A School of Thought

In Bengaluru, an educational space goes beyond textbooks and rote learning, blending ancient Indian values with modern thinking

- By BINDU GOPAL RAO

The clacking of a handloom, the smell of fresh earth, and the joy of building a treehouse are all part of how learning unfolds at Vidyakshetra, a new-age yet traditional school in Bengaluru. In its classrooms, students connect wires to voltmeters, work with pulleys, mix chemicals, weave, and build, in an effort to not learn by rote or textbooks but by experience itself.

Founded in 2016 by Muneet and Preethi Dhiman, Vidyakshetra reimagines education by combining ancient Indian values with contemporary learning. The school admits only 20 children each year from more than 900 applications, focusing not on exams but on alignment with its ethos. "We evaluate parents to see if they understand our philosophy," says Muneet. "If the parents are too caught up in consumerism or disconnected from traditional practices, they will not fit in. They must be comfortable with the idea that their children will have no exams and no textbooks."