ScooNews - August 2018 by ScooNews

Volume 3 Issue 1 August 2018 CHANGING TEACHERS’ LIVES EVERYDAY, EVERY WAY!

Children must be taught how to think, not what to think Margaret Mead

Group Editor Ravi Santlani Editor Nichola Pais Deputy Editor Parvathy Jayakrishnan Reporter Anushka Yadav, Anshu Pande, Ashima Sharma, Anuj Kr. Website Team Vaibhav Ramchandani, Pranav Sharma, Ojas Godatwar, Gaurang Mandhana Art Direction Rexsu Cherry Design CP Sharma Advisory Board: Anand Kumar, Founder, Super-30 Dr Jagpreet Singh, Headmaster, The Punjab Public School, Nabha Dr Neeta Bali, Director- Principal, G D Goenka World School, Gurugram Dr Swati Popat Vats, President, Podar Education Network & President, Early Childhood Association India Geeta Dharmarajan, Founder & President, Katha Lt Gen SH Kulkarni (Retd), Director, Mayo College Meenakshi Uberoi, Education Evangelist, Founder, De Pedagogics Nishi Misra, Principal, Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya, Gwalior Sandeep Dutt, Founder & Chairman, Learning Forward India Skand Bali, Principal, The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet Pics Pressfoto Pixabay, Shutterstock Cover Design ATLT Inc Founder & CEO Ravi Santlani Vice President Operations Vinay K Singh Vice President PR Vanya Bhandari National Sales Head Pankaj Sharma BD Executive Yashwant Parmar, Shivam Joshi EDITORIAL OFFICE EduPulse Media Pvt Ltd, J-3, Jhalana Institutional Area, Second Floor, Jaipur 302004 India Email: editor@scoonews.com FOR ALL SALES QUERIES Pankaj Sharma +91-74120-27891 sales@scoonews.com FOR SUBSCRIPTION +91-72405-17913 subscribe@scoonews.com PRINTED AND PUBLISHED by Ravi Santlani on behalf of EduPulse Media Pvt Ltd PRINTED AT Popular Printers, Fateh Tiba, MD Road Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. PUBLISHED AT, J-3, Jhalana Institutional Area, Second Floor, Jaipur 302004 India Editor : Ravi Santlani Publishing Date: 1 August ‘ 2018 Total number of pages 208, including Covers

STRAIGHT TALK

Nichola Pais

Time for Change

aking India a global education powerhouse… the very idea might seem too enormous to encompass at first thought. Some might even say it’s a tad over-ambitious, even audacious. Turns out, ScooNews was right on track choosing this topic as the theme of the ScooNews Global Educators Fest 2018. Both educators across the country and global thought leaders have welcomed this challenge with a sense of buoyancy and hope, brainstorming and reflecting to back up the mission with clear-cut plans for positive action.It is downright heartening to note that all are in consensus that India essentially has all the positive ingredients to become a global education powerhouse, “from Right to Education, positive steps by the government, vibrant institutions to big dreamers,” (Sona Mattoo Dhingra, Children’s Academy). Among the requirements to reach this goal would be the willingness “to embrace the future and be bold with our approach…Not by insisting on old outdated traditions that stifle growth, but by being creative and strong enough to find new methods and solutions that reflect, not deflect, the modern world and all the tremendous possibilities it represents.” (Shilpa Mehta, Paradise School, Goa)Eventually, as Dr Joseph K Thomas, Mount Litera Zee School points out, education is not only for employment. Its purpose is to enlighten, empower and develop a holistic individual whose moral compass will never swerve from the righteous path. “Education must build character, calibre and capacity, besides promoting rightful conduct.”If India, an ancient seat of learning, is to regain its lost shine, its education system requires a thorough overhauling in terms of “reorienting the syllabus, teaching and learning methods, assessment tools and improving infrastructure in the education sector.” (Lakshmi Kumar, The Orchid School, Pune) Can we break out of an exam/ marksobsessed mind-set, “Where fish are made to climb, to prove their learning”? (Harsha Girish Ramaiya, Small Wonders Play House) On the stirring occasion of the second anniversary of ScooNews, let’s be the change we want to see!

August 2018

CONTENTS

8 COVER

Making India a Global Education Powerhouse Educators from across the country share their views on how this goal can be achieved

22 Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar : The People’s Prince

SPEAKERS SGEF 2018 : Sparking Inspiration

54 FEATURE INTERVIEW: What makes Extramarks India’s Leading Digital Learning Platform?

Makerspace & Robotics in Education

26 SGEF 2018 Transforming Education Progressive partneR power change

HONOURS : Honouring Education’s Brightest and Best Parvathy Jayakrishnan highlights the empowering, change-ushering achievements of the jewels of Indian education

August 2018

Along with the thought leaders, thinkers and educators who are driving the ScooNews Global Educators Fest 2018 mission to make India the next global education powerhouse, is a band of committed partners. The most progressive education-based establishments, they are making great strides in the realm, powering change and transforming education. A closer look at their work and vision...

YOURS TRULY THE TECH-GEN

TEACHERS’ SAFETY

It is amazing that your magazine inculcates the constantly changing scenarios in today’s generation. A small story caught my attention instantly; it was about a six-year-old child, Ryan, amidst the highest paid YouTubers. As surprising as it seemed, it reflected that the appreciation of talent has no limit for our tech-gen!

While the media and the authorities discuss the urgent issue of children’s safety in schools, teachers’ safety remains an ignored topic. The story about a teacher being harassed by a drunk student enraged me. However, it has put a big question mark on the administration. I hope this story reaches authorities and strict action is taken!

HAPPINESS NEEDED QUIZ PLEASE

As a psychologist, it gives me sheer joy to read about changes in the education system in accordance with the needs of gifted children. The story ‘Making Classrooms Dyslexia Friendly’ seems to have been researched thoroughly and is just a step forward towards making our schools friendly for all children. A change that our schools need! Vandana Kabra, Jaipur

Jatin Patel, Mumbai

Yash Pratap Singh, New Delhi

Suhasini Tiwari, Lucknow

URGENT NEED

including teaching the school kids about safety and its importance. I think Toyoyta did a great job by educating children about road safety. It is very important to be aware of road signs and it is imperative that the kids learn about it as soon as possible. I recommend every school to have TSEP programme and educate children about this.

As an active reader of your magazine, I would really like to see an interactive corner. It would be interesting to solve quizzes and crosswords about education. That way we can also have fun while learn interesting things. Adhiraj Rathore, Gurugram

The article on the importance and need for happiness in school was my favourite. It is very necessary to build an environment where the kids enjoy what they are doing and they don’t detest going to school. The teachers should actively be a part of the Happiness Curriculum and work on making schools more fun. Mamta Gupta, Ranchi

SAFETY LESSONS We all hear about accidents every now and then. It is a very concerning issue and needs to be addressed on every level

ART CORNER I love ScooNews magazine and so does my daughter. While reading the last issue, I started wondering if ScooNews could also take entries for art and drawings that kids do. It would be a good way to promote the habit of art and craft and give them a platform to showcase their budding talent. Anuj Mehta, Bangalore

CONGRATULATIONS SCOONEWS! It was an absolute delight to read about ScooNews reaching heights and getting acknowledged for their hard work by the CM of Rajasthan. I enjoy the content that you guys publish. It is a balance of entertainment and information, which is otherwise very hard to achieve. Kudos to the amazing team and may you continue to grow! Bhoomi Sharma, Jaipur

TALK TO US

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August 2018

Please recycle this magazine and remove inserts and samples before recycling

COVER STORY Come August 3, 4, 2018, India’s finest educators will congregate at the second edition of the ScooNews Global Educators Fest. The theme is ‘Making India a Global Education Powerhouse’. There will be learning and unlearning galore at the energising City Palace, Udaipur, as the brightest minds ponder and brainstorm over the theme. As they discuss and deliberate how we can leverage our illustrious legacy and incorporate global best practices to once again place India on the global map as the world’s learning capital, we cannot wait to see the many brilliant solutions that SGEF 2018 will throw up. ScooNews decided to set the ball rolling already, inviting educators from across the country to share their views on just how we can take the lead in becoming a global education powerhouse. The responses have been insightful and positive, and many of the suggestions can and should be implemented without further ado. Before we can do we must dare to dream... It is safe to say that India’s educators are not just dreaming, they have reflected deeply and the results are there to see in the wealth of solutions offered. Read on for inspiration and a future course of action...!

MAKING INDIA A GLOBAL EDUCATION POWERHOUSE EDUCATORS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY SHARE THEIR VIEWS ON HOW THIS GOAL CAN BE ACHIEVED

August 2018

“The concept of Gurukul has a reach legacy. This system of education is based on time-tested values and principles. It believes in developing an innate sense of concentration, enhancing knowledge and development of the brain. The system works on the holistic development of a child, inculcating and prompting values such as discipline, self-reliance, right attitude, empathy, creativity and strong ethics. Gurukuls combine modern concept of education with traditional Indian values and liberal methods to achieve it. This system of education has been in existence in India since ancient times. By the colonial era this system was on a steep decline. Today the country has a chance to re-emerge as a global powerhouse in the field of education. But this requires re-orientation of the syllabus and improving infrastructure with the sole objective of imparting world class quality education.We all must work in a mission mode to re-vamp the educational architecture in tune with the requirements of the 21st century to make India a leading nation in terms of education.” Sujay MehtaChairman, Saroj Mehta International School, Karanjani

“Daniel D Foster said, ‘We must stop thinking that global education means going somewhere. So much global learning can occur in your classroom.’ From the origin of zero to Make in India (Vision-2020) and Skill Development initiatives, India has come a long way. From learning salsa to cooking pasta, who needs to travel to the picturesque locales? With a strong need to imbibe the Finland system of education which shifts its focus from the political turmoil to education in one country, everything is available at the click of button. Artificial Intelligence is the conspicuous answer to everything happening around the globe. Exchange programs, inter-cultural learning have become the must-haves in any educational institution. Thus, effective and right leaderships across the world play a crucial role in the future of today’s youth. Schools worldwide must adopt the practical approach instead of rote based learning. The richest resources are waiting in the classrooms of Incredible India. Let’s join hands for promoting Skill Development, tapping the bundles of talent and get set to witness the day when India will boast of the best experts serving their own motherland.”

“We need to develop a system of learning environment among the students of our country that helps them to realise their true skills and powers so that each and every child can fight and succeed in life. Students should be motivated to explore the world without any bias for creed religion and caste; rather all children should be free to learn subjects of their interest. Free education should be the top important priority of the government. Curriculum should be developed keeping in mind the latest developments of the world. Regular update is a must for the betterment. An awareness campaign for the mass population is necessary to tell them the importance of education. Teachers of middle and higher section should be trained in such a manner that they behave like a mentor, a real guru, rather a tuition teacher. Research work of proper exploration of data for any problem solving should be motivated. Development of a huge data base of knowledge and authentic educational literature for future use should be preserved scientifically. Government should provide a real hike in the stipend for research fellows. Government should maintain a data for research issues. Parents should be counselled and motivated for the research work to be carried out by their ward. Value based education or inculcating moral based values in students should be an integral part of our education system, which will make India stand out among all other nations. If emphasis is given on fivefold education all over India i.e. physical education, moral education, practical education, aesthetic education, and intellectual education, definitely India will emerge as the next global education powerhouse.

Dr Jagpreet Singh, Headmaster The Punjab Public School, Nabha

Deepak Purohit, Principal, NK Public School Rajawas, Jaipur

August 2018

COVER STORY “If wishes could be true, I desire to see my country’s name embellished on the global dais as an international education hub! India essentially has the positive ingredients to be one; from Right to Education, positive steps by the government, vibrant institutions to big dreamers. India needs educationists to be part of policy-making. For that we need to get rid of shoddy and ill planned curriculum, obsolete teaching methods and lack of practical or vocational education. Consequently, there is no stimuli to conceive great ideas, leaving little room for research and an enormous dearth of good entrepreneurs. We require skilled teaching parallel to the virtual world, stimuli for great ideas, critical thinking, creativity, wellvisioned and qualified heads creating a corruption-free environment. Media could be carriers of advancements and inno

“Third largest education system in the world - holding supremacy in myriad fields from Mathematics to Astrology, Literature to Science, Culture to Conscience and Super Science, India is a power bank of energetic youth!We need to recharge our diverse ancient knowledge since ages with the global technical modernity along with collaboration of academia with professional upskilling. Primary education needs to be more interactive and higher education more professional and practical instead of degree-oriented. A change in the mind-set of the parent’s generation is needed where they need to realise education is not only for earning but it’s a process of learning and enjoying lifelong. The system needs to infuse curiosity in education. Youth backed up with cultural value, vocational skills, innovations can bring change in wavelength of education system. I believe the six C’s - Character, Calibre, Capacity, Curiosity, Creativity and Cultural connectivity are requisites for India to become a global education powerhouse.” Anju Kulhari, Principal, Daffodils World School.

“Every day do something good that will inch you closer to be better tomorrow.Stress and tension may be unavoidable and good too, for it would never allow us to be complacent in life. But education should be a joyous experience, because if too much pressure is put into it, children find the going a hard nut to crack. School education should be stress-free. Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty and persistence. Schools should have a vision to foster capable individuals, who can make an impact on the global community, through making them acquire the knowledge and the skills to flourish in the later phase of education. We need resourceful facilitators to meet the challenges of the 21st century.”

Sona Mattoo Dhingra, Principal, Children’s Academy - Thakur Complex, Mumbai

Inderpreet Singh Tuli, Director, Edify School, Nagpur

“I truly believe India can become the next global educational powerhouse, if we are willing to embrace the future and be bold with our approach. We carry the biggest demographic dividend in the world that needs our guidance. Not by insisting on old outdated traditions that stifle growth, but by being creative and strong enough to find new methods and solutions that reflect, not deflect, the modern world and all the tremendous possibilities it represents. The future should therefore be based on a digital, collaborative, conceptual thinking framework, where schools become places of support, learning and sharing - rather than institutes of mass instruction.Children need to be educated to be inwardly confident and navigate their own ideas, intellect and creativity. The future is not rigid, it is fluid; educators need to be the same if we want to harness the power of our youth, and the human race.” Shilpa Mehta, Director, Paradise School, Goa

August 2018

COVER STORY “India is the hub of human resource for the world. After the Industrial Revolution in European countries, the Middle and Eastern parts of the world will be witnessing the revolution of information. India is a huge potential location for this revolution to happen. Further adding to the resources and landscape of our country, India will become the hub for entrepreneurship provided India develops 360 degree vis a vis its policy, infrastructure, technology, and culture. India was a global powerhouse of education before the British arrived. Unfortunately, the Indian education system did not change from pre-Independence era till date. We need the following solutions to make India the next global education powerhouse… 1. Matching the economic standards of developed countries 2. Revamp the whole education system especially assessment pattern from K-12 3. Conscious exercising of rights in decision making process of democracy 4. Public private partnership across domains 5. Schools should focus on holistic development of the child Mohammed Azhar, Founder Principal, Knowledge Academy school

“If education has to reflect the soul of our collective cultures, of our times, and if India has to prepare itself to fulfil its own swadharma - meaning the intended path of enlightenment; if we have to play a leading role in meeting the challenges of the contemporary civilization and also the contemporary crisis; if we have to be protected from dogmatic or agnostic innovations in education, sceptical materialism and its barbaric invasions - then our systems, processes, and philosophy have to be collaborative. Further, they have to be revitalised, and refashioned within the next five years.” Kanak Gupta, Vice President, Seth M R Jaipuria Schools

“Technology is changing every facet of our lives and it is time we start employing it extensively in our education sector. Technology has the capability to transform the Indian education system from being ‘too theoretical’ to ‘a learning by doing’ system by blending offline learning with digital learning. The most significant advantage of blended learning is that it provides a human connect between the instructor and the students, and yet automating and personalising the experience. It also helps in supplementing school learning with at-home practices. The other area which needs upgradation for us to be the next global education powerhouse is the content we teach our kids. The content should be engaging for kids and based on past teaching and learning experiences. It needs to equip students with problem-solving skills rather than merely teaching them the right answers in an exam.” Sarveshwar Shrivastava, Managing Director, Eupheus Learning

August 2018

“The education system of our country should aim at the creation of a new, inclusive society, non-violent and nonexploitative, consisting of highly cultivated and motivated individuals inspired by love for humanity and guided by wisdom. The students should be taught to be the torch-bearers of our culture, traditions, ethos and customs. There is nothing wrong in adopting and assimilating good practices from elsewhere, but always remain rooted to our age-old culture and heritage. Education must lay the foundation for the progress of a nation. Higher education, in particular, has an important role in building a knowledge-based society of the 21st century. The education system should expand qualitatively and quantitatively for the betterment of the nation and society. In this ‘global village’, our graduates as future leaders need a new kind of intercultural understanding, respect for common rules and fair play, an understanding of different interests, views and ways of thinking, and the ability to analyse and synthesise.” Hema Harchandani, Founder-MD Canvas International Pre School

COVER STORY “With the democratisation of knowledge, the uniqueness for Indian education system lies in the roots of its Gurukul system where the focus was not just knowledge but also wisdom. It wasn't merely about learning subjects but also acquiring skills. In times when the most learned men are bringing destruction, it is essential to teach the pupil how to lead a purposeful life. Today it is seen as a thing you acquire as you age, but, imagine if youngsters learn the purpose and way of life at an early enough stage...How positively it can impact the world!”

“India today stands at the cusp of an increasingly globalised world where information, knowledge and data can be easily accessed across barriers which were earlier unsurpassable. But a globalised world also brings different challenges. Among them is the key aspect of education: equability in access to quality education. I firmly believe that in order to become a powerhouse in global education, one needs to be reminded of the same path our first Prime Minister took towards this goal a strong system of public education. Public educational systems have the power to provide equitable access to the masses at affordable costs. This ensures two additional objectives of education: social transformation of the masses and boosting their employability prospects. This would have to be accompanied by a critical reorientation of the curriculum across social sciences and sciences to inculcate inter disciplinary practices while also bridging the divide between mainstream courses and vocational courses. This would require huge support from the state and an active role to be played by other actors such as civil society.” Neera Singh, Principal, Rajmata Krishna Kumari Girls’ Public School, Jodhpur

“The Indian education system needs a curriculum which is based on originality and not aped from international boards. We have the talent, we possess the perseverance; we need to break the herd culture and experiment which would be open to making errors and learning from the same.”

Aditya Shah, VicePresident, Marketing & Gifted Programme, Educational Initiatives

Divesh Bathija, Founder, Dinasim Learning LLP

“A multi-sectoral approach of the policy makers at the centre, parents at home and the teaching community at school is required in terms of varied parameters to follow, to catapult Indian education on the global canvas. Right from day one, schools need to make the kids learn to have a rationale for any and every act of theirs and have a questioning mind, develop a gross scientific temperament, encourage hands on learning, and promote logical thinking (rather the conventional rote learning). Students are to be given time and freedom to explore the vastness of the realms of knowledge rather than chase behind marks. There should be diligent deliberations by the stalwart policymakers with a clear cut objective (quality education), conscientious, thorough, methodical and meticulous trainings by the educational boards and bodies before letting it out to be professed, advocated and practiced by the teaching community. The very intent – the ‘Jazba’, ‘Junoon’, ‘Neeyat’, ‘Zeal’ and ‘Passion’, is conspicuously missing from top to bottom, from makers to shakers. If these ballistic qualities are present in desired proportions in all the stake holders (read citizens) then no force can pace us down from being a powerhouse in any and every area, including education.” Karuna Yadav, Principal, Kapil Gayanpeeth, Jaipur

August 2018

“The secret of change is to focus all of our energies not on fighting the old but on building the new. Some ways by which we can improve our education system: *Innovation and research by faculty and students *building global alumni network *Integrated learning i.e. to interrelate multiple subjects *Teachers training programme *Research Orientations *Internationalisation; change ideology, content and methodology *To regulate the structure of education by adopting unique features of the best universities of the world *Introduce reforms in entrance testing system *Train students internationally; help them forming worldview *Help students understand international laws, provide opportunities to take part in international affairs and competitions *Set up international exchanges and collaborations like teachers’ and students’ exchange programmes *Invite experts, organise workshops, seminars on education, scientific research, issues at global level so as to enlarge regional education and cooperation *There should be an end of teaching or preaching and the start of learning and doing...Doing and learning.” Kamal Jeet Yadav, Principal, Subodh Public School, Airport

“Today, the country has a chance to re-emerge as a global powerhouse in the field of education. But this requires tremendous transformation from re-orienting the syllabi to improving the infrastructure with the sole objective of imparting world class quality education. As we stand on the threshold of a world without borders, it becomes important for us to bring the old glory back, and to integrate our knowledge with an international outlook. From private educational institutions to central universities, every academic organisation must work in a mission mode to revamp the educational architecture in tune with the requirements of the 21st century to make India a leading nation in the field of education and innovation. Education is not only for employment and the purpose of education is to enlighten, empower and develop a holistic individual whose moral compass will never swerve from the righteous path. Education must build character, calibre and capacity, besides promoting rightful conduct. To make India an education powerhouse, we have to focus on teaching excellence, research, innovation and collaboration in higher education. The barriers to the advancement of education must be removed to fulfil the full potential and for the students to take full advantage of their educational opportunities and credentials. For bringing about a substantial change and development, the solution to major challenges requires strong involvement not only of the government and the institution, but also of all stakeholders including students and their families, teachers and community as a whole.” Dr Joseph K Thomas, Chairman & Founder Trustee, Mount Litera Zee School (CBSE)

August 2018

COVER STORY “Let's trust, in our footprints lies our glory… It was the golden era when India was invaded for her richness not just for gold but for its educational marvels. From astrophysics to astronomy, metallurgy to angioplasty, dams to drainage system, the distance between sun and earth to multi universe concept and yoga to enlightenment, name it and it all originated from this land. There is such a plethora of knowledgeable information that sprouted from our nation which thankfully the world is slowly acknowledging. Only we need to look back into the richness of own hidden history to realise, relate and regard its glory so as to turn into a giant magnet to attract the world to us for quenching the pure thirst of knowledge.”

