KOCHI: At Chinmaya Vidyalaya - Vaduthala (CV- V), the tiny tots taking the giant leap in education don’t go by the usual ABC phonics – apple, ball, and cat…. Instead, what’s taught here is: A for Aspiration, B for Brotherhood, and C for Caring.
Value education is instilled in the students right from a young age. And that has been the school’s forte. As CV-V basks in the golden sheen of 50 glorious years, the school has received international recognition by bagging the gold medal for the ‘Best Eco-Friendly School’ under the Global Sustainability Awards 2022.
The institution has its roots in Warriam Road, Kochi. It was founded in 1971-’72 by Janaki Menon, an ardent devotee of Swami Chinmayananda. Starting off with just six students, the school expanded in terms of student count, popularity, and infrastructure facilities after Janaki’s sister and legendary educationist Kamakshi Balakrishnan took over the school in 1975.
“Initially the school just had the primary classes,” says Kamakshi’s daughter Maya Mohan, who helmed the institution after it was shifted to Vaduthala (1992-2016). “Though the school was my aunt’s vision, it was my mother who translated the vision to what Chinmaya is today. While my mother was a teacher in Delhi, Swami Chinmayananda asked her to take over the institute. The rest is history.”
Under the mother-daughter duo, the school gained unparalleled repute, especially for discipline and holistic development of students. Old-timers recall “Kamakshi ma’am” as “the iron lady” of education.
Of the 87 Chinmaya Vidyalayas spread across the country, the Vaduthala campus comes under the Chinmaya Mission Education and Cultural Trust in Kochi. Besides academic excellence, this CBSE school stands out for the thrust on Indian culture, and universal essence of the Bhagavad Gita.
For every class, the Chinmaya Vision Programme (CVP) – based on physical development, universal outlook, mental development, and cultural development – is followed here. “Upholding our ageless, priceless culture, we aim to make the students globally competent,” says Pratibha. “We mould them into bright, grounded go-getters.”
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