Aman Setu School - an attempt to preserve Humanity!

By Madhurie Singh, August 20, 2009

Beautiful name isn’t it? Aman Setu 🙂

In today’s modernization how many of us maintain our culture in whatever way possible, is a question to be pondered over. Last year when I was looking for a good school for my younger son, I was introduced to this name ” Aman Setu” by a friend. Her son used to be studying in a school run by MKF. Her son was dyslexic. Now 14 years back, the word dyslexic would have passed off as another laxative or some kind of digestive brand name by an enthusiastic brand manager :).
She was disheartened when St Mary’s told her to take her son out of the school when he was only in 2nd std as he was not able to cope up with the class! She got him under the wings of Bhojwani School, Pune run at that time by Mrs Madhavi Kapur. Today the boy is one of the editors of his college magzine.

In India, schools are very partial and I hate to admit they will not take kids with any kind of learning disability, leave alone other physical disability. The so called normal schools do not like to see their results affected by any special child’s special abilities. I think schools have stopped thinking. They have a set pattern, a preset curriculum and a way to manage the school that does not encourage out of the box thinking. Neither the teachers nor the parents even try to think out of the normalcy. So what we see is a robot like teaching by robot like teachers producing hunderds of robots 🙂 each year.

I am reminded of an advertisement of NIIT, where everyone is walking, talking and behaving the same way, untill the girl from NIIT arrives.
Aman Setu is a school in Pune that is attempting to be a bit difference amongst the crowd.

I always wanted to write a review on Aman Setu ever since I visited the school last year and spent and entire day in the school. Now, which school will allow a parent to experience a day in their school with the teachers and kids doing their far from traditional teaching and learning! It’s like the 30 day money back garauntee offers that come with online product, which are 100% sure of their quality.

The school is located near the airport, close to the Diamond water park, in a farm area! I must tell you that one day experience with both my sons from 11:00am to 3:00pm was like going to a refreshing farm-trip. I still remember the teachers and the kids of all age sitting on the floor, frying coconut filled modaks. The teacher made the kids touch and feel the coconut, it’s yummy grated coconut, the process of mixing water into wheat flour, explaining evaporation and condensation while cooking, the change in texture and color after the modaks were ready! I think my kids will always remember how to cook a modak. 🙂 ( And so will 😛 ).

There was a pond where kids were taught sedimentation along with a cute little duck that was prancing around along with a tiny frog. My kids loved feeding the rabbits green leaves and wanted to bring them home too. There were chicks and a hen too that kids were allowed to feed briefly.

The school follows a non conventional style of teaching with no barrier or segregation on the intellect or abilities of the kids. I think it’s a brilliant way of teaching true meaning of secularity and equality. They take the best of all boards and give a very sound foundation of fundamentals. I think after the 6th grade they follow ICSE. Amazing ! They have smaller infrasturcture as compared to other schools but I am sure they will grow rapidly to become a sought after name.

Any child going there will turn to be a first rate human being for sure. And I must appreciate all the parents who were were brave enough to choose Aman Setu for their kids. I find very few parents who would not think of the distance or the brand equity but would think out of the box, when selecting a school. It’s not that only differently able kids or super able kids go there. There are all types of kids with no bar on age, sex, physicality or mental abilities.

In my opinion kids should not be judged by the marks they get in the class or how they recite their poems in front of the guests :). ‘Cause it’s not their fault but its the parent’s failure to find out the intelligence and strengths of a child.

I am very proud that both my sons are genius as per the so called pyschological tests but that does not mean I can neglect or chide them for their weaknesses. Neither should you.

My Son studies in Amansetu since last 5 Years now he is in 5th, no doubt the School is doing good, but I am disappointed this year as for the Last four years school provided BUS service and this year they are not, thus they are violating the Policy and Practice of their own school which say Save Oil and Less Pollution. Even though I stay in Wagholi my son is denied BUS Services , so the result is I will have drop and Pick him every day. The Issue is if school had informed me at the time of admission to 5th Std I could have thought to discontinue and change the school, for which I feel Cheated.

I agree on certain facts but disagree on lot others too. My daughter is been part of school since last 2 years and we have seen the growth. Transport issue was really correct one and I personally followed up with school. Regarding concern about your fees. you will only get it at the end of academic year which was told at the time of admission so that point is null and void.

We heard that the Principal herself is taking her kids out of this school and putting them in some other school.Why should we put our kids on this school then? Also we had a background check and it seems all her work experience is fake and made up since Graduation.Are such people running the school? Seems there is no real leadership here and people just misusing power to take disadvantage of poor people.The school is worse than a Municipality school with no toilet facilities and my kids are at a threat.The security comprises of only 1 guard and they are just looting us for admission fees and we do not know where the money is going.Even after paying fees we are given a notice that we haven't paid fees.Good work done by the Principal! Apt choice for the school.Sitting at one place and not moving, suits people right.My kids are fed same food day by day and no breakfast.