“Historically the land of Nalanda and Takshila India was known as Vishwaguru years ago. People from across the globe would come to acquire expertise, skills and knowledge across domains. India has given zero, scientific theories, and epics to the world. Be it private or government education institutions, they need to revamp and align their education endeavours with the requirements of the 21st century to become a superpower education hub. The millennial generation has to be torchbearers of tradition, ethos, values and remain rooted to our age-old culture and heritage. The future leaders need to be part of this intellectual understanding, analyse, synthesise and play their role. To compete with robots this generation needs to equip itself with design thinking, creativity, social and emotional intelligence, and cognitive flexibility. The Indian youth need to be employable, good presenters, possess interpersonal skills and be tech savvy. We need more quality in programme and academic network, sustainable and quality rich institutes, class faculty, and more research and innovation efforts.” Dr Sheenu Jain, Assistant Professor, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur

“It is essential to align the increasing young population of India which will be more than 60% of India's population towards global education immersions, validating our journey to be the global education powerhouse. A required rise in involvement of students in experiential learning beyond the classroom, industry linked projects, out of the box collaborative thinking and integrating student led programs in curriculum would be a catalyst towards this goal.”

Kalyani Guha, Educator, DPS Kamptee Rd, Nagpur

Hridday Bhatia, Founder, Diplomathon

“Education Endows (and) Develops (an) Unfathomable Creativity (and) Ability (which), Transcends (the instilled dignified) Identity, (making) Omniscient (to the ignorant student) with its Nucleus infinite energy. India has the potency to be accredited as a global powerhouse of education. There is unfathomable power and infinite energy in today’s very young and dynamic India. We should take every opportunity to utilise available resources responsibly to give education in all aspects to every society without prejudice. India can build itself and achieve a very high degree of repute in the field of education if targets are set and achieved through incessant endeavour.” Madhuri Tiwari, Teacher, Delhi Public School, Nagpur

August 2018

“Today we as educators must look at revolutionising our teaching-learning process to equip our learners with ability to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Learners can no longer live in watertight compartments and need to open their minds to the world, allowing innovative and free thoughts to permeate the local boundaries and extend to the global community. Learners need to develop inter cultural understanding and be analytical in approach so that the young minds develop a global approach in their thought process and freedom to give wings to their thoughts. Rather in the words of Tagore… ‘Into that heaven of freedom my father let my country awake’.” Poonam Arora, Principal, Bombay Cambridge International School, Andheri

“Given the diversity and large student population of the country, making India a global education powerhouse is a massive yet noble dream. In this mission, the most critical need is to identify the needs and aspirations of the current student body by asking - not the parents, or policymakers, but the students themselves. There is no one better in the education community than students who can tell you how education needs to be framed. After all, they are the biggest benefactors! Having said that, the policy level players, school principals, teachers and parents need to be supported to openly accept this transition away from their original power positions, and experiment and innovate on how this mission can be achieved creatively and joyfully!” Pukhraj Ranjan, Global Community Manager, HundrED

“India needs 'Knowledge on Wheels' before 'Palace on Wheels'. It is the need of the hour to empower quality digital learning in rural India, the region that is deprived of quality education, to make India an education powerhouse.” Utpal Binda, Founder, Doctor30

“When India takes the lead in identifying and offering cutting edge academic programs in emerging areas of Science, Technology, Art, Polity, the students from all over the world would flock here to study!” Dr Devendra Kumar Punia, Co-Founder and CEO, ProjectsforSchool.com

“In order to make India a global education powerhouse, we need to free education from the clutches of inept, inadequate, ill equipped bureaucracies and make it for-profit. When it is for-profit, better organisations and learned professionals venture ahead and bring well researched, most appropriate result-oriented curriculum to the country. Let research and development continue with renewed fervour and be available at institutes of eminence to the best. Making skills training and vocational learning mandatory to help students become 'employable' is urgently required at the school level. The biggest crisis that the nation faces today is not lack of jobs but 'employability'. There are millions of jobs available in the field of Media & Communications, Beauty & Wellness, Hardware & Networking, Digital Marketing but not enough skilled professionals. As a nation, we need to quickly look beyond the regular jobs and look at new-age employment opportunities. We owe it to the nation.” Shrutidhar Paliwal, Vice President & Global Head, Corporate Communications & Media Relations, Aptech Ltd

August 2018

COVER STORY “World class universities and institutions of higher education enable countries to evolve as knowledge powerhouses. Great universities are defined by the quality of the talent associated with them; quality of both teachers and students. In fact, passionate teachers attract committed students and great students spur teachers to even greater heights resulting in overall excellence. While great teachers can be sourced from anywhere in the world, schools in our country need to generate the pool of students with academic rigour and hunger for excellence. Schools that nurture creativity, programmes that encourage students to discover their passion, teachers motivated to excel in their craft, and parents that want an education that lets their wards discover themselves and not just ‘Educate them for well-paying jobs’ are all the key ingredients to produce students with stellar academic credentials. This is a key input for India to evolve as a global education powerhouse.” Natasha Rajore, Creya Learning and Research Pvt Ltd

“I strongly believe that interdisciplinary, internship based and technologically strong curriculum will help transform India into the next global education powerhouse. Since ages, we have been following a rote learning system with passing of examination as the benchmark for success in future. It’s about time that we turn the system upside down, give it an overhaul and change our measuring tape for one size fits all. Nuances of curriculum and education imparting methodologies need to be introspected and inspected with microscopic details on the long term benefit of the skill being developed. Knowledge is everywhere these days and students have easy access to knowledge. What need to be developed are the technical and professional skills, critical and creative thinking, perseverance, resilience and adaptability. India will be the next global education powerhouse when we nourish intrinsic talents, move toward brain and skill development to give the world job creators instead of job seekers. Individuality is the key. Future will be citizens of other countries looking forward to work for Indian companies and not vice-versa.” Smriti Agarwal, Senior Headmistress, Podar Education Network

“Over the last couple of decades the face of education has undergone a complete transformation across the world. 21st century skills like leadership, problem solving, and innovation have become the need of the hour. In the next 25 years, 47% of jobs will be obsolete, therefore it becomes important for educators and schools to recognise and keep up with this trend. The focus needs to shift to immersive learning methodologies such as project-based learning which will enable learners to harness their natural curiosity and apply it to solving real-life problems. We must recognise that today, when communication and technology and crossed all boundaries, it is not possible to learn in silos. The education community in India needs to work closely together, sharing best practices. We must also reach out to and connect with schools across the world to understand and learn from them, adapting new and innovative ideas into our system.” Kyle Edwards, Head of School & Head of SPEED, Vega Schools

August 2018

“India is the country of diversity, an epitome of a small world in itself! There is a lot to learn across various geographical locations, habitats, food and cultures. Our education pattern needs to emphasise on developing true learners who are equipped with 21st century skills and are prepared to face upcoming challenges. Schools can encourage collaborative approach, which will simplify the complexities and acknowledge individual differences, making teaching and learning a fun filled process. Let our small actions show that differences in thoughts, attitudes, opinions, ideas, etc. make life an interesting experience. Our students, future global citizens, shall demonstrate to the world to be the resources for each other and turn “us versus them” into “us and them”! It is time to celebrate differences and soon the world will look at India a global education powerhouse!” Manisha Arondekar, Principal, Dr S Radhakrishnan International School, Borivali

COVER STORY “Considering the huge demographic dividend we are blessed with, it is imperative that our school and the higher education system need to qualitatively and quantitatively expand our ways of pedagogic transactions and learning opportunity. We have been far too preoccupied with content and scores at the cost of skills and application. Thus we face the situation of huge unemployable graduates or students who are trained for jobs that don’t exist today. Skills of all kinds with rigorous hands-on learning, is the way forward. We have left out psychomotor and aesthetic skills to peripheral level. Emotional and social skills are delivered as a tokenism. Thus a huge list of deficits faces the employment industry. If we want to create a generation of life-long learners, we have to keep and consolidate learning processes that have been working, trash systems and processes that are not relevant for the millennial and borrow best global educational practices and localise it. Enrolling all stakeholders will make it a successful formula. Today, the country has a chance to reemerge as a global powerhouse in the field of education. But this requires reorienting the syllabus, teaching and learning methods, assessment tools and improving infrastructure in the education sector with the sole objective of imparting world class quality education.” Lakshmi Kumar, Founder Director, Intercultural coach and consultant, The Orchid School, Pune

“There is a very thin line between education and learning. Education should focus to promote logical, creative, analytical, lateral thinking and reasoning, in a process that extends beyond books, syllabus and classrooms.

“Our educational standards, especially at the K-12 level, are at best, uneven; and at worst, significantly challenging mediocrity. Today, despite our best efforts, only 25 percent of our students reach college. The rest are outside any formal educational space. Some key action points…

Today’s education system does not give a platform for creativity, imagination, spontaneity; in fact the system produces millions of literates who are unable to think. It is too mechanical and nearly limited to only passing examinations and gathering certificates. To make India a global education powerhouse, we need to encourage children to think and let their imaginations flow. To make a concrete foundation, we should focus more on understanding than on only learning. We should stop focusing on marks. We are a country of more than a billion and still we have same set of tests for everyone. Where fish are made to climb, to prove their learning… We need to reframe our education system.” Harsha Girish Ramaiya, Founder & Director, Small Wonders Play House

August 2018

Upgrade curriculum dynamically; be in consonance with job requirements post 2025. Adapt the German model for vocational training and education to our context. Focus with a laser eye on professional development of teachers; 100 hours per year is the bare minimum. Encourage PPP model for raising state board school standards. Introduce national teacher services on par with the IAS and allied services. Allow quality schools to be autonomous, with appropriate checks and balances. Ban written tests and soft/ hard copy text books till Grade 4. Reduce regulations to a minimum; then implement them strictly. Expand online learning platforms exponentially. Allow foreign universities and schools to be established in India, competition will make us better educators.” Lt Col A Sekhar, Head of Schools, Alpha Education, Trichy

EXCLUSIVE

LAKSHYARAJ SINGH MEWAR THE PEOPLE’S PRINCE The Prince Charming in all our fairy tales is portrayed as valiant, handsome, effective, reliable and strong. Prince Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar of Udaipur is exactly that and more. Prince Lakshyaraj Singh, a scion of the over 1500-year-old House of Mewar in Udaipur is the only son of Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar and Smt. Vijayraj Kumari Mewar of Udaipur. Coming from an esteemed lineage of rich culture, heritage and traditions, Prince Lakshyaraj grew up listening to stories about his valiant ancestors. In his own words, “They are an illustration of facts, things that have been done in real time which are exceptionally inspirational and they grow on you. All of them encompass immense culture, history, tradition and values which is missing in the 21st century.” He was greatly inspired by his paternal grandfather, his late Highness Maharana Bhagwat Singh Mewar, whose diligent service to society and sense of charity, exemplified the importance of serving the community while upholding social and moral responsibilities. He believes that the “idea of life is not to go through it but to grow through it” and he truly leads by example and is an inspiration to many. Prince Lakshyaraj believes in celebrating life everyday, 24x7: this celebration is an endless

August 2018

journey in itself. It is a celebration that involves interacting with real people, young and old, understanding them, and helping them come to grips with issues, old and new. His words reveal the creative trajectory of his thoughts and the intensity of his passion to remain rooted in reality. He describes himself as a ‘scientific sadhu’, having the ability to remain detached even when living life to its fullest.

Education and Career Prince Lakshyaraj has always stayed strongly committed and has excelled in whatever he takes up. He started nursery school in Maharana Mewar Public School and later moved to Mayo College, Ajmer in grade 6. He served as a school monitor there and was presented with the college ‘colours’ for excelling in cricket, in which he takes immense pride as his grandfather and father were on the cricketing honour role of Mayo College. The cricket field and the art school are some of his favourite things about school. With a keen interest to learn Hotel Management, he went to Australia and obtained his Bachelor's degree in Commerce from the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School. He gained invaluable hands-on experience by serving at all levels of the hotel management busi-

Island Palace as his maiden venture. Through 2006- 07, under his management, Jagmandir Island Palace reinforced its position as one of the world’s most exclusive regal wedding destinations. Thereafter, Prince Lakshyaraj turned his attention to developing Palki Khana as a European-style cafe´ at the picturesque Manek Chowk of the City Palace, Udaipur. With experienced chefs by his side, he worked painstakingly to improve the food and beverages’ quality and service standards across the Historic Resort Hotels (HRH) Group of Hotels. Today he is the Executive Director of Historic Resort Hotels Pvt. Ltd. Historic Resort Hotels Group

ness, including as a waiter and a barista thereby, enhancing his skills in the process and evolving as a well-rounded hospitality professional. Prince Lakshyaraj also pursued several courses from Nanyang University Singapore to enrich his knowledge of the hospitality industry. He attained an MBA from CornellNanyang Institute of Hospitality Management, Nanyang Technological

University, Singapore. He also attended a workshop on visitor care and security in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. He then started his career from scratch by working as a waiter at the Four Seasons Hotel in Australia followed by a stint at several cafes in Australia. On his return to Udaipur in 2006, he joined the family business and undertook the refurbishment of the iconic Jagmandir

As the Executive Director of Historic Resort Hotels Pvt. Ltd., Prince Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar brings his education and experience in hospitality to give the group greater sustainability in the competitive world of heritage-hotels. HRH Group of Hotels is India’s largest chain of palace-hotels and sanctuary resorts under private ownership. Shiv Niwas Palace and Fateh Prakash Palace are the most-awarded and celebrated palace-hotels in India, with Jagmandir Island Palace being the most exclusive of them all. Since 1998-99, the prestigious Heritage Grand Award, instituted by the Government of India, has been bestowed on Shiv Niwas Palace and Fateh

August 2018

EXCLUSIVE

Prakash Palace year after year.

wards.

Maharana Mewar Public School

His aim is to make the school grow by empowering both the teaching faculty and the 1200-strong students, who are being exposed to new ideas and new challenges in their educational curricula. Among other honours, the Maharana Mewar Public School has been adjudged the Best School in Udaipur by Education World and Digital Learning in 2017.

The Maharana Mewar Public School was founded in 1974 under the aegis of his grandfather, His Late Highness Maharana Bhagwat Singhji. With values such as selfrespect, self-reliance, respect for mankind and service to the community which are also the guiding values of the House of Mewar, the school aims to guide its students with the highest human values. Prince Lakshyaraj is a Trustee of the school and him also being an alumnus of the school makes it easier for him to explain the functioning of the school to guardians seeking admission for their

Today, the class structure at the school has been streamlined, with Nursery to standard 5 being moved to the Maharana Mewar Vidya Mandir to be able to give more concerted attention and space to the higher

August 2018

classes. Every year, the school updates, revises and improves facilities and prepares students for a world that is changing rapidly. Maharana Mewar Vidya Mandir is an English medium co-educational school which provides quality education to students from nursery to standard 5. The school focuses on providing an encouraging and understanding learning environment where everyone demonstrates a sense of belonging, mastery, independence and generosity.

Love for Cricket Prince Lakshyaraj is an ardent lover of sports and cricket is very close to his heart. It is a sport he strongly supports. He had initially

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desired to play for India and pursue his passion for cricket although he decided against it to fulfil his other duties and responsibilities. His dedication and interest in cricket led to his appointment as the President of Udaipur District Cricket Association. During his tenure as President of the Udaipur Cricket Association, the under-19 Indian cricket team was captained by a player from Udaipur. He is the special invitee of the Rajasthan Cricket Association for any state level event as well as for the World Class Stadium Committee (Udaipur and Jaipur). His consistent efforts and love for the game are well respected, as he is an Advisor to the President of the Rajasthan Cricket Association.

Social Commitment Prince Lakshyaraj has always shown unwavering commitment to social causes. He is dedicated to the public and has created awareness on several issues related to the rural and urban populace in the region. He has conducted various campaigns to create awareness in the field of education, health, environment and other social causes, in order to improve the standard of living and quality of life of people.

grandfather, His Late Highness Maharana Bhagwat Singh Mewar of Udaipur. He is especially involved in the running of the Foundation's Educational Trust and takes particular interest in the day-to-day running of the schools under the Trust. He is also the President of the Maharana Pratap Smarak Samiti, Udaipur and is extremely active in the conservation of Mewar's cultural and historic heritage. Prince Lakshyaraj uses his public profile to create awareness about issues relevant to the urban and rural societies in the region and campaigns for health, environmental and youth causes. The love and trust accrued over 76 generations by his family allow him to take a leading role in social causes close to his heart. In his personal life, he enjoys playing the tabla, painting, listening to Sufi music (Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan being his favourite) and aeromodelling. Additionally, he enjoys spending time in honing his skills in photography and gardening.

Prince Lakshyaraj also takes pleasure in working for and encouraging the youth, especially in creative fields. He provides opportunities for them to exhibit their talent and participate in various events.

Sharing a very unique thought about our current education system, Prince Lakshyaraj says, “I would love to open a school for parents. Children are more intelligent and we are just ruining them by our education. So, I think it is the parents who need the education today.” Indeed, that is something we all can ponder about!

He is also a Trustee of the Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation set up by his

Poetry resonates with Lakshyaraj. He has been ceaselessly working to create new plat-

forms for young poets and giving the veterans their due respect. In this continuing promotion of poetry, Lakshyaraj has spared few efforts in popularising poetry in Hindi, Mewari, Gujarati and other languages. In 2017, he revived the Sahitya Sabha within the City Palace, Udaipur as a forum for poets. It was Maharana Sajjan Singh, an illustrious forefather of Lakshyaraj, who had established the Sahitya Sabha almost 150 years ago. Music is yet another passion for him. Besides a vast personal collection, he has been encouraging young artists in Udaipur and Rajasthan and creating opportunities for them on the national and global stage. This love for music is matched with a humility to laud talent and make it grow.

Vastra Daan, a Record Under the leadership of Prince Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Vastra Daan, a state and nationwide initiative for the ‘collection of clothes for recycle donation’ was launched in January 2018. Vastra Daan has become a pioneering and unique initiative as 301,500 clothes have been collected for distribution to the underprivileged from across the world. Vastra Daan has been acknowledged by the Golden Book of World Records and the India Book of Records for setting this record in the

domain of social initiatives. The Limca Book of Records has also confirmed its acceptance of the entry of Vastra Daan for its forthcoming publication.

August 2018

SGEF 2018

TRANSFORMING

EDUCATION PROGRESSIVE

PARTNER

POWER CHANGE

August 2018

stablished in 1997, Pacific University has made a mark on the educational map of India. Over the last 19 years, Pacific Society has continued to make rapid strides in the field of higher and technical education. It has established more than 21 institutes and become a multi-disciplinary conglomeration of colleges providing higher education in the diverse fields of Engineering, Management, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Computer Application, Hotel Management, Fire & Safety Management, Polytechnic Diploma, Mass Communication, Fashion Technology, Education, Arts, Law, Commerce, Agriculture, Yoga, Dairy & Food Technology, Basic & Applied Sciences, MPhil. and Research Programmes (PhD.) in all relevant disciplines.

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Pacific University has a mammoth ultra modern campus sprawling over more than 100 acres of lush greenery, including state of the art classrooms, separate hostels for boys and girls, laboratories, and libraries, internationally benchmarked curricula, innovative pedagogy, experiential learning and affordable quality education. The university is committed to establish itself as a centre of excellence in research.

Adobe Sensei searches and understands large amounts of content at a deep level, like the sentiment of documents or the aesthetic qualities of images. This helps you refine and identify what you need in seconds rather than hours or days. Experience intelligence

Education at Pacific is holistic, aiming to develop the intellectual and personal strengths of students. Pacific has an excellent track record of launching its students into successful careers which has been proved by their alumni presently working in 150+ global and Indian super brands.

Adobe Sensei helps you to deliver relevant, personalised experiences in real time, learning what customers want, identifying significant events and making recommendations to reach the right customer at the right time.

The Pacific Dental College has the reputation of being No. 1 in India owing to the fact that it holds the highest turn-out in the OPD and maximum practical exposure to its students. The Pacific University has the best placement average in North India and pioneered new programmes that assure a high profile career and pride of practising the highest rated profession. The group today has a composite strength of 15,000 students, 500 faculty members.

Open framework Adobe Sensei is the extensible AI and machine learning framework of Adobe Cloud Platform that helps enterprises and partners build customised workflows and applications.

August 2018

SGEF 2018

ne of the most respected and dedicated business groups of the country, the House of Jaipuria has acquired a place and stature of its own in the education and industrial arena. Ever since its inception in 1945, it has become a benchmark for latest innovations and efficient management along with its philanthropic activities. The group has diversified business interests in Education, Textile and Power. Education has been a passion at the House of Jaipuria. Their commitment to greater good through modern yet rooted education finds wings in the K12 segment as well as in higher learning. Seth M. R. Jaipuria Schools have been awarded for excellence as one of the best schools in India. Jaipuria Institute of Management spread across Lucknow, Noida, Jaipur and Indore have earned a distinction as a seat of cutting-edge knowledge, shaping, nurturing and redefining management for today and tomorrow.

