The history of L.E.C. | 2000 - 2007
Since L.E.C. was sharing its location with other working units, problems like dirty toilets, garbage, plastic bags everywhere, water-overflow were a daily phenomenon. For 9-10 years L.E.C. was in this situation, until in June 2001 the present campus near Isaiambalam-school became available. From this time onwards the actual status of L.E.C. started to beginning to take shape. This period 2001-2004, exactly matched with the arrival of an European Commission funded, 3-year project on Education. L.E.C. took part in this and this helped considerably to give strength and status for L.E.C. It made the school become more professional and gave the push to it to become more independent, have better confidence and esteem in its work, to increase the number of students from 15 to 25. Financially, it helped the school for the first-time, to have its own funding for 3 years (and not be dependent on small donations, which were now kept carefully in reserves, to be used when this 3 year period got completed).

Financing L.E.C: In the beginning of L.E.C, to earn money for funding some school activities, the coordinator had to work elsewhere. At that time, all resources needed by L.E.C. were from small donations of individuals, friends or institutions (human resources, tables, chairs, equipment). There was no regular core-funding from Auroville for many years; today (since the last 4 years, after the end of the EC project), we do receive a small (although not fixed) portion of the annual budget from Auroville, because the scale of our work has not reduced after the EC period, but continued to grow gradually.

Metamorphosis of L.E.C. from a vocational centre to a life education centre

In a meeting with old students the following story was written, which does illustrate very well how history and present in L.E.C. are connected.
"The present students in 2006 listed all the things that they were learning now – tailoring, typing, computer, crochet, knitting as vocational skills besides English, Mathematics as functional skills, chanting, group discussions, counseling help as self-development skills.