Curriculum

We call our students Learner-Educators (LEs) and our teachers Educator-Learners (ELs) because children also teach the adults around them, and adults themselves remain learners.

How we teach

Our classrooms are based on active learning: LEs read, observe, discuss, experiment, and create, while the ELs guide the inquiry. This approach has been refined over decades in KFI schools and through The School KFI’s work with government schools in Tamil Nadu.

See the Active Learning brief manual, the ALM Manual prepared with TNSSA, and Reaching out to Government Schools in Tamil Nadu.

In the Middle School, LEs of different ages often learn together in mixed-age groups. A younger child gains from listening to an older one think aloud, and an older child consolidates their own learning by helping others. Conversations remain lively, and children are able to learn closer to their own pace.

See Mixed Age Group in the Middle School.

What LEs study

Middle School (Classes V to VIII): English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and a second language (Hindi or Tamil). A sample Class IX timetable is here.

‍Classes IX and X (IGCSE): Pathashaala is a registered Cambridge International School. LEs prepare for the IGCSE examinations, recognised worldwide.

‍Classes XI and XII (AS & A Levels): LEs choose a combination of Cambridge AS and A Level subjects suited to their interests and future plans, with a strong emphasis on self-directed study and project work.

‍NIOS examinations are also supported where this route suits an LE better.

A day at Pathashaala

Pathashaala is fully residential. A typical day weaves together academic classes, sports, art and craft, gardening, rotational activities in the dining hall, and time for reading or reflection. Across the week, assemblies, Class Teacher Periods, Contemporary Studies and Cultural Classes bring LEs and ELs together to think about ideas, current affairs and questions of how to live.

LEs also take on real projects. The Projects page describes these, and the Head, Hand, Heart Learning page explains how academic study, practical work and meaningful inquiry are held together in our approach.

For a visual sense of the campus and daily life, our Introduction Film and Virtual Tour are the quickest way in.

Art Gallery

With a multitude of housing and dining options both on and off-campus, all members of the University community can find the accommodations that make University feel like home.
With a multitude of housing and dining options both on and off-campus, all members of the University community can find the accommodations that make University feel like home.
With a multitude of housing and dining options both on and off-campus, all members of the University community can find the accommodations that make University feel like home.
With a multitude of housing and dining options both on and off-campus, all members of the University community can find the accommodations that make University feel like home.
Sports
Whether you are a varsity or recreational athlete, you will have an opportunity to play like a professional at University. It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using 'Content here, content here', making it look like readable English.
K-Discussions
The educational and administrative processes at Pathashaala draw inspiration from Krishnamurti's teachings and from the experience of KFI schools and other institutions. Regular dialogues among the educator-learners and learner-educators delve into educational issues, classroom methodologies and broader social and global concerns in forums such as Class Teacher Periods, Contemporary Studies sessions and Cultural Classes. Within the nurturing environment of a Krishnamurti school, these enriching discussions provide the impetus for innovative change and forward momentum.
Life at Pathashaala