CER India is a not-for-profit research organisation registered as the Australian Council for Educational Research (India). It is wholly owned by ACER Limited and operates as a member of the ACER group of companies. ACER India undertakes commissioned educational research, professional development and capacity building programs for a range of clients in India and the South Asia region. ACER India develops and delivers products and services to a wide range of education stakeholders to improve learning across the lifespan. It works closely with governments and universities in South Asia, international aid agencies and not-for profit organizations such as the World Bank, the United Nations Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fund and the British Council. ACER India has successfully delivered projects in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, the Maldives and Sri Lanka. The team at ACER India is highly experienced in the development and delivery of large-scale assessments and education research projects. ACER India staff have world-class skills and knowledge, and are experienced in working with clients around the globe.

August 2018

ambridge University Press in India provides educational and academic materials to millions of learners in India and South Asia. Their focus is on the development of affordable and high-quality educational products. Cambridge University Press is part of the University of Cambridge. It furthers the University’s mission by disseminating knowledge in the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence. Playing a leading role in today’s global market place, they have over 50 offices around the globe, and distribute their products to nearly every country in the world. Their books are truly global in content, presentation, approach and recognition. They provide materials

he Early Childhood Association is set up with the vision that all the preschools, balwadis, NGO's, children's activity classes, parents, student teachers, media houses, companies that deal with children's products, in short everyone connected to young children, can all come together to advocate, discuss, learn and share, connect and bring about a change in the quality of care development and learning in early childhood in India.

supporting various school board curricula in almost every subject and at every level, including online assessment and resources, and training services for teachers. As an international publisher, they publish material intended to stimulate lively debate at the frontier of scholarship. They are a major publishing presence in fields as diverse as engineering, astronomy, biology, physics, mathematics, medicine, politics, sociology, history, economics, anthropology, and security studies. The Language Learning programme supports teaching of English and assessment by publishing print, digital and online materials to suit the requirements of classrooms across the subcontinent. They take pride in developing and publishing content catering to the needs of pre-primary level to high school students, gradu-

ates, adult learners, researchers, practitioners and academic communities. Their proactive marketing force and editorial team select the appropriate content for publication that is unrivalled among schools, colleges and universities. They publish in both print and digital media to serve the needs of learners at all levels and the scholarly community as a whole. In keeping with the intellectual quality of the titles they publish, they ensure that every title benefits from their exacting professional standards from copy-editing to layout, manufacturing and use of new technologies. They also make sure that their books are perfectly positioned in the market channel to reach their primary audience – students, teachers, libraries, bookstores, major global web portals and electronic and searchable databases.

The Early Childhood Association is a registered body with an Advisory Panel led by eminent educationists, doctors and celebrities, and a working committee that will be elected from members every two years.

The Early Childhood Association wants to help professionals, teachers, people who deal with children through their work in balwadis, day care centres, rural crèches, teacher training colleges and entrepreneurial network (basically anyone who contributes directly or indirectly to the caring of a child) and be able to provide them with resources of every sort. This could range from information, latest research, training and ideas and perhaps solutions and counselling.

The Early Childhood Association aims to be that one stop connection needed by all for the enrichment, networking, awareness and advocacy of childhood and everything that affects it.

August 2018

SGEF 2018

bix Smartclass Educational is a company that aims to redefine 21st century education with a focus on understanding the present and future education barriers and evolving innovative solutions to address them. The company has a strong vision of improving the teaching-lear ning experience in schools. Equipped with this powerful vision, the company is engaged in the business of developing education products and providing end-to-end solutions to K12 Schools. Ebix Smartclass Educational promotes new modes of learning for the digital natives and develops path breaking products and solutions, keeping in mind the

lear ning styles of the new-age learners. It recognises that education is the most potent force for social change and is working to make it more effective with innovative use of new-age education solutions.

their goals. Today, U.S. News Global Education is just getting started, and they anticipate many exciting announcements in the weeks and months to come.

S. News Global Education was founded in September 2016 by U.S. News & World Report and Shorelight Education. U.S. News Global Education combines U.S. Newsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; authoritative rankings, analysis and editorial content with Shorelightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expertise in supporting international students who want to study at U.S. colleges and universities. This combination uniquely positions U.S. News Global Education to help international students, education counselors and higher education institutions achieve

With a reach of 60,000+ classrooms and a base of 5,000+ customers, Ebix Smartclass Educational impacts the learning outcomes and needs of over 2.5 million K-12 students. With backgrounds in business development, R&D and customer engagement, their team of 1000+ professionals strives to provide a high level of customer satisfaction. They have a high C-SAT score of 92% in the country,

Their mission is very simple: enable life-changing experiences for international students and open U.S. and global universities to the world. Delivering on that mission is where U.S. News Global Education will set itself apart from the pack. Ultimately it is our vision to reinvent the research and selection process for

August 2018

because they believe that the customer is at the heart of everything that they do. As the education industry experiences a transformative phase, Ebix Smartclass Educational is devoted to putting in unflinching efforts to make learning a fascinating and engaging experience for the rising generation. Their R&D team of 135+ professionals including the extended team is constantly working to bring innovative products and solutions for the school segment. The products are categorised into four segments â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Assessments, Virtual Labs, STEM, Robotics & Lang Lab, and Digital content.

higher education by enabling international students, parents, education counselors, university partners and employers to seamlessly find the bestfit experience for long-term achievement. We will deliver because we are customer focused. We are true partners. We embrace challenges. We deliver innovative solutions. We are authentic. We want what is best for each student. And we know that when you do what is best for the student, everything else will follow.

SGEF 2018

xtramarks follows a comprehensive method of learn, practice and test for deep immersive learning. It uses various tools like animations, videos and virtual labs to make learning easy and engaging. Extramarks offers total learning solutions. They follow a three-pronged approach that provides the best of pedagogy and technology to create an engaging child-centric teaching-learning environment. Extramarks modules use game-based thematic learning approach for junior learners and hierarchical, layered and adaptive approach for senior learners. The learning solutions are delivered through robust technology, making the learning process easy, effective and engaging. Extramarks products for learners include Smart Study Tablet/ Pack/ App/ Stick for grades K12, Foundation course, Engineering, Medical, SAT Prep and Overseas Study Support, Career Assessment Programme, Kids learning by Extramarks App/ Tablet, and EMILLY App/ Pack, which is an anytime-anywhere English language learning resource that trains learners on conversational and formal aspects of communication.

he price of any school trip is easily determined, but seldom do we calculate the real opportunity ‘cost’ of the trip. School trip is a rare occasion in a student’s life. It is also an opportunity with tremendous potential to inspire the student, to help her learn from the chosen destination(s) as well as from one another. With this in mind, EdTerra Edventures has created a broad range of engaging educational

echnology disruption is resulting in massive shift in the job market with millions of jobs rendered obsolete while, at the same time, new positions and industries are being created. The pace of change is only accelerating and most jobs that exist today will disappear within the next few decades. Along with this change in the job market, there is also a rapid expansion of the knowledge needed to be competitive in the labour force. At the end of World War II, knowledge was doubling every 25 years allowing one’s initial education to last a whole career. Today, knowledge is doubling every year which requires continual learning and ongoing knowledge transfer to remain competitive. The challenge is on two fronts: how to help the 2.5 billion workers lacking ICT support who risk becoming victims of AI and automation, and 1.3 billion students who are coming of age in a world where they need to learn more with less time and less money.

tools to ensure that the potential of each rare journey is optimised for the student. A child goes through robust schooling to become a learned and capable adult. While her inner knowledge and emotional maturity is unquestionable, the world demands certain tangible proof. Schools provide this in the form of certificates and report cards that serve as students’, parents’ as

August 2018

well as the school’s success metrics. Similarly, EdTerra believes that the rare and highly valuable travel experience(s) must provide the student with ‘highly demonstrable’ learning, even though the true transformation has taken place in the students’ mind and heart. This would inevitably help the student all through her life – in college admissions, job applications and much more.

FEATURE

MAKERSPACE &

ROBOTICS IN EDUCATION

Anushka Yadav explores why the time has come for the education system to pgrade to the magical and satiating makerspace. We have all been fascinated watching the creative classrooms and labs or workshops with students learning to make their own furniture, robots or clothes in Hollywood movies. As a student, we all wished to have such labs just for the sake of how much fun they seemed to be. Little did we know that these amazing spaces were termed as makerspaces.

What really is a makerspace? Often known as hackerspaces or fablabs, makerspaces are creative, DIY spaces used for creation, invention and learning. It is often accompanied by libraries consisting of 3D printers, software, electronics, craft and hardware supplies and tools, and more. While iPads and Xboxes are often questioned for suppressing the natural curiosity of the child, makerspace reignites the curiosity and the inner drive to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;makeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; using the same tech-

August 2018

FEATURE use space.

nology. Providing a flexible environment, makerspaces provide hands-on experience and make students fall in love with terrifying subjects like science, engineering and tinkering.

fire on the internet as many enthusiasts and like-minded people shared ideas and their final products. Eventually, they started popping up in schools across the globe.

“Every student is a maker. All students deserve the opportunity to be their best creative selves and should have access to creative projects. Our world wants go getters. It wants designers, creators and dreamers. It wants builders and tinkerers. It wants innovators who will ask ‘Why not?’ Makerspaces include STEM classes, coding, robotics and 3D prototyping; students create blogs, podcasts, and documentaries, they are exercising a maker mind-set. In fact, makerspaces can be the perfect context for informational writing and authentic research in language arts,” describes O. P. Godara, CEO and Cofounder, SRJNA.

The maker movement’s core lies in teaching and learning with student centered inquiry. Unlike the typical projects carried at the end of a unit of learning, makerspaces are the actual vehicle and purpose of learning. With the education system in crisis, it is crucial for our students to graduate with creative and innovative skills.

Any space in a school where pupils and teachers can come together to create, design, invent, discover, prototype, code, build, play, support, craft, draft, draw or change can be termed as a makerspace. Thus, students can use a variety of high and low-tech tools to work individually and/or collaboratively. Typically, makerspaces follow a STEM focused approach. However, it is also an ideal platform for assignments and activities of different subject areas.

Makerspace in education

Designing a makerspace

Makerspaces, STEAM labs and fab labs have marked their stage in global education. Hence, there arises an urgent need to build such spaces in Indian schools as well. Don’t let terms like science, engineering and tinkering bamboozle you because a makerspace is not merely a science lab, computer lab or woodshop and art room. Rather it is an amalgamation of elements found in such familiar spaces. The design needs to accommodate a diverse and cross-pollinated set of activities, tools and materials. Its diversity sets it apart from a single-

Makerspace activities may include cardboard construction, prototyping, woodworking, electronics, robotics, digital fabrication, building bicycles and kinetic machines, textiles and sewing. As tempting as the list of activities seems, the building is equally a challenging task. The herculean dream can be turned into reality if educators and administrators have an effective vision of the constantly changing education atmospherics. Their vision will act as a catalyst in the process of researching, brainstorming and articulating the needs of their

How did it emerge? A subculture of the DIY culture, the makerspace is an offspring of the maker movement. It refers to eliminating the middleman and being able to create one's own product or idea using the developing technological advances. Initially, the maker movement spread like wild-

August 2018

students to generate a space that works best for the school. Many elementary schools have incorporated makerspaces within multiple classroom spaces. A constructive approach requires creating a dedicated makerspace that includes suitable tools or materials and work areas. With an advantage of flexible designs, these spaces can be installed in multiple locations such as the library, computer labs, classrooms and even outdoors. The choices of location may vary from school to school according to the learning goals and available resources. Before building a makerspace, it is necessary to consider the pedagogical implications of teaching and learning; as a makerspace can be conveniently built according to the budget, physical location and access to students. What does an education makerspace look like? "Makerspaces come in all shapes and sizes, but they all serve as a gathering point for tools, projects, mentors, and expertise. A collection of tools does not define a makerspace. Rather, we define it by what it enables: making." Makerspace Playbook School Edition 2013 In an interview with ScooNews, Venky Datla, cofounder, Creya Learning said “The universal answer to supporting robotics and makerspaces should be a yes, if you look at robotics as part of a broader theme of STEM/ STEAM learning and makerspaces as part of the larger 'hands-on' experiential learning pedagogies. Robotics is a great application of science, technology, engineering design and math for solving real-world problems. Robotics and other projects like IoT or Coding, when done as a well-designed activity and not just as an off-the shelf assembly kit, helps students see connections between classroom theory to real-world problem solving. Irrespective of whether a student wants to pursue careers in engineering, medicine, arts or accounting, robotics and makerspaces in general facilitate development of skills like creative thinking and critical thinking.” Shedding a positive light on the role of robotics and makerspaces, Datla maintained, “I would like to broaden the argument and view point on the immense positive impact a truly integrative STEM/STEAM program can have on the Indian education system. Robotics and makerspaces aka tinkering spaces or studios are elements of any good integrative STEM programme. Makerspaces have an established culture in some developed countries where the schools and families are part of the DIY culture. In India, at least as of now, it is not so as you can see that even the famed IKEA in India is

offering 'installation services'. While creative freedom of a makerspace to prototype nurtures application skills and life skills such as risk taking and entrepreneurship, makerspaces can be more effective when students are given some hand-holding through frameworks like design thinking. Where robotics is concerned, it should be viewed as a 'means to an end' and not as the 'end in itself'.” Datla further added, “What will definitely not work is throwing some robotic kits or tooling/ electronic equipment in a garage-like room and expecting students to innovate. A diverse set of tools of which robotics is one part, well designed projects that are aligned to the learning standards and most importantly, staff that is trained in experiential learning to coach students as facilitators: these three elements are key to inspiring students to innovate and change the Indian education system from rote learning to true learning.” An applause-worthy effort towards promoting makerspaces has been initiated by the NITI Aayog, Government of India through Atal Tinkering Labs. With a vision to ‘Cultivate one million children in India as neoteric innovators’, Atal Innovation Mission is establishing Atal

August 2018

FEATURE Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) in several Indian schools. The scheme aims to foster young minds with curiosity, creativity and imagination; and inculcating skills such as design mind-set, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing etc. The initiative promotes hands-on do it yourself experience through STEM based kits and equipment ranging from 3D printers to robots. The mission is aimed at providing grant-in-aid that includes a one-time establishment cost of Rs.10 lakh and operational expenses of Rs.10 lakh for a maximum period of five years to each ATL. “Makerspace is the set in which robotics is the subset. Robotics has become the stigma rather a resource. Whereas makerspace in the form of ATL is changing the education system and if it continues for five more years with success, it will produce a lot of young scientists, designers, developers, entrepreneurs, teachers, and professionals all equipped with skills; reason exposure to the challenges, ideation and design,” adds O. P. Godara, SRJNA.

Curriculum based on robotics & makerspaces The innate drive of self-discovery and innovation gets a boost from the mere act of creation or “making” The walls of age and gender take a blow as children as young as 12 or 14 years of age are able to build sensors while understanding the growing technology from an early age While engaging in the act of making, children learn to build perseverance, maintain their persistence, accept criticism and suggestions, learn the importance of self as well as teamwork while having fun The global awareness about robotics and building makerspaces will blur boundaries for children; increasing and improving the communication between global citizens It will promote the concept of co-creation wherein children will meet children,

August 2018

machines will meet machines while children will meet machines To install such spaces, schools will need the helping hand of initiatives and startups such as Makers Asylum, ATL, Creya Learning, etc. thus, fostering the growth of edtech and startups To sum it all, robotics and makerspaces as part of the education ecosystem will create an atmosphere of holistic development, which has been the aim of education since its inception Finally, as educators, we need to realise that such programmes do not intend to replace the traditional education methods rather they wish to coexist. Makerspaces and robotics are here to stay as they prepare the student for the technology-driven 21st century with practical skills. Thus, it is time for the education system to upgrade to the magical and satiating makerspace.

SGEF 2018

SPEAKERS

SGEF 2018 SPARKING INSPIRATION A range of global experts and thought leaders will hold educators entranced at SGEF 2018 Over August 3 – 4, some of the country’s brightest minds will congregate to share ideas and ponder over how to leverage our illustrious legacy and incorporate global best practices at the ScooNews Global Educators Fest 2018. Sparking inspiration will be a realm of global experts and thought leaders who will share their unique points of view and wealth of experience at the fest. Thinkers, dreamers, achievers, these illustrious speakers will hold educators entranced…

August 2018

Lt. Col. A Sekhar is a dynamic, result-oriented soldier educationist with over 30 years of holistic experience in the areas of education, skill development, administration, leadership and HR at the highest leadership levels. A successful school leader, Col Sekhar has made his mark as a change leader in schools where the all-round development of the student is his forte. He has led and mentored all-round transformation of a co-ed day (ICSE) School and revitalised and fostered the spirit of all-round excellence among students, teachers and other staff in two residential schools. He is credited with mentoring the highest number of students joining NDA from any school in the country and is the winner of the Defence Ministerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trophy for sending the highest number of officer cadets; Satara and Ajmer. During his tenure with the Indian Armed Forces, he coordinated and implemented various service and uUniversity courses. Lt Col Sekhar has conducted workshops on leadership, motivation, teaching-learning processes and more at various levels and is a Lt. Col. (Retd.) frequent participant as A Sekhar speaker and programme chair in nationally and internationally noted education summits/ conferences. He is also a jury member for the selection of best teacher/principal for Mahatma Gandhi Education Awards in Gujarat state. Lt Col Sekhar believes that to succeed in life, one must aim high, take reasonable risks, brave the odds and overcome adversities by sustained efforts and working towards the goal with single-minded devotion, often without concern for personal security and comfort. Yet, the mettle of a person is determined by the temperament displayed in bouncing back from failure, with grace and dignity; most importantly, learning lessons from them, for life, he affirms.

Amit Kaushik joined the Indian Railways as a civil servant in 1987 after obtaining a postgraduate degree in Economics from the Panjab University Chandigarh. Over the course of the 20 years he spent in the service, he held a variety of challenging assignments both in the Railways and outside and worked in varied areas including administration, investment appraisal, financial analysis, project management and industrial relations. From 2001-2006, Amit was Director, Elementary Education, in the Ministry of HRD, Government of India, where he was associated with the development and implementation of various policies related to Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, as well as Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s international commitments on Education For All (EFA). Among other things, he worked closely on the 2005 draft of the Right to Education Bill, based on which The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act was passed in 2009. He has been a consultant to UNESCO Paris, Nigeria, Iraq, and Lebanon, as well as to Amit Kaushik UNICEF Iraq and Yemen, working with them from time to time on assignments related to literacy, planning for Education for All, nonformal education, accelerated learning and the Global Partnership for Education. Since 2007, Amit has worked with a number of education sector organisations in the private and/ or not-for-profit sector. He is currently the CEO of the Australian Council for Educational Research (India), a not-for-profit research organisation that undertakes commissioned educational research, large-scale learning assessments, professional development, and capacity building programmes for a range of clients in India and the South Asian region.

August 2018

SGEF 2018 Amit Lodha is a 1998-batch IPS officer of the Bihar cadre. He is presently the Deputy Inspector General of the Border Security Force, posted in Jaisalmer. He has been honoured with the Excellent Contribution Award for successfully initiating a police-public partnership for better policing in Bihar’s Nalanda district during his tenure as the superintendent of police there. He launched SAMBHAV - an organization under the aegis of the Nalanda district police to tap the power of the youth towards community development. The organisation successfully engaged the youth in tackling important social issues. Showcasing exemplary leadership, he has Amit Lodha played an instrumental role in a number of successful police operations. He has been the recipient of various awards and commendations, including the acclaimed President’s Police Medal of Gallantry and the Internal Security Medal.

Divya Lal

Anand Kumar is an Indian mathematician and a columnist for various national and international mathematical journals and magazines. He is best known for his Super 30 programme, which he started in Patna, Bihar in 2002, and which coaches economically backward students for IIT-JEE, the entrance examination for the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). By 2016, 366 out of the 420 had made it to IITs and Discovery Channel showcased his work in a documentary. He has been invited by the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University to speak on his globally acclaimed effort to mentor students from the underprivileged Anand Kumar sections for admission to IIT. In 2003, when Super 30 started its journey, 18 out of 30 students competed. The very next year, the number jumped to 22. In 2005, it improved further to 26. Continuing the trend, 28 students made it in 2006 and 2007. However, the ‘magic moment’ came in 2008, when the result was an astonishing 30 out of 30. Super 30 had hit the bull’s eye. It was ‘a dream come true’ for Anand and his team. Super 30 has done it again in 2009 and 2010. All 30 students from Super 30 qualified with good marks for JEE Advanced 2017.

With over 18 years of experience, currently working as the Managing Director of Ebix Smartclass Educational Services, Divya is a seasoned education industry leader with experience in creative innovative school solutions, building and managing the relationship with schools, academic support, training, and operations. She leads a team of more than 1000 people, managing over 5000 schools and impacting over 2.5 million students. Divya is passionate about creating 21st-century Future Ready Schools and bridging the digital divide. She believes the purpose of educational technology is not only to utilise existing tools to augment learning but to apply scientific knowledge and advances in learning theory to the application of assistive devices in the classroom. She feels fortunate to be working in the field of education as it has given her a chance to contribute towards building the future of the country.

August 2018

SGEF 2018 As Head of Digital Media GTM and Sales for Adobe in South Asia, Gaurav is responsible for development and execution of Go To Market strategy for the expansion of business for Adobe across South Asia. Gaurav has extensive experience in the Information Technology space in India and Asia Pacific Region, including setting up businesses for multiple organisations. He has spent a considerable amount of time in the Information Security space during his time at Symantec Corporation. He has published many articles in leading dailies on various aspects of Information Security addressing the layman for enhancing the common man’s understanding of safety on the internet. Gaurav regularly engages with companies from almost all lines of business ranging from media and entertainment to pharmaceuGaurav Kanwal ticals. In addition, schools are one of the key areas where Gaurav is focused to help provide skill-based education in India and regularly speaks to students on multiple topics from creative thinking to technology adoption trends. Gaurav has consulted many organisations on various research projects.

