Mentor Magazine | November 2017 | Volume 11 | Issue 06 by Mentor Magazine

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CONTENTS November 2017 | Volume 11 | Issue 06 | É 540

MENTOR THOUGHTS 5 Sultan Speaks Restoring safe school:From reactive to being proactive

33 Safe Schools: The Need of the Hour School safety- a fundamental concern

Inside the mind of a leader -Ms. Nishi Misra, Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya

14 Creating a Safe School Environment Curbing violence and bullying in schools

34 Implementing Change in Schools

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

Designing a structured process to innovation

23 Legal Protection for Schools Providing a protective framework

SCHOOL PEDAGOGY 6 Mainstreaming Gender Studies in Teacher Education

26 School Council and Safety Demarcating responsibilities for safe governance

A long overdue step

SCHOOL INNOVATION 9 Building Resilience in Students

A step towards making schools emotionally safe

Disabled-Friendly Schools Making schools accessible to children with disability

SCHOOL GOVERNANCE 11 Medical Safety in Schools

31 Designing Great Schools An architect's perspective

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Mentor on

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Safe Schoolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Making schools safe havens require an increased onus of responsibility and accountability from each stakeholder. Schools should be a safe place for all students to learn and play and it is the job of each teacher, administrator, and parent to ensure that safety. Join us in making schools Safe and Secure. Participate in the LXL Ideas School Safety Research. Principal Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/H57PSHT Teacher Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JQ2W3YD

sultan@lxl.in

SULTAN SPEAKS

Restoring safe school: From reactive to being proactive

approach with a lack of established legal framework or legal counsel. Public Relations is a term that schools associate with promoting their brand to get admissions. Media Relations is not part of the school management or educator training agenda, schools only look at media as a means to showcase themselves in society. Online and Social media is a new tool that most schools close their eyes to and believe that they can wish it away. Engagement with the parents is another area which is so complicated that it is anybody's guess as to how schools handle this aspect, it may range from parents not being allowed to enter the school premises without permission to parents recruiting teachers.

afety in Schools is a buzz word these days in media and almost every other day there is a skeleton tumbling out of a school's closet pertaining to the safety of students. Apart from the sheer disgust of the incidents that are shaking up our society a parallel debate that seems to have a strong undercurrent is – 'Are these issues new in our society and our society suddenly ﬁlled with unscrupulous elements? Did incidents like this happen in the past?' From my point of view whatever be the reason for this debate, the issue of School Safety has been brushed under the carpet for too long and given very little importance. Reactive is the name of the game, every school management wakes up suddenly when there is a child safety issue that makes news headlines and then they go back into a convenient slumber.

At Mentor Conclave that is being held on 1&2 December 2017 in Bangalore, the underlying theme is School Safety. A detailed LXL Research Study will form the background of a session titled School Safety, industry stalwarts will share their learnings of PR, Legal, Media and its relevance to school safety through well crafted interactive sessions. Schools are run with all good intentions but good intentions don't create great organisations, sound systems and processes do. Being reactive to safety issues will be catastrophic to our society, schools have to be proactive and set up systems and processes that will make them safe havens where learning prospers.

The recent gruesome incident that took place in a Ryan International School Gurgaon and the entire sequence of events that followed just goes to show that even the most organised educational entities in India have very weak foundations of systems and processes that run their schools. We at LXL Ideas are doing an in-depth research study on Safe Schools. Some of the initial ﬁndings that are being revealed by our research are scary, to say the least. Statutory requirements and governmental regulations on safety are not being followed by most schools, in fact, a lot of them are not even aware of them. Majority of schools have a primitive

Syed Sultan Ahmed, Managing Director, LXL Ideas 5

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PEDAGOGY

Mainstreaming Gender Studies in Teacher Education Madhu Kushwaha

adhu Kushwaha works as a Professor in the Faculty of Education, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. She teaches courses on Sociology of Education and Gender and Education to prospective teachers and teacher educators. The purpose of this course is to make students understand that school is an active site of gendering and helps them make their classroom and pedagogical practices gender inclusive. Ms. Kushwaha holds an M.A. in Sociology and Ph.D. in Education with her area of specialization being Sociology of Education and Gender Issues in Education. Professor Kushwaha has several publications in national and international journals including two books on Gender Issues in Education. Apart from teaching and educational research, she is an active social worker and is involved with several NGOs working in the ﬁeld of education and gender equality.

happen overnight. It requires persistent effort through an education that promotes gender equality and can be instrumental in paving the way towards a harmonious society.

Every education system is inﬂuenced by social systems and schools are not far removed from the social conte xt in the way they function.Gender biases, prejudices, stereotypes, strict sex segregation, and sexism prevalent in society, affect schools' and therefore teacher and students.The only way seen through the problem is to inculcate sensitivity through a gender inclusive education of teachers. Gender studies will help teachers ascend from being gender neutral to s e n s i t ive a n d ﬁ n a l l y b e c o m e g e n d e r transformative agents practicing gender equality

A Long Overdue Step, gender equality through education is possible only when education systems and processes in the first place are free from inherent gender biases. The first stage of solving a problem is to accept that there is a problem and to identify the gender issues in education which lead to inequality. All the schools function in a social context making it impossible for them to remain insulated from the contours of the societal standards. If gender biases are prevalent in wider society, surely it would affect schools and most importantly the teachers and the students who are deeply embedded in the school structure. These problems are then reflected in school practices, norms, ethos and curriculum albeit in different intensities. Gender is the most pervasive form of inequality in Indian society, as it operates across all classes, castes, and communities. Teachers,

Identifying and Accepting the Gender Issues in Education Traditionally schools which were considered as safe places for students have now become vulnerable to violent incidents and harassment acts. In the wake of these incidences and while addressing the problems of sexual harassment of women and children it is being suggested, almost in all the discourses, that we must inculcate gender sensitivity in our people.But how? Becoming sensitive to an issue does not 6

November 2017

School ethos and pedagogical practises.

Gender Inequality in Textbooks The feminist critique of 'knowledge' has successfully demonstrated the biases inherent in the cognitive structure of school subjects and how it reďŹ&#x201A;ects in textbooks. Studies found that textbooks of developed and developing countries both have gendered messages; the only difference is of the intensity of prejudices among textbooks.

Gender Studies

Common Gender Biases in Textbooks More representation of males characters in books Presence of males in all economic activities Potrayal of women as a caretaker and male as a breadwinner Absence of men in all care giving roles Females depicted with negative attributes commonly in case of books including folklore Men depicted by positive masculine traits like courage, bravery, patroitism Potrayal of only men in law, government and politics

authorities, and students live these stereotypes to an extent where it seems 'natural' to them. Hence it becomes very crucial that schools must deconstruct these gendered prejudices and stereotypes proactively. Hidden Curriculum in schools- Unknowingly propagating gender inequality T hough no school encourages gender inequality openly in a stated manner it is practised through hidden curriculum. Studies conducted in the area of school and classroom environment demonstrated that gender prejudice is inherent in school ethos and it affects girls' and boys' achievement, selfconcept, and aspirations. Hidden curriculum as the name suggests is not a part of the formal stated curriculum but it comprises those school norms and school practises which are followed diligently by all the stakeholders (teachers, managers, students, parents) of school. Though it is not written but the slightest digression from these norms invites strongest reactions from school authorities.

Following the recommendations of National Curriculum Framework 2005, National Council Of Educational Research And Training (NCERT)textbooks are reformed through the gender lens but several Indian schools refer to books by state boards and private publishers which have not carried out a thorough gender analysis.These textbooks need urgent gender auditing to make the content gender neutral and prevent gender biases. Gender Inequality in Teachers' Behaviour Several types of research in the area of classroom observation have revealed that teachers' behavior perpetuates gender inequality though teachers may not be aware of it or doing it consciously. Teachers' classroom time and attention, their

Broad areas of Gender Inequality in schools In school context gender inequality or discriminatory practises can be seen in the following areas; Cognitive structure of school subjects, Curriculum and textbooks, and 7

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PEDAGOGY

Creation of gender-sensitive school is not possible without incorporating the key stakeholders i.e. the teachers. So it is imperative that all teachers must have an understanding of gender issues in education and should be trained in using gender inclusive pedagogy. National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has prepared National C u r r i c u l u m Fr a m e w o r k f o r Te a c h e r Education, 2009 (NCFTE) and it has recommended that gender education must be an integral part of all pre-service teacher education programme. Gender education should be made an essential component of all in-service teacher education programme also.

expectation from students are gendered. A study conducted on a school in Sarguja district of Chhattisgarh (central Indian state) found that teachers believed that girls cannot be good in studies as boys (Ramchandran, 2005). Such kinds of discriminatory teachers' interaction give very different kinds of messages to male and female students which affect and shape their self-concept. Its effects can be seen in students' behaviour even in higher classes. If we are serious enough to ensure equal educational opportunity for boys and girls, teachers must be educated and sensitized about their classroom practises, distribution of their time and attention among students.