Thank you for sharing the feedback. We will take this important feedback and ensure things are improved.

Hi, Our daughter joined Aman Setu School this year in June. We chose this school for its alternative approach to education, and also since we did not want a conventional school for our child. However, we had to pull her out mid-session in October this year, as the school failed to deliver what it had promised. Right from the sub-standard quality of the teachers, maids being promoted as assistant teachers, high attrition of teachers. To the filthy wash-rooms, no water in the wash-rooms for most of the times. The principal had told us that there would a maximum of 20 kids in a class. Since this is an eco-friendly and green school. The classrooms are made of mud, with no fans and lights inside. When school started this June, there were 30 students in my daughter's class, all cramped in a small room without any fan or light. Transport was another issue. The school has made transport mandatory, without adhering to the rules and regulations. The school charges not only double of what other schools in Wagholi are charging for a similar distance, they are also not following all the rules. Till October, when my daughter was there, in many instances they used white private buses with curtains, which is a clear violation of the transport act with regards to school. Also, most of the buses did not have the school's name printed on the side. There used to be only a computer-generated print-out kept on the windscreen, displaying the school name. The buses did not have any speed governors either. Also, we got to know of a case of an RTE student, who was sent the transport challan of 2400 INR a quarter. Thinking that he had got it by mistake, he went to the school. He was told to pay it for one quarter, and was told that the school will look at it in the next quarter. When this issue was brought up in the PTA meeting, the school management present in the meeting said that, these people will not appreciate if they get everything for free. The parent of this RTE student also consulted with another RTE student's parent in the same bus route, and wanted to opt for a private pick-up and drop for both their kids. However, the other parent told him, from the discussions that he had with the school he got the distinct impression that if they left the school bus, their kids might be alienated by the school. And, out of this fear they continued with the school transport. Aman Setu being an inclusive school, is preaching and practicing something different. All important issues are sidelined or management gives the response that we will look into it. Owing to these and other issues, we decided to withdraw our child mid-session, and Oct 17 was her last working day, and the school was informed accordingly of the withdrawal. However, till now, we have not received the deposit of 40k that we had paid at the time of admission. The accountant said that due to 'accounting rules' the school will return the deposit at the end of the academic year. On calling up the school again today, and speaking with another person in the accounting team, he said that the management has decided from now on to refund the deposit at the end of the academic year. My question is: How can the school keep the deposit even after all the dues have been cleared and the child has been withdrawn. This is a security deposit we pay to the school. Once the child is withdrawn, why isn't the school returning it and enjoying interest on our hard-earned money at no cost to itself.

My son is in Amansetu Sr kg. He is adjusted well to school. I like their mode of teaching , teachers are good, experienced and co-operative. But what bothers me is school transport. As said by vinuitha, their logistic is not good. Last year my son's pickup ime was about 7.40.This year they made it 7.30 and now it has become 7.20. The bus reaches school at 8.30 , so my son is travelling for 1 hr 15 mins now. And all this is why becuase they have additonal nursery kids who are coming in their bus, and these kids dont get ready on time as they are very small. But my son has to pay for this, as he is almost 2nd to be picked up. Also regarding the drop timings, the school ends at 2.30 but bus leaves at 3 pm and my son reaches home at 3.40, which is 45 mins again Thus my son is travelling 2 hrs each day. I have talked to school transport , lets see what happens. I will be raising this issue in tomorrows PTA meeting. But the question is how a child would be enthusiatic to go to school , if he is spending so much time is travelling. But school is not concerned about that. I dont know whether rest of the parents have problem with this long hours of transport or they ar efine. But even medical studies suggest that too much travelling is not gud and especially for kids. I hope school management and transport commitee take up this and resolve it and reduce the travel time for kids, by providing more buses for transport

Hi Rohini, Any update on your concern with the travel times? Did the school take any corrective action?

No.. Infact my kid has only got adjusted... There's no option.

I am really confused in between EURO SCHOOLl and AMAN SETU.... I want a straight answer form you that whether I should admit him in AMAN SETU or EURO SCHOOL I hope you understand my frustration as I have visited many schools like LEXICON International, JYOTIRMAY International,ORBIS, BISHOPS etc. and today also the first thing in the morning I visit the websites and try to read the reviews of the schools. As of now i have gone through with VICTORIA EDU CARES , MT.ST. PATRICK, ST. PATRICK, HUTCHINSON, DAV, DY PATIL, VIDYA VALLEY, SNBP, WISDOM WORLD SCHOOL, J N PETIT and many more . I am seriously very confused and I am not able to find a good school. Every time I visit a school the first impression it comes to me is that they have opened there schools to make money. I am really confused please help me out of this and suggest a good school.