Hima, a Masters in Economics, is the vivacious Head of Sales and Business Planning at EdTerra Edventures Pvt. Ltd. She vigorously proclaims, and implements her twin-pronged target of safety and education. She oozes and inspires confidence as she is a committed and concerned mother of two growing children and has a varied professional experience as an educationist and organisational expert.

Hima Mal

She has 14 years of academic experience, including service as an academic head and two years of research work experience with the University of San Diego. Additionally, she has nine years of corporate experience with various organisations including the United States Information Services, UNDP, and EF Educational Tours.

She believes that real learning takes place OUTSIDE the classroom when you come to grips with ‘real’ life. A diehard extrovert, she develops connections and relationships with whoever she meets and wherever she travels (and she does that extensively). She is in her mettle in a crisis, which is rare when she is around, as she is an excellent organiser and a meticulous planner.

Imran is a General Partner at Gaja Capital (www.gajacapital.com). Gaja is India’s leading mid-market growth capital firm. Gaja’s aim is to help create India’s next generation of market leaders and has invested in sectors such as education, consumer, and financial services. Imran has over 18 years of experience in private equity, pharmaceuticals and technology services. Prior to Gaja, Imran worked in a variety of roles of increasing responsibility at Dr. Reddy’s and Wipro Technologies. At Gaja, Imran leads investments in the Education and Consumer clusters. He has been closely involved with Gaja’s investments in SportzVillage (Sports management), EuroKids (Pre-K and K12), John Distilleries (AlcoBev), CL Educate (Supplemental Education), Indus World Schools (K12), Educomp (Educationdiversified) and Millennium Schools (K12).

Imran Jafar

Imran has post-graduate degrees in software engineering from BITS-Pilani and an MBA from IIM-Bangalore.

August 2018

Shri Feroze Varun Gandhi is a second-term Member of Parliament, who represented the Pilibhit constituency in 2009, and was elected from the Sultanpur constituency in 2014, winning both elections by record margins. He was the youngest ever National Secretary of the BJP from 2008-2011, and the youngest ever National General Secretary of the party from 2011-2014. He is a member of its National Executive. Shri Gandhi has been a member of a number of Parliamentary Standing Committees, including those on Defence and External Affairs. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. He is a widely respected opinion leader and policy analyst, writing widely in English for The Hindu, The Economic Times, NDTV, and subsequently in Hindi for Amar Ujala, Navbharat Times, Rajasthan Patrika and Hindustan. Shri Gandhi also writes in other important regional languages for Lokmat, Malayala Manorama, Vijayvani, among others, making him the widest read columnist in Feroze Varun Gandhi the country, reaching over 200 million readers. A poet by inclination, Shri Gandhi has published two bestselling volumes of poetry, ‘The Otherness of Self’ and ‘Stillness’. ‘Stillness’ broke sales records, becoming the best bestselling non-fiction book of the 2015, selling over 10,000 copies in its first two days of release. He is currently working on his third book of poetry, titled ‘Surrender’, while also travelling extensively to research for a book steeped in Developmental Agrarian Economics, which seeks to answer the fundamental question – ‘What is the economic future of Indian villages?’. Both these books are due for release in 2018. Since becoming an MP in 2009, Shri Gandhi has never drawn a salary, directly donating it to the families of farmers that had committed suicide. In 2014, Shri Gandhi took a pledge of starting a subaltern movement that would aim to rid as many farmers of their immediate debt as possible, while creating for them a programme that ensures they do not fall back into debt. He donated Rs.1 crore of his own money, while crowdfunding locally across the state of Uttar Pradesh, reaching out to the local elite as well as large farmers to contribute. He visited over 20 districts in the state, including, Agra, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Bahraich, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sultanpur, Sitapur, Moradabad, Allahabad and Aligarh, over 1.5 years, and managed to raise over Rs.22.6 crore, which was immediately deposited in the accounts of the said farmers. In this manner, over 4700 farmers became debt-free. His latest initiative, Sapnon ka Ghar is to provide permanent structure (pucca) homes to people who have never owned them or lived in them, even in previous generations. He started with a personal donation of 100 homes in his constituency of Sultanpur. As previously done, he seeks to broad base this into a movement, planning to once again travel and crowd-fund nationally this time in order to build 1000 homes by the year-end, reaching out to the local elite as well as large farmers to contribute. He aims to provide the homeless with a psychological and material cushion against being completely ravaged by poverty, while also providing them with a sense of honour and a sense of community.

Kanak Gupta is an alumnus from the prestigious Purdue University, USA and St Xaviers’ College, Calcutta. He has lived and worked in India, Germany and the UK working with top-end consultancy firms of Europe, and has a keen interest in start-ups, social media, entrepreneurship, theatre, cinema, and writing. Kanak has successfully been involved in the strategy, innovation, academic research and branding of Jaipuria Group. He is currently serving as Vice President of Seth M R Jaipuria Schools, which have been recognised as the Best School Chain in India by Indian Education Congress consecutively for the last three years, and also won acclaim from the University of Berkeley as School of Greater Good in the World. Today, Jaipuria Schools has grown to 25 schools, 18000 students and 2500+ educationists associated with the group pan-India. He is also co-founder of Theatrecian, Kanak Gupta the most prolific English theatre group of India. For his works, Kanak has been felicitated as Young Creative Entrepreneur by the British High Commission in India.

As the co-founder and director of The Heritage Group of Schools, Manit championed the cause of experiential learning, launching it successfully in the mainstream environment. He is driven by the cause of real and humane education and continues to advocate and address the need for re-imagining schools.

Manit Jain

He co-chairs FICCI’s school education arm in India. Manit continues to found new ventures like I am a Teacher, a post-graduate diploma in learning and teaching that is changing the paradigm of teaching in India and is now opening its second centre at the American School of Bombay. He holds a Master’s degree in education from Harvard University.

August 2018

SGEF 2018 Kavita Anand is the founder and executive director of Adhyayan (www.adhyayan.asia) – an education movement of school leaders transforming the quality of their schools and the learning opportunities of their students. In the last four years, Adhyayan has enabled more than 380 schools to adopt inclusive self-review for evidencebased improvement, benefitting 4.4 lakh students. As on date, more than 200 school leaders are associated with Adhyayan, as a professional learning community of school assessors and leaders of teaching and learning. As founder-director of Adhyayan Foundation (www.adhyayanfoundation.org), Kavita works with organisations in the school and higher education ecosystem, introducing evidence-based self-review into the work of not-for-profits, Kavita Anand funding organisations, universities, pre/ in-service teacher training colleges/ programmes and government. Their first partners are Ashoka Foundation for their Changemaker Schools Programme and the social enterprise Antarang for a career readiness diagnostic based on their curriculum, for individual students and higher education institutions.

Dr M.D. Saraswat is a post-graduate in English, Hindi, and Sanskrit. Subsequently, he also earned a doctorate in Hindi Literature. After a rewarding career in the Doon School where he served for 16 years, he was the founder principal of two schools. Thereafter, he took on the mantle of the CEO of the Sapkal Knowledge Hub in Nasik before he joined The Scindia School in April 2015. His educational philosophy is simple and can be summarised in two lines. He believes that education is about providing the correct references and appropriate stimulants to the students for their inherent goodness to express itself on its own. As principal of Dr Madhav Deo The Scindia School, Dr. Saraswat Saraswat believes in establishing and promoting a culture of excellence and meritocracy in every sphere of school activity. He believes that experiential education for the youth is the need of the hour, and promotes the ideology of leadership through service in students.

A person who strongly believes quality education is every child’s right, Poonam is a leader with vision and drive. She has been pivotal in the success of Extramarks. CEO of Extramarks Foundation and Director, Extramarks Education; she endeavours to create new value through ed tech innovation and believes that digital learning will set new benchmarks in education. This energy packed strategist has taken Extramarks Education to the worldwide market, with a strong gumption to reach-out to the remotest of regions with K-12 learning solutions. She leverages her two decades of rich corporate experience to connect like-minded people and organisations towards creating quality education access for all. A Chevening Scholar and alumnus of the University of Bradford, Poonam holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA), Masters in Education (MA) and PG Journalism.

Poonam Singh Jamwal

Prior to Extramarks Education, she brought new media into education, constantly innovating to enrich teaching learning environment. Over a decade with The Times of India, she drove the concept of Newspaper in Education – bringing newspaper into the classroom, connecting reality to theoretical curriculum and was a pioneer in digital learning with the launch of Indiatimes Learning in the year 2000. She has been editor of The Times of India student edition and managing editor for The Global Times.

August 2018

Dr. Jagpreet Singh, Headmaster of The Punjab Public School, Nabha did his schooling and college from Ajmer. He is a Post Graduate in History and M.Ed. and Doctorate (Doctor of Literature). Dr. Jagpreet Singh possesses 30 years of rich administrative experience in the field of education. He has been awarded the Best Teacher in the year 2001 by the Chief Justice of Rajasthan. He was also awarded the Best Teacher in September 2003 by the Lions Club, Ajmer and Eminent Educationist Award by International Institute of Education & Management, Delhi in 2011. In 2013, The International Institute of Education & Management, New Dr. Jagpreet Singh Delhi has conferred the most coveted Rajiv Gandhi Education Excellence Award to Dr. Jagpreet Singh, for his achievements in the field of Education. Dr. Jagpreet Singh, Headmaster has been awarded the Jury of the Derozio Award for Education and Human Enrichment by the Council of the Indian School Certificate Examination in January 2014. He was awarded the Best Principal Performance Award awarded by Global Achievers Foundation in June 2014 and also Asia Pacific Achievers Award awarded by Indian Solidarity Council in June 2014 in an award ceremony held at Tashkent – Uzbekistan, Russia. He has been awarded International Gold Star Millennium Award by Global Achievers Foundation awarded by Mr. Korn Dabbaransi, Former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand at Bangkok in February 2015. He has also been awarded the Bharat Vibhushan Samman Puraskar awarded by Global Achievers Foundation for his outstanding individual achievement and distinguished services to the nation on the occasion of National Seminar held in 2015 at Dehradun (Uttarakhand). Recently he has been awarded the Best Personalities of India Award by Friendship Forum, New Delhi. Before joining this institution he was Vice Principal, Mayo College, Ajmer. His association with Mayo College, Ajmer has been since 1989 onwards till March 2011. He started his career as a teacher in 1986.

Dr Neeta Bali is a seasoned educator with over 35 years of experience in education. She began her career with Mater Dei School as Head of Department English, followed by vice-principalship of Apeejay School, NOIDA, a seven-year stint with GD Goenka World School as a principal, followed by headship of Kasiga School, Dehradun, Podar International School, Powai, Mumbai. Currently, she is director-principal, GD Goenka World School. She is an eloquent speaker, having been invited to many leading conferences, an author of books on English communication, a thought leader and an operational head, who has raised the benchmark for the schools she has led. She is an alumnus of Miranda House, Delhi University. She is the recipient of many awards, including the International Jean Lowrie grant Dr Neeta Bali and award, 100 Highly Effective Principals of India, Uttarakhand Rattan Award

Nirav is a partner at Kaizen Private Equity, a leading education-focused investment firm. Prior to joining Kaizen, Nirav was with the Tata Group for over 20 years in various capacities including as the Chief Executive Officer of Tata ClassEdge and Tata Interactive Systems, Vice President – Chairman’s Office, and Head Telecom Practice – TCS, Asia Pacific. Nirav has led several international projects and collaborations in the fields of telecommunications and aerospace and served as Director on the Boards of companies within and outside India. Nirav is an engineer and MBA (Gold Medalist). He was one of the 12 mid-career professionals selected by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK for the first batch of the Chevening Rolls-Royce Science and Innovation Leadership Programme at the University of Oxford. Nirav was recognised as a Young India Leader by the British High Commission in 2013. In 2016, Jagran Lakecity Nirav Khambhati University conferred upon him an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Arts (Management) for his contributions in the space of management, education, and technology. Nirav is a member of the Confederation of Indian Industry’s Council for Primary Education.

August 2018

SGEF 2018 In the year 2003, Shukla Bose started the Parikrma Humanity Foundation – a roof-top school in Rajendranagar in Bengaluru with 165 students from the slums. Today, with over four schools and one junior college, Parikrma Humanity Foundation continues to offer highquality education and support to over thousands of children from four orphanages and over 71 slums in the city. A TED speaker, Shukla Bose was also awarded the Pride of Karnataka Roundtable International in 2015. Parikrma Humanity Foundation has been awarded the Derozio Award for excellence in special education and social commitment. Parikrma also received the Governor’s award for exemplary social Shukla Bose work in January 2007. Parikrma Humanity Foundation is now a chapter included in Cornell University and IIMB. She has been nominated as the chairperson to draft the Karnataka school education policy and works with the Karnataka State Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), IQ Education Excellence Task Force, to check on quality in education. Shukla was with Oberoi hospitality group for 13 years and was the CEO of RCI for 11 years. She has been invited to speak at several national and international conferences on social entrepreneurship and global education. A few include the INK Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Kolkata and IIM Udaipur. IIM Udaipur will soon be offering a leadership case study on Bose. Besides TEDx Mysore, TEDx Ramaih, TEDx Bangalore, and TEDx IIM Calcutta, she has been invited to several international and national Rotary conferences and talks. Shukla has been invited to speak in international conferences in California, New York, including the India Development Coalition of America conference in Chicago, the IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference IEEE-GHTC 2015, in Seattle, WA and the Beaconhouse School System, Pakistan, 2015. Shukla has also participated in several women empowerment meets and talks at companies like Dell, Cisco, Synopsys, and Yahoo.

August 2018

Skand Bali has been involved in education for over 18 years now. He is currently working as the Principal of The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet. He has previously served as the Principal of GD Goenka World School, Gurugram.

Skand Bali

Highly regarded as an effective school educator, Skand Bali has had an illustrious career in some of the premier institutes of the country starting his career at The Army Public School, Dagshai and later working at The Doon School, Dehradun. While serving as the Housemaster of Tata House in The Doon School, Dehradun, he was dynamically invested and instrumental in leading his house to the top position in the school both in academics and extracurricular activities.

During his years of service, he has accumulated a number of awards and achievements bearing his name. He has been the recipient of two long service awards, three triennial service awards, two IAYP (The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award) India recognition awards namely India’s Recognition Award in April 2010 and India’s valuable service in Award, 2013. An accomplished writer, he has authored several textbooks in his field of interest, Geography. He has earned his Master’s degree in Geography from the Punjab University and a Professional Graduate certificate in education from University College London, UK. Being an effective educational leader requires a complex set of knowledge, skills, and qualities and he is adept at all! He is a progressive leader who believes that inclusion, integrity, and insight are keys to good administration. He is a firm believer in the infinite potential of the young minds he mentors and adheres to the principle that education is incomplete without incorporating core values within the system. He believes in doing the best for his students by providing an inclusive and nurturing environment; building collaborative partnerships between students, teachers, parents and community based on respect and mutual understanding; transparency and encouraging investment of all stakeholders in decision making. Recently, he was conferred with the Progressive Principal Award and Iconic Principal Changing the World Award, in 2018, and Ideal Principal Award in November 2017.

Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar is a scion of the 1500-year-old House of Mewar in Udaipur. Born on the January 28, 1985, he is the only son of Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar and Smt. Vijayraj Kumari Mewar of Udaipur. Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar is Trustee – Vidyadan Trust, Trustee – Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation, Executive Director – Lake Palace Hotels & Motels Pvt. Ltd., Executive Director – Historic Resorts Hotels Pvt. Ltd. and President – Maharana Pratap Smarak Samiti. As a child, Lakshyaraj was raised to respect and honor his esteemed lineage, which is rich in history and culture. His childhood was spent in hearing stories about his valiant ancestors and their remarkable traditions. He was greatly inspired by his paternal grandfather, his late Highness Maharana Bhagwat Singh Mewar, whose diligent Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar service to society and sense of charity, exemplified the importance of serving the community while upholding social and moral responsibilities Believing in working his way to the top, Lakshyaraj started his career from scratch by working as a waiter at the Four Seasons Hotel in Australia, followed by a stint at several cafes in Australia. On his return to Udaipur, he joined the family business and undertook the refurbishment of the iconic Jagmandir Island Palace as his maiden venture, Through 2006-07, under his management, Jagmandir Island Palace reinforced its position, as one of the world’s most exclusive regal wedding destinations. Thereafter Lakshyaraj turned his attention to developing Palkikhana as a European-style café at the picturesque Manek Chowk of the City Palace, Udaipur. With experienced chefs by his side, Lakshyaraj worked painstakingly to improve the F&B (food and beverages) quality and service standards across the HRH Group of Hotels. Lakshyaraj is an ardent sports enthusiast and is especially passionate about cricket. His consistent efforts and love for the game are well respected, as he is an advisor to the President of the Rajasthan Cricket Association. Lakshyaraj’s unwavering commitment to social causes and his dedication to the public has created awareness on several issues related to the rural and urban populace in the region. He has conducted various campaigns to create awareness in the field of education, health, environment, and other social causes, in order to improve the standard of living and quality of life of the local people. Lakshyaraj also takes pleasure in working for and encouraging the youth, especially in creative fields. He provides opportunities for them to exhibit their talent and participate in many remarkable events.

Sean Slade is the Senior Director of Global Outreach at ASCD, a global mission-driven education association. During his nearly three decades in education, spanning five countries and four continents, he has spoken and written extensively on topics related to the whole child and health and wellbeing, and he has been at the forefront of promoting and using school climate, connectedness, resilience, and a youth development focus for school improvement. He has written for the Washington Post, Huffington Post, published with ASCD, Routledge and Human Kinetics. He is a Social & Emotional Learning expert for NBC Education Nation, VP for Sean Slade Advocacy at the International Union for Health Promotion & Education (North America) and a member of the OECD 2030 Future of Education Task Force and UNESCO Chair on Health & Education.

Ratnesh Kumar Jha

Ratnesh is at the helm of Cambridge University Press, South Asia region as Managing Director. A man who wears many hats, he is the President of API (Association of Publishers in India), Chair of the FICCI Education Committee and member of the Higher Education Committee. His vision for CUP’s mission is reflected in innovative endeavours through the creation of novel programs, learning/ teaching material, and research content as well as developing impactful partnerships to impart skills, education and academics.

August 2018

SGEF 2018 Lt Gen Surendra Kulkarni is an Old Boy of Mayo College. He joined in 1964 and completed his MSc in March 1970. He has served in the Army for nearly four decades. He was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in 1975. In his long and distinguished career, he has commanded the largest forces and held some of the most prestigious assignments. In recognition of his special contribution, he has been awarded a Vishisht Seva Medal twice, an Ati Vishishta Seva Medal and finally the highest peacetime distinguished service award in the Armed Forces, the Param Vishisht Seva Medal by the President of India. Parallel to his Army career, he has pursued his academic interests. He is an economics graduate from Fergusson College Pune. He was a post graduate UGC Merit scholar before he joined the Army. He has four Masters Degrees including an M Phil Lt Gen Surendra degree. He would be one of the Kulkarni few officers to have been sent abroad thrice on academic assignments. He has taught at the Armoured Corps Centre and School, Ahmadnagar, Institute of Armament Technology, Pune and the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. In Mayo, he was in Colvin and Rajasthan Houses. He was a keen sportsman, who played cricket, tennis, squash, football and hockey.

Dr Swati Popat Vats

Sridhar Sunkad is responsible for overseeing EON Reality’s APAC and Middle Eastern markets, along with the R&D charter for developing 3D virtual learning solutions in those regions. He has also managed subsidiary operations of EON Reality’s Singapore office since 2008, where EON Reality has become recognised as a key stakeholder in developing the Interactive Digital Media IDM ecosystem. He began his career in 1996 at Clarus AB Gothenburg, Sweden as project co-coordinator for developing the Asian markets. He was responsible for the development and coordination of channel partners in Asia, a responsibiliSridhar Sunkad ty which led to developing an innovative & flexible outsourcing product development model with software companies based in Bangalore India, also known as Indian Silicon Valley. In 1999, he joined EON Reality as a founding team member in Irvine, California. From 2003 to 2007, he was based in Chicago, Illinois driving the Midwest accounts while managing the growth of the channels for Asian markets. Graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from BMS College, India, he studied for his Master’s degree at the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg Sweden. In his spare time, he enjoys mountain climbing and other outdoor extracurricular activities.

Dr Swati Popat Vats is the founder president of Early Childhood Association India, an association that works for quality care and education of our youngest citizens (0 to 6 years). Dr Vats is President of Podar Education Network and she leads over 290 preschools and daycares as founder director of Podar Jumbo Kids. She is also the national representative for the World Forum Foundation. She is nursery director of Little Wonders Nursery (UAE) that has branches in Jumeirah and Sharjah. She has received many accolades and awards for her contribution to Early Childhood Education and has been conferred the Fellowship of Honor from the New Zealand Tertiary College. She was the founder consultant for the Euro Kids preschool project in India and helped set up TATASKY’s children’s television activity channel - ACTVE WHIZKIDS. She is the founder expert on the world’s first video-based parenting website www.born-smart.com that helps parents understand and nurture brain development in the first 1000 days. Dr Swati has authored many books for parents and children and is a strong advocate of nature-based learning in the early years and promotes brain research-based teaching and parenting in her workshops across the globe. Swati tweets and blogs on education and parenting and can be followed on @swatipopat or www.kiducationswatipvats.blogspot.in

August 2018

Prof. Bhagwati Prakash Sharma is President, Pacific University, Udaipur. The designation of President is equivalent to Vice-Chancellor of the University. He has over 39 years of teaching and administrative experience. His distinguished achievements at international level include Participation in Ministerial Meetings of the WTO.

