Personality Development

City Montessori School is taking out a Tableau titled 'Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam-the whole earth is but one family' at the 26th January Republic Day Parade 2020. Through this tableau, CMS students will inspire the whole human race comprising over 7 billion people to spread love and humanitarianism with the ideal of Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam.

In the front part of this tableau, a small child is seen holding the globe to convey the message of Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam. The various Avatars (Manifestations of God) Ram, Krishna, Mahatma Buddha, Jesus Christ, Mohammed, Guru Nanak Dev and Baha'u'llah are seen preaching the values of idealism, justice, equality, compassion, brotherhood, self-sacrifice and unity of hearts with the song-"Ishwar Allah tere naam, sabko sanmati de Bhagwan". All the Avatars come from the same divine source One God and their spiritual teachings are the same but their social message differs according to the needs of the time.

The second part of the tableau gives a view of Unity in Diversity. Places of worship of various religions- Temple, Mosque, Church, Buddha Vihara and Bahai Temple are seen under one roof, thus conveying the message that the source of all religions is the same, One God. All these religious places co-exist under one roof. CMS children are seen dancing on the song-'Jai Jagat, Jai Jagat, Jai Jagat Pukare Ja.'

The third part of the tableau shows a child dressed as Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhiji is a personification of unity. Other children are sitting in a devotional posture spreading the message of 'Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam' and 'Jai Jagat' to the generalpublic. Mahatma Gandhi had said, 'If we want peace in the world, and if we want to put an end to wars, we should start with the children."

In the rear end of the tableau, a full size image of Mahatma Gandhi is seen conveying the idea that 'A World Federation of Free Nations, with a World Parliament must be constituted to maintain peace, security, order and progress in the world. There is no other way to solve global problems in the conflict - ridden modern world.'

It may be mentioned that the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi is celebrated in all countries as International Day of Non-Violence on 2nd October every year.

On the 150th birth anniversary year of Mahatma Gandhi, City Montessori School, Lucknow takes out this special tableau to pay tribute to him and his Vedic philosophy of Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam, 'the whole earth is but one family' that encompasses all the religions and all living beings. CMS tableau on 26 January 2019, will inspire the present and future generations to work for World Unity to herald an era of peace and unity.

Prof. Geeta Kingdon, President, CMS

Dear Parents,

Wishing you a very happy New Year! The year 2020 that seemed so far in the future, has arrived, with all its promises and new hopes. The end of a decade and the start of a new one is an opportunity to reflect on the relevance of our education for the needs of the changing times.

In the decade just gone, the world has seen major changes, e.g. developments in machine intelligence which are changing the nature of work/employment; the relentless rise of social media with both good aspects and bad (unsuitable content for children and the potential for rapid spread of propaganda, fake news, etc.). In the last decade there’s also been growing awareness of climate change and its consequences, apart from a continuation or even exacerbation of long standing problems of economic inequality, inter-religious disharmony, gender inequality, etc.

CMS education seeks to be relevant to the needs of the age, to equip children with the knowledge of the affairs of the age, and to inspire them with the desire to contribute their share to the prosperity of the community, the country and the world. A child is a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. A good education is one that can bring out those hidden gems and capacities and empower the child to do infinitely more than merely get a high paying job in a prestigious occupation. It can cause a child to become a Mahatma Gandhi, an Abraham Lincoln or a Nelson Mandela. Releasing those capacities and bringing out those gems latent within a child is the aim of a CMS education.

We are trying to do this. One important plank is training teachers in these issues since teachers are the custodians of the culture that prevails in a school, and the transmitters of morality. We hold conferences and lectures for teachers and students on gender equality, interfaith dialogue and on character education. Our Junior Youth Empowerment Program (JYEP), youth leadership seminars, cyber-awareness lectures etc. aim to equip children with the powers to analyse the forces that seek to influence them as users of social media. Our All-religion and World Unity prayers inculcate attitudes that are necessary for peace in the world.