Sri Aurobindo Memorial School

Sri Aurobindo Memorial School(SAMS) is a school situated in Bangalore, India. It was established in the 1960s and is located in the Banashankari II stage in Bangalore.

Curriculum

SAMS offers both CBSE and SSLC curriculum from 1st Standard (Grade) to 10th Standard. The school is unique in making it mandatory to study up to 4 languages (English, Sanskrit, Hindi and Kannada) until 8th grade for students studying CBSE. It is also mandatory for all students to take yoga, arts, crafts and music lessons through elementary and middle school apart from regular lessons in math, science and social studies.

SAMS was founded in 1962 and, like many institutions of its kind, had undergone many incarnations to reach its present situation. It started out as "The New School" in January 1962, and its location was near the Ashoka Pillar, near Lalbagh, Jayanagar 1st Block. The original founders of the School were Nathaniel and Espoir Pearson, who were both devotees of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo, and the School received the Mother's blessings upon foundation. Mrs Pearson was the founding Principal of the School, and Mr Pearson was its Director of Studies. It was originally a primary school, having classes up to Standard 6. Indeed, this was so until the early 1970s, when Mr and Mrs Pearson left Bangalore for Australia.

Prior to that, between 1964 and 1966, Mr and Mrs Pearson took leave without pay from the School to live briefly in the United Kingdom, and at that time in order to ensure the continuity of the School, Mrs Pearson's father, Dr Santoshanand managed the day to day running of School as Interim Principal. Upon their return from the UK, Mrs Pearson resumed duties as School Principal, and Mr Pearson assisted in curriculum development. At about this time, the name of the School was changed to "The New English School".

Following the Pearsons' departure to Australia in 1971, Mrs Pearson's brother, Mr Sri Kumar Vasishtha was appointed Principal of the School. He managed the School until 1975, when his younger brother Mr Raj Vasishtha was appointed Administrator and his younger sister, Ms Aditi Vasishtha was appointed Principal. Shortly after these appointments were made, the name of the School was changed again, this time to the 'Sri Aurobindo Memorial School'. It continues in this vein up to this day.