Impact of Gender Education of Teachers Mandatory gender education of teachers would help them to see the educational institutions as a social institution and understand the complex relationship between gender and education and to develop gender lens Developing gender lens implies the ability to analyse the concept of 'knowledge', curriculum, textbooks, teacher's behavior, school ethos, educative process with reference to gender (power) relation of the society and raise thought-provoking questions. This would help them ascend from being gender neutral to sensitive and ﬁnally transformative where they start practising gender equality.

“ It is necessary to move from gender as a difference to analysing gender as domination Incorporating Gender Studies in Teacher Education Programmes To achieve gender equality is one of the clearly pronounced goals of the Indian Constitution. National Curriculum Framework, 2005 emphasises linking education process with its social context and teaching of all the subjects from a gender perspective. Position Paper National Focus Group on Gender Issues in Education, 2005 recommends, “It is necessary to move from gender as a mere difference to analysing gender as domination. Instead of teaching gender as an additional subject it is more important to teach all the subjects from gender lens.”

They would be able to see their behaviours and classroom practises critically whether these are contributing to gender discrimination and what are the changes they can incorporate to make their classroom practises more gender inclusive. Gender transformative teacher can nurture a future generation who believe in the equality of sexes don't reduce half of the population as mere objects. References Apple, M. (2004). Ideology and Curriculum. (3rd Edition). New York, Routledge. Ramchandran, V. (Ed.). (2008). Gender and Social Equity in Primary Education-Hierarchy of Access. New Delhi, Sage Publications.

mts.kushwaha@gmail.com

November 2017

Building Resilience in Students Sukhmeen Kaur Cheema

ukhmeen Kaur Cheema holds the designation of Vice Principal and School Counsellor with The Indian School, Delhi. She is a young, vivacious professional who wants to make a difference in the lives of students. Her area of expertise is teacher-training, career counselling, personal one-on-one sessions with students and parents on various socio-emotional issues.She is a Microsoft Innovative Educator who has been selected among 10 educators to represent India for her project "Distress to Destress" at Budapest, Hungary in 2016. She has won awards for Excellence in Counselling Services and Teacher Leadership in promoting life skills, attitudes and values. Ms. Cheema regularly conducts workshops for teachers, students, and parents on stress management, emotional quotient, safe internet usage, resilience and many other school guidance related topics.

Why are happy people happy? When so many were concerned about mental disorders like depression and anxiety, a wellknown positive psychologist, Marin Seligman focused his attention on the above question, and then came about the positive strengths and traits like optimism, resilience etc.

friend again" rather than “Krish fought with me today.” Pervasiveness refers to the tendency to generalise so that negative features of one situation are thought to extend to others as well. If Shreya does not perform well in a test she thinks "I'm a failure" rather than “ I did not perform well in this test which is not the end of the world.” Personalisation, is the tendency to blame themselves for everything, for example, “ I am responsible for my team's loss during the football match” rather than “We could not perform well today, will do better next time.”

Resilience is human's capability to bounce back when one considers failures as opportunities. It is the set of attributes that provides people with the strength and fortitude to confront the overwhelming obstacles we are bound to face in life. There are many factors responsible for low resilience from biological, insecure attachment, poor social skills to a single parent, family conﬂict, lack of supervision, peer rejection and school bullying. Building Resilience To increase resilience we need to combat the three Ps: Permanence refers to the belief that negative events and their causes are permanent, for example, “Krish hates me and will never be my 9

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PEDAGOGY Role of Schools and Teachers in Building Resilience in Students As teachers, we need to help the students avoid the 3P's, for example world will not end if you don't come ﬁrst in the class. Resilience majorly depends on childhood and school experiences, hence at a school level we need to focus on the following: Schools need to focus on positive physical development, academic achievement, problem-solving skills, building connectedness with school, peer and culture, physical and psychological safety, and healthy beliefs Teachers need to play the role of a mentor and help the students consider failures as opportunities We need to teach students life skills which are necessary to deal with life challenges If a student is scared of failure, for example, “What if I don't get good marks in boards”, make them think about the worst case scenario: So “Will you die?” and they will realise that the situation is not so bad Whatever the student's problems are, focus on life goals, for example, a student comes to you with the thought that no one in his/her family loves him/her, ask,” What do you want to be? What path do you need to follow to achieve it?” Spending time with resilient people promotes resilience in others: If a student is less resilient, pair them up with more resilient friends Let the child fail in your comfort: A child can't recite a poem in the classroom, let them deal with it in your comfort without publically ridiculing them Make the child compete with themselves and not with others D o n o t p r a i s e fo r s u c c e s s bu t fo r performance and effort Character athletics: Children should be praised for not making goals but who did fair play Use language of growth focusing on: effort,

struggle, applying strategies, selecting difﬁcult tasks, persistence and learning If a child does something wrong, focus on reﬂection rather than suspension Rewarding students should not be like a bribe and it should not be continuous. Move from tangible to intangible and extrinsic to intrinsic School need to have a clear behaviour policy and also have rules that clearly show consequences, this helps in ensuring discipline Hold workshops for parents to not engage in helicopter parenting i.e pampering the child and being overprotective Hold workshops for students on stress management, how to increase emotional intelligence etc with setting behavioural expectations

“ Teachers need to play the role of a mentor and help the students consider failures as opportunities Best way to prepare our students for an uncertainty in future is to provide each student with genuine feelings of belongingness and optimism through authentic school experiences. And remember... “You are not born with a ﬁxed amount of resilience. Like a muscle, you can build it up, draw on it when you need it. In that process, you will ﬁgure out who you really are—and you just might become the very best version of yourself.” Sheryl Sandberg 10

Sukhmeen.cheema@gmail.com

November 2017

Medical Safety in Schools Dr. Hemant Sant

r. Hemant Sant is a former Consultant Surgeon and currently a Senior Consultant of Preventive Oncology at HCG Hospitals, Vadodara. He is an alumnus of the Baroda Medical College, M.S. University of Baroda and a distinguished practicing surgeon for over three decades. A ﬁrm believer in learning and sharing knowledge, he is a visiting faculty at several medical and paramedical forums. A former president of the Lions Club, Vadodara, is actively engaged in causes of public and social relevance including education, learning, and health and sanitation. He regularly conducts workshops and seminars on cancer prevention, community health, healthy living, and preventive lifestyle for corporates, private organisations, and educational institutes. An avid traveler and a proliﬁc writer, he shares a keen interest in trekking, reading, public advocacy and community mobilising.

ground, and even the canteen - there is a potential danger everywhere.

India has approximately 250 million children going to about 1 million schools. The average school student spends 28% of the day and 14% of his or her total annual hours in school. Statistically, the probability of a medical emergency happening is high. Medical emergencies are one part of the problem, the other aspect is the treatment of students, especially with special health needs. The onus thus lies on school administrators and parents equally to be joint stakeholders in making schools medically safe and prepared.

For example, each sharp edge or moving part of hinges of doors are a threat. Similarly, wet, slippery ﬂoors, steps and lavatories are also hazardous. Glass is another threat: broken windows, light bulbs, or even cupboards with glass can lead to injuries if care is not taken. There is even the threat of electrocution with faulty switches and boards, especially in AV or computer labs.

Despite its critical importance, the preparedness of schools to tackle medical emergencies is woefully inadequate. Various barriers such as attitudes, insufﬁcient infrastructure, poor staff education and training, and even ﬁnancial resources lie at the root of the problem. Emergency is everywhere In schools, there are often several unperceived, small things that have the potential to render injuries and medical emergencies. Right from the main gate, classroom doors, benches, sports 11

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SCHOOL GOVERNANCE

previously had had experience with, but the school has primary responsibility in not to lose time being indecisive or indiscrete. Often, following of simple emergency protocols can go a long way in making the school environment medically safe in the long run. Such schools are also better prepared for an emergency for complex or large-scale events such as community disasters.