(i)

(ii)

Conference Titles

Venue

Date

5th Biannual Ministerial Conference of

Cancun

September

the World Trade Organization (WTO)

(Mexico)

10-14, 2003

6th Biannual Ministerial Conference of

Hong-Kong

December

the World Trade Organization (WTO) (iii) 10th Biannual Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO)

13-18, 2005 Nairobi

December

(Kenya)

15-18, 2015

Invitations from the parliamentary standing committees for presentation: Parliamentary Standing Committee for Ministry of Commerce, Govt. of India on WTO Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, Govt. of India on Capping of Third Party Vehicle Insurance Claims Liability AWARDS Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviya Award for 2016, for contribution in the field of Management to be awarded by the Hon’ble President, Union of India in September 2018.

Prof. B. P. Sharma

Achievers Award 2016 for Best Contribution in Management Sector for the Year 2015 by Computer Society of India in their All India Convention Excellence Award 2016 by Hindustan Times Danik Bhasker Life Time Achievement Award 2016

Extension lectures abroad

Research Experience

Extension Lectures on “Universal Humanism of Swami Vivekanand” in January 2013 in UAE at

Supervised doctoral researches for Ph.D. degree

Dubai

Supervised other research projects

Sharjah

Organized Workshops, National and International Seminar

National level online survey

Abu Dhabi Key Note Addresses for International Yoga Day Celebrations during June 20-21, 2016 in Bahrain Visiting speakers and other all-India assignments

Publications

Visiting Speaker to the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies & Training (BPST), New Delhi Several Universities and Colleges

Visiting faculty to the Harish Chandra Mathur State Institute of Public Administration, Jaipur, Rajasthan and

Popular Monographs Authored

Articles/ Research Papers published in Journals, Newspapers & Magazines

230+

Workshops and National as well as International Seminars organized

No. 14

Professional memberships Indian Society For Training and Development (ISTD) New Delhi

Books Authored

Life Member Chapter Secretary for 1994-95

Edited Books

National Council Member 2008-09

Editor in Chief of monthly periodicals

All India Convener, Bharat Solar Power Development Forum, New Delhi Indian Commerce Association-Life Member Indian Accounting Association-Life Member

Pacific Business Review International– A monthly refereed and indexed research

August 2018

SGEF 2018 Bradley Loiselle, PMP, is a published author of an entrepreneur book called Keep Moving 4ward – What it takes to be an entrepreneur. A serial entrepreneur, he has received multiple business awards, sits on several advisory boards in both Canada and India, is an avid public speaker, has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Global Education and many more. Brad has created several successful businesses over his career. His current company, betterU Education Corporate (publicly traded on the TSXV: BRTU), is focused on educating the mass population of India and working to solve access to global education for all. Coming from a humble beginning, Brad built his career as an entrepreneur by leveraging the discipline of Project Management. By 2000, Brad founded EWL, the largest importer of licensed wrapping paper and other paper products in Canada in partnership with The Walt Disney Company, Marvel, Nickelodeon, 20th Century Fox and several others. Brad’s ambitions helped expand his company into multiple countries, which resulted in the need to move manufacturing to China. By 2008 after multiple visits to China, Brad’s eyes were opened to the lack of access to quality education faced by of the masses in emerging and remerging markets and decided to help solve the problem. Through his past experiences, drive to make a global difference and passion to help others, Brad went onto founding an EdTech company called iPal Interactive Learning.

Bradley Loiselle

By 2011 iPal was acquired by one of Canada’s largest HR firms, and by 2013, Brad refocused and reinvested his efforts and money to support India’s educational growth requirements, resulting in the founding of betterU. Over the course of the next five years, Brad travelled to India over 30 times meeting with hundreds of companies, the Prime Ministers from both Canada and India, educational leaders, spiritual leaders, students, families and more. His travels to India focused on understanding the underlying root challenges within the educational system while working to establish betterU’s infrastructure, relationships, and partnerships that would ultimately support betterU’s long-term vision. Today, betterU is closing a US$100M equity investment that will advance and support the business acceleration. betterU currently supports over 12,000 programmes across KG-12, Skills Development, Exam Preparation, Assessment, Higher-Ed and more. With growing teams in Canada, Europe, Australia, and India, betterU is priming to become India’s leading education to employment platform. Brad lives by his motto to always Keep Moving 4ward!

Arunabh Singh

August 2018

Arunabh Singh, a committed educationist, and innovator is the promoter of Nehru World School, Ghaziabad. An alumnus of Kings College London and Hindu College, Delhi University, Arunabh has been awarded Global Teacher accreditation from Cambridge Foundation for his action research on Continuing Professional Development of Teachers. An education entrepreneur with a keen interest in education technology, outreach, skill building and teacher enablement, he invests abundant time in delivering leadership training and interacting with young learners along with his passion for theatre and basketball.

INTERVIEW

WHAT MAKES

EXTRAMARKS INDIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LEADING DIGITAL LEARNING PLATFORM? 54

August 2018

Anushka Yadav speaks to Poonam Singh, Director, Extramarks, for a closer look at the transformation being engendered by the digital learning solutions provider Extramarks, a leading digital learning solutions provider, has been marking itself as a forerunner in revolutionising education by bridging the gap in education delivery. The education service provider offers online and offline educational services aimed at students, as well as parents and teachers. Extramarks primary education serves customers globally. Launched by Extramarks, the Total Learning Application brings all the stakeholders in the learning process - students, parents, teachers and the school - together on a common platform to keep them connected at all times and collectively work towards the student's success. The Total Learning Application provides an end-to-end comprehensive learning environment that extends all the way from the school to the home. It allows students to access the curriculum-mapped learning solutions at home while simultaneously providing notifications to the parents and teachers to track, monitor, and evaluate the student's performance. These learning solutions are based on a threepronged approach of 'Learning, Practicing, and Testing' which leads to a more adaptive and deeply immersive learning. It also allows school authorities to manage its daily routine activities such as admissions, fee deposit, attendance, and library management to ensure effective communication between the students, parents, and teachers. In a rendezvous with ScooNews, Poonam Singh, Director, Extramarks shares the journey, motto and creative vision of their platform… Describe the motto of Extramarks and how did the journey begin? Extramarks began its journey in the year 2007 with a vision to provide 360 degree in-school and after-school education support to make the teaching-learning process engaging and interesting. It has been more than a decade of existence and we have successfully delivered rich learning solutions that are in sync with

school curriculum – in-school and after-school both. Simultaneously we have integrated global standards of pedagogy to ensure higher level of delivery and outcome. Our end goal is to make quality education available to the entire teaching-learning fraternity, irrespective of location. We strongly feel that every child has the right to quality education and only technology can be the fastest and most efficient medium to fulfil the goal. What is your creative vision for Extramarks? Extramarks believes that the curiosity of today’s learner is what fuels their academic success. If we facilitate our curious learners with timely intervention that ensures clarity of concepts and triggers hunger for new knowledge, our learners remain engaged and focused on an immersive learning path. Our learning solutions offer a layered learning approach wherein, once basic conceptual clarity is achieved, the learner is steered towards application and expansion of knowledge through formative discussions, high order thinking skills and case studies. We understand this curiosity doesn’t stop with the school bell. In today’s date we need a mechanism to connect all the all the stakeholders – teachers, students, parents and school management on the same platform - to ensure that our learners are guided well, assessed and supported by timely and relevant intervention to fill the learning gaps just-in-time. We envision that through the Total Learning approach; all learners experience deep immersive learning that is experiential. This ensures a strong foundation and makes the learner future ready. How is Extramarks contributing towards changing the education atmospherics of the country? Extramarks has changed the paradigm of edtech and school learning by making it student centric and giving the power of academic success in the hands of students by focusing on power of personalised learning. We multiply

access from classrooms and laboratory to reach home via personal computers systems, tablets – all Extramarks solutions are compatible across all platforms i.e. Android, iOS, Windows. In the journey of providing access to quality education all Extramarks impacted schools have raised the bar of quality with all stakeholders. This has been an organic transition as Extramarks has adopted a global pedagogy of Learn, Practice and Test – it ensures all concepts are fully understood via Exploration and Repetition amongst the K-5 grade children. For the senior grades (6 – 12 grade) we have adopted a layered, structured and hierarchical model of concept delivery. The concepts are explained in an application format – which automatically uplifts the standards of teaching and learning – for students and teachers both. We have used technology to the optimum to ensure: a. Enhanced School efficiency and experience - there is a seamless transition in terms of technology adoption be it lesson delivery or day-to-day activities via ERP systems Eg. NDMC schools across Delhi, DPI schools in Punjab and many others b. Teachers transition to higher standards of lesson delivery – All teachers adopting Extramarks Solutions are hand held for regular use of the same. This has shown remarkable change. We, as on date, have trained more than a lakh teachers. c. Students have been provisioned with bridged solutions from school to home – We fulfill all needs of students in terms of K-12, Career Assessment, SAT and even IIT JEE and NEET. Over a million students are impacted across India, South Africa, Middle East and South-East Asia. All stakeholders are served under one umbrella at Extramarks – we ensure all solutions to be leveraged through web-login/ App/ Tablet format for offline – this has made quality education available anytime anywhere as on date across the country. How can India become a global powerhouse of education? We pretty much have begun the journey! The amount of students enrolling in the universities of India for higher education is a true example. We have expats from all over the globe as they find quality education available at affordable cost in India. I strongly feel we would very soon have the same happening in the K-12 segment too. It is becoming an organic transition for Alevel schools that we already see offering IGCSE and IB curriculum alongside Indian curriculum. Even Indian curriculum learnings are transitioning towards experiential delivery models – the journey has begun and given the speed at which it is going, only technology is the medium.

August 2018

Jewels of India

HONOURS

Honouring Educationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brightest and Best

Parvathy Jayakrishnan highlights the empowering, change-ushering achievements of the jewels of Indian education

Parvathy Jayakrishnan writeback@scoonews.com

ducation has the potential to write and rewrite the destiny of generations. This immense responsibility is shouldered by no one in particular and simultaneously by all working in the field of education. Amidst the thousands of educators, a few shine forth and become a beacon of inspiration, a benchmark that other educators strive to equal. 'Jewels of India' is a humble initiative by ScooNews to honour such extraordinary educators. A truly unique initiative, the awardees are not selected on the basis of nominations. In-depth, year-round research has focused on identifying educators who are making a far reaching impact in the field of education and have the potential to inspire fellow educators to change the game. In our eyes and through the eyes of respected names from the field of education, these are the educators who have chosen not only to set new standards but have also blazed a path for others. ScooNews will celebrate the work and tireless spirit of the five awardees of Jewels of India for the year 2018 at the second edition of the ScooNews Global Educators Fest 2018 on August 3 and 4 at The City Palace, Udaipur. The five awardees of Jewels of India for the year 2018 are Dr Swati Popat Vats Swaroop Sampat Rawal Lata Vaidyanathan Shomie Das Ashok Pandey

August 2018

Dr Swati Popat Vats

ith over 30 years of experience in education, Dr Swati Popat Vats is truly an icon in the field of early childhood education. She is the director of Podar Jumbo Kids, a leading brand of playschool chains in India. She is an educator, an avant-garde educational activist, a teaching expert and a parenting guru. She makes compassion and an empathy with the environment, the sole language of integrated learning which she advocates. Dr Swati has also spearheaded the college of teacher’s training called the Podar Institute of Education, which conducts a one year programme in Early Childhood Education and a certificate programme for learning disabilities in children. She is a parenting professional, an educator, an advocate for child’s rights, a curriculum consultant, an entrepreneur, a school director, an author, a teacher.

A staunch advocate of children’s rights, she works to promote a developmentally-appropriate curriculum and gives workshops on pedagogy, parenting, educational philosophies and school design. She believes in stressfree learning and gets teachers to question anything that is archaic within the system while also absorbing Indian educational thought. Dr Swati works to spread awareness on parenting and pre-school education in various avenues. An educational advisor for Tata Sky’s interactive television games channel, Whizkid, she is also the national representative for India at the World Forum Foundation which works for early childhood in 50 countries and whose mission is to promote an ongoing global exchange of ideas on the delivery of quality services for young children in diverse settings.

She received the Sarvashri award for child education from the government of Goa. Podar Jumbo Kids also has a Kiducation Philosophy Early Childhood Centre which is set up as a research hub in early childhood learning and represents a brand new era of early childhood education focusing on brain development, innovative teaching practices, parental involvement and developmentally appropriate curriculum. Dr Swati is the Asia leader of the Nature Action Collaborative for Children where she works to ensure that children in India grow up knowing Mother Earth and learn to respect Nature. She strongly supports the antispanking campaign advocating “Where the heart beats and not the hand…#Iwillnot”.

August 2018

HONOURS

Dr Swaroop Sampat Rawal

r Swaroop had a keen interest in helping disabled children, which was the motive behind her doctoral dissertation. She wrote letters to Ministers in Maharashtra as well as to the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi. After a favourable response from the Gujarat CM, in 2009 she was selected to head a unique educational programme for children using drama as a tool. She travels to Gandhinagar in Gujarat where she imparts training to teachers on how to use drama techniques to help children improve their creative-thinking, decision-making, problem-solving skills and also how to understand emotions and cope with stress. Dr Swaroop has previously shared her concern with “the trauma faced by children in the prevalent educational setting in India,” adding, “I believe that what I do in education should help make changes for the better in our society.” Armed with a PhD in Education from the University of Worcester, Dr Swaroop did her doctoral thesis on using drama to enhance life skills in children with learning disabilities. She recently wrote a book titled Learning Disabilities in a Nutshell: Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Dyspraxia. She describes the book as an introduction to various forms of learning disabilities to parents. With UNICEF, she is engaged in the programme for Protection of Girl Child, while Child Rights Organization has engaged her for its 'Save the children' programme. Both the projects are running concurrently in Gujarat and Maharashtra. An actress, Dr Swaroop continues to occasionally take on film roles that interest and challenge her. However she makes no bones about which comes first for her. “Teaching is bigger responsibility. Passion can wait. In a way I use my advantage as an actress to use drama techniques in my teaching of life skills so acting is involved,” she points out. Well aware of the “dire need” of educating teachers, not only in cities but also in smaller towns, Dr Swaroop is doing what she always wanted to – “bringing change in the lives of all the children in my country.”

August 2018

Lata Vaidyanathan

enowned for her multiple intelligence approach to learning and total quality management in education, Lata Vaidyanathan is a leading light in the realm of education. A veteran educationist, she stands dedicated and committed to the promotion of child-centred education. During her illustrious career of more than three-and-a-half decades, she has been the Principal of Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan School at Chandigarh, the founder Principal of Eicher School at Parwanoo and the Principal of Modern School Barakhamba Road, New Delhi for the past 14 years. She spearheaded the much-needed concept of burden-free education. She is the director of Teri-Prakriti school. TERI, The Energy Resources Institute is sufficient inspiration to believe that human beings have the

power to change the world we live in. The whole organisation is driven by teams of people who have the conviction that they can influence change.

the Year Award 2013 and Lifetime Achievement Award by the Patanjali Trust 2014.

Lata has undertaken many outreach programmes to help community and sensitise students and teachers towards addressing issues concerning community development. She has made contributions towards inclusive education of differently-abled children.

Speaking about the role of thinkers and educators, Lata shares, “We need to see how you are going to handhold the life of a student who has his personal and emotional problems, but is also dealing with information explosion from all four sides and doesn’t know what to do with that information.”

She was honoured with the National Award to Teachers in the year 2003 by the President of India. She is also the recipient of numerous awards including the Dr Radhakrishnan Award, Bharat Shiromani Award, Madhav Gourav Ratna Achievement Award, International Lifetime Achievement Award 2009 and Global Warming Reduction Award 2009, Educationist of

Teacher training today, she believes, involves the implementation of transformative training, “and for that, everything has to be open ended,” she points out. “Therefore opinions need to be sort, discussions need to happen, collaborative spaces need to be created, and also have a primary understanding of a teacher which we currently lack.”

August 2018

HONOURS

Shomie Ranjan Das

homie Ranjan Das is a respected educationist known for his vision of a smarter, more intelligent generation of individuals who develop their potential to the fullest; value the resources of our planet; empathise with other human beings and are as adept at using cutting-edge technology while interacting with people from other cultures. Grandson of Satish Ranjan Das, an Indian Barrister and social reformer, Shomie Das graduated from St Xavierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College Kolkata and Emmanuel College, Cambridge and is an alumnus of Doon School. He was Head of Physics Department of Gordounstoun School Scotland in 1958, where he taught Prince Charles. With an unrelenting spirit, Shomie Das has

been a mentor, teacher, principal and an education consultant. Das is presently the Chairman of Oakridge International School in Hyderabad. He established the Oakridge International School in Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Mohali, and Bengaluru. He served as headmaster of The Doon School from 1988 to 1995. He is also instrumental in setting Adamas International School at Kolkata. Through educational consultancy, he has contributed his vision in education to nearly 76 schools. Contributing to education foundations and several countries around the world, Shomie Das has been counselling various school managements on ways and means to upgrade institutional infrastructure. Serving on the governing

August 2018

boards of several schools, writing textbooks and providing advisory consultancy services to philanthropic organisations, governments, school promoters and trustees in India as well as abroad, Das has been globetrotting his way to make a difference in the field of education around the world. He has been proudly inducted into the Hall of Fame of Indian education for his extraordinary contributions and development of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top-ranked legacy boarding schools and for upgrading the school education system across the country. He has as successfully developed his own vision of education for the benefit of the newer generations in the 21st century.

Ashok K Pandey

ensures that children are encouraged to form online learning communities, collaborate on joint projects, exchange visits and learn the value of appreciation for different cultures.

The motto of the school is “Global Perspective Indian Values” and it is a driving force to pitch the students and their thoughts and creativity with their counterparts in different time zones of the world. Through this, he

Ashok Pandey served as Chairman of the National Progressive Schools’ Conference (NPSC) a professional body of over 160 schools for a two year term (2015-17). He has worked, in the past, with Mayo College, Ajmer, Delhi Public School, Jammu and Indian Embassy School, Saudi Arabia, among others. He is the author of several articles, projects and research papers and his first book the Pedagogical LifeEssays in Educating India was published last year. Currently, he is working on his second book “100 Questions to Understand Principal Leadership.”

ith an experience of over three decades working in the school sector, Ashok K Pandey has a keen interest in school transformation, professional development of teachers, technology integration and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He heads the Ahlcon International School for the past 15 years, which is ranked among the best schools in the country. He believes that education should prepare children for life calls and equip them with finer values and academic competencies.

Reflecting on teachers’ preparedness, he had maintained, “Teacher preparation has been a great challenge in our country. Given the appalling condition of pre-service teacher training programmes, teaching not being the first career choice for our best and the bright, in-service training assumes greater significance. The private sector and government need to invest in the education and the professional development of the teachers.” For his contributions to the field of education, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award by Ferguson Humanitarian Foundation International, Inc. in 2017, Advaith Foundation Leadership Award (2017) and President’s Award’ (2012).

August 2018

JULY 2018

August 2018

SCOONEWS TEACHER WARRIORS 2018

HONOURING EDUCATION’S REAL HEROES T

hese superheroes do not wear capes but their acts are nothing short of astonishing… and yes, they save lives. It’s that special time of year again, when ScooNews felicitates the real braves of education. The ScooNews Teacher Warriors Awards 2017 put in motion the act of highlighting the heart-warming efforts of a dedicated band of men and women championing education rights for disadvantaged children. This year’s winners are similarly worthy of complete respect and emulation. ScooNews takes pride and pleasure in bringing the wonderful mission of

these Teacher Warriors to the forefront. Their endeavours are bound to inspire, as we bring readers a closer look at their mission, their beliefs and their vision. The future of underprivileged children is significantly brighter thanks to the untiring efforts of these admirable individuals, driving change against tall odds. While the chosen Teacher Warriors will be felicitated at the awards ceremony at the ScooNews Global Educators Fest 2018 in Udaipur on August 3, 4, we bring readers a closer look at their motivation and mettle, in their own words…

August2018

JULY 2018

Dr Kriti Bharti Saarthi Trust

August 2018

Parvathy Jayakrishnan writeback@scoonews.com

ducation gives empowerment. Even today, there are many under-aged girl children who are forced to drop out of school and get married against their wishes. Taking up the challenge to free these girls and give them another chance to get back to life is Dr Kriti Bharti of Rajasthan. To fight this societal evil and give the girl child support, she founded the Saarthi Trust in Jodhpur in 2011 with a dream of establishing a society free of exploitation for children and women, along with a vision of implementing a curative approach to deal with such problems. Saarthi Trust has achieved the milestone of saving a number of children and women from exploitation. She believes that children are most vulnerable in our society and hence they shouldn't be abused or exploited in the name of customs and traditions. Else the future of our country is at stake. Saarthi Trust is working for the establishment of child rights, women’s rights, child marriage annulment, child protection and women protection along with supporting their development and rehabilitation.

Giving child brides a chance “As you know, I work against child marriages. I am freeing girls who are forced into marriages through the Child Marriage Annulment. I have also put out a condition for these child brides: I will fight their cases in court but they have to continue studying from the point they had to drop out of school. All the child brides whose cases I am fighting in court are studying. Some are at primary level and some are pursuing higher education. All these girls are supported by the Saarthi Trust. The reason behind this condition is that in India, girls and women are exploited in a number of ways. After becoming free from child marriages, there are other malpractices via which these girls can be victimised. Education and empowerment is the only medium which will strengthen these vulnerable girls in every situation and save them from future exploitation.”