Dear Vinit, My school admission workshop or phone consultation is meant to clear all doubts and find the best school for your child that fits into your budget and all criteria. Kindly fill the contact form for more details.

Dear all, Following my earlier post, I received a call from Aman Setu and they have repaid my money of Rs.20000.

Dear Vinutha, Congratulations on receiving your money back. I really appreciate Aman Setu to have considered your case and refunded the due. This is what is called good ethics that go a long way. Great Job Aman Setu. And great job Vinutha to have written it here that takes courage. But as long as one is true, one should never be afraid to raise their concern.

[…] Aman-setu-school-an-attempt-to-preserve-humanity […]

I am writing this review of Aman Setu based on my own experience (and my child’s) and upon insistence of a few friends. I considered Aman Setu when a friend and also my child’s kindergarten teacher suggested of the same. Later, after reading the reviews online and going through their website, my husband and I paid a visit to the school. Needless to say, we were totally impressed and without a second thought (and actually without even considering any other school), we finalised on Aman Setu. Their concept of ‘concept – based education’ was what I liked the most. Their strong belief of ‘each child is different and special’ was evident in an environment with no competition. Their inclusion of kids with special needs with the normal ones was pure greatness. On the day of our visit, the kids were all dipping their hands in paint and having fun and running and jumping all around. The children’s relationship with the teachers and the staff was very warm. To top it all was the campus (The Nest) – green, basic and really spacious. We got our child admitted just after meeting Ms. Madhavi Kapur, who asked us to ‘lend’ the school a certain amount for the upcoming campus and which would be refunded later. We paid Rs.20000 (there were other parents who paid more) and we confirmed a seat. Much before the school started, there was a parents’ orientation meet in their other campus in mid March. This was when reality struck. The other campus (Butterfly Garden - which I earlier hadn’t visited) is just the opposite of Nest- concrete, congested and amidst a lot of construction around. The administration of the school is a big concern. They didn’t know about the important dates, the conveyance, the uniform or the fees. Everything was tentative and overall haphazard. We were informed that all the details shall be mailed eventually, but we never received a mail. Everything was by telephone, and there again things were not definite. My child was admitted for Jr.KG and the timings were actually from 8.30 – 12.30, but they were made to stay at school till 2.30 and left only with the elder kids. They said it was an environmental concern and that they wouldn’t want their buses plying around many times. I couldn’t imagine my 4yr old staying out for 7hrs, so I had raised a concern about this before the school started and was assured that it would be ‘sorted out’. But once the school started, I realised there was a problem with their logistics and shortage of buses, which the tiny kids had to pay for. They didn’t mind about pollution when the teachers were moving in the school bus between the two campuses many times. My child was one of the first to be picked up (7 am) and the last to be dropped (3.40 pm). 8 hrs and out of that 2.5 hrs travel - it was really painful. I, along with a few other parents requested for a change in the timings and the travel route or atleast the small van for the little ones. All they said was ‘give us some time’, and in some time they just let things be. There was no sincere effort whatsoever, just the plain talks. To add to my ill feelings, my child never got adjusted to the school. I thought it was the timings. So I requested if I could arrange for my own conveyance to get my child out at 12.30 (since the kids only slept between 12.30 and 2.30). They refused saying the kids had to use the school bus and that they enjoyed sleeping at school. The lamest reason of all – that most of the parents are employed and they preferred their kids be at school for long. Ridiculous as ever – it was not a day care centre, after all! I was scared when my child started withdrawing. So I started going to the school a few days just to be around and be comforting. No one in the school was genuinely bothered except for my child’s elderly class teacher. What hurt me even more was what Ms.Madhavi Kapur said – ‘1 or 2 children out of 30 having troubles is still a good success rate for us’. Unfortunately, that 1 was my child who meant a lot more to me than a mere success rate. And those words came from that lady whom I considered as one of the pillars of education in Pune! Things just didn’t work out and I had to pull my child out of the school after a month and a half and readmit to the previous kindergarten. The whole of this time was very stressful, not just for us the parents, but a lot more to the child. Further, the ‘refundable’ amount ‘lent’, was never paid despite many letters and personal visits to the office. My husband and I tried for a year and just let it go (along with the fees for the quarter). This happened in AY 2012-13. But I hadn’t written about it as I thought it was my personal experience. Ever since, I heard about 2 other kids opting out of Aman Setu and the attrition among the teachers there. Also, my friends whose kids study there have had very bad experiences with the administration. I don’t know if it has got any better. So before you get your child into Aman Setu, be assured that the pros outweigh the cons. Don’t get carried away like me and get yourself and your tiny tot into trouble!!