Sports grounds are a different threat by themselves. Children can get injured in a number of ways while on the ground. In such a case, a close watch on all student activities is a good preemptive measure. Students should be allowed to use sports equipment like shot-put, javelin, high jump etc. only under strict supervision. Checklist of emergency preparedness

“ It is imperative

on-call doctor / nursing staff

that school staff be trained in essential primary aid, health care techniques, and use of equipment

quick-response ambulance service Name & emergency contact of local hospitals in vicinity Referral and numbers of nearest primary & tertiary care hospitals

Medical records of students at-hand - digital & physical copies

Medically-sound Infrastructure It is imperative that school staff be trained in essential primary aid, health care techniques, and use of equipment. This training should include hands-on training with ﬁrst aid, CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), AEDs (automated external deﬁbrillators), use of oxygen mask and cylinders, and blood pressure measurement amongst the chief. Every school should have a centrally located sickbay with preferably a trained nurse trained and a general medical doctor or Surgeon to deal with emergencies. If not, few staff members can be trained. This training can also be done by parents of students who are doctors or trained medical personnel.

Protocols Matter The recommended best practice during a medical emergency is to follow protocol. While proper training and knowledge can help in the early emergency stage, it is highly recommended that proper medical consultation be top of the list before any treatment or care is administered. In such a case, in charge person must ﬁrst inform the school Supervisor about the nature and detail of emergency before establishing contact and informing the parent. All schools must have a standby / on-call medical staff; in case of boarding / residential schools, an inﬁrmary with trained staff must be set up.

Over and above the training and handling of equipment, infrastructure to handle medical cases must be adequate and accessible. For example, a dedicated room must be appointed

It is natural that parents prefer treatment and care from a trusted doctor or hospital they 12

November 2017 Health and Basic First Aid Chart FEVER

Take temperature. Apply cold towels over neck and head for few minutes. For temperature >100°F, Give Paracetamol syrup. For, Body weight < 30 Kg, dose = 250 mgm Body weight 30 - 75 Kg, dose = 650 mgm Body weight > 75 Kg, dose = 2 tabs of 500 mgm.

WHEEZING/ASTHMA

Difﬁculty in breathing needs immediate ﬂat resting with head up & neck to side position. Use the Nebulizer machine to help with breathing. Check records provided by parents. The child may carry prescribed medication or asthma inhaler for emergencies. Move to the nearest hospital as last resort.

NAUSEA/VOMITING

SEIZURE/FALLING

Let the child throw up. Wipe mouth and upper body properly. Allow the child to rest. Ask the student to suck on ice cubes, ginger or clove. Give a 15 ml dose of liquid antacid or anti-vomit tablet. Rehydration is important. Electrolytic solutions like ORS Pedialyte® or Electral must be stocked.

ALLERGIC REACTION

Requires immediate attention. Gently move the unconscious child to ﬂat position with head side raised and no sudden movements. Apply Neck Collar and raise up chin to allow breathing. Follow the ABCDE Procedure: Airway-Breathing-Circulation Disability (broken bones)-E (exit).

FOREIGN BODY

CUTS AND BRUISES

Commonly caused by food allergens. School should have procedures complying with state and local regulations for the administration of Epinephrine via auto injectors by nonlicensed personnel. School should work with child’s parents and doctor to create a detailed allergy plan.

Use Normal Saline (NS) IV bottle jet for cleaning the wound painlessly. Apply 5% dilute Savlon solution as soapy cleaner and wash again with NS. Use Hydrogen peroxide solution and apply ready-to-use J&J Surgipad. Apply Bandage. Apply Betadine ointment on bruises before closing the dressing.

Identify what the object is by asking basic questions. Provide basic airway support. Shift the child to a place where X ray and Endoscopy facility exists. Cases of swallowing of small coins. need only observation; they usually fall out in stools. All sharps pins need endoscopic removal.

HEAD INJURIES

Be alert and keep the child under observation for 24 hours. Fall or hurt on sides of the head is very dangerous as the injured person is awake and seems OK. But internal injuries are a real threat: blood gradually collects under the bony skull and can cause coma. .Fall or hurt on sides of the head is very dangerous as the injured person is awake and seems OK. But internal injuries are a real threat: blood gradually collects under the bony skull and can cause coma. X-ray of Skull and CAT Scan is recommended.

Schools must have ﬂoor plans with escape routes displayed prominently on each ﬂoor of the schools. The public address system must be manned by a responsible person who also has access to telephone numbers of supervisor, senior staff, principals, on-call doctor, and the quick-response ambulance service.

as a 'sick bay'. This room must be easily accessible from all parts of the school and should not be in a place where access is difficult or takes too much time to reach. This sick bay can be equipped with: flatbeds (at least 2), pillows, torch, AED units, Pulse Oximeter (1), Oxygen cylinder (1), essential tablets, first aid kit, and medical waste disposal system. The sickbay must also have updated records of medical histories of all students, teachers, and staff.

Dealing with medical emergencies Some of the most common medical emergencies in schools are given in the ﬁrst aid chart displayed on the page. However, the information provided in the chart is not a substitute for professional medical advice. One should seek the advice of a physician before rendering any treatments.

Additionally, a well-equipped sick bay can also have a Nebuliser machine, oral airway mask with Ambu bags (3 sizes), and splints etc. All equipment should have written record of periodic maintenance and carry standard safety certiﬁcates and operating instructions. Often, in case of emergencies, the best way to prevent mishaps is to be aware and alert.

The best way to equip schools to deal with medical emergencies is to be prepared with preemtive and necessary reactive measures. 13

drhemantsant61@gmail.com

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SCHOOL GOVERNANCE

CREATING A SAFE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT Ms. Jaya Bhardwaj

aya Bhardwaj has been an educator for over 25 years and has also been felicitated with the National Teachers' Award in 2010. Her research in the ﬁeld of lowering aggression levels with Yoga has been globally acclaimed. As a resource person with CBSE she organises regular workshops and teacher training sessions. She believes in a student centric pedagogy and investing in technology and qualiﬁed teachers to achieve academic success. She consistently advocates for gender parity and is the President of Haryana Women's Cricket Association. Currently, she is the principal of Hansraj Public School in Punchkula and along with her team of co-ordinators and teachers she strives to create a safe learning environment fostering student excellence. A passionate reader, she conducts regular reading groups with her students to encourage them to do the same.

extension of violent and aggressive tendencies which these curators might have been harbouring all these years. I would like to quote from Hudley Cynthia’s ‘You Did That On Purpose’, “Children who are highly aggressive in elementary school are often highly aggressive in adolescence and adulthood.”

In recent years there has been a rise in instances of social bullying like mimicking unkindly, spreading rumours, damaging someone’s social reputation, playing nasty jokes etc. This type of bullying not only causes humiliation but is harder to recognise as it can be carried out behind the bullied person’s back. The closely packed social scene in schools fur ther intensifies impulsive situations leading to desensitisation towards social offenses. With digital technology being an integral part of our lives, youngsters are fast foraying into cyberbullying which can happen anytime, in public or in private. Counsellors who seemed to wield influence five years ago are at a loss today. It seems a singular counseling based approach is no longer enough. Today, schools need to have a multipronged strategy to prevent bullying and violence.

In elementary schools, the seemingly harmless incidents of tifﬁn being eaten or bags plundered in the owner’s absence can in later stages develop to actions directed at harming f e l l ow s t u d e n t s ove r t l y o r c ove r t l y. Adolescence, being a transitory developmental stage in students, is highly susceptible to covert aggression. Various triggers like excessive exposure to ’negative’ media reports, the mad rush to excel, intense pressure to perform or easy access to technology where they command control over the information they desire increase the violent tendencies of adolescents.