Abandoned at birth “My own childhood was difficult. My father had abandoned me before birth. My relatives didn't accept me and they were abusive towards me in my childhood days. At the age of 10 years, I was poisoned and had become bedridden. I was cured through Reiki therapy. I learnt to sit, walk and crawl again after

two years. After that I had taken sanyas but I had to come back because of some reasons. While returning home, I decided to continue my studies which I had dropped out of in standard 4. I took a huge jump to standard 10 and then studied regularly. Now I have done my PhD on ‘Children in Need of Care and Protection’. Education has helped me a lot in my survival which is why I feel the need to educate girls and teach them the importance of education.”

Justice and smiles “My motto in life is to make the world free from exploitation so that every child can prosper and fly in their own sky. Justice to victims and educating them plays an important role in achieving this. My motivation is the smiles of victim girls set free from child marriages and when they became empowered thereafter. This satisfies me to the fullest. Education always nourishes you with the knowledge to fight, knowledge to live, knowledge to establish a society free from exploitation. Everyone in this world has to face challenges and education is the medium that plays a vital role to fight against it. My dream is to establish a society where no child is exploited and where they can be free. For this, justice to victims and education are the only two things that can help.”

August2018

JULY 2018

Arup Mukherjee Puncha Nabadisha Model School

Anushka Yadav writeback@scoonews.com

42-year-old employee of the Kolkata Traffic Police, Arup Mukherjee’s vision of education for the Sabar tribe developed during his childhood. The people belonging to the Sabar tribe are found in Purulia district of West Bengal, along with a few other states like Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. The Sabars are mentioned in literature as old as the Mahabharata. The British listed them as a criminal tribe in the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871. To walk into their village feels like taking a trip back to several decades. There is no electricity. The Sabars are shy of outsiders. They live in huts with no toilets (they go outdoors), entire villages have a single tube well to draw water from and for food, they catch tadpoles, snakes, mice, small birds, etc.

Often to overcome the misery of an empty stomach, they get addicted to cheap liquor. Illiterate and ignorant, they do not know anything about the government’s policies to help them or who to approach to receive such aids. Arup bagged a humble job in the Kolkata Police, got married, and had twins, all the while holding on to his childhood resolution. The opportunity came when a kind neighbour offered him a plot of land. Arup took a loan at work and built a boarding school for the Sabar children. He started bringing in children of the extremely impoverished families. The temptation of education would not be much. So he tempted them with the promise of good meals every day - an irresistible offer! Puncha Nabadisha Model School started with 20 children and now accommodates more than 80 children. Most of the children have families who lack access to even two meals a day or a sweater in the winters.

August 2018

Arup employs a local husband and wife duo for the cooking, maintaining stock and other necessary work. Another Sabar woman sought refuge there to escape her abusive husband. She cleans the place, washes the children’s clothes and does other chores. There are two local teachers, who teach the children all subjects in a somewhat informal, home-schooling manner. Though he can only afford to pay everyone a very meagre salary, Arup says the teachers as well as the domestic help are very sincere in their supervision of the children. The older children (between the ages of 10-15), go to the government’s primary school that happens to be in the next building. The local hospital is also nearby. Arup is determined to make these kids pass out of school, after which they will be eligible for government jobs reserved for scheduled tribes. They are also doing well in their studies. They wear decent clothes, get help with their studies, eat well and are much loved.

From hunting birds to attending school “As you know, my work is for the most backward tribes of Purulia. You have to see to believe that people can live in such primitive conditions even in the 21st century. There are entire villages where not even a single villager owns a bicycle – villages without electricity or any proper means of transportation. People fall asleep intoxicated to avoid the pangs of hunger. I elaborate so much of the background, to make you realise how overwhelming it is to see children, who were hunting birds with bows and arrows, to wear clean uniforms, eat a filling meal and go to school every morning.”

End to exploitation “I have been hugely inspired by the work of Mahashweta Devi, the Padma Vibhushan winning Bengali writer who earned the name ‘Mother of the

Sabars’. The villages across Purulia are developing fast. We are adapting modern lifestyles. But the Sabars are still living in poverty and darkness. Their illiteracy is a weak spot that is being mercilessly exploited by people all around. This fact itself is my biggest motivator. I want to do what I can to change this scenario.”

Education – the only chance “My vision is for the Sabar children to get quality education, learn to interact with people outside their tribe, get government jobs and live lives of dignity. They can go back to their tribes and explain the value of education. Nothing drives home an idea as strongly as a real life example. Education is the only chance they have – to exposure, to broader perspectives, to jobs, technology and an end to abject poverty. That is where my goal lies, to educate one child at a time.”

August 2018

JULY 2018

Roshni Mukherjee ExamFear Education

Parvathy Jayakrishnan writeback@scoonews.com

n today's world where the internet is often more accessible than books, a young woman, who is so passionate about teaching decided to try out an experiment to help children learn. Seven years ago, Roshni Mukherjee started her YouTube channel ExamFear Education to put out lessons in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Math and English and today the channel has a whopping 552,502 subscribers and more than 5,000 educational videos. ExamFear is a group of people with desired skills and qualifications who are passionate about teaching and they hope to promote free quality education throughout the world. ExamFear not only explains concepts of various subjects, they also make it interesting with

tricks and experiments to make learning fun. They also provide tips to make notes, revise before an exam and make a good timetable. Examfear has expanded their vision to include lessons in regional languages as well. ExamFear Education - Hindi is almost a year old now with 27,000 subscribers and counting.

Transformative initiative â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have always been very passionate about teaching and I wanted to teach and reach the masses. When I see that the content we created is being used by millions of children across the country today, I feel great. I started off with a couple of Physics videos back in 2011. With time, I saw that the videos were truly helping kids understand and love learning science and math. This encouraged me to create more and more content. By now, I have created

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more than 6,000 videos on Physics, Chemistry, Math, Biology, English Grammar, Geography and Science experiments for Classes 6 to 12. There are numerous emails and comments that I receive everyday with success stories from different parts of the country. Once a child from a small town wrote to me that there were no good teachers near their house, but with the help of ExamFear videos, she found studies interesting and could even score 96 per cent in the Board exams. When a student, Deepal Jain, from a town in Madhya Pradesh became the Biology topper of MP Board, and gave credit to our free education platform, and said that she could totally rely on self-study and ExamFear Education, I was proud of her and satisfied with our work. It gives me immense satisfaction when a child says, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;What you could explain in 10 minutes, my teacher could not do in

a week’. We have students from low economic backgrounds getting good grades in Board exams, cracking medical entrance exams and finding studies interesting. All such stories make us feel happy and satisfied with whatever we do! Something that I started as my passion is actually helping children achieve their goals. My initiative is truly able to transform lives. It is a feeling that is indescribable in words.”

Equal education for one and all “Equal education to one and all, is our motto at ExamFear Education. The idea is to build this free education platform so that every child can access good quality education irrespective of caste, creed, location or economic background. In our country, there are two sets of educational institutions one that provides good quality education but is unaffordable for many, and

another that is low cost or free but lacks quality. Therefore, our idea has always been to strike a balance between the two. We wanted to build a platform that provides free education maintaining the quality. I am highly motivated by the support that I receive from students, teachers and parents who use our content. I am strongly motivated by our students’ success stories, and aim to create more and more such beautiful stories. The first thing that I do every morning when I start my work is read a few emails/ comments from children. They motivate me to work with more enthusiasm to build this free education platform bigger and better!”

Empowering every child “Issues like child labour, poverty and child abuse, are very depressing. I strongly believe that education can def-

initely improve the lives of underprivileged kids, hence our idea of free education. Education in our country is often directly connected to good scores, which in turn often distracts children from real learning. Due to too much pressure from parents and teachers, children prefer rote learning rather than conceptual understanding. We, at ExamFear focus on conceptual understanding and discourage rote learning. We help children think about every minute concept with real-life examples. “Our vision is to make good quality educational content available to everyone for free, so that every child enjoys learning, every child fulfils her/ his dreams, every child feels confident of what he/ she knows and learns, every child is empowered with education. Education is everyone’s right! Let’s educate and empower!”

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JULY 2018

Rajani Paranjpe Door Step Schools

Anushka Yadav writeback@scoonews.com

he Society for Door Step Schools was founded by Rajani Paranjpe, also known as Rajani tai, along with her student Bina Lashkari and other colleagues from Nirmala Niketan College of Social Work, Mumbai in 1989. Its aim was to address the three major issues related to education of children from marginalised sections of society through its various programs namely non-enrolment, wastage and stagnation. Door Step School, Pune runs various community based programmes for the

Primary Education of the underprivileged children for their school enrolment and support classes for them to be able to cope up with their studies in school. Through these programmes, DSS also works with parents in order to raise awareness about the importance of education and their role in it. Door Step School also runs programmes in government schools, which are categorised as School Intervention Programmes. Recognised for her contributions to the field of non-formal education on various occasions, Professor Rajani Paranjpe is a Rotary Club Pune Vocational Excellence awardee (2003 and 2009), Maharshi Karve Stri

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Shikshan Santha Bava Puraskar awardee (2008) and a Pune Marathi Granthalaya Matrusmriti Purskar awardee (2011). She currently serves as President of the Door Step School and continues to strive for the education and welfare of underprivileged children.

Igniting a spark â&#x20AC;&#x153;During all these years of my work I have never given a thought to this question. It is difficult to say which is the most satisfying part of my work - every part of it is satisfying, must be so, otherwise it would not have been possible for me to continue doing it year after year. But when I look at the entire

process now I think the most satisfying moment in my life is the one when I see that spark in the eyes of a student which shows that he/ she has understood what I wanted to say and has opened a new gateway of ideas.”

Every child counts “My motto is very simple and apparently very easy to achieve: I want every Indian child to be able to read and write if nothing more. I think every child counts, as every one of them is a precious gift of god. My motivation comes from within and without. I am a teacher by nature – it is my instinct. I like to share with others what I know and always wanted to be a

teacher in my life. But the motivation for the work which I am doing now is based on my experience, exposure and training. As a professional social worker, I was exposed to situations in slums, the conditions in which children live and grow and the reasons which keep them away from schooling. I used to teach Research Methodology and worked in our college’s Research Department on various research projects. This experience showed me again and again and brought to my notice very clearly that education, however minimal, makes a difference.”

Miles to go “My field experience of working for

adult literacy showed me very clearly that teaching children is far easier than teaching adults. These and such other experiences helped me in my decision to focus on literacy of children and I am doing it to the best of my capacity but unfortunately the end is not in sight. My dream is to reach out to every child who does not have access to education and find out a suitable way of making that child literate. It is really disturbing to see how so many children fall through the cracks – and how so many different problems come in our way in achieving the simple goal of making every child able to read and write.”

August 2018

JULY 2018 Anushka Yadav writeback@scoonews.com

n educator, mathematician and renowned columnist for various reputed journals and magazines, Anand Kumar started Super 30 programme in Patna, Bihar in 2002. With an extraordinary vision and a down to earth attitude, he provides education to economically backward students for the toughest examination in India - IIT-JEE. A speaker at reputed institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Kumar’s work has been showcased by Discovery Channel. He has also been invited as a participant on ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’.

Anand Kumar Super 30

Anand Kumar has made it possible for 422 out of 480 students to enroll in the IITs in 2018.

Taking education to those who lack resources “Today, education reaches to those who can afford it whereas those who have the talent, power and the will to do something extraordinary often lack access to basic education. We at Super 30 believe in giving education to those who have that zeal and talent but lack the resources; it is this aspect of my work as an educator that makes me want to go to sleep with satisfaction every day.”

Lessons in patience “My late father has always been my motivation and pillar of strength. I lost him at a young age but everything that he taught me continues to help me every day. He taught me how to maintain my calm even in the toughest of rides. He said it is important to be patient when someone is revolting against you even when you are doing a good deed. My father has taught me everything from how to speak and behave, to becoming a better educator. It is his words that motivate and empower me.”

Powering dreams “My dream and vision for all the children is to live in a country where they don’t have to leave their education despite having the talent and the will to study; each child deserves to get quality education and fulfill their dreams.”

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Mukti Gupta Help Us Help Them Nichola Pais editor@scoonews.com

elp Us Help Them (HUHT) is a non-profit organisation working directly with underprivileged children catering to their needs of education and overall development since 2005. Their aim is to provide educational support to underprivileged children, enrol poor students in mainstream and boarding schools, provide healthy nutrition, and educate students about hygiene and cleanliness. The vision of HUHT is to develop good human beings, who in turn will give back to society in the future. Under the inspiring Mukti Gupta’s direction, currently HUHT runs two projects for 600 children with 35 faculty members. These include a rural school in Mallickpur (South 24 Parganas) Primary education (Nursery – 1) and Supplementary education (Class 2- 10). They also run School-On-Wheels (SOW), a mobile classroom, bridging the gap between mainstream school and street children. Their upcoming projects include a free residential school for over 1000 underprivileged children with facilities at par with any other residential school in India, and a

management tie-up with Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences to provide quality education.

Inner Satisfaction “When you see the transformation occur in a child coming from the underprivileged section of the society working as a child labour, indulged in the act of begging, drug exposure and how through education you can change him/her to a self-sustained person who then becomes capable of taking his and family's responsibility in a better way… there is a deep sense of inner satisfaction. Help Us Help Them was started in Mallickpur with 10 students and three teachers and today we have 675 students and around 35 members. In our 12 years, we have managed to spread education among thousands of underprivileged children where many of them were first generation learners.”

Small leaps towards dreams “I take it as my responsibility and duty to give back to society what it has given me. Also, I strongly believe when you selflessly work towards something with good intentions, God gives you

immense strength and power to keep going. This is the driving force behind me that helps me overcome challenges. And these challenges are actually a learning process. I get empowered to see a child getting empowered. I feel inspired to see how my students are getting moulded in the right way and taking small leaps towards their dream. The motivation I get when I see other families coming to our school with their child because their neighbour's child is doing well is matchless as it spreads the message that education is needed.”

Wheel of help “My dream and vision is to imbibe values in order to make good human beings by providing them an access to education and helping them spend their childhood in schools and not just work for a meagre income. Integral education is also very important and that's why we strive to ensure that extracurricular activities are part of the curriculum for a holistic education which we provide to our students. I want to see all the children, give back to the society selflessly by supporting the underprivileged section of the society in the same manner how they've been supported.”

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JULY 2018

Mukesh Sahay

Sonaram High Secondary School

Nichola Pais editor@scoonews.com

irector General of Assam Police, tough cop Mukesh Sahay kept a tight rein on law and order during his tenure. In fact, insurgency activities had shown a sharp decline as he operated with a firm hand. Post superannuation in April this year, Sahay turned to a possibly tougher mission – teaching kids maths! Aware that the Sonaram High Secondary School in Guwahati had been functioning minus a Maths teacher for two years, he offered to fill in and that was that! Ever practical, he points out that he is

simply offering his services; at the end of the day, it depends on how the students take it. And the students are evidently taking it very well, as are the school authorities. Mukesh Sahay’s simple guiding philosophy – lighting a candle rather than cursing the darkness - mirrors his mission of quietly yet effectively making a difference.

Joy multiplied “I was born in a village in Bihar. I did my studies in Patna. I did my postgraduation in Physics. I also have a degree in law and diplomas in i) Intellectual Property Laws in the Internet age and ii) Cyber Laws. I have been working since my school days to

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augment my family income and to sustain my studies. I joined in the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1984 and worked in Assam, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Sashatra Seema Bal (SSB) in various capacities. I demitted office on April 30, 2018 as the Director General of Police (DGP), Assam. Immediately afterwards, I have been volunteering my services in school education specially in Mathematics and Physics. This is for my own pleasure primarily. If the students get benefitted, this pleasure will multiply manifold.”

Giving back “The school where I started volunteering my services did not have a

Mathematics teacher for two years for classes XI and XII. Post retirement, I decided to fill up this gap for my own satisfaction and for the benefit of the underprivileged students. The burning desire to pay something back to society was the real motivator behind the move. This gives me great satisfaction because it helps me keep physically active, mentally engaged and socially relevant. But the real satisfaction will come if and only if the students get benefitted, even on a nano scale. Quality school education is the key to social transformation and is the fundamental right of every child. I am strongly of the view that all citizens, especially the educated ones, must contribute in this process.”

Try to light a candle “I am very fond of quotations. Some of the quotations that constantly motivate and propel me are as below– i.

Rather than cursing the darkness, try to light a candle.

ii.

Challenges are what make life worthwhile. Without challenges life won’t be worth living.

iii. Struggle is life, stagnation is death. The strong urge to do something for society, especially the less privileged and the underprivileged gives me strength, stamina and the motivation to keep mov-

ing and keep going. To help the students is my humble contribution in this direction. I am no dreamer neither am I a visionary. But I do strongly believe that quality school education is the fundamental right of every child. It is the key to transforming society. Access to quality education only can provide equality of opportunity to all and will lead to an egalitarian society driven by democratic values. A quality education will bring the best out of every child and help them actualise their potential. This will help the nation, society and civilisation achieve the desired objectives. Such an education system will provide required knowledge, skills including life skills and attitudes to transform the children into worthy members of society, community and the nation.”

August 2018

JULY 2018

Safeena Husain Educate Girls

Nichola Pais editor@scoonews.com

n active social worker and founder-Executive Director of Educate Girls, Safeena Hussain works to tackle issues at the root cause of gender inequality in India’s education system. Educate Girls empowers communities to facilitate girls’ education in rural India and helps them take a stand against gender inequality. Their mission stems from the belief that if girls in educationally backward districts are educated, they will have the potential to enter the formal economy, gain employment and lift their families out of poverty. Working in partnership with the government, the community and with the help of 11,000+ community volunteers (called Team Balika), Educate Girls has helped ensure higher enrolment and attendance for girls as well as improved learning outcomes for all children.

Established in 2007, Educate Girls has grown from a 500-school pilot project in Rajasthan to now serving over 21,000 schools spread across 15 districts in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. They aim to achieve behavioural, social and economic transformation for all girls towards an India where all children have equal opportunities to access quality education.

The turning point “I grew up in Delhi. After my schooling I took a break and went to a Krishna Ashram on the banks of the Ganges in Rishikesh. This gap year helped me connect with my inner self and develop a sense of charity and service. After graduating from the LSE, and spending

over a decade working with grassroots development projects in Latin America, Africa and Asia, I finally decided to return to India. When I moved back, as I was deciding what I should dedicate my life to next, a personal incident led me back to a cause that was always close to my heart – that of girls’ education. On a project for setting-up a clinic in a village at the foothills of the Himalayas in north India, my father and I came across a group of women. They asked him how many children he had and my father, putting his arm around my shoulder, answered, “This is it. This is my daughter, my son, my everything!” The women replied to him by lamenting his misfortune over the lack of a son. I realised in that moment, in which I felt both angry and sad, that women and girls were still being discriminated against. I asked myself what would be the most sustainable way to create gen-

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der equality – Educate Girls was the answer. After a 50-school test project followed by a 500-school pilot project in Pali, Rajasthan, Educate Girls was independently registered in 2007. Since then, Educate Girls has consistently scaled its operations and presently works across 15 districts of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. There are over 4.9 million total beneficiaries of its programmatic interventions, since inception. Educate Girls works in educationally backward districts by partnering with the government and mobilising communities to achieve impact in three key outcome areas – Increased enrolment and retention of girls and quality learning for all children.”

Education’s transformative power “I once remember asking an out-ofschool girl, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ She replied, ‘I

don’t know, No one has ever asked me this question, so I’ve never thought about it.’ This same girl, enrolled into school by Educate Girls, is now studying well and aspires to be a police officer. This is the transformative power of education! I am firmly convinced that education is the most effective means of offering the same opportunities to excel in life to girls and boys, women and men - thus promoting social equality. I strongly believe that creating community ownership and involving people in the process of social transformation is a powerful way to sustain change. Our volunteers from the villages have a motto, ‘My village, my problem, I am the solution’. Also, we have seen that in patriarchal communities it is essential to involve the men and boys in conversations. More often than not, girls are not aware about their rights and boys don’t know that they are violating a girl’s rights.

Ultimately, gender-inequality is a mind-set issue and that’s what our activities address.”

Educating one girl – educating future generations “Not a single girl I have met so far has said to me that she does not want to be in school. For me, and everyone at Educate Girls, nothing compares to the joy of seeing girls, in their school uniforms, with their book and bags, walking to school and learning well! We celebrate every single enrolment because we know that by educating that one girl we have educated future generations! The feeling of seeing a child improve in their learning because of some additional help from us, is phenomenal. Ultimately, the fulfilment in achieving actual impact for these underserved children is what keeps us

going in spite of the challenges and set-backs and this is why we so work hard. This commitment to every child has always been at the forefront for Educate Girls and because my vision was about solving a widespread issue, from the start Educate Girls’ model was about being ready for scale. When we started expanding to more districts I wanted to be sure that Educate Girls would continue to be accountable to the last child and so we have always pursued innovation and partnerships that enable this accountability. This is also why Educate Girls initiated the world’s first Development Impact Bond (DIB) in education, which is a proof of concept that ties funding to pure outcomes. My dream is to one day wake up to an India where every daughter in the country is no longer discriminated against and where every child has access to quality education and equal opportunity.”

August 2018

JULY 2018 Parvathy Jayakrishnan writeback@scoonews.com

hen a teacher at a reputed public school decides to change life for herself and for others, there is no stopping her. Nirmala Tandon spent 17 years in a prestigious school as a senior teacher of history, happy and content in her chosen career path and amidst children all the time. Her life took an unexpected turn when her husband, who is the Founding President of a society called IIMPACT, offered her a chance to spread education to girls living in remote villages.

