Outreach – Mirraloke

Mirraloke actively serves to extendthe educational vision beyond its physical boundaries by conducting teachers’ orientation programmes rooted in the philosophy of Integral Education, as envisioned by Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. These programmes are designed to inspire a more conscious, holistic, and child-centric approach to teaching.

At present, the orientations are regularly conducted in schools across North Bengal, particularly around Siliguri, and also in the East Midnapore district. The gradual integration of such Education principles into the participating schools’ curricula is steadily progressing.

North Bengal programmes are conducted by Mr. Partha Sarathi Bose, Unit Secretary of Mirraloke, in active collaboration with Rupantor, another autonomous unit of the Sri Aurobindo Sikshadhara Trust, based in Siliguri.

During the year 2022:

Orientation sessions were held for teachers of Netaji School, Ektiashal (near Siliguri), focusing on sensory training, concentration, and integrating the physical, mental, and vital aspects of education. Follow-up discussions took place at Vidyasagar School, Naxalbari (Darjeeling district) with headmasters and teachers.

During the year 2023:

Additional programmes at SishuMalancha School, Siliguri, saw enthusiastic participation from teachers and the Principal. A similar session was conducted at Summer Valley School, a primary school in KumaltarGaon, a tea garden village near Kurseong.
A follow-up orientation at SishuMalancha focused on deepening understanding of Integral Education. Another session was organized in Gadra, a village near the Bangladesh border, involving educators from two local primary schools.
A direct outcome of a previous orientation was the establishment of Sri Aurobindo Academy, a pre-primary school in Phasidewa, by the river Mahananda, near the Bangladesh border. A dedicated session was held there to guide teachers on implementing Integral Education in everyday teaching.
Orientation sessions were conducted in Dhupguri and Naxalbari, with participation from local primary school teachers and principals. Similar programmes followed at new schools in Talma and Jamidarpara (Jalpaiguri district). Regular follow-ups continued a few schools in North Bengal and also Sri Sri Ramakrishna Sishutirtha Nursery Academy (Khejuri, East Midnapore) — a school that now hosts regular, year-round orientation sessions.

During the year 2024:

A day-long orientation in Dhupguri (Jalpaiguri district) brought together 62 teachers and principals from 18 primary schools, focusing on the relevance of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother’s thoughts in present-day education.
A session at Study Zone Academy, Talma, welcomed 63 participants from 16 schools.
Ideal Nursery School, Chaterhat (Darjeeling district) hosted a session for 33 educators from 7 schools in the Chaterhat and Phasidewa areas.
A two-day workshop was held at the Sri Aurobindo Society Hall, Siliguri, co-organized with Rupantor and Shri KabyickGanguly, Principal of SishuMalancha School. Led by Mr. ParthaSarathi Bose, and supported by Smt. Sudarshana Banerjee and Smt. Rupan Kumar, the workshop covered:
- Making lessons engaging
- Enhancing sensory alertness for better concentration

Teachers and principals from 13 primary schools attended. A decision was made to maintain regular contact with these educators to build a network of committed practitioners in Integral Education.

- Follow-up programmes were held with these schools to support ongoing implementation.
- One-day workshop at Netaji Subhas SishuVidyapith (Ektiashal, Siliguri)
- Orientation at Model Academy (Huslurdanga, Maynaguri, Jalpaiguri district), attended by 35 teachers from Model Academy and nearby schools.
- Sessions atSri Sri Ramakrishna Sishutirtha Nursery Academy (Khejuri, East Midnapore) — a school that now hosts regular, year-round orientation.