Increasing Aggression in 21st Century Recent incidents of young lives being lost to the ‘Blue Whale Challenge’ have left me shocked and deeply wor ried. I fail to understand the psyche of the curators of this game. On the other hand, I wonder if it is an

Factors Responsible for Violence and Bullying It is important to note that violence in students is not only physical but has a socio-cultural characteristic too. Children like all humans are 14

November 2017

s h a p e d by t h e i r s o c i a l a n d c u l t u r a l environment. Psychologists have long debated the nature vs. nurture control on personality d eve l o p m e n t a n d h ave d i s c u s s e d t h e importance of environmental traits on the holistic growth of the child. Under the environment, family and school as institutions become very crucial as these are the places where the child spends most of his/her time during the formative years. So, both the places are tasked with the challenge of providing a morally upright environment for grooming the child to become good human beings. With digital technology being an integral part of our lives, youngsters are fast foraying into cyberbullying which can happen anytime, in public or in private. Also, what is important is once the information is shared online through platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat it becomes viral across the world in a few seconds and a small impulsive teenage action can remain etched in memories for years to come. The closely packed social scene in schools further intensifies impulsive situations leading to desensitization towards social offenses. Counsellors who seemed to wield influence five years ago are at a loss today. It seems a singular counseling based approach is no longer enough.

However, these ideals are not always achieved. A reason is that these places do not operate in isolation and aggression is being fostered in a globalised climate. Various external factors that are not in control of the family and school like economic status of parents, the selection of peer group, access to digital media including video games and cartoons etc. play a major role in students indulging in violent activities. At some level, the unnatural behaviour often becomes normalized in families where children grow up watching their elder siblings or parents indulge in acts of violence.

“ Zero Tolerance

Steps Recommended To Schools To Prevent Bullying: Rules & Regulations: Schools should have a well-established system of rules and regulations The orientation of staff and students on school rules and policies Zero tolerance policy regarding bullying

Policy Regarding Bullying in schools Schools- Vulnerable to Different Types of Bullying In recent years there has been a rise in instances of social bullying like mimicking unkindly, spreading rumours, damaging someone’s social reputation, playing nasty jokes etc. This type of bullying not only causes humiliation but is harder to recognise as it can be carried out behind the bullied person’s back.

Constant Monitoring: Entire school staff must keep a watchful eye on students in their respective spheres of duty and must be skilled to intervene appropriately Monitoring probable bullying hotspots during break time Installation of CCTV 15

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SCHOOL GOVERNANCE

Challenges: Making students realise their behaviour is unacceptable Observing students for symptoms of low self-esteem Gathering evidence particularly in case of passive aggression Convincing parents about the aggressive and violent behavior of their wards, particularly considering parents tend to be in denial

Periodic Counselling: School counsellor must conduct formal & informal counselling sessions at regular intervals Counselling sessions for those who bully as well as those who get bullied

Well Established Reporting System: School students must be encouraged to repor t violations without fear of consequences A clear reporting system helps track individual incidents and action taken, as well as trends over time. This helps authorities analyse the type and frequency of violations.

Children who endure bullying generally suffer from low self-esteem and falling grades. These children need to be counseled, assured and at the same time, student bullies need to be taught empathy for others’ feelings.

Engaging Parents: School is encouraged to be prompt in informing parents about any deviations or changes observed in the behavior of their wards

In a world where violence has percolated the very core of our being it is necessary that we approach preventive measures from an early stage. As William Wordsworth said, the “The Child is father of the Man”, if we can teach our children to be more tolerant, we can build a world which is empathetic. Bullying is often the expression of a person with low self-esteem. Instead of letting our students ﬁnd release in aggression we must focus on creating safe environments that are conducive to honest communication. Schools are building blocks of personality and we have a responsibility to both the society and our students that we must work to fulﬁll.

Enabling Teenagers to Manage Aggression: Measures which enable students to control and manage their aggressive tendencies, For example, our school decided to use Yoga as an effective tool/intervention technique to control & manage aggression Yoga has long been a practise in Indian tradition and it is now universally accepted that it allows one to exercise control over mind and body

jayabhardwaj@gmail.com

COVER STORY

November 2017

INSIDE THE MIND OF A LEADER The world's simplest idea. The Golden Circle, coined by Mr. Simon Sinek. A man who deciphered the minds of leaders, leaders like the Wright brothers, Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King. He said exceptional leaders had a way of life, a way of doing things and realizing this gave birth to the Golden Circle. It consists of 3 concentric circles. It begins with the why? How? And ﬁnally what? The purpose of this is to understand what a leader is made of in their core and what drives them in this dynamic world. In this issue, Ms. Nishi Misra, the principal of Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya Gwalior, shares her beliefs on making a difference and what made her venture into the ﬁeld of education.

WHY?

Mine is not an isolated case. A lot of my colleagues have had the same initial motivation and same subsequent mission. My theory is that teaching is so akin to parenting that it is perhaps the most natural profession in the world.

What made you embark on this remarkable journey and what keeps you going every day? I have to confess that I embarked on this journey motivated by a chance question of an acquaintance, “So, what do you do?” I did not have an answer. I was a 22 year old homemaker and felt that I was expected to be more. That was the time when women were stepping out and stepping up. Then started my quest of discovering what more could I do. I wanted a profession that would not i n t e r f e r e w i t h my f a m i l y commitments.Teaching seemed like the perfect career because it would seamlessly match with my family's schedule. However, almost from the moment I entered the classroom, I knew that it was my calling.

Tell us about you, about your story. Going back to school as a teacher was like returning to a comforting oasis from a chaotic and often hostile world. When I prepared lessons, I felt humbled by the immense power that I had because I was changing my students perception of the world. I felt compelled to do it the best way I could. Tell us your core belief. I believe that we 17

are

surrounded by

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COVER STORY

characteristic traits helped me get comfortable with the immense responsibility of the leadership.

opportunities and the way we choose to take and respond to them shapes us. Share an instance that tested your strength and how did you overcome it? When I moved from teaching to administration, I faced challenges of being expected to lead a group of teachers who were older than me. Added to that was the challenge of inspiring this reluctant team to adopt an evolving pedagogy that required a massive shift from the trite old chalk-n-talk to experiential learning.

How have you impacted your school's growth since your joining? Self assessment is the key to evaluate your progress report. Since the time I joined to where we are now, the school has also gone through deďŹ nite changes. Safety of the students is my fundamental concern owing to the horrifying risks that children face today. Majority of my work addresses this concern and some of the initiatives undertaken are: Placing top-of-the-line security agency working at strategic beats to encompass the entire school. Routine and thorough frisking of staff. Mapping of visitors movements to the personnel they want to meet. Added checks through a visual surveillance Appointment of teacher on duty and House Mothers. Teacher on duty are responsible for group of students under their care. House Mothers substitute teacher on duty in their absence An eleven-tier system for students to voice their issues. Addressing their cocerns and maintainence of written records

I had to prove myself worthy of their attention. So I trained myself thoroughly in the new methodologies. Then I modeled the teaching-practise which I wanted to inspire them to use. Next I held brainstorming sessions to build a shared vision which helped everyone to buy-into the proposed change. With time, most people were on board.

HOW? How have you translated your aspirations into reality? My aspirations were never in clear focus. They emerged from a deep value system that was ingrained in me by my parents and mirrored by school. I ďŹ nd myself out of my depth when the circumstances around me are contrary to the values of unwavering integrity which I was indoctrinated with. I just knew that I had to do more than what I was doing on any given day on any given matter. How have you channeled your passion into your present role as a leader? The passion of moving beyond my comfort zone, of doing more helped me in accepting new challenges, thinking differently and taking the road less taken. With time, these 18

November 2017

a subject; upgradation of kitchen facilities including provision of new cold-room are some some of the added facilities.

Besides the House Mistress caring for a larger group of students, the designated House Tutors look after a smaller group to ensure complete attention to every child Adminstering counselling services through multiple counsellors

We want to know what your leadership strategy is in the ﬁeld of education and how you implement it. My belief is simple : A leader makes more leaders. My strategy is simpler : Lead, follow or get out of the way ! To be a change-maker, I ensure that I am fully equipped, in terms of domain knowledge, to lead the change. I also believe in identifying potential leaders who can lead the change. These leaders are then provided with the best professional development to enable them to be comfortable in their new role.

Academics: The students results in the last 6-7 years have put us on the toppers list of the State. Being a residential school, students get no assistance from parents or tuition teachers like day-students. The results are entirely the effort of the teachers hard work and the students' fulsome response to it. Faculty: The professional development of the faculty looms large on my horizon. Since joining, the budgetary allocation on professional development has grown more than 15 times. Moreover, every teacher has been given the experience of travelling abroad to widen their world-view.