Nirmala Tandon IIMPACT

IIMPACT is a registered society, started by the IIM-Ahmedabad alumni batch of 1978, whose primary focus is educating girl children from socially and economically disadvantaged sections of society. There are many gaps in economic progress and many social

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causes that beg immediate support in a country like India. But perhaps none are as compelling as the lack of literacy and lack of social status among large numbers of girl children and women in general. Nirmala started going to the villages a couple of times a week, stayed with the girls in mud homes and started enjoying the stay with them. There was no tap water and not even toilets. Their simplicity, happiness, innocence and hard work were an eye opener for her and had an impact on her life, making her humble. The office was lovingly decorated with pictures of the happy faces of little girls, their stories as told by them, their thoughts and sayings filled with sheer innocence. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All these gave me the courage and encouragement to move on forward. In truth, it is they who made me realise life's realities.

Sometimes I would stare at the posters and imagine girls smiling. Meenu, Bhuteri, Kavita, Pooja, Neelam were all on that poster. Very often I asked our guests to do the same and they agreed with me as well,” Nirmala says. Slowly yet surely, the fruits of her work over the past years became a reality. Girls, with the support of IIMPACT, are today continuing their studies after class 5, passing with first division marks, appearing for class 10 and 12 Board exams, pursuing graduation, getting jobs and the rapid spread of their mission in 11 states have touched the lives of over 85,000. She says she finds it difficult to believe and wonder if she is just dreaming when she sees her dreams and that of the girls come true.

Visible transformation “Providing education to girls who

were out of school, first generation learners from the remote rural underprivileged sections of the society, has been the most satisfying aspect of my work as an educator! I am amazed to see how keen the girls were to learn, to come to the learning centre on a regular basis and how they graduated with flying colours. The girls are continuing to study further and are well-settled in their lives today, enabling their parents to attain better living standards, sending their daughters to school and most importantly many of them coming to the same centres as teachers. This is truly bringing transformation in blocks where we are present.”

Banishing illiteracy, bringing smiles “I taught in a prestigious public school and thereafter chose to work for the underprivileged in remote villages on an honorary basis for 15 years. My

motto is to see blocks free of poverty and illiteracy to empower the poor as the future of India lies in the villages. The warmth and affection of the communities, their eagerness to send their daughters to school, boundless energy and spirit, the positive change, the request to open more centres motivated me to bring smiles, cheer and happiness in the lives of these girls and the communities.”

Competing with the privileged “Our girls should stand on their own feet. Freed from the shackles of illiteracy, they should be able to compete with their privileged peers on par, and excel in areas they choose, to attain a quality of life far better than their parents. They should become good honest human beings, responsible citizens of our great country and also contribute to society in whichever way they can.”

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JULY 2018

Shukla Bose

Parikrma Humanity Foundation

Nichola Pais

Rajendranagar, Bengaluru. Today, with four schools (Jayanagar, Koramangala, Sahakarnagar and Nandini Layout) and one junior college, Parikrma Humanity Foundation continues to offer high quality education, hope and support to 1,802 children from four orphanages and over 99 slums in the city.

In the year 2003, 165 children from marginalised families started a new chapter in life, huddled together on a small roof-top in a school in

Helmed by the indefatigable Shukla Bose, Parikrma supports each child from the age of 5 until the age of 25, when they are an active and contributing member of society. Parikrma aspires to provide quality education on par with privileged children. They prove that underserved children have the ability to do as well, if not better, when given an opportunity. They have the highest attendance in the country at 96% and the lowest drop-out rate at

editor@scoonews.com

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less than 1%. Parikrma Humanity Foundation has been awarded the Derozio Award for excellence in special education and social commitment. Parikrma also received the Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s award for exemplary social work in January 2007. Parikrma Humanity Foundation is now a chapter included in Cornell University and IIMB. They have also received the CNBC Digitalising India Award 2016 for the category of Digital Innovation in Driving Social Impact, CSR Awards for being one of the 50 Most Impactful Social Innovators in 2016.

Confidence and humility â&#x20AC;&#x153;It gives me most satisfaction when I see my students learn every day. They

are like sponges and soak up new learning with great enthusiasm. It is greatly satisfying to see them apply that learning into the real world and question the validity and actually find other innovative ways to deal with the issue. I feel very happy when I see my students make special effort to be caring and compassionate. I like them being confident but it gives me great joy to see their humility as well.”

Writing the true narrative “I truly believe that education is the only way that we can do true nation building. And when I say building a nation, I mean that while the young generation needs to be proud of their heritage and past, they need to also be aware that they are also the

citizens of the world. I am so convinced that quality education is the only way we can create a safe and peaceful world, that every day I wake up with renewed energy and a sense of purpose to do my little bit. And when I see that however little my contribution might be, it is actually transforming lives of the children and their families, I know I cannot stop and have to continue to improve my children’s lives. Working with slums and poor communities is very challenging because it takes generations to change mind-sets and way of thinking. We have seen slow shifts in the way the poor are thinking and that keeps me motivated all the time. I want the Parikrma children to write the true narrative of the poor because they are qualified to do.”

Preparation for responsibility “I believe that somehow although we, as adults, have not done a good job, our next generation are far more astute and generous in their thought process. We need to continuously inspire them to understand that they have a role to play in making our world a better place. So while education helps them to get recognition and better jobs, education should also prepare them to take on the responsibility of the world. My dream for the Parikrma students is that they will be the role models of their community, hold their head high with dignity and create many more Parikrma schools after I am dead and gone. It is then that my mission will have been fulfilled.”

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JULY 2018

Aditya Natraj

Kaivalya Education Foundation

Anushka Yadav

and business development positions in Europe.

writeback@scoonews.com

n 2008, Aditya Natraj established the roots of Kaivalya Education Foundation and subsequently launched the Gandhi Fellowship programme - a 2-year full-time programme to train young people in leading social change, with 1000+ Fellows and alumni.

On returning to India, he took over and steered Pratham Gujarat into becoming the state’s largest educational notfor-profit. Aditya is an education expert for Monitor Consulting and a member of the Advisory Board of the Nirmala Niketan College of Social Work in Mumbai. He has an MBA from INSEAD in France.

Before beginning his journey as the founder of KEF, he qualified as a chartered accountant and worked as a corporate finance consultant for KPMG before working in senior management

Currently, he oversees development of 1400 school leaders, 4200 district leaders and 1200 state leaders across 15 states to effect systemic change and improve student learning outcomes.

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He has been awarded various fellowship and awards, namely the Ashoka Fellowship, Echoing Green Fellowship, Aspen India Fellowship and the Times Now Amazing Indian award in the Education category.

Impacting teachers’ lives “The greatest joy in my work is creating meaning, pride, learning and joy in the lives of teachers. I enjoy helping teachers see meaning and purpose in their work. Teachers have to see how every action of theirs is moulding a child’s heart and mind. Every warm gesture of theirs is inspiring a child to be generous. Every positive

stroke is helping build self-esteem. I enjoy bringing back the pride into the teaching profession. Today, doctors, engineers, lawyers are felicitated, but not teachers. Unless we as teachers start taking pride in our own work, in our own actions, no one else will respect the work we do. I enjoy helping teachers become learners, reflective practitioners in service of children. Unless we as a profession learn, we will get bored ourselves and not be able to inspire children! I enjoy bringing joy into the lives of teachers! Helping them have fun while teaching. Teaching need not be boring, stern, disciplinarian – it can be warm, engaging, team based.”

Joy in service “The journey is the destination. We are all on this earth for a purpose. And that purpose is quite simple – to serve humanity with whatever skills we have. Few of us have been given the opportunity to serve others by being involved in education, helping mould values of the society of tomorrow, helping shape futures of young people. I see no challenge. I only see joy in this opportunity to serve.”

Cognitive and conative skills “I dream that children get a more holistic education beyond cogni-

tive, lear n-by-rote alone, to also include socio-emotional development and conative skills. Socio emotional learning helps them connect with others, empathise, work in teams, be more self-aware, gain more self-control, be more content while still acting in this world, and take better decisions. Conative skills help them persist when the chips are down, develop resilience, tenacity, purpose, meaning, drive, energy. Without socio emotional and conative skills, with merely cognitive skills, a child cannot truly enjoy her life and be of service to her family, community and country.”

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MAY 2018

Life skills: PREPARING OUR CHILDREN FOR LIFE ITSELF

August 2018

It is crucial to empower children with the "right" social, critical and thinking skills to deal effectively with the challenges of everyday life, writes Nichola Pais.

Nichola Pais editor@scoonews.com

ducation is not preparation for life; education is life itself,â&#x20AC;? said John Dewey. Today more than ever it is becoming clear that education is so much more than the Four Rs â&#x20AC;&#x201C; reading, writing, arithmetic, reasoning. Every true educator would wish for children to be lifelong learners, to be passionate, ready to take risks, problem-solve and think critically, look at things differently, work independently and with others, care and want to give back to their community, persevere, have integrity, self-respect, and enjoy

their life and work. The real goals of education today are to equip a child with the life skills essential to meet the challenges of everyday life.

What are life skills? It is a term used to describe a set of basic skills acquired through learning and/or direct life experience that enable individuals and groups to effectively handle issues and problems commonly encountered in daily life. The essential skills for success in the 21st century include creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, the ability to communicate and collaborate, along with personal and social responsibility

that contribute to good citizenship. These are essential skills for success in the 21st century, both for healthy societies and for successful and employable individuals.

Benefits of life skills Life skills help an individual meet the challenges of life in a constantly changing environment. Along with dramatic changes in global economies over the past few years, technological transformation is impacting education, the workplace and home life. It is important for students to develop the necessary skills essential to cope with stress, frustration and change.

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MAY 2018 The development of life skills helps students to find new ways of thinking and problem solving, recognise the impact of their actions and teaches them to take responsibility for what they do rather than blame others. It helps build confidence in spoken skills and for group collaboration and cooperation. Students are able to analyse options, make decisions and understand why they make certain choices outside the classroom. They also develop a greater sense of self-awareness and appreciation for others. Academic success is no longer enough. In the work place, life skills help employees gain employability skills, which employers are seeking. An individual who has the ability to self-manage, solve problems and understand the business environment is definitely preferred. Working well as part of a team, managing time and people, being agile and adaptable to different roles and flexible working environments,

and possessing the potential to lead by influence, are the key life skills that are beneficial in the workplace. Developing individual life skills has a trickledown effect, impacting society and our world at large. As individuals recognise cultural awareness and citizenship, it makes international cooperation easier. When we respect diversity, it allows creativity and imagination to grow, leading to a more tolerant society. Learning skills of negotiation, networking and empathy leads to better outcomes and reduces friction.

Teaching life skills Educators across India are well aware of the urgency and significance of enhancing life skills of children today. Dr Swaroop Sampat Rawal, Founder & Vice President, Early Childhood Association, India avers, “Life skills have been defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “abilities for

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adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life”. Life skills include skills like social, emotional, and thinking skills— such as self-awareness, empathy, critical thinking, decision-making, and understanding and managing emotions. In this day and age of a constantly shifting environment, having life skills is an indispensable part of being able to meet the challenges of everyday life. To manage the stress and challenges of the increasing pace and change of modern life, students need life skills such as the ability to manage their emotions, think creatively and problem solve at every step.”

She adds, “Additionally, life isn’t only about the subjects in the National Curriculum, it involves learning how to think and communicate, and interpret, explore and represent our own experience and that of others. We need citizens with more than academic abilities. Intuition, creativity, adaptability, and powers of perception, interpretation and communication are the essential qualities of this millennium. These qualities are at the heart of the life skills education, but are not always recognised or nurtured in formal academic settings.” “Today's generation faces many diverse challenges; the biggest one is learning how to just BE,” feels Skand Bali, Principal, The Hyderabad Public

School. “With technological advancement, the world is now open to the children and as a result, they are smarter and faster but also lack vital life skills. Critical thinking, communication skills, conflict resolution, creativity, empathy, ethics are just some of the essential skills required for succeeding IN and AT life. It is crucial that children be taught these skills as opposed to assuming that such skills are selflearnt. If we want our children to grow up as happy, well-adjusted adults, we must teach them to not only be skilful at earning a living but also to be skilful AT LIVING. More than academic test scores, what will serve them better is practical knowledge of interpersonal skills. A major part of life outside of educational institutes is built on relationships and I know that as of now, we don’t have schools that have a course on how to build relationships!” Dr Manjula Pooja Shroff, MD & CEO, KALOREX Group, believes students

these days are exposed to a variety of experiences. “They are extremely vulnerable not only in the real world, but more importantly in the virtual world. They are targets of all kinds of online crimes as well as they are easy prey. Unfortunately the older generation at times does not even realise this vulnerability and fail to address this important aspect. It is really crucial that students are groomed in the ways of the world and the web equally and it becomes a very big responsibility of the teachers to do that.” Dr Shroff maintains, “Life skills mean a student is well versed not only in the subjects of study but all aspects of coping well in this fast paced life and com-

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MAY 2018 ing out stronger and more confident. To be able to live a stress free life as they grow older and face all challenges as learning experiences. From an early age they must develop excellent communication skills. They should be able to display financial acumen, to be alert and aware of all online and real world transactions. They must also be media literate – to display netiquette on social media and also to understand their accountability and responsibility of online communications.” According to Karuna Yadav, Principal, Kapil Gayanpeeth, “It our moral obligation to make the students learn to manage and handle life’s big and small challenges effectively and not succumb to the multidirectional stress in this hyper competitive VUCA world. Worldly life - which is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous needs to be tackled and manoeuvred tactfully to live to its fullest, while growing socially and productively. In this labyrinth of present day’s utter confusion in social values and educational demands, a gross lack of partnership between school and parent is taking its toll on our kids and youth. Students are to be prepared and equipped with skills to fathom unwarranted situation, for they shall have to cope with the day to day tiring situations arising when they are away from parents busy studying or earning livelihood.” Neeta Bali, Director and Head of School - G D Goenka World School opines, “We live in confusing times, with a lot of conflicting ideologies, opinions and points of view. The use of technology further aggravates the situation with unlimited access to the internet to young people. There are moral dilemmas related to basic issues like which friends to hang out with, issues related to academic honesty, how not to give in to peer pressure, how to tackle bullies, adhering to rules or exercising unlimited freedom. Young people often get

caught in situations where they need to pick between family and peer group rules - situations in which each possible course of action breaches some otherwise binding moral principle. Under such a situation, it is important that we enhance life skills so that young people are able to make careful choices, based on a set of values they may have been imbibed in school and home. Consequently, young people will need these skills to deal effectively with the challenges in everyday life, whether at school, at work or in personal lives.” Lt Col A Sekhar, Head of Schools, Alpha Education, affirms, “Life skill – noun, plural noun: life skills, a skill that is necessary or desirable for full participation in everyday life. The above definition, courtesy online dictionaries, succinctly explain the concept of life skills. In a digital world with data as the uber dominant matrix for decision-making across industries, and perhaps the world over, the increasingly unpredictable, machine driven

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world is crying out for compassion and empathy.” He goes on to share an episode that he personally witnessed… “During a lively, unscheduled interaction with middle school children once during the assembly, some of the students made patently untrue statements. Over the next few minutes, the students were made aware of the mistakes and asked to apologise. They were hugely reluctant...still they were made to do the right thing. We found the entire incident unpleasant; so a discreet counselling session followed. At least two of the students, when questioned about their reluctance to say sorry, observed that ‘Arnab Goswami never apologises for his mistakes...why should I?’” He adds, “India today is a trust deficient society with whatsapp videos and fake news leading to riots, deaths and lynchings. Thus, the importance of life skills cannot be over-emphasised. However, students are less than impressed with 19th century moralising; I am still ambivalent about teaching them life skills. We, in India are part of a deeply hypocritical society; and when teachers, who are in the tuition business give out preachy monologues, for sure it hits a wall.”

How to go about it… Dr Swaroop Sampat Rawal: “At the heart of life skills education is the learning of life skills. These capacities do not develop unaided; they have to be learnt and practiced. Teaching techniques that integrate active learning need to be incorporated into a life skills educational programme to increase its efficiency. As life skills education is a dynamic process it cannot be learned or enhanced on the basis of information or discussion alone. Expecting children to change their behaviour merely by providing information is impracticable. It must also include experiential learning. Experiential learning involves a ‘direct encounter with the phenomena being studied rather than merely thinking about the encounter, or only considering the possibility of doing something about it.’ Life skills learning is facilitated by the use of participatory learning methods and is based on a social learning process which includes: hearing an explanation of the skill in question; observation of the skill (model-

ling); practice of the skill in selected situations in a supportive learning environment (scaffolding); and feedback about individual performance of skills. Drama in education is perceived as a natural vehicle for active and experiential learning as it is an extension of the imaginative, pretend play of childhood. Intrinsically drama is a multisensory mode of learning, and can increase awareness of self and others. It can enhance communication skills, creative thinking skills and interpersonal skills through experiential learning.” Skand Bali: “A teacher's role is to spark the thought process, to give the right direction. We want our students to be a success, to be happy and fulfilled. For this, we must also provide them with the right tools. Life lessons must be incorporated into the curriculum. Teachers should not just theoretically talk about a life skill but also create an opportunity in the classroom setting to implement the lesson. Education must be value based. A teacher can format any lesson plan to impart the values of

justice, caring, fairness, ethics, good citizenship. It will add depth to every lesson. History, geography, languages, sciences even mathematics can be used as tools to impart life skills; we just need to think out of the box. A teacher himself or herself is a live example of teaching students life skill by examples be it inside or outside classrooms.” Dr Manjula Pooja Shroff: “Teachers have to come out of their comfort zones and explore new territories and adapt themselves to new and unfamiliar technologies. They have to be trained to use the new systems and given as much exposure to latest international pedagogies. New educational technologies and tech based pedagogies are the demands of the future, and it is in our best interests to imbibe them to the fullest extent. In my organization, it is important for all educators to bring up discussions of global importance in their classes and to inculcate a sense of responsibility and ownership towards the world they live in. The teachers and students work

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MAY 2018 together towards making a difference in the society through initiatives taken towards social causes and participate in various forums to make an impact. Making student future-ready means inculcating goal setting skills and people skills in them. The focus has to be on building 21st century skills which will finally help the students to go out into the world and cope with the fast paced life and shape their future careers. The onus of learning will be totally on the students themselves and they will emerge as enquirers and thinkers who will have a responsible say in all matters.”

Karuna Yadav: “Right from early childhood, the kids

at home need to be taught the ability to fathom the day to day anxieties and to be more adaptable. They need to be told that it is okay to lose a race, get scolded, drop an ice cream, spill milk, to cry when hurt. Parents need to let them go out and play (with Lego, jigsaw, puzzles and board games) to enhance their logical and critical thinking.”

Neeta Bali: “Learning of subjects per se will amount to nothing if schools and teachers do not teach pupils moral values and survival skills; There should always be a hidden curriculum that is based on eternal values of diligence, honesty, kindness, optimism, and compassion. In languages and social sciences and even science, it is important

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Great reads to enhance life skills: https://hundred.org/en/innovations/teaching-life-skills-andwellbeing-in-school http://www.scoonews.com/new s/10-must-read-storybooks-forguiding-students-social-andemotional-development-3191 https://www.barclayslifeskills.c om/teachers/blog/five-steps-todeveloping-students-life-skillsfor-the-future/ https://www.thoughtco.com/tea ching-life-skills-in-the-classroom-3111025

to have warming up exercises to begin teaching of content. It is imperative that students know not merely the learning objectives related to teaching of the subject but also associated life skills. Teachers must get students to reflect on what they learn in a class, encourage new ways of thinking, reflect on how their actions can impact others and get students to explore options to make life happier for all. Cultivating a greater self-awareness and tolerance for the opinions of others is imperative. Getting students to take responsibility by assigning small jobs and asking them to devise their own solutions goes a long way in instilling life skills and boosting morale while forming teams and grouping goes a long way in building skills of collaboration and acceptance of diversity. It is equally important to create a flexible learning environment to induce creative thinking, where young people are not restricted and can use their imagination to create solutions. Outdoor experiences and social outreach programmes must be included to foster social sensitivity and empathy. Getting students to advocate for themselves and have a conversation with an authority figure is another great way of honing skills of expression and articulation.” Lt Col. A Sekhar: “My experience across India, as a soldier educationist highlights the following: Inspiring role models matter. As teachers, students focus on our actions, not words, (especially under pressure). As teachers, are we proficient in life skills, values? Impact of parents, society, media is enormous.”

It’s never too early… nor too late! Educators unanimously agree that it is never too early to start life skills education. “Life skills are a crucial part of early childhood education. Not every life skill comes naturally, many life skills effective communication skills need to be introduced and then consistently supported and taught over and over. For example little children don't naturally know how to make good choices. Life skills help children know what to do in everyday situations as well as how to make good decisions about more abstract, long-term choices. Teaching children problem-solving and decision-making prepares them to manage peer pressure and make good decisions as she grows into adulthood,” affirms Dr Swaroop.

