Although uniforms are found in some private schools, public schools at the most have dress codes to discourage clothing related to gangs. The students study Sanskrit, an ancient language that originated in the area of India. They begin the study in kindergarten, learning first the alphabet, then the sounds and, finally, in tenth grade, grammar. Except for a few upper level courses, the students are in gender-separate classes all day long, a practice that is rare in public schools in the state. The high school athletic roster excludes football because of the injuries it produces.
Students stand when called upon to recite in class.
They watch little television. And it appears that they take their studies very seriously. In 1971, the Maharishi International University opened in Santa Barbara, CA, but soon administrators were looking for a bigger campus. In 1974, they purchased the defunct Parsons College campus in Fairfield. That same year, Maharishi School opened for 12 elementary-age children of University faculty.