Take us through the process of – ideation, plan of action and execution of one of the best practises/idea that you implemented in your school.

“ Safety of the

Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya, Gwalior Project Sankalp: low cost sanitary napkins One undertaking, many outcomes Improves standards of women's hygiene Gender-sensitisation Boost indigenous machines Enterprise Community service

students is my fundamental concern owing to the horrifying risks that children face

Research: I was looking for opportunities to provide meaningful community service projects which our school could undertake. I wanted students to be involved in the project from its inception to its execution. So, we trained students on conducting a sociological research encompassing several areas in the periphery of the city of Gwalior. Their needs assessment report showed a lack of basic sanitation which was imposing severe hardships on the rural female population. These women were neither aware nor could afford sanitary napkins. Thus they were

New Facilities: Renovation of academic block ﬂoors; establishment of technology in the class-rooms and hostels; building 24 staff residences; Temperature control in mess and auditorium; Retroﬁtting of our iconic heritage building as the nerve-centre of the school; introduction of Entrepreneurship as 19

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Distribution We supplied napkins to 250 women in the village of Jagra who had been further impoverished due to the wild life norms impacting these erstwhile snake-charmers. Batches of students were trained to educate the women on the use and disposal of the napkins.

resorting to unhygienic alternatives ranging from rags, leaves and even sand ! Project Identification: I recognised this problem and applied myself to finding a way to supply sanitary napkins to the underprivileged women. I identified a low cost sanitary napkin manufacturing unit. This fully indigenous machine was designed, created and tested by Mr. Muruganantham of Jayaashree Industries, Coimbatore. I travelled to Coimbatore to check out the machine and its compatibility with being run at school. I learnt that the machine uses bio degradable materials like banana fibre to make low cost sanitary napkins and can be run by students after minimal training.

Entreprenureship Model Many hospitals, NGOs and Missions expressed interest in buying this low-cost product. The huge demand for the product set us thinking and we worked out a sustainable small scale industry model which would give livelihood to the women in the village and raise the standard of hygiene in the area. With funds raised from FRS and other sources, our second Project “Sankalp: Jarga” is up and running.

Funding: We commenced fundraising initiatives like Funfairs, House Sales, Alumni and The Friends of Round Square. Soon we had the funds to buy the machine. The machine arrived and was installed amidst great curiosity. The simple training imparted to a pioneering group of staff and students, set the ball rolling.

Gender Sensitisation Boys and girls of many schools in India and abroad have had the opportunity to work on these machines during Youth Festivals and RSCs that are held at the school. The school Biology teacher along with the school Doctor brief and orient the students on the subject of menstr ual cycle and its implications. Thereafter, the students work on manufacturing the napkins and assist in distribution at the village. This will certainly go a long way in gender sensitisation of the youth.

The Product: The simple machines are laid out on 8 stations -- each the size of a student's study desk. The process begins with tearing the raw-cotton and banana ﬁbre sheets and mixing with binding cotton in a mixer jar. 12 grams of material is portioned into moulds which are compressed under an air-powered stamp. After inserting a water-proof strip, this initial napkin is sealed into absorbent tissue-cloth. An adhesive is applied and covered with a strip of oil-paper which can be stripped off to set the napkin in place.

Alumni Involvement In 2015, one of our Alumni studying in London submitted this project to the Davies Peace Projects and received funding of 10,000/- USD to set up the unit in another village. This was completed in August 2015 at village Veerpur. Our third project is called Sankalp: Veerpur The initiative of setting up this unit to produce and distribute sanitary napkins to under privileged women, is named “SKV-Sankalp” which in Sanskrit means, a resolution taken by SKV to help women live with dignity.

A maternity version with longer 'tails' is also being manufactured. At the end of the assembly line, the napkin is sterilised in a UV chamber. Sets of 8 napkins are packed together and are ready for distribution. 20

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WHAT?

conduct workshops in our school. The students carry out the entire process like : budgetary allocation, contacting them,bringing them on board and running the costing and making arrangements for their lodging etc.

What all changes have you brought about in your school that was parallel to your beliefs for a better future for children? By establishing some new systems and key responsibility areas, I have brought our teaching community closer to the students. They now know their students far better than they used to. The students only needed to have someone to listen to them. With the involvement of teachers, the levels of 'indiscipline' receded signiďŹ cantly. Giving students opportunities to excel is another strategy that has made them more participative and aware of their own talents. I encourage the students to experience 'real life' rather than ' virtual life' through internships or volunteer work for school events.

Doing one such event is enough to give a student more skill and conďŹ dence than any preparation for an exam would have done. What did you do to bring to life your aspirations for your school? I studied the vision and models of different schools in many parts of the world. Similarly, I encouraged my colleagues and students to study the systems of other schools that they visited. Then we discussed initiatives which could be grafted on the culture and traditions of Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya. A balance has to be struck between a free delegation and facilitative feedback at critical junctures. Finally frequent assessments of the process make for the perfect outcome.

What have you done in your school that represents the belief system that you would like to instill in children? I want the educational content to be relevant to students. I want them to take charge of their own learning. So I routinely provide opportunities for students to undertake projects which they are responsible for running from end-to-end. For instance I encourage them to reach out to authors/entrepreneurs/professionals to

What is the future you want for your school? What future do you see for your school? What will you do to bridge the gap, if any. I want to give the world to my students before I give my students to the world.

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Chai time chit-chat Tell us your life's journey all the way from your first steps into a school to right this moment. School was and is my escape haven. It gave me sanctuary from turbulent times when I first started teaching. It was a privilege to go back to my Alma Mater to teach alongside my own teachers. They were the ones who motivated me towards school administration. Passing through portals of some of the best schools in the country gave me an insight into the grand visions of their founders. What made you embark on this journey of school leadership? Early in my career I had decided to stop saying 'no' to stretching out of my comfort zone. Each time an opportunity or challenge came my way, I would tell myself, “why not have a go at this?” That's how I embarked on my journey of school leadership. Tell us about some life experiences that shaped you into the leader that you are today. I have learnt more from my failures than my successes. I have also learnt from failures of others. If you could pen down your mantra for managing a school into words, what would it be? It would be a single word “ LOVE” that fuels my passion, dedication and motivation’ What was one of your most defining moments in life? The moment when as a single mother of two, I found myself totally bereft of any support. Do you think you chose this profession or did it choose you? It certainly chose me but I could not have chosen better. 22

Share one of the ﬁnest advices you have been given that you still carry along with you today. The advice given by my father that the work of an administrator should live on long after the administrator is gone What is the most unexpected thing you've learned along the way as a leader? Vision comes from the most unlikely people and places. I have learned that the simplest statements made by random people can inspire me to work towards big goals. Tell us about a technological innovation that you want to implement in your school in the next 5 years. I would like to set up the tools for allowing students to dabble in innovations and try out their ideas while still in school. To you, a safe school means ............. FREEDOM. A mandatory classroom management technique to ensure safe classroom environment for your students A simple look-over to check whether all students are attending class; follow up to check where the student was if not in your class; Visual surveillance; conﬁdence building measures for students to report unusual occurences. Are there fully articulated policies and procedures in your school regarding school safety? Who is the "go-to person" when something happens or when a policy question arises? Yes, we have a Critical Incident Management plan in place. However, this needs to evolve with time and as new crimes are reported in the press. There is no single 'go-to person' but a group of stakeholders. principal@skvgwalior.org

November 2017

Legal protection for Schools M.C. Nagashree Mupanne

.C. Nagashree Mupanne is a practising advocate in the high court of Karnataka from the past 20 yrs. She has also worked in the capacity of a government advocate for 6 years. Ms. Mupanne also is a central government advocate and senior advocate for central excise. She sits on the committee for sexual harassment in central excise that includes both north and south. After completing her law degree from the prestigious law college at Bangalore, she started practising law.Throughout her career, she has argued over four thousand cases in the high court of which more than four hundred and seventy-ﬁve cases have been reported in different law journals. She was also appointed as the nodal ofﬁcer by health and family welfare department in the famous acid attack case in Supreme Court. In addition to these, Advocate Mupanne also deals with miscellaneous cases like tender cases in high court.

child protection and importance of counselling services in schools. During the session, some alarming statistics maintained by Childline India were also brought to notice.These statistics were a part of a nationwide survey of schools conducted on child protection mechanisms and revealed the grim reality as shown in the image.

