New Creation Bilingual School forms part of the New Creation settlement, located close to the village of Kuilapalayam, where the majority of its pupils live. The school today caters for more than 200 children, both boys and girls, between the ages of 3 and 15 years, and also includes a kindergarten/crèche. Children are able to study up to eighth standard, thus giving them an opportunity to study for a School Leaving Certificate at another Auroville educational establishment called After School. NCBS teaches all the normal subjects, but in addition places strong emphasis on art and vocational training. In the latter context, a number of options are offered i.e. clay work, wood work, traditional Indian dance, art, singing, tailoring and computer studies. For a village school, there is a very good teacher/pupil ratio. The children have 19 academic and 7 optional class teachers, all Indian, including some part timers. Occasionally Western volunteers, students or teachers, also work at the school.

It has always been the purpose of the school to expand out from a purely academic curriculum into the field of industrial training i.e. carpentry, mechanics, electronics, metalwork, etc. There is a great need for trained people in these fields, because Auroville, as it develops, is going to need more and more skilled workers. The project to provide vocational training centres for these skills is part of the European Community financed project “Auroville Youth Education and Training Project” supported by AVI UK.

The former principal of the school, Roy Wicks, was a retired policeman from Essex, who received much support from donations from many members of AVI UK. As Mr Wicks had to retire for medical reasons, at present long-term Aurovilian Shankar S. Vengedesam is the school’s principal, assisted by a support team consisting of Western and Indian Auroville residents.

The school needs help to enable it to continue providing education to more than 200 children from underprivileged backgrounds from villages around Auroville. They rely on donations for a large part of its income, and appeal for help.

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For the latest NCBS Newsletter click here.

For some paintings by NCBS children, please click here