Latest news with #JyotiSavitriInternationalSchool
Indian Express
21 hours ago
- General
- Indian Express
Jyoti Savitri International School, inspired by Phules, set to open in Pune's Purandar next year
Inspired by the legacy of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule—pioneers of inclusive and girls' education—the Jyoti Savitri International School (JSIS) at Khanavdi in Purandar, Pune, will open in April 2026. Spread across a 12-acre campus supported by the Pune Zilla Parishad, JSIS will be a CBSE-affiliated institute. The school is scheduled to open with grades KG to 2 and will ultimately grow to serve approximately 1,840 students from deprived communities in and around Khanavdi through Class 12. Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule spent their lives not just to educate girls but also to provide education to children from underprivileged communities. Despite the odds and opposition, the Phules, along with their friends, started multiple schools in Pune to provide education for children from marginalised communities. JSIS was conceptualised by Pune Zilla Parishad, Khanavdi villagers and Pensive Architecture company which provided pro bono services. Construction began in 2020–21 with a vision to serve underprivileged children, especially destitute girls. Fiat India Automobiles Private Limited (FIAPL). joined hands to help construct the infrastructure for the school through their corporate social responsibility initiative. The Pune Zilla Parishad has partnered with Christel House India to work towards the empowerment of the underserved communities. This public-private partnership envisions to follow the path shown by the Phules. Phase 1 of construction, supported by FIAPL, is in its final stages and will include administrative offices, 24 classrooms, science and computer laboratories, activity spaces, and sanitation facilities. Gajanan Patil, CEO, Pune Zilla Parishad, said, 'The Zilla Parishad is spearheading public-private partnerships in education, and we are delighted to see multiple parties join hands to make Jyoti Savitri International School a reality. Christel House India's proven model gives us confidence that underserved children in Khanavdi and nearby villages will receive a high-quality education, completely free of cost.'
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
School ready to admit students in Phule's ancestral village of Khanavdi
The school named after Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule in Khanavdi village of Purandar tehsil, where the social reformer couple hailed from, is ready to admit students. Jyoti Savitri International School (JSIS), set to commence classes from April 2026, marks a turning point for educational access in a region where lack of infrastructure had long forced children, especially girls, to abandon studies after primary school. The school, first proposed in 2020, will begin with kindergarten to Class 2 and aims to serve around 1,840 underprivileged students up to Class 12 in the coming years. It will follow Christel House model of holistic education that integrates academics with nutrition, health care, transportation, school supplies, and career support. Christel House India will run the school as a secular, CBSE-affiliated institution in partnership with the Pune Zilla Parishad and the Maharashtra government. The initiative was conceived by Rishikesh Huli, principal architect at Pensive Architecture, who was asked by Khanavdi villagers to renovate a memorial for the Phule couple. Moved by the community's reverence for the visionaries, he proposed a more enduring tribute—quality education that addresses the very barriers the Phules fought to dismantle. The gram panchayat responded by donating 12 acres, and Huli's team designed the campus pro bono. The vision was soon expanded into a residential school for destitute girls and underserved communities with the support of then-zilla parishad CEO Ayush Prasad. According to Huli, the construction of phase 1 is nearing completion with CSR funding from Fiat India Automobiles Private Limited (FIAPL). The campus will feature 24 classrooms, science and computer labs, administrative offices, modern sanitation, activity areas, and dedicated language labs. A residential facility for destitute girls from Class 5 onward is also planned. A memorandum of understanding was signed earlier this year in the presence of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and school education minister Dada Bhuse, marking a public-private partnership between the Pune Zilla Parishad, Christel House India, and corporate and community stakeholders. 'The partnership is a major step towards equitable education in rural Pune,' said Pune Zilla Parishad CEO Gajanan Patil. 'Built as a tribute to Savitribai and Mahatma Phule, the school will offer high-quality education at no cost to children, especially girls from deprived communities.' Jaison C Mathew, CEO, Christel House India, called it a 'landmark partnership' that aligned closely with Maharashtra's vision for its children. 'We are committed to empowering every child with not just academic excellence but life opportunities—moving them from classrooms to life.' The need for such a facility is pressing. Research shows that while the region is home to over 13,000 school-aged children, English-medium CBSE-aligned institutions remain scarce. David Harris, CEO, Christel House International, said, 'With this school, we are planting seeds for generational change—exactly the kind of vision Mahatma and Savitribai Phule had when they first challenged the barriers to education in this country.' More than 150 years after the Phules opened their first school for girls in Pune, their legacy comes full circle in Khanavdi—this time, with a school that promises not just access, but empowerment.