The recent murder of a child in the school has brought to scrutiny the safety measures employed by the school and its ability in ensuring a safe environment. Some frequently asked questions are: Do we have laws and policies in place to safeguard the school environment? Where does the accountability lie if a safety breach takes place? Are these laws being strictly implemented? Do schools face repercussions if they fail to observe the mandatory legal requirements? This article will try to ﬁnd answers to such questions. Child Protection Policy and the Legal Angle Child protection is part of safeguarding process. It focuses on protecting individual children, identifying as suffering or likely to suffer signiﬁcant harm. This includes child protection procedures. A consultative session on 'Role of Schools in Child Protection' organised by the State Commission for protection of Child Rights with Childline in Dimapur highlighted an immediate need for schools to have 'child Protection Policy' in schools. Attended by educators from various districts it also covered the legal aspects of 23

64%

Schools take no measures for safety outside school premises

Schools have Sexual Harassment Policy

10%

88%

Schools have a Child Protection Policy

School Principals have received no training on child protection

SCHOOL LEADERSSHIP

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The ruling is a pointer to considering the school as a service provider and parent as a consumer of service and kid as the beneﬁciary of service. Deﬁciency in legal terms is “any fault, imperfection, shortcoming or inadequacy in the quality, nature and manner of performance which is required to be maintained by or under any law for the time being in force or has been undertaken to be performed by a person in pursuance of a contract or otherwise in relation to any service.”

“ Enforcing

Beyond these ﬁgures, it is well known that a child spends quality time of the day in schools. This makes it essential for them to provide an environment conducive to the child's holistic development. It is mandatory for the school institution to frame a written Child Protection Policy and implement the same. With the number of school hours increasing in recent times, more extra-curricular activities, more interaction with non-teaching staff many of whom are not employees, growing academic responsibilities of teachers and many such changes are placing kids in positions outside of responsible supervisory control. The schools at the most, ensure the safety of children on the best effort basis. However, the rising incidents of abuse of children expect school administrations to give top priority to student safety in right earnest.

adherence to the policy and procedure can provide a framework for legal protection to schools In the light, the deﬁnition of deﬁciency of service in pursuance of a contract, a proper contract which demarcates the rules and responsibilities of a school and rights of parents should be considered by a school. That could mean documenting the policy and procedure followed by the school for ensuring child safety. Enforcing adherence to the policy and procedure can provide a framework for legal protection to schools. Such a policy should include elaborate steps to be taken to prevent any acts that affect the safety of child and mechanism to bring to the notice of the school any untoward incident without delay. The policy should ensure impartial and objective examination of the unexpected occurrence and ensure providing complete

Providing A Legal Framework: Why and How A recent order of the Maharashtra consumer disputes redressal commission held the school responsible for failing to avoid an incident of assault after two class nine students quarreled during school hours. It ordered the school to pay Rs 2.25 lakh to the father of the then 14year-old boy who broke his arm in the incident. The commission ruled that by paying fees, the child is a consumer and, the school, a service provider, "The school is answerable for the failure on its part to take precautions to prevent the incident and immediate care of the injured child." 24

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employee statement outlining the nature of employment, leave, and beneﬁts. The school should undertake extra measures to monitor their activities and be ready to intervene without slightest delay for corrective actions. The school should share with parents, comprehensive information about the tasks and functions that have been outsourced.

information to the concerned parent. Under rules and notiﬁcations under the state education act in Karnataka limits mandating standards to the safety of buildings, furniture, drinking water and many such areas. A more pertinent rule is that related to setting up of Parent Teacher Committee in “It shall be the duty of the head of every recognised educational institution, to constitute a Parent Teacher Committee within thirty days of the commencement of each academic year.” The function of the committee includes “to redress the grievances of the students and their parents, if any; any other activity conducive to the welfare of the students;” The meetings of the committee is the right forum to make the parents aware of the practical constraints in ensuring safety of kids and the commitment of the school in taking every possible step to ensure the safety of students.

Steps to ensure legal safeguards for Schools The schools in the meetings of Parent Teacher Committee should make the parents aware of the legal provisions available to ensure the protection of their children. Child abuse is prosecuted under the various sections of Indian law. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act provides for a variety of offenses under which an accused can be punished. The act deﬁnes a child, recognises forms of abuse, criminalises acts of immodesty against children, lists offenses with respect to pornography, makes abetment of child abuse an offense and provides for various procedural reforms.

“ Child protection is part of safeguarding process

Against the backdrop of legal protection available and beyond legal and contractual terms and conditions, the society expects a school to take effective steps to ensure the safety and security of innocent lives at physical, emotional and mental levels. The school should document the policy and procedure and put into practise stringently while keeping the guardians updated on the steps taken in case of incidents to ensure legal protection. Establishing, implementing and following good safeguarding policies include safe recruitment. The schools should ensure all staffs and voluntaries receive child protection training and are aware and follow the organisation's policies and procedures.

Reasons of Safety Breach A closer look at the incidents where the safety of kids is compromised is in most cases due to temporary staff or independent contractors. The non-teaching responsibilities of schools lead to the hiring of such workforce be it for t r a n s p o r t , s p e c i a l s k i l l s t r a i n i n g, o r maintenance of premises. The non-availability of the authorised agency which can undertake professional backg round check of the temporary staff is a big hurdle when engaging them. This makes it imperative on the school to lay down the policy and procedure for engagement and management of temporary workers. This should include temporary

“Note that the information and views in the article are not intended to be legal advice and should not be considered as legal advice”.

nagashree.mupanne@gmail.com

SCHOOL LEADERSSHIP

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School Council and Safety Thomson K Frederick

homson K Frederick hailing from Kottayam, Kerala has been working in the ﬁeld of education for 19 years, as a facilitator and an administrator. He holds a Bachelors in Education and Masters in Arts and Language from the presitigious Mahatama Gandhi University. He has also worked with MIT Maharashtra as an International School Award coordinator for British Council. As a principal, he has always been an active school council member and advocates for translating the legislative functions of council in safe school governance. He believes in the skill of Team Management, Team Work and Educational Leadership to help him govern his school effectively and efﬁciently. Mr. Thomson aims to be an inspirational leader and his mantra to achieve professional excellence through training and regularly upgrading yourself by sharing knowledge and ideas through a collaborative learning approach.

Representative, House Masters Council Representative, Parents-Teacher Association r e p r e s e n t a t ive , S c h o o l M a n a g e m e n t Committee Representative, and Student Council Members.

Safe school governance is one topic with manifold dimensions; It is not merely about infrastructure. It touches the psychological environment of the school also. The school as a whole should be a factory which produces positives only. Safety is a concept which should be thoroughly scrutinised and updated. All the stakeholders of the school have to contribute their part in this process.

Objectives of a School Council Assist in the efﬁcient governance of the school. Ensure that its decisions are taken with regards to safeguarding the best interests of the students. Enhance the educational opportunities of the students of the school

Introduction to School Council The word governance derives from the Greek word 'kybernao' meaning 'to steer or guide'. As the word suggests, it is an activity which comprises taking administrative decisions to manage a particular resource or institution. For schools, the responsibility of safe and good governance lies with the school council.

Authority of a School Council: Enter into contracts, agreements or arrangements Establish trusts and act as a trustee of them Employ teachers (for a ﬁxed period not exceeding one year or on a casual basis), teacher aides or any other staff for the purpose of performing the council's functions and duties Charge fees to parents for goods, services or other things provided by the school Conduct programmes in or use or allow

What is a school council? Why we need a School Governing Council? School Governing Council or SGC is an apex body set to frame and implement the rules and regulations necessary for the unobstructed functioning of the school. It comprises of the Principal, Academic Head, Senior Teacher, Chief Accountant, Teacher 26

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Council and Safe School Policy Among the diverse functions, the most important function of school council is to frame and follow a safe school policy where the parameters of safety are deﬁned on international standards. A school safety committee assists the council regarding safety matters. The safety plan guidelines have been given by the gover nment of India in consultation with UN.guidelines in 2011-12. However, the checklist does not cover the concept of safety in entirety. It does not include safety concerns outside school boundary e.g. safe transportation or concerns within e.g. the emotional safety of child etc. Thus, the school councils should proactively look at ﬁlling this lacuna and take a multidimensional approach to address safety concerns.

third parties to conduct programmes in or use school buildings or grounds for students, young people and the local community for educational, recreational, sporting or cultural activities Carry out construction and improvements t o s c h o o l bu i l d i n g s . ( Re f. M a k i n g Partnership Work/ Department of Early Childhood Education, State Government, Victoria)

Demarcated Roles and Responsibilities: Key to Effective Governance It is necessary to clearly demarcate the functional difference in the role of a school council and a Principal. It results in effective governance and avoids confusion. The function of a school council is much broader and involves school governance by framing policies in resonance with the vision and mission while the principal is responsible for managing and implementing such policies. School councils play a crucial role in strategic planning which involves reﬂecting on past performances of school and setting a future course. A principal is the council's chief executive ofﬁcer responsible for day to day operations. At times, council consults with students', especially when it comes to developing policies on topics of students' interest.

