Inaugurating the new campus of Akshar Arbol International School (AAIS) at Injambakkam, Thiru Banwarilal Purohit, Honourable Governor of Tamil Nadu inspired the audience to a recognition of the significance of the opening of a forward-thinking school focused on learning, by quoting from Swami Vivekananda “Educate our people so that they may be able to solve their own problems. Until that is done, all these ideal reforms will remain ideals only.”
The function was welcomed by the Chairman of the school’s Governing Board, Thiru R Subramanian. Speaking on the occasion the Guest of Honour, Thiru R Ramadorai, Chairperson, Governing Body, Tata Consultant of Social Services, who launched the teacher training programme, ASTRA, stressed the unquestionable importance of skill development from a young age, for India’s future progress.
Dr. R. Natraj, Retd. DGP and MLA of the Mylapore constituency in Chennai, and at the helm of this school’s governing body since the start, shared some insights on the workings of the school, through his hands-on style of governance. On a visit to the primary section, when listening to Grade 5 students, he felt “joy that these young, inquisitive minds are embracing the world of information so well, and proud that Akshar Arbol is playing an enabling role in this process.”
Thiru R. Rajagopal, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary to Governor, also graced the occasion.
While the customary plaque commemorating the inauguration was unveiled by the Honourable Governor, an unusual gesture on this occasion was the School’s awarding of a Green Initiative Certificate to the dignitaries, crediting each recipient for planting a tree on campus. A short video provided visual evidence of how learning happens at AAIS.
Concluding the event, Thiru Gokul Dixit, Executive Director of the Governing Board while appreciating the immense team effort that made the new campus possible, asserted the importance of developing effective teachers for school education in the 21st century, through training and upskilling with ASTRA.