On the occasion of National School Sports Day, yesterday, September 17, 2025, we are pleased to introduce Aurobrata Panda, a Physical Education teacher at the French International School of Pondicherry since 2023.
Passionate about sports since childhood, Aurobrata studied at the Ashram School in Pondicherry, where he was able to explore a wide variety of disciplines. Even as a schoolboy, he already knew that physical activity appealed to him more than other academic subjects. While basketball was his favorite sport at the time, today he is also drawn to other practices such as parkour—particularly learning stunts—as well as surfing.
Throughout his journey, Aurobrata has experienced sports as a compulsory subject, which has convinced him of its strong benefits for students. At our school, he particularly values the fact that boys and girls train together, as this promotes mutual respect and helps break down outdated gender stereotypes associated with sports.
Deeply influenced by the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo, Aurobrata believes that sports at school help foster holistic development, giving students the opportunity to grow into the best version of themselves. He is especially proud that our school places such importance on physical education, granting it equal status with other academic subjects, whereas in many schools it is seen as an optional extracurricular activity. He also finds it remarkable that the French system includes a PE exam in the baccalauréat, ensuring that students maintain a healthy lifestyle all the way through to their final year.
For Aurobrata, being a PE teacher is above all about sharing his knowledge, building a unique relationship with his students based on self-respect, respect for others, and fair play. His students, in turn, thoroughly enjoy sports lessons with him. Perhaps this is because he himself owes so much to his own PE teachers, who played a decisive role in his life choices and inspired him to pursue this career at our school.