Functions of a School Council Establishing the broad direction and vision of the school Developing, reviewing and updating the policies of the school Raising funds for school-related purposes Regulating and facilitating the after-hours use of school premises and grounds Exercising a general oversight of the buildings and grounds and ensuring that they are kept in good order and condition Providing for cleaning and sanitary services necessary for the school Ensuring all money coming into the hands of the council is properly expended for purposes related to the school Ensuring that an annual report relating to ﬁnancial activities and the school's strategic plan is published and made available to the school community Stimulating interest in the school in the wider community

Thus, Council is the connection between the school and the community including staff, students, and parents. An effective and efﬁcient governance by council demands a dialogue exchange by a mutual sharing of information, knowledge, and ideas. 27

thomsonkochuparampil@gmail.com

INNOVATION

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Disabled-Friendly Schools Ms. Madhu Singhal

adhu Singhal is the founder of Mitra Jyothi, a registered trust working for people with disability in general and visually impaired in particular since 1990 in Bengaluru. Ms. Singhal herself is visually impaired since birth and therefore her mission in life is to assist differently abled people to lead independent and digniﬁed lives through Educational Training. She has been honoured with National Award for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in 2008, Long Service Achievement Award “Saksham” in 2011 for protecting the rights of women with disability, Sarojini Trilok Nath Award for service to visually impaired people in 2016. Ms. Singhal is also a Member of the World Blind Union and the Asian Blind Union, National Executive Committee Member of the National Federation of the Blind, Karnataka Branch and a National coordinator of Women with visual impairment.

Creation of “Special Needs Department” Every educational institution should have a “Special Needs Department” that will focuses on the necessities of children with disabilities. It should be responsible for managing special needs ranging from building awareness to infrastructure support and special needs training. From orientation and mobility training for people with different disabilities to special training on computer usage for the blind, relevant training curriculum has to be designed and children have to be trained.

Schools, in India, lack the conducive environment to cater to the special needs of differently-abled students. It is usually observed that present policies focus on the most basic of infrastructure e.g. ramps to make the schools friendly for the disabled. In reality, this is only a small step to make schools accessible to Children with a disability. Various initiative needs to be taken on multiple fronts including infrastructural, institutional and at policy levels to include children with disabilities in mainstream society. Educational incentives and priority admissions Priority admissions have to be reserved for children/people with disabilities in schools, colleges, universities, and hostels. Fixed quotas of seats have to be reserved for people with disabilities. Efforts and measures have to be put in place to ensure the same does not get misused. Special merit scholarships and fellowships to people with disabilities need to be provided so as to attract talent and inspire them to reach higher.

November 2017

need to be provided in earmarked places in Braille and Sign Language. Wheelchair support needs to be provided everywhere necessary. Toilets and bathrooms have to be made “accessible” and any special needs a candidate may have has to be accordingly accommodated.

Independent Living Skill Training should be a part of mandatory studies. E-Exams need to be made available as an option for children with print disabilities. Options for taking computerbased exams/answering with tablets should be provided for children with print disabilities. Captioned and recorded lectures, special notetaking and examination accommodations have to be provided. Flexible attendance, optional course work reduction, special tutors and trained professors to teach and adjust to individual special needs to be provided. Inclass interpreters, special tutors, and scribes will have to be provided. Student Advocacy groups have to be created to support children with disabilities.

Transportation needs Educational institutions should provide specially equipped buses to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities. This is the norm in developed nations. We should follow suit and ensure we do not lag in our country in any way. Buses should have movable platforms to ease the process of getting in and out of buses for people with orthopedic disabilities. It should have Braille maps in designated predeﬁned spots and posters in sign languages and should be equipped with audio prompts for station announcements and such. Wheelchair support and special parking bays to be provided for people with disabilities.

“ Tactile diagrams and Braille should be extensively used to bring in advanced science and math education for the visually impaired

Digital Accessibility and accessible printed matter All digital devices, websites, applications should be available in 'accessible forms' as in, school/college websites should all be designed to meet Accessible Coding standards as deﬁned by the W3C. Necessary software to access e-Text should be provided. Printed matter including but not limited to text books, forms, applications, question papers etc should be available in various accessible format like Braille, Audio Books, Large Print, Sign Language and e-Text. Adaptive technology, alternative textbooks, and various learning aids to be given due attention and emphasis.

Infrastructural Accessibility The physical environment in educational institutions has to be made “Accessible”. It needs to be 'disabled friendly' and have all necessary infrastructure support in terms of making the entire campus “accessible to all”. Ramps/elevators need to be provided as alternate to /stairs all across. Railings need to be provided as guides for people with vision impairment/orthopedic disabilities. Signages

Security Requirements Security of women and children in general and those with disabilities in particular needs utmost importance. Security standards have to 29

INNOVATION

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motivate their children to aim high. Advanced Science and Math education This is a neglected ﬁeld and needs speciﬁc attention. Science and Math education is nonexistent in high school education for people with vision impairment. Tactile diagrams and Braille should be extensively used to bring in advanced science and math education for the visually impaired. Specially designed Labs to be made available and technical assistance provided for science classes. Adaptive technology, alternative textbooks, and various learning aids to be given special attention and emphasis to make science and math education available to all.

be deﬁned and adhered to. Security guards should be made available at all times around the campus. Security guards who have cleared stringent background checks only to be hired. Special emergency beacons to be provided to children with disabilities so that in the event of an unfortunate attack on their security they can immediately get the attention of guards/people around them who can help them. Strict policy on Sexual Harassment needs to be in place with equally stringent enforcement rules. Police protection should be available at the campus at all times. Buddy system to be put in place so that every disabled child is checked on by a fully-abled “buddy” every hour or two. The buddy can be a friend as the children grow older but need to be a female teacher in early childhood stages.

Building awareness of the needs of people with disability Student bodies should be sensitised to the needs of people with disabilities. Awareness sessions should be conducted so as to educate all students and faculty about interacting with children with various disabilities and the dos and dont's have to be clearly communicated. Encouraging Sports and accessibility of associated infrastructure Necessary to promote active lifestyles among people with disabilities. Gym, swimming pool, and other amenities should all be made “accessible” to all. Include wheelchair sports, and recreational programmes for people with disabilities by making them accessible and inclusive. I have discussed the matter in hand at length and provided various recommendations for inclusion of people with disabilities in mainstream development speciﬁcally by means of building inclusive schools and colleges. It is broadly classiﬁed under eleven sub-headings as seen above. While implementing all of them together may be a practically daunting task, the same can be done with relative ease if taken up in a phased manner.

First Aid and Emergency Response First Aid and response to any injuries etc for people with disabilities should be available oncampus. Doctors on-call should be available at all times. Specially trained nurses should be available at all times on campus. Necessary first aid equipment should be 'disabled' friendly. Special Counselling support Specifically trained counselling faculty should be made available for the needs of children with disabilities. Special information sessions and facility tours for parents of children with disabilities should be arranged. This builds confidence levels in parents and they in-turn 30

madhu.singhal59@gmail.com

November 2017

Designing Great Schools Mr. Sachin Shetty

r. Sachin Shetty is the founder of INT- HAB, an architecture, and design studio in Bengaluru. The ďŹ rm's name is a word-play of the term 'Intuitive Habitat' for Mr. Shetty believes that only the deepest involvement in the design of a building helps achieve excellence. A graduate from The Malnad College of Engineering, Department of Architecture, Hassan, Karnataka, he also holds a PGD in Construction Management, NICMAR, Pune. A decade of his professional excellence has been spent as one of the founders and principal architect of cube architects, Bangalore. He has been conferred with the Young Architects Award in 2006, Archidesign Award for best hospitality project 2009, IIID Award for small commercial space interiors 2012 and Indian Concrete Institute Award for Well-built residential building award-2016. In addition to being an architect, he is also a passionate teacher.

