A Letter from the Desk of the Founder
To
My delightful students and distinguished parents,
You may not know, but I have been poetically rejoicing in navigating the educational universe since the inception of my academic journey. However, I have been particularly focused on English literature in my standard studies. Interestingly, I was introduced to a subject that opened up the wonders of the world to me—English poetry. It has been a lifelong passion, a subject that mirrors the true essence of life and the spirit of service. Needless to say, it freed my caged heart, allowing me to discover knowledge on my own terms and ground. This perhaps is one of the many reasons I remain a student of literature. This purposeful pursuit of discovery will always be at the forefront of my endeavors, as I aim to pass it on to future generations through you all, by various means and manifestations.
Naturally, the question arises: how did I establish an institution so early in my learning career? First and foremost, let me make it clear that I consider myself a pupil first and a propagator of poetry second. Perhaps like Newton’s Prism, through which the original ray of sensibility passes and transforms into multiple beams of understanding. And where better to find a location for this experimental prism than my teaching space, wherever it may be in the world? Nevertheless, I have always yearned to discover a separate teaching space of my own—focused and perennial in nature, unchanged by external trends—something akin to the teaching space of Rabindranath Tagore, far removed from the hustle and bustle, into a world of solitude and contemplation. Precisely, a space where I can implement my personal vision of education.
And this is how Derozio Mission School came into being. The idea behind setting up this institution largely stemmed from my experiences navigating the educational processes in our society, which I observed while teaching classes of students in multiple prestigious institutions with sophisticated brand value. I take immense pride in promoting my educational culture in all teaching venues, albeit for a limited time, as my philosophy of education sometimes intersects with their established principles. Regrettably, I find those principles either too hollow to implement or a complete failure post-implementation on imaginative minds. The reason being, they lack a functional approach to learning procedures and are rather loosely based on redundant and showy methodologies. While a rote pattern of teaching may ensure better memorization, it can never encourage students to navigate the practical world with their personal beliefs and opinions.
As a result, this juxtaposition turned into a vision for my type of educational space. Thus, we are all here—working hard yet celebrating our journey towards achieving a pattern of education fundamentally based on investigation, resulting in forming our personal opinions, the soul of this institution.
Wishing you consistency in your Learning Journey,
Rajesh Raj
Founder (Derozio Boarding School)