I am writing this review of Aman Setu based on my own experience (and my child’s) and upon insistence of a few friends. I considered Aman Setu when a friend and also my child’s kindergarten teacher suggested of the same. Later, after reading the reviews online and going through their website, my husband and I paid a visit to the school. Needless to say, we were totally impressed and without a second thought (and actually without even considering any other school), we finalised on Aman Setu. Their concept of ‘concept – based education’ was what I liked the most. Their strong belief of ‘each child is different and special’ was evident in an environment with no competition. Their inclusion of kids with special needs with the normal ones was pure greatness. On the day of our visit, the kids were all dipping their hands in paint and having fun and running and jumping all around. The children’s relationship with the teachers and the staff was very warm. To top it all was the campus (Butterfly Garden- BG) – green, basic and really spacious. We got our child admitted just after meeting Ms. Madhavi Kapur, who asked us to ‘lend’ the school a certain amount for the upcoming campus and which would be refunded later. We paid Rs.20000 (there were other parents who paid more) and we confirmed a seat. Much before the school started, there was a parents’ orientation meet in their other campus in mid March. This was when reality struck. The other campus (which I earlier hadn’t visited) is just the opposite of BG- concrete, congested and amidst a lot of construction around. The administration of the school is a big concern. They didn’t know about the important dates, the conveyance, the uniform or the fees. Everything was tentative and overall haphazard. We were informed that all the details shall be mailed eventually, but we never received a mail. Everything was by telephone, and there again things were not definite. My child was admitted for Jr.KG and the timings were actually from 8.30 – 12.30, but they were made to stay at school till 2.30 and left only with the elder kids. They said it was an environmental concern and that they wouldn’t want their buses plying around many times. I couldn’t imagine my 4yr old staying out for 7hrs, so I had raised a concern about this before the school started and was assured that it would be ‘sorted out’. But once the school started, I realised there was a problem with their logistics and shortage of buses, which the tiny kids had to pay for. They didn’t mind about pollution when the teachers were moving in the school bus between the two campuses many times. My child was one of the first to be picked up (7 am) and the last to be dropped (3.40 pm). 8 hrs and out of that 2.5 hrs travel - it was really painful. I, along with a few other parents requested for a change in the timings and the travel route or atleast the small van for the little ones. All they said was ‘give us some time’, and in some time they just let things be. There was no sincere effort whatsoever, just the plain talks. To add to my ill feelings, my child never got adjusted to the school. I thought it was the timings. So I requested if I could arrange for my own conveyance to get my child out at 12.30 (since the kids only slept between 12.30 and 2.30). They refused saying the kids had to use the school bus and that they enjoyed sleeping at school. The lamest reason of all – that most of the parents are employed and they preferred their kids be at school for long. Ridiculous as ever – it was not a day care centre, after all! I was scared when my child started withdrawing. So I started going to the school a few days just to be around and be comforting. No one in the school was genuinely bothered except for my child’s elderly class teacher. What hurt me even more was what Ms.Madhavi Kapur said – ‘1 or 2 children out of 30 having troubles is still a good success rate for us’. Unfortunately, that 1 was my child who meant a lot more to me than a mere success rate. And those words came from that lady whom I considered as one of the pillars of education in Pune! Things just didn’t work out and I had to pull my child out of the school after a month and a half and readmit to the previous kindergarten. The whole of this time was very stressful, not just for us the parents, but a lot more to the child. Further, the ‘refundable’ amount ‘lent’, was never paid despite many letters and personal visits to the office. My husband and I tried for a year and just let it go (along with the fees for the quarter). This happened in AY 2012-13. But I hadn’t written about it as I thought it was my personal experience. Ever since, I heard about 2 other kids opting out of Aman Setu and the attrition among the teachers there. Also, my friends whose kids study there have had very bad experiences with the administration. I don’t know if it has got any better. So before you get your child into Aman Setu, be assured that the pros outweigh the cons. Don’t get carried away like me and get yourself and your tiny tot into trouble!!

I think you should also be informed that kids must not travel more than 45-50 min and there must be buses assigned for one area only in order to not stretch the pick and drop time period.

Dear Vinuta, I am glad to write the experiences about this school here. Appreciate it. Hope parents take informed decision after reading your review about Aman Setu. All schools have good and bad. But the best part of all the reviews is that it helps one decide after accepting the cons along with the pros. Thanks for the effort.

