974, and developed in schools and colleges around the world since then. CbE gives pupils direct practical knowledge of their own consciousness and unfolds their own creativity and intelligence as a basis for greater achievement. It has worked very well for our school for over 35 years.
Inspectors and other visitors have frequently praised the Maharishi School for its ethos, refined atmosphere and for the outstanding personal development and maturity of our pupils, all of which are enhanced by CbE (see quote on About Us page). Our experience shows that when CbE is being implemented fully in school our pupils not only do well in terms of personal development, but also achieve excellent external examination and test results. Inner development leads to outer success!
“The promotion of pupils’ spiritual and personal development is at the core of what this school does so well. Maharishi Free School pupils are good thinkers. They reflect on their world and try to see the world through other people’s eyes. This enables pupils to better understand their own experiences and those of others. Pupils are tolerant, considerate and empathetic. They are able to consider the impact of their actions on other people and on nature. They are ambitious, articulate, confident and engage very well with adults.”
Ofsted report on Maharishi School Lancashire, 8th November 2017: More>
What is CbE
CbE is a systematic approach to unfolding the full potential of every pupil, based on Maharishi’s teaching about the full value of human consciousness. According to Maharishi, everyone has an “inner treasury” of energy, happiness, creativity and intelligence that, for the most part, lies hidden from view deep within our mind, lies hidden below the surface values of everyday life. “Below the surface values” means beneath the physical and mental activity that demands most of our attention. However, if we don’t find time to put some attention on re-connecting those surface values with the inner, more silent values of our own consciousness, those inner values remain out of reach, undeveloped and unused.
CbE uses the simple and natural practice of Transcendental Meditation (and Word of Wisdom for younger pupils), an effortless mental technique, to dive within the mind for a few minutes every day to access that inner treasury and unfold those inner values of energy, happiness, creativity and intelligence. Once they are open to view, they naturally become available for use.
In addition, our pupils learn about themselves and that inner treasury in lessons – through the use of a range of special Integrating Themes used in all subjects. In particular, they learn how “knowledge is structured in consciousness” (our school motto!) and that their own consciousness is the natural home of all knowledge. They learn that knowledge is for action, that action is for achievement and that achievement brings fulfilment.
They are also taught, in simple terms, that knowledge is structured through analysis and synthesis, and that these two processes are natural functions of their own creativity and intelligence. Analysis breaks a topic down into its component parts and synthesis brings the parts together into an understanding of the whole.
Analysis and synthesis used together also help to integrate the inner values of consciousness (energy, happiness, creativity and intelligence) with outer values such as perception, understanding, action and behaviour. In this way CbE encourages the development of “wholeness of awareness”, an awareness in which our pupils are fully awake in themselves, settled yet confident in their own capabilities, eager to learn and ready to be successful in the world on their own terms.
CbE also connects the individual and collective values of consciousness in the lives of our pupils, via group and class activities, reflecting on families and friends, appreciating their own part in the school community and extending outwards into society on the basis that “the World is my family”.
CbE has four main components,:
- Transcendental Meditation and Word of Wisdom
- Consciousness-based Interdisciplinary Studies
- The CbE Principles of Teaching
- A Consciousness-based Health Education programme
These four components are embedded within a traditional broad, balanced academic curriculum covering the usual school subjects. Click on a link to find out more.