Afternoon:
15°c
Free school to teach Beatles guru's meditation methods
Anna Davis, Education Correspondent14 Nov 2011
Children as young as four will be taught transcendental meditation twice a day at a new free school in London.
Followers of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who taught the technique to the Beatles, want to open the school in Hampton for pupils aged four to 18.
Every morning and afternoon, pupils will meditate at their desks with their eyes closed, and teachers will join in.
The group also has a school in Lancashire, which opened 25 years ago. It was previously private, but took advantage of free school legislation to transfer to the state sector in September.
The new school would open in 2013 in Oldfield House, a former special school. Richard Scott, leading the Maharishi School Trust bid, said: "Kids think more clearly, the mind is quieter and they become more responsive as a result of the meditation, and it comes through in their results."
He said the group approached every borough in London, with Richmond the first to reply and the most enthusiastic. He described the school as offering a consciousness-based education, where teachers emphasise positive behaviour. He added: "You may think that works only for middle-class kids. But it works with inner-city kids in some of the worst crime areas in America."
The group also hopes to open schools in more deprived parts of London. But the British Humanist Association has "serious concerns" that the schools would teach "irrational dogma" which should not be funded by the state.
A spokesman said: "There is no robust evidence to show that transcendental meditation is more effective than other meditation and relaxation techniques, or well-taught health education."
Richy Thompson, of the humanist association, added: "Free schools are extremely attractive to evangelical and pseudoscientific groups, who previously would not have been able to set up state-funded schools."
The Indian-born Maharishi was the guru of the transcendental meditation movement, and claimed to offer his disciples the power to levitate and bring about world peace. He became spiritual adviser to the Beatles in 1967, but fell out with the band the next year. Thought to have been 91, he died at his home in the Netherlands in 2008.
Reader views (12)
A spokesman (for the British Humanist Society) said: "There is no robust evidence to show that transcendental meditation is more effective than other meditation and relaxation techniques, or well-taught health education."
Well the British Humanists Society just shot themselves in the foot with comments like that.
1. They made these comments without ever speaking to the school to discuss their concerns. The school had to call them afterwards.
2. They apparently took no notice of over 300 studies published in reputable peer review journals and the meta study comparing TM with 24 other means of relaxation and meditation where TM reduced trait anxiety twice as much as its nearest competitor.
I find it strange also that the Evening Standard reporter did not question these pronouncements by the Humanists.
Still, any publicity is good, and intelligent people will no doubt investigate more carefully if they are interested in getting an outstanding education for their children.
- Lewis Walch, Bolton, 15/11/2011 16:32
Report abuse
Oh dear.........a very poor piece of reporting, much of which appear to have been lifted straight from Wikipedia!
No mention of the extensive long term studies which have been carried out on TM, no mention of the Maharishi School’s outstanding Ofset report, no mention GCSE results continually being in the top 3% of all UK schools and no mention of the fact that over 5 million people (other that the Beatles!) enjoy the benefits of TM!
Best of luck to the Richmond Free School and I look forward to seeing further Maharishi Schools across the UK.
- Newton Parker, Loose, Kent, 15/11/2011 14:32
Report abuse
I went to the Maharishi School in Lancashire and it was lovely. Looking forward to seeing more of them in the UK.
- Sarah Fuller, London, 15/11/2011 12:51
Report abuse
More bloody woowoo to fill the kids' heads with instead of useful information that we know to actually be true through observation, evidence and logic.
- Rab Simpson, Glasgow, UK, 14/11/2011 12:55
------------------
Meditation can actually help them to relax, and therefore learn things more easily as their brains are not so stressed. Also, many people I know in high positions use some kind of relaxation technique prior to delivering speeches, holding conferences, etc.
My sister is just off to India for a month to go to a mountainous retreat where she can relax and get away from the hustle, bustle and stresses of modern Western life. It'll prepare her mentally and physically for her new role when she returns to work - being high up in a financial institution, it should do her good to be free of whinging socialists for a while!
- Jock, Glasgow, 14/11/2011 23:19
Report abuse
It's in Richmond, which is too far away for me, but I wish they were opening one in my borough!
- James, London, UK, 14/11/2011 18:13
Report abuse
With all due respect, the British Humanist Association would be advised to do some proper investigative work before claiming there are no relative merits to TM.
Besides the 340 peer reviewed studies referred to above, there have been several meta-analyses comparing the efficacy of TM to other self development programs, and the results are quite outstanding. The Evening Standard house rules do not allow for the posting of URLs, but an appropriate search on search engines should bring them to light.
- Richard Hobbs, London, UK and Iowa, USA, 14/11/2011 17:36
Report abuse
Just because teaching meditation is good for kids (and I think it is) doesn't mean these people are capable of teaching anything else. Don't they have to prove their teaching skills to open a Free School? Well, I suppose state schools don't so why should anyone else?
- Tom Trainer, London, England, 14/11/2011 15:40
Report abuse
There are 340 published scientific studies on Transcendental Meditation, several of the best and longest funded by the US National Institutes of Health; which I'd say counts as robust evidence for the technique. And it does appear to outperform other methods studied, including health education, particularly in such outcomes as reducing anxiety and improving coronary health. It's also extremely easy for children to learn and practise, and involves no faith or dogma (irrational or otherwise).
The surviving Beatles seem to think highly of Transcendental Meditation as well, and would like children to have the opportunity to learn it. Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr both took part in a benefit concert for the David Lynch Foundation a couple of years ago to raise funds for Transcendental Meditation courses for at-risk young people. Sir Paul described the technique as "a lifelong gift" - which is exactly what a good education should be. Learning to reduce stress and improve alertness so effectively can only be a good thing.
- David Hughes, Skelmersdale, UK, 14/11/2011 14:47
Report abuse
I've sent all my children to the Maharishi School here in Lancashire, (which by the way has "Outstanding" in 11 areas and "Outstanding overall" from Ofsted 2009), and have never regretted a moment of it.
They have all benefited from a happy, stress free and successful education and have gone on to become happy successful people.
Incidentally, my previous comment was not posted.
- claire winteringham, skelmersdale, lancashire, 14/11/2011 13:24
Report abuse
I am offering my services to the school as an independent Feng Shui teacher.
I come with reasonable rates of £1000 per day.
- Clarkson for PM, England, but sometimes it doesn't feel like it., 14/11/2011 13:21
Report abuse
More bloody woowoo to fill the kids' heads with instead of useful information that we know to actually be true through observation, evidence and logic.
This is just another thing the government are doing to distract the general population while they give all of our tax money to their corporate cronies.
- Rab Simpson, Glasgow, UK, 14/11/2011 12:55
Report abuse
To help them learn how to think? I don't think so!
- Diana Johnson, London, UK, 14/11/2011 12:52
Report abuse
