Maitreya Universal Education Curriculum

The curriculum at the Maitreya Universal Education School is based on a concept for education that was inspired by the founder of Maitreya Project, the late Tibetan Buddhist master, Lama Thubten Yeshe, and his disciple, Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

The Maitreya Education Project promotes “the good heart”, meaning the qualities of kindness and compassion, and a sense of respect and ethical responsibility towards all beings.

Standard Subjects

Meditation and Yoga

The practice of meditation and yoga provides a foundation for mental and physical development. In particular, meditation helps develop a peaceful state of mind, good concentration and critical awareness.

Generating “the Good Heart"

Good qualities and ethical values are promoted through the study of stories and biographies and the use of drama and role play. Special emphasis is given to important historical figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, St Francis, Mother Teresa, Sri Ramakrishna and Shakyamuni Buddha.

Standard subjects include: Hindi, English, Sanskrit, Urdu, Mathematics, Science (Physics, Chemistry and Biology), Social Studies (History, Geography and Civics), and Yoga & Creative Arts (Art, Craft, Music, Dance and Drama). The academic programme is aligned with the Indian national curriculum and senior students sit for national examinations conducted by the National Institute of Open Schooling.

Philosophy

To help children gain an understanding of their relationship with the world the curriculum promotes an understanding of the nature of the mind and concepts such as cause and effect, impermanence and interdependence. These are introduced in “special awareness” classes through age related activities, discussion and debate.

Social Outreach

Senior students are encouraged to participate in social work programmes such as conducting environmental projects in villages, working at local health clinics and assisting at major healthcare projects such as the annual Bodhgaya “Eye Hospital” (which conducts around 20,000 eye operations each year ).

Local Traditions

Special emphasis is given to fostering and maintaining some of the local traditions that are crucial to the children’s sense of cultural identity. These include art, craft, music, dance & drama.