@prajnaasaha Its more than a year for this post, can you please tell me what did you decide for your child? I wanted to enroll my daughter in Aman Setu. Can you tell me the reasons for why you were thinking of changing the school?

HI Arshiya, well the reviews change too. I would agree with the schools that he is small in age for class 1 for next academic year. He must be 6 yrs to be eligible for class 1. https://madhuriesingh.com/index.php/2009/whats-right-age-for-admission-in-nursery-and-first-standard-pune-schools-india/ https://madhuriesingh.com/index.php/2012/government-says-3-years-is-the-right-age-for-nursery/ read these.

I was very impressed by your reviews about the school , I recently visited the school for my admission for my son he is 5.2 month old stduying in sr.kg from little millennium aundh, the thing is they r saying he needs to repeat as coz of his age , he is not eligible for 1std according to age.This is what it is making me more confuse not able decide coz he got selected in vibgyor and euro school for 1std I'm pitty confuse please help me!

Hi , i was very impressed by your reviews about the school , I recently visited the school for my admission for my son he is 5.2 month old stduying in sr.kg from little millennium aundh, the thing is they r saying he needs to repeat as coz of his age , he is not eligible for 1std according to age.This is what it is making me more confuse not able decide coz he got selected in vibgyor and euro school for 1std I'm pitty confuse please help me!

Thanks Aditi :)

thumbs up to your cause. wish you all the best...

My son has been going to Aman Setu for the past one year and though initially the distance factor bothered me (School is in Wagholi, I stay in Wanwarie) I am so glad I put him there.It is everything it promises to be - green, child centric, inclusive and value based. For all those wondering - what about academics??? Of course it is taken care of! It may be premature on my part to comment as my son's just only finished PG but compared to my friends children who even in nursery come home with homework and spend hours practicing writing the alphabet, my child is far far ahead. Without any inputs from me, he reads simple common words, spells them, reads and writes his full name. I would highly recommend the school to all parents who don't want to push their children into conventional competitive stressful schools. Yes, the school's new and there are a few slips here and there but the teachers and staff are most welcoming of suggestions and complaints. A 10/10 from my side to the school!

Thanks prajnaasaha Please Please post your reply after your meeting with prinicipal and class teacher. I have already piad the deposit, It is important to know the reality before I end paying fees and later on it will difficult to get admission in other school

Dear all Moms, Plz dont rush to push your baby in Aman Setu. My kid is there for last 2 years and now i'm considering to shift him to some other school like many other parents. I'l post my next reply only after meeting the principal n the class teacher with all my grievances this friday(10/02/2012).

Thanks Madhurie for the excellent review. Can you give more insight on their admission process and also whether they have a transportation facility?

Thank you very much for the posted review which helps parents like me. Could you please write more from the academic angle also. I understand that children going to Aman Setu will be very good human being. However, I also wanted to know what level of confidence and strength they will have to sustain in this completive world and earn sufficient enough from what they have learnt. Thanks in Advance. Regards Kalyani Parange

Dear Kalyani, When I first walked into Aman Setu, what struck me was the comfortable and free interaction between the children and the teachers. I enrolled my son when he was 4 yrs, today he is 7. Every single school day is a treat for him . He is in a happy learning environment, a learning that is far far more and beyond textbooks. I recall an incident in school during the parents orientation, when a parent asked Madhavi Kapur, “ What about audio visual aids”...and Madhavi said ,” we just bring them out of their class rooms!!! “ When she said that she meant every word of it, the school premise and the surrounding by itself offers so much for the children to see and learn and the school makes full use of this. I was at the school office and I had the opportunity to look at a work sheet that was being prepared. It was pictures of the Bulbul bird and its chicks . I was told the children had watched this bird from the time it made its nest till the chicks flew away. Now they were taking this experience into their class rooms, where the children created stories about the bird, and also learnt about birds. This is just one example of teaching and learning. As far as your question is concerned, I may have helped you understand that the learning here is just different ,not lesser than any other place. I may add children are always challenged here , but never pressurized. They spark or ignite a sense of curiosity, encourage the child's creativity , makes the child think ...rather than just do or follow instructions. The learning experience is just as much for me as a parent. Aman setu is maybe the very few or perhaps the only schools that provides workshops for parents . “Teach your child to read “ was one such work shop ,it helped me help my child develop his reading skills and love for reading. Let me recap, at Aman Setu the foundation is strong, learning is interesting , and emphasis is on over all development of mind , body and spirit.

Thanks Shobha for sharing this woderfull information

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