SAIIER 2021:SAIIER office

Introduction		Auroville Pre-Crèche
SAIIER office

SAIIER operates from an office building located next to the Auroville Foundation Bhavan in Auroville’s administrative area. This year the SAIIER team included:

• Four executives: Ashoke, Chali, Divya, Sanjeev
• Office staff: Arun, Bhuvaneshwari, Divij, Iyyannar, Kristen, Lijun, Ramu
• The SAIIER Board: Ashoke, Chali, Divya, Jean-Yves, Jyoti K., Lucas, Manas, Sanjeev, Sauro

The SAIIER building offers a conference hall, two small meeting rooms, and desks which are utilized by education-related groups. The Teachers' Center is adjacent, providing a meeting point and resource center for all teachers of Auroville and Outreach schools.

Activities of the year:

This was an unusual year with the Covid-19 pandemic affecting all of India including Auroville. SAIIER continued its work of managing grants and donations, coordinating construction projects, and supporting research projects and activities in Auroville when they could take place. SAIIER supported 37 projects proposed and held by members of the community, as detailed in this report.

Construction projects:

SAIIER oversaw the completion of the following projects in 2020-21 supported by private donors and the Government of India:

• ‘Yellow group’ classroom, Kindergarten – total project cost Rs. 9.52 lakhs
• Herbarium, Auroville Botanical Gardens – total project cost Rs. 43.68 lakhs
• Completion of Dehashakti School of Physical Education climbing wall – total project cost Rs. 15.4 lakhs

Several other construction projects are near completion, including SAIIER Staff Quarters ‘Prosperity’ Phase 2 and ‘Harmony’ phases 2 & 3.

Reflections:

There is a growing reflection by SAIIER Executives and Board to broadbase the teachings of integral education and to hold regular workshops and enquiry into Sri Aurobindo’s and Mother’s words on Education. The key differentiating aspect of education in Auroville which is generally missed in the mainstream, is the recognition of the psychic being and bringing greater awareness to children and teachers. Physical, Vital, Mental and Psychic and spiritual education is the core of Mother’s teaching regarding education and SAIIER’s aim is to further this practice, knowledge and understanding in Auroville schools.

This year saw most of the schools in Auroville having to shift from in-person to online learning, with varying degrees of success. Teachers and students learned through this experience the value of interacting with each other in the social environment that is a school. The physical, energetic, emotional, social parts of the being which are typically nourished through being together in the same space were deprived of the normal enriching environment in which they grow. As we emerge from extended lockdowns, Aurovilians and Auroville children are perhaps better able to appreciate all that we are given in living here.