Context is an essential aspect of macrolevel planning. In most cases, concepts are developed based on context i.e. focus on the location, topography, climatic aspects, surroundings, local materials available, supporting infrastructure available at the site. Listing these out helps in overall space allocation and conceptualising the built form within the site.

Introduction A good and effective school design should focus on the infrastructure along with the education curriculum. Designing a school is currently restricted mostly to the classrooms in urban schools, it could be because of reasons like land availability, budget etc. In the current scenario majority of the available space is used to provide a maximum number of classrooms with little or no focus on other activities. As our focus shifts to qualitative education, it is necessary for the campus design to incorporate the changing needs and wants of the sector.

â&#x20AC;&#x153; Macrolevel planning or a master plan involves the overall planning of the campus

Designing great schools is possible if the planning is divided into two levels Macrolevel and Microlevel This helps us in phase wise development of the campus as per the available budget.

Focus Areas: At this stage focus is on aspects like- architectural style of the building with respect to the surrounding, making use of the existing vegetation on the site within the built

Macrolevel Planning Macrolevel planning or a master plan involves the overall planning of the campus. 31

INNOVATION

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doubles up as the seating gallery for the theatre. A transition space connecting the open and the built space along with usage of local materials in the building design helps elevate the look and feel of the space.The lighting and ventilation openings in the building design also need to be captured in the building designs. The chajja or the overhangs for the windows should be designed in a way so as to create an interesting shadow play on the external façade. One should also use the local vegetation and materials in the building design along with the landscape to deliver an aesthetic, economical and sustainable building.

form or surrounding it, safety measures, traffic and non-traffic areas, secured and unsecured areas, built vs unbuilt, orientation of the blocks with respect to climatic condition, open and covered play areas. In my opinion, context plays a major role and drives the Architect to design a great space. Microlevel Planning Once we have the master plan the focus then shifts to microlevel planning. Focus Areas: This includes a detailed analysis of each space, such as - spatial requirement, u s a ge o f ava i l a bl e m at e r i a l , t y p e o f construction, style and special features of architecture, finishes with respect to the wall surface and floor, roof and openings such as doors and windows, color and texture, the landscape within the space. The design is further evolved considering this analysis and understanding the requirement as per the prescribed standards. It is important for the Architect to keep these standards in mind while designing and also analyse if these standards provide optimally designed area. Let us consider an example with regards to designing of the classroom in the available space. The classroom can be designed by providing a formal reading area and an informal area for activity, which is not part of the prescribed standard. It is equally important to focus on other areas of school design like- connecting formal and informal area, separating the classrooms based on the age group of the students, built vs unbuilt spaces, width of the staircase and the corridor area to make it kid friendly, ramps for the physically challenged, transition spaces connecting two different areas or activity zone, play of light and ventilation in each area. An example of an informal area of activity will be where the classroom corridor is connected to the open-air theatre and the corridor also

Photo Source: Mandara School Shimoga, designed by Architect Sachin Shetty. This project was recognized by A+D under “Young Architects Award 2006” Conclusion Well thought out design during macrolevel and microlevel planning leads to an effective Campus Design which in turn has a positive impact on student learning. The common factor in each of the Campus Design is that every time the focus is on maximising scarce resources: value for money. This is where the ability of an Architect to make every project have a big impact along with a futuristic design is critical. 32

sachinshetty@inthab.com

MENTOR THOUGHTS

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Safe Schools: The Need of the Hour Dr. Sagneet Kaur

and parents on safety protocols. For more than half of school prinicipals ensuring infrastructural and physical safety of children was an iminent concern.

The recent incidents have shed light on one of the major issues faced by schools today i.e. safety of students in the school premises. Though everyone talks about it, still we are not able to come up with any concrete solution. Though Safety and Security are often used interchangeably, they have a marginal difference. Safety is about being protected from harm or any undesirable outcome while Security is the degree of protection from harmful and undesirable condition. The safety concerns in the school space is not only physical but pyscho-social and emotional too.

As our team pondered on this problem, we realised that our work on making schools safe and secure places to learn for all should be directed to answering these questions: What are the parameters that make up safe and secure environment? What are the appropriate measures that school need to take in order to make schools safe for students? Who should implement these measure and how? Answering these questions would enable us to come up with practical workable solutions to the problem.

Emotional/Psychological Safety

Thus, an initiative by LXL Ideas to conduct a pan India research on understanding the present status of school safety began few months back. The research aims to equip our school leaders and policy makers with resources required to make informed decisions on student safety and security. The results of this research will be disclosed exclusively in the “Mentor Conclave 2017” in Bangalore on 1 & 2 December, in a specially curated session on “School Safety”.

Inside/Ouside the school

Social Safety

Physical Safety

Also, safety is not limited to only safety within school premises but also outside the school’s compound. This requires a collaborative effort by principals, teachers, parents and students. A research conducted by LXL Ideas on identifying challenges faced by schools in 2017 revealed that 79% of school principals in India accept safety and security to be one of the top ﬁve challenges faced by them. The data also highlighted that for majority of them creating emotionally safe environment in schools is the biggest challenge followed by training the staff

Join us in this endeavour by ﬁlling a survey. Please write back to us at sagneet@lxl.in for sharing your views and recommendations on making schools a safe learning place for all. We would be really happy to acknowledge your valuable contributions. 33

kalpa@lxl.in

MENTOR THOUGHTS

Implementing Change in Schools Kalpa Kartik, Editor-in-chief, Mentor Magazine, Director, LXL Ideas

learning. Faster the schools adapt to this change among the children the better suited they will be to cater to the needs of learning.

For evolution to take place, change needs to happen continuously in small steps. Similarly to adapt and adjust to the changing educational climate, the schools of today need to keep pace with the times. As an advocate of change, the school needs to answer some basic questions like What are the prominent barriers hindering change in school functioning? Who is the driving force behind managing the school? What are the desired student outcomes of the school system?

There has to be a structured process to innovation and change. Implementation needs to go hand in hand with regular feedback from all the stakeholders and including those inputs to the decision-making process. The key factors that are leaders should keep in mind as a decision maker are: A clarity on the intent and deﬁning the targeted goals to change Mapping of goals with measurable objectives and a clear demarcation of roles and responsibilities Consistent tracking of change and analysing the data to enable continuous feedback Ensuring a proper closure for all the ideas implemented for bringing change

Today, Principal’s role in “School Governance” is relegated to policy implementation as against “Making the Policy”. In the capacity of managing daily functioning of schools, the principal has the ability to frame policies that can initiate change two-folds i.e. top-down and bottom-up. Our experienced administrators hold the potential to spark changes in the teaching-learning practises of the schools. These practises form the heart of all school functions and are pervasive across the curriculum forming the root cause of majority of the problems faced by the schools today. Gone are the times when education was deﬁned by a learning based purely on knowledge. Children today have moved beyond knowledge and concrete learning to an abstract based

Although the education sector has experienced signiﬁcant changes in recent years and fears have frequently been voiced about 'initiative overload' affecting staff motivation. The question of how schools engage with change, and manage change, is at the core. Understanding and Implementing Change in Schools is not limited to leadership positions but has become everybody's job.

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Be a part of 5th EDITION of our quest to Identify, Inspire and Empower School Leaders who are Rediscovering Education The conclave will explain the concept of Safe School, help transform the way you Think, unravel the puzzle that Kids are, prepare schools for Legal Challenges, give an in-depth knowledge about the Best Industry HR & Media practises and a chance to understand Collaborative Leadership Details on www.mentor.lxl.in, To register call +91 9019111110 or email info@lxl.in

DEC 1&2 Questioning & Co-Creating Education

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LXL Ideas the makers of School Cinema in association with the French Embassy, Culture House of Iran & Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Film Festival Seattle gives you an opportunity to independently host a ďŹ lm festival in your school premises. Register Now & bring the best of world cinema to your school.

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