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A Virtual Tour of Baha'i Schools

© Lloyd Madansky

The Baha'i Faith places great emphasis on education. Baha'u'llah taught: "Having attained the stage of fulfilment and reached his maturity, man standeth in need of wealth, and such wealth as he acquireth through crafts or professions is commendable and praiseworthy in the estimation of men of wisdom, and especially in the eyes of servants who dedicate themselves to the education of the world and to the edification of its peoples. They are, in truth, cup-bearers of the life-giving water of knowledge and guides unto the ideal way."

Abdu'l-Bahá explains the importance of education in this way: "The primary, the most urgent requirement is the promotion of education. It is inconceivable that any nation should achieve prosperity and success unless this paramount, this fundamental concern is carried forward. The principal reason for the decline and fall of peoples is ignorance." To this end, many different educational facilities have been established by the Baha'is. I would like to introduce you to some of them.

Baha'I Academic Schools

The following are some of the educational institutions that have been accredited by various national government agencies and are operated by the Baha'i Faith:

In Chile, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Chile has established Colegio Núr. This has been in operation for over 17 years and teaches students from kindergarten through high school. They also operate two rural Mapuche schools, the Muhajir School and the Faizi School. All these include formal curriculum for the study of the Baha'i Faith, and all are approved by the Ministry of Education. One other Baha'i educational institution is the Labranza Training Institute, which is located within the Radio Bahá'í de Chile complex. It serves not only the academic needs of the surrounding community, but its agricultural needs.

In Kumamoto, Japan, is the Daystar International School. This is a co-educational school that teaches grades from kindergarten through high school. Its aim is not only to prepare its students to be productive members of society but to enable them to envision a better world. It has been in operation since 1990.

The Landegg International University is located in Switzerland. It is a graduate-level school and offers bachelor's and master's degrees as well as other academic programs. Among them are certificate programmes and Persian language courses. Its Web Site supplies more information, on-line registration and more.

The Maxwell International Baha'i School is situated on Vancouver Island, Canada. It is a middle and high-school college prep institution and is co-educational. Its web site supplies a tour of the campus, a description of their academic program, and complete registration information. Also located on the campus is the Maxwell Community Service Institute. This institute is dedicated to social and economic development and provides a program that trains young people to participate in various types of community service.

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