The Maitreya Project Universal Education School in Bodhgaya
has around 400 daytime students from Kindergarten to Class
12. In the evening informal classes are also offered for
up to 130 children and adults who cannot attend in the daytime.
The curriculum focuses on helping children to develop "the
good heart" and includes a daily assembly of the whole school
community, special activities to develop good qualities
and values, meditation and yoga classes and extensive creative
arts and social work programmes. The children are encouraged
to know and practice their own spiritual traditions and
the school offers a warm, caring and happy environment,
free from fear and prejudice.
Some facts about Bodhgaya...
- About 120,000 inhabitants live in the Bodhgaya
"block"
- The majority are Hindu and about 15-20% is Muslim
- 30% are "scheduled caste" i.e. people legally
recognized as suffering discrimination
- 22% of the population is under the age of six
- Literacy rates are: 49% for men; 24% for women
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The school occupies a two storey building on a ¾ acre site
about 2 km from the centre of Bodhgaya and most of the students
come from poor families in surrounding villages.
No fees are charged and the school provides uniforms, books,
meals and health care. The school also provides residential
accommodation for a small number of children who either need
special care and attention or may not otherwise be able to
attend school.
The school employs 18 full-time teachers, four part-time teachers
and 9 non-teaching staff, all of whom are local people. Western
teachers and other volunteers assist with teacher training
and curriculum development.
Although tourism has created some employment opportunities
in Bodhgaya, the majority of people continue to live in
very rudimentary conditions and rely on subsistence agriculture
or menial labour to support their families. Many of the
traditions that sustained local society in the past have
broken down and people now experience many problems including
poverty, landlessness and conflict over land tenure, inadequate
health care, high infant mortality, inter-caste violence,
crime and illiteracy.
