Education News: Top Stories

UK: New Secondary School building opens at Maharishi School in Lancashire
by Global Good News staff writer

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20 April 2012

On 16 April Maharishi Free School in Skelmersdale, West Lancashire in the UK inaugurated its new Secondary School building.

For over 25 years Maharishi School has been offering Consciousness-Based Education with well-documented results in promoting academic success and a dynamic, harmonious learning environment for pupils age 4-16. Last September, the school was one of 24 schools in the UK to be designated as the first state-funded Free Schools.

The opening ceremony for the new building was attended by the whole Maharishi School community of students, teachers, parents, and friends of the school.

Dr. Ian Birnbaum OBE, and his wife, Helen Birnbaum, whose parents the new Morris Birnbaum Building is named after, speaking at the 16 April opening. Head teacher
Derek Cassells is at right.
The new Secondary School building has been named the 'Morris Birnbaum Building', in honour of Ian and Helen Birnbaum, who 'have been consistent supporters of the Maharishi School over many years,' according to a statement from the School. 'In recognition of this support the Trustees of Maharishi School Trust wanted to name the newly converted secondary school in their honour. The name they chose is the Morris Birnbaum Building in memory of their parents, all of whom had a profound belief in the transformative power of education.'

Dr Ian Birnbaum was honoured by the Queen earlier this year with the awarding of an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) on the New Year's Honours List, in recognition of services to local government.

Dr Birnbaum is a former Council officer who worked for many years with local government in the London Borough of Sutton. He also worked closely with the Department for Education in developing new policies for schools throughout England.

On his retirement the Birnbaum family moved to Skelmersdale two years ago so that their daughter could attend Maharishi School. Dr Birnbaum has also been working this year on the committee to help establish the proposed new Maharishi Free School in the Richmond borough of London.

The new Secondary School building in Skelmersdale was designed according to Vastu principles of Maharishi Vedic architecture, also known as Maharishi Sthatpatya Veda.

The opening of the new Morris Birnbaum Building at Maharishi School thus represents three important 'firsts' regarding Consciousness-Based Education in the UK, commented Dr Peter Warburton, Chairman of Maharishi Foundation UK, a few days after the inaugural ceremonies.

'The school was the first Maharishi School in England, in the UK, and probably in Europe,' he said. 'It then became the first Maharishi School in Europe to achieve full government funding. And now I believe this is also a first—that a building has opened for the school which is fully Vastu compliant, and yet is fully funded by the government as well.'

Global Good News will continue to report on the opening of the new Secondary School building at Maharishi Free School in West Lancashire, as well as other new developments from the UK.

© Copyright 2012 Global Good News^®

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