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It adds value to a country’s name and strength when it is known to be the home to something large or tall or big, and above that, a citizen’s chest swells with pride if it is known that his/her country is home to something largest in the world.
An Indian reading this post will be filled with pride when he will know that apart from being the country of some of the greatest leaders, diversity, rivers, minerals and much more, India has been the home to World’s largest school.
City Montessori School in the city of Lucknow which is the capital city of one of the largest states of India Uttar Pradesh was certified by Guiness Book of Records as the World’s largest school in 2013.
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The Vision
The finest say that a human’s vision has all the power in the universe. If the vision is supported by hardwork, patience and determination then the world gets to see something big of the human.
Such was the vision of Jagdish Gandhi and Bharti Gandhi who started the City Montessori School (CMS) with 5 students and a modest capital back in the year 1959. More than half a century later, it has been certified as the world’s largest school with 18 branches in the city shaping up the future of the children studying in it.
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Figures
According to the sources, the number of pupils in 2011 was 39450 being taught by close to 2500 teachers across all the branches in the city.
The latest figures out in 2015 conveyed the total enrollments to be 52000, only to be following the Indira Gandhi National Open University and the University of Bombay which host one of the most number of pupils in the world. The school website mentions the number of pupils now exceeds 55000 with an overwhelming staff of more than 4500.
But comparing CMS with IGNOU and University of Bombay will be like comparing Apples with Oranges.
With this mammoth size of the school, if you’re wondering what about the attention paid to the pupils studying in the school then let me take it right off your plate as the students are grouped into classes of 45 students each with even some of the politicians and businessmen being denied seat for their children because of the school’s non comprising stand on quality education.
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Awards and Recognitions
Dr Jagdish Gandhi started CMS with an aim of promoting peace in the world by imparting such education to his students that any day they would prefer to become the ambassadors of peace rather than violence, ambassadors of harmony rather than hatred.
It was this noble thought that led to CMS being awarded with UNESCO prize for peace education in recognition of its efforts to promote the values of education of peace and tolerance.
The Dalai Lama conferred the founder with the Hope of Humanity award too.
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The Founder
Dr Jagdish Gandhi founded the world’s largest school in the year 1959 with a borrowed capital of just Rs 300. He was greatly inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and Vinoda Bhave. The influence of Mahatma was so vital in his life that he changed his surname from Aggarwal to Gandhi.
His noble intentions of providing quality education led him to create this school which now on one single day is providing quality education to more than 55000 students.
At the age of 81, he is still known in the school for his inspiring speeches addressing the youth. He never cared about his personal wealth, slept very less and worked hard to bring his school to a position at which it currently is.
The motto of the school ‘Jai Jagat’ (Hail the world) clearly indicates that here the children have always been prepared to spread peace, values, morals and harmony in the world. Dr Gandhi’s zeal has not even marginally abated, he has always worked without taking a day off and still continues to do so. Truly, if the education system needs to be changed for better the country clearly needs leaders like Dr Gandhi.
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Affiliation
Just in case, if you have made up your mind to send your pupil to this school or at least thinking of it then let me tell you that the school is affiliated to the council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (IGCSE) and is also affiliated to the International General Certificate of Secondary education.
Cerebral development of children must be one of the important focus areas for parents. Proper development of the child happens half the time at school and half the time at home thus, we must make a right choice for the first half of the day of our children.
No school is perfect and if you’re going to interview 100 students then I am sure that 80 will say positive and 20 will say negative but the universe always asks us to focus on the positives because there are people around who will find loopholes even in heaven.
This school which has turned into such a big institution of quality education led by its founders’ vision must have something within its walls for the proper all round development of children and even if you’re reading this article to enhance your knowledge then CMS is a school worth taking pride in. Don’t you think so?
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