During the year 2025:

A series of comprehensive orientation programmes were conducted between 6th and 9th June 2025 across North Bengal:

6th June – Studyzone School, Talma (Jalpaiguri district): Teachers from three neighbouring schools participated in an introductory session on Integral Education and its fivefold development—physical, vital, mental, psychic, and spiritual.
7th–8th June – Sri Aurobindo Society Hall, Siliguri: A two-day workshop with teachers from six schools already engaged in year-round collaboration. Focus areas included:
1. Classroom-level implementation
2. School-wide integration
3. Group discussions and presentations from participant schools
9th June – Mathabhanga (Cooch Behar district): A large-scale orientation attended by 185 educators from 40 schools, offering an impactful introduction to Integral Education and encouraging schools to adopt a holistic, student-centred, and values-driven educational approach.
First orientation was held at
Sessions atSri Sri Ramakrishna Sishutirtha Nursery Academy (Khejuri, East Midnapore) — a school that now hosts regular, year-round orientation.

During the year 2026:

A day-long session at Shishu Malancha School, Siliguri, on Saturday 10th January (2026) – review of the practices already implemented having reflection of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother’s thoughts on education, and discussions on the continuous effort to be undertaken during the year ahead. Following day (11th January) was another day-long session, held with only the Principals of selected schools of Siliguri and Ambari, coordinated by the Rupantor Group of Sri Aurobindo Sikshadhara Trust working in North Bengal, held at Ekalavya Academy, Siliguri, with agenda : reviewing of the practices being implemented in these schools having reflection of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother’s thoughts on education, and discussions on the continuous effort to be undertaken during the year ahead.

Orientation programme on Saturday 24th-25th January at Daronda village near Choupahari forest adjacent to Ilam Bazar, Birbhum, near Santiniketan, with teachers of a supportive education project. This was the second follow up programme here with the intention of a continuous plan to implement some of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother’s thoughts on education. In the next stages, the teachers would be encouraged to sit for regular pathachakra to discuss Sri Aurobindo and The Mother’s thoughts on education, to start with.

A one-day Pan-Bengal Education Conference titled “Education as the Evolution of Consciousness: A Journey Beyond Marks” held on 7 February at the Sri Aurobindo Society Hall, Siliguri Branch aimed to explore education from the perspective of Integral Education, inspired by the vision of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, and to move beyond a marks-centric understanding of learning, organised and conducted by the Rupantor Group (autonomous unit of Sri Aurobindo Sikshadhara Trust) in collaboration with Sri Aurobindo Society, Siliguri Branch. The keynote address was delivered by Mr. Subrata Sen, Chairperson, Sri Aurobindo Sikshadhara Trust. He spoke on the deeper purpose of education as an evolutionary process of consciousness rather than mere information transfer or examination performance. His address set the tone for the entire conference. Mr. Partha Sarathi Bose Principal of Sri Aurobindo Bal Mandir and Head of Mirraloke Learning Community, Kolkata, spoke on “The Inner Meaning of Education: Awakening the Soul of the Learner”, emphasizing the role of the inner being in true education. Other resource persons also deliberated.

Two study circles, with the Principal and teachers of Sishu Malancha School and Eklavya Academy School, Siliguri, held on 26th and 27th February respectively where the teachers were encouraged to hold weekly study circles among themselves, discussing various writings on the educational thought of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother.

On 28th February, Rupantor Group successfully conducted a Teachers’ Orientation Programme on Integral Education at Shishu Malancha School, Siliguri, witnessing the participation of 30 teachers from 4 different schools situated in and around Siliguri. The orientation focused on the principles and practices of Integral Education and its relevance in contemporary schooling, provided valuable insights into holistic child development, integrating physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions in education. The interactive sessions encouraged active participation, reflection, and meaningful dialogue among the teachers.

On Sunday, 15th March, workshop held at Bawali KG School, an established primary school at Bawali, district South 24 Parganas. Before the teachers, the core issues in present-day education were presented, along with a discussion on what directions and applications are needed in early childhood education if we are to think of the future — all in the light of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother’s educational thought with an effort made to encourage them to reflect in this way and bring about changes in their school routine, syllabus, and related practices. In the second half, there was a meeting with the parents of the school students where it was discussed why these ideas are relevant today, and that children’s education was not only about academic problems — attention must also be given to other important aspects of their development.