Baba demonstrated the importance of education when, in 1959, He included the provision of schooling facilities for the village children as an object of the Avatar Meher Baba Trust in the Deed. Continuing Baba’s work with the village children, the Trust expanded the government school by one room in 1976, and on July 26, 1979, Adi K. Irani broke ground for new construction in Arangaon village consisting of two large rooms to be used by the village primary (elementary) school for its expansion. The existing classrooms had become overcrowded, and the extra rooms were of great help to pupils and teachers alike. After the groundbreaking ceremony, Adi, a veteran of the early Meherabad days, addressed the children and teachers: “Baba’s Presence bestowed great moral strength and spiritual understanding upon this village; if the result of this work is not yet manifested, it is sure to come about, for He has sowed the seed. It will take time to fructify. His presence in the lives of the children now coupled with the Trust’s help will likewise have a great impact.”
Meher English School
The Trust’s main educational service to the local populace is the Meher English School, an English-medium primary and secondary school facility encompassing the full ten-standard pre-college curriculum. With a full-time faculty of about 26 teachers, the Meher English School currently enrolls about 650 students, most of them from surrounding rural villages and the nearby town of Ahmednagar. The fifteen-room school building includes classrooms, two auditoriums, laboratories, and a central playground for sports and other activities.
Physical Education Centre
The Trust maintains the Physical Education Centre for use by Baba lovers at Meherabad and local village communities. It provides facilities for physical training including weightlifting and a track and field area, as well as for sports such as volleyball, cricket, table tennis, soccer, and yoga. The Centre also has a study hall for students preparing for exams for further academic pursuits and military acceptance. This is all rarefied by Meher Baba’s atmosphere and His remembrance at Meherabad.
Spiritual Academy
The Trust’s Spiritualized Educational and Cultural Academy provides spiritual training to about 50 seekers from India and abroad. These spiritual trainees have given up their life in the world and reside full-time on Trust Property, where they devote themselves to love for God through various venues of service.