Skand Bali adds, “As with every other knowledge that is imparted, every concept that is taught is broken into understandable chunks depending on the age and comprehension skill of the student. Similarly, life skills are an ongoing process and should be taught to all age groups from kindergarten upwards. I believe that the young mind is fertile with immense potential and we need to sow the right seeds in it as early as possible. As I always say, one must begin right to end right! I believe every age group is an ideal age to start this exercise; it's never too late or too early.” “It is crucial to catch them young, maybe from the pre-primary levels itself,” points out Dr Manjula. “The culture will be built for this future generation to follow and get adjusted to. Small responsibilities, starting with inculcating good habits, to instilling civic sensibilities, with an attitude of responsibility towards their country and the environment is important to be developed from a very young age.” “Life skill is not a stand-alone subject which can be taught as per the time table. Nor is it a onetime exercise,” declares Karuna Yadav. “It needs to be integrated and incorporated in any and every activity from cradle to grave; curricular transaction and sports activity, as it is an integral part of education.” “Parents can inculcate independence by getting even 3-year-olds to take care of their toys, putting on their own clothes with a little help, brushing their own teeth etc.,” informs Neeta Bali. “As children grow older, the complexity can increase. Teachers can instil the same life skills through another set of activities in class by giving responsibilities and appreciating when these are executed effectively. As children grow, teach them that life is not just about themselves but about pitching in when others need support. At all ages, right up to the threshold of adulthood, it is imperative that essential life skills of problem-solving, independent thinking and articulation, decision making, critical thinking , and interpersonal relations are nurtured by educators.” According to A Sekhar, “Building up of life skills, are an ongoing process. The earlier we start, the better. Make sure that the exercises we do are age appropriate, and contextual. Most importantly, get our teachers to appreciate, understand and practice what they preach.”

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Strategies for EFFECTIVE CLASSROOM management

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Ten sure-shot tips teachers can adopt to establish a climate conducive to learning Parvathy Jayakrishnan writeback@scoonews.com

owever big or small, managing a classroom full of students is indeed a task for the teacher in charge. Sometimes, it turns a teacher into a taskmaster or then it inculcates more patience in him/her. Every teacher ultimately finds or adopts methods to manage students and get them to do what they are expected to do. The modern classroom presents enough challenges for todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teachers. Establishing a climate for learning is one of the most challenging aspects of teaching, and one of the most difficult skills to master. Given below are some sure-shot tips that teachers could adopt to make the classroom more effective without burning out.

Involve students in decision-making Be it setting a rule for the class or deciding homework, make sure you give an opportunity for the students to express their opinion on it. Your learners are much more apt to follow guidelines they helped create. Rather than hand-

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MAY 2018 ing out a set of rules, let them join in the discussion. The rules need to be fair and practical as well. The rules can be finalised by taking a majority consensus. You also need to be consistent with the guidelines once the rules are put into practice. Many students hate it when troublemakers get away with bad behaviour just because the teacher is reluctant to take action every time. Such inconsistency should be avoided.

Encourage questioning Students should get over their fear of asking questions in class. The teacher should make sure that he/she does not talk solo for more than five minutes by encouraging the class to ask questions. The main goal of a teacher should not be to convey all that is there in the textbook. Instead, it should be to make the class more interesting so that there is a discussion on the topic being taught. The teacher needn’t answer all the questions asked. Another student can be encouraged to answer as well. Students often learn better when information is conveyed by another student. A discussion can also improve their critical thinking skills.

Encourage group projects Working in groups can build teamwork and leadership skills. Especially now that everything has gone digital, children love to work in groups and collate information. Collaboration fluency skills are a huge asset for life after school. The working world is being affected by new communication technology and one’s ability to function in teams that are both real and virtual is important. Students also learn to agree and disagree and respect others’ views when they work in groups.

Make sure to praise good work Praise is a powerful tool that can spread positivity and transform the image of a student. It can uplift the entire class. If you praise a child for good behaviour, he/she will make sure to repeat it and that is precisely what you want from your student.

Create a positive relationship

with the class When a student misbehaves, it is important to isolate that particular student rather than distancing yourself from the class. Even a simple statement like “You kids are so undisciplined!” gives a very negative vibe. You might be referring to just a few students who would be undisciplined but labelling the entire class so is a wrong thing to do. This gives an impression to even the disciplined students that he/she is not impressed with them. Put-downs or purposely hurtful comments or actions are a no-no.

Give and take respect Teachers should treat students the same way that they would want to be treated. A warm greeting and a farewell at the beginning and the end of a class will be well appreciated by students. Take time to know each student personally. This may take time but it is an effort that will go a long way.

Get feedback It is important to know how your students feel about your teaching method. With feedback from your students, you may even be able to modify your teaching style and make the classroom more effective. If students are convinced that you are open to comments and criticism, they will open up.

Provide more visual content Visuals are easier to comprehend and students retain the information longer than verbal lectures. With digitization of knowledge and classrooms being equipped with projectors and screens, it is a

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lot easier to present knowledge in the form of charts, diagrams and pictures. It is also easier to capture your students’ attention this way.

Balance authority

friendliness

and

It is important to be friendly with your students but it is also imperative that they understand that you are the authority and they cannot step over the guidelines you create for them. It is indeed a fine line and it is tough for a teacher to balance the two but once the understanding is clear, then you are set.

Involve them in extracurricular activities With tight schedules and extensive topics to cover, the subject teacher often fails to find time for some fun in the classroom. However, rather than sticking to your subject throughout the duration of class, engaging your students in some extracurricular activity can help them understand that you are there to encourage them. It can be as small as drawing a picture or writing a limerick. It is a medium of expression for the student and spreads positivity in the class. It is quite possible to manage your class and turn it into a well-oiled machine using some of these techniques. Each teacher is different and students will ultimately adapt to the kind of teacher you are. Effective classroom management is much more than simply administering corrective measures when a student misbehaves. It is about developing proactive ways to prevent problems from occurring in the first place while creating a positive learning environment.

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PROFESSOR SUGATA MITRA

METHOD TO THE MAGIC 98

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Best known for his Hole in the Wall experiment and widely cited in works on literacy and education, Prof Sugata Mitraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s belief in the power of self-organized learning to shape the future of education is immensely inspiring. August 2018

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Parvathy Jayakrishnan editor@scoonews.com

ducation scientist and researcher, Professor Sugata Mitra is a name that gets anyone and everyone in the field of education and pedagogy excited and thrilled. He is synonymous with adjectives like out of the box, fresh and innovative. He is best known for his Hole in the Wall experiment, which proves that it is high time we break the

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barriers of conventional rote learning and teach with the use of advancements in technology and the internet to impart education and make our children self-sufficient learners. A strong proponent of ‘Just in Time’ learning, he believes that the role of teachers is indispensable but what they need to do is not teach from textbooks. He avers, “Teachers need to enable children to do ‘Just in Time’ learning. How to learn quickly, accurately, how to search for the right thing – this is our job! So the job is changing. If teachers could

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realise that, then they wouldn’t have this attitude of ‘Technology is evil, technology will take away my job!’ We have to understand, technology doesn’t remain technology. You don’t think my clothes are technology, do you? It was once upon a time huge technology! My watch, my shoes, they used to be technology – they are not technology any more. To the generation that is growing up, the internet and smartphones are not technology; they are things that you live with. If children have interest, then education happens.”

If children have interest then education happens.

Prof Sugata believes that we can achieve better outcomes with minimally invasive education - i.e. when children can teach themselves. He says, “It's quite fashionable to say that the education system is broken — it's not broken, it's wonderfully constructed. It's just that we don't need it anymore. It's outdated.” Currently, he is Professor of Educational Technology at the School of Education, Communication and

Language Sciences at Newcastle University, UK. Simultaneously, he pursues his passion for implementation of minimally invasive education in the economically backward sections of society in India. He is winner of TED Prize, 2013. Early life and education Prof Sugata Mitra was born to a Bengali family in Calcutta. He finished schooling from St. Xavier’s High School, Delhi in 1969. He went on to do

a Bachelor of Science (BSc.) with honours in Physics from Jadavpur University, Calcutta, in 1973. He completed his Master of Science (MSc.) in Physics with specialisation in Solid State Electronics, Acoustic Holography and Quantum Biology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi in 1975. He earned a PhD in Theoretical Solid State Physics of Organic Semiconductors, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi in 1978. He went on to research battery tech-

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I was inspired by the Hole in the Wall project, where a computer with an internet connection was put in a Delhi slum. When the slum was revisited after a month, the children of that slum had learned how to use the worldwide web.

nology at the Centre for Energy Studies in the IIT, and later at the Technische UniversitĂ¤t, Vienna. He published a paper on a zinc-chlorine battery and a speculative paper on why the human sense organs are located where they are. Hole in the Wall experiment and its receptionOn January 26, 1999, in collaboration with the Delhi government, a team led by Dr Sugata Mitra, then Chief Scientist at National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT), carved

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open a section of a wall adjoining the NIIT campus, and placed a computer with internet there. This was used by children, without supervision, from the adjacent slum in Kalkaji, New Delhi and thus Hole in the Wall was born. He found that children using learning stations like these required little or no inputs from teachers and learnt on their own by the process of exploration, discovery and peer coaching. The idea of Minimally Invasive Education (MIE) has crystallised over

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a period of time based on observations and educational experiments conducted at NIIT. Minimally Invasive Education is defined as a pedagogic method that uses the learning environment to generate an adequate level of motivation to induce learning in groups of children, with minimal, or no, intervention by a teacher. Within a month, the children knew how the internet worked. MIE uses children's natural curiosity and focuses on providing an enabling

environment where they can learn on their own. Children, in the process of freely experimenting with the Learning Station, pick up critical problem solving skills. It also provides a collaborative setting where children can share their knowledge and in the process, develop better group dynamics, all in a highly natural environment. MIE's uniqueness is its ability to attract children towards the Learning Station driven purely by their own interests. Conventional pedagogy, on the other hand, focuses on the teacher's ability to disseminate information in a classroom setting. MIE thus complements the formal schooling system by providing a much needed balance for children to learn on their own, and provides for a holistic learning experience. Across the nation, children with access to Learning Stations showed improved academic scores! A national research programme was started, in which Learning Stations were set up in 23 locations across rural India. In 2004, the Hole in the Wall reached Cambodia through the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. In an internal restructuring, in July 2013, NIIT Foundation (NF) which started in 2004 as a not for profit society with a mandate to reach the unreached, uncared and unattended for, ensuring inclusive development in India has been entrusted to implement the Hole in the Wall Education Project (HiWEP). With this, HiWEP is now poised to scale up the idea of Hole in the Wall to make a significant contribution to improving elementary education and life skills of children across the world, especially those in disadvantaged communities in rural areas and urban slums. Since then it has already implemented more than 100 Hole in the Wall Learning Stations in India as a part of CSR initiatives of various corporates. In the 18 years that have passed since, the Hole in the Wall concept has spread to Kerala, Maharashtra and more states across India. In Delhi, these computers have been set up in Lajpat Nagar and Alipur. The project was also the inspiration behind the novel Q and A by Vikas Swarup, an IFS officer. This novel led to the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire. The project is

truly lighting the spark of learning in children all over India. For children, it is an extension of their playground where they can play together, teach each other new things, and more importantly, just be themselves. Prof Mitra is expanding his project to UK primary schools, using the same techniques to help children in Gateshead as he used in India. He believes that it can be used in failing schools that aren't attracting the best teachers. His idea has been implemented in a Mexican school with great effect. The class went from a 0 to 63 per cent in the excellent category on the Maths exam while failing scores went from 45 percent down to 7 percent. School in the Cloud and SOLEs (SelfOrganised Learning Environments) In addition to opening physical learning stations of varying sizes, Prof Mitra is creating a Granny Cloud, a global network of retired teachers who support kids through an online School in the Cloud platform. Granny Cloud is a platform where children interact with online 'grannies' to engage in a wide range of informal activities. His goal is to share the Self-Organised Learning Environments (SOLE) method with parents, teachers, afterschool programmes and communities worldwide, and transform the way kids learn. What makes this work is the universal 'grandmother' approach, where children get to interact with a person who is encouraging and appreciates their efforts, and in doing so enables them to learn what they need and also find out more about what interests them. The need for the Granny Cloud became apparent during the preliminary experiences in the SOLEs. The SOLEs were originally initiated to provide educational support for children in remote, disadvantaged settings in rural and urban areas in India. The SOLE approach appealed to many educators worldwide and is now used by many teachers and schools in their own classrooms. The School in the Cloud joins these two components together and will bring in the Grannies who will use the SOLE approach in these settings.

In November 2013, the first School in the Cloud learning lab — located inside a high school in Killingworth, England — opened its doors to students. Since then, six more learning labs have been built — one more in the UK and five across India. Mitra has also launched the School in the Cloud platform which ensures that anyone, anywhere, can experiment with self-organised learning. As of 2016, more than 16,000 SOLE sessions have taken place globally, with partner learning labs and programmes scattered across the world — including in Pakistan, Colombia and Greece. Newcastle University opened SOLE Central in 2014, as a global hub for research on self-organised learning. The platform is managed at the university's culture lab. He wishes to help design the future of learning by supporting children all over the world to tap into their innate sense of wonder. He says, “Help me build the School in the Cloud, a learning lab in India, where children can embark on intellectual adventures by engaging and connecting with information and mentoring online. I also invite you, wherever you are, to create your own miniature child-driven learning environments and share your discoveries.” Thousands of people from Colombia to South Africa have also downloaded his SOLE toolkit for use in their homes and classrooms, experimenting with his learning method on the ground. They are also sharing their discoveries to help advance his research. School in the Cloud is the subject of a documentary by director Jerry Rothwell, winner of TED Prize Filmmaker Award. Digital Learning and the Shift He explains that we humans have a tendency to approach something critically, especially when it is new. He says sadly many approach the internet and digital learning that way. Before the internet or books were around, we were taught by people who knew the subject. To explain his point, he says “Why do you have to be taught? Because you don’t have access to that information easily. This was the case, for example, in the 15th century, where if you wanted to learn something, you had to find an expert and ask him or her to please explain it to you. So that’s where the teaching bit comes. When books came, which was the first sort of impact of technology, suddenly the teacher’s

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Awards and Accolades

Prof Mitra has numerous awards and honours to his credit. Some of these include… • $1m TED Prize, 2013 • Education Leadership Award, AdvancED, Washington, USA, 2012 • Leonardo European Corporate Learning Award, 2012 • The Klingenstein Award, Washington, 2011 • Special Achievement award from Learning Without Frontiers, London, 2011 • Honorary Doctorate from Delft Technological University, The Netherlands, 2011

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Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association, 2006 • The Dewang Mehta award for innovation in IT, Ministry of Information Technology, Government of India, 2005 • Finalist, World Technology Awards, education category, World Technology Network, San Francisco, June, 2003 • The Man for Peace award for 2002 from the Together For Peace Foundation, Italy, 2002 • The Best Social Innovation of the year 2000 award from the Institute for social inventions, UK, 2000

• Best book of the year award from Indian Council for Technical Education for 2007

• The Best ICT story award from the IICD at the World Bank’s Global Knowledge II conference in Kuala Lumpur, March 2000

• Best Education Research Article in an Open Access Journal for 2005, The Communication of Research Special

• The Raizada award for the best paper of 1999 from the Computer Society of India, 1999

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knowledge could be tapped into a nonhuman form – the book. And there was equal controversy, I believe, at that time about the fact that books were going to ruin the education system! ‘What will teachers now do? Children will just pick up the book and they will figure it out!’ Then the teachers said, ‘No, that’s not going to happen because how do you know which book you have to read? The teacher will tell you!’ So, the curriculum, the library, the books, that kind of system came in. This happens for the first 17 years of your life because after that, once you get into your job, you don’t have access to all those books. You can’t carry your library on your head – you have to have it inside your head! So if you are lost, you are stuck, you are on a ship going somewhere and you want to know where you are, you use your sextant, point to a star, you use your knowledge of trigonometry, you look at your watch and you figure it out. All this you learnt in the first 17 years. But what happens when you can carry the library with you? That’s the shift that we are going through. Not just the library, you can carry everything with you! So, if you’re now stuck on a ship,

the new generation looks at a sextant and says, ‘What is this?’ Then you say ‘Well, trigonometry...’ and he says, ‘What is that?’ And you say, ‘But how will you find out where you are?’ And the new generation will say, ‘Here’s my phone’. We have to make that shift.

and methods. He has been a mentor and he has been constantly supportive of our work. He was even gracious enough to be keynote speaker at the ScooNews Global Educators Fest 2017. He inspires us to think out of the ordinary and come up with new and fresh ideas in the realm of education.

“Thanks to the internet, packing your head for the first 17 years of your life, like a suitcase for a journey, is no longer required. The stuff is available everywhere – whenever you need it, you can have it.”He believes, “It is high time we change our approach to teaching. We need to make children curious about something so that they look it up and learn, thereby reversing the process of learning. This generation doesn’t take to orders, not because they are indisciplined – we often think they are indisciplined but every generation says this about the next! Nobody is indisciplined, we are just adjusting and living in our time. So we need to make that change and adapt.”

In the current education scenario, students are rewarded for memorisation, not imagination or resourcefulness. Prof Mitra is an inspiration to educators worldwide and we hope that his ideas can revolutionise the learning system and pedagogy in India, thereby producing better results. We need to follow his advice and make changes in our system to make it more efficient for our children, particularly to impart primary education. The concept of pointless memorisation, which is undoubtedly a burden for the students, needs to come to an end and “real learning” needs to start. We can make it happen.

Mentor and friend To us at ScooNews, Prof Mitra is not just the brain behind several brilliant and innovative learning experiments

Like he rightly said, “Knowing is NOT the most important thing. To be able to FIND OUT is more important than knowing.”

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ACCOLADES ScooNews recognised as No. 1 Start-up at Rajasthan IT Day

ScooNews gets acknowledged by Vasundhara Raje, Honourable CM, Govt. of Rajasthan for innovative education media platform at Rajasthan IT Day

cooNews was felicitated at a ceremony during the Rajasthan IT Day celebrations for being amongst the top start-ups of Rajasthan. Vasundhara Raje, Honourable Chief Minister of Rajasthan, presented the Gold Qrate card to ScooNews. ScooNews stood out as the best start-up from over 700 start-ups in Rajasthan with a Qrate score of 88. ScooNews has undergone rigorous training and mentorship under the iStart program managed by Applyfi to reach where it now stands. In a short span of three months, ScooNews moved from the Bronze level to Gold with the help of the access-improve-access model of iStart.

orate and showcase their skills and innovation. A job fair for students was also conducted as a part of the four-day celebrations which included events like TechRush, Hackathon 4.0, Eduhack, Green-a-thon and eMitra/ITGK Connect.

ScooNews has also been provided a financial assistance of Rs.20 lakh by the Government of Rajasthan under its newly launched Rs.500 crore Bhamashah Techno fund, which provides grants and investments to start-ups. The cheque was handed over to Mr. Ravi Santlani, CEO, Edupulse Media Pvt. Ltd. (ScooNews) during a special ceremony at Rajasthan IT Day.

Qrate is a unique programme based on the access-improveaccess model to assist start-ups in sharpening their business plans and investor pitch decks. The programme subsequently connects them to potential investors and customers. Start-ups are first assessed on various parameters of business and then provided with the Applyifi scorecard and assessment report based on their strengths and weaknesses. They go through an intensive learning and mentoring routine to get ongoing feedback and improvement.

Organised from March 18 to 21, the Rajasthan IT Day celebration is a platform for students, educators, individuals, government and non-government organizations, corporates and startups from the field of education, IT and e-governance to collab-

iStart Rajasthan is a flagship initiative by the Department of Information Technology and Communication, Government of Rajasthan and intends to foster innovation, create jobs and facilitate investment. The programme aims to nurture innovation and entrepreneurship which would further help in the economic growth and development of the state.

More details about iStart and Qrate can be found at http://istart.rajasthan.gov.in/

MARCH 2018 Nichola Pais editor@scoonews.com

had a number of great teachers and the ones that really were the strongest influences on me were women. They were really, really smart and interesting women.”

WOMEN EDUCATORS

BECOMING EMPOWERED, ENABLING CHANGE

With no disrespect to any of the wonderful male teachers out there, most would agree with multiple Oscarwinning actress Meryl Streep’s acknowledgment. The debate over the role that the gender of a teacher plays in efficiency, will probably never be put to rest! However, if we are to go by the findings of a study (Basow, 1995), students perceived women teachers to be more sensitive and considerate of student ideas, while male instructors were considered as being more knowledgeable. Female teachers were seen to have the edge, with the study suggesting that girls share a better relationship with female teachers than with male teachers. Boys reported fairly similar relationships with both.

The good news Research conducted by two economists from Texas A&M University reported that female students do even better than their male counterparts when they are taught by female teachers. An analysis of standardized test scores of over 14,000 middle school students in South Korea showed that when taught by a woman, girls’ scores on average were almost 10% higher than boys’.

Female educators rising to positions of leadership would bring about greater gender equity and inclusiveness, both in education and life at large

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It was deduced that the gender of a teacher influences the way in which he/she interacts and communicates with his or her students. The difference between knowing and teaching lies in communication in the classroom. The idea of women being better teachers than men could lie in the general perception that female teachers are more empathetic and encourage equal participation and creative expression. The percentage of women teachers in schools in India has been increasing steadily in recent years. From 43.46% in 2008-09, it rose to 44.83% in 2009-10 and 45.51% in 2010-11. The shift had started in the 1990s, when the government-launched Operation Blackboard saw the reservation of 50% of jobs in schools for women. What’s more, this

‘femininization’ in the teaching fraternity is a worldwide phenomenon. However, that is not exactly reason to cheer. As The Learning Curve, the newsletter from the Azim Premji Foundation points out, while Indian women join the school teaching profession in large numbers, they tend to be concentrated in primary school teaching and rarely rise to positions of authority and leadership. It is important to create greater equity in the school teaching profession, which would have positive consequences for women teachers and also for the way young children are socialized into adult roles.

…And the not-so-good news A research project undertaken by S. Indumathi and and Indira Vijaysimha had proved what we knew all along – that between male and female teachers, the former spent their after-school hours indulging in sports, leisure activities and socialising with friends. Female teachers caught up on housework. Female teachers become skilled at multi-tasking, cooking, cleaning and supervising their own children’s homework even as they complete their corrections and preparations for the next day’s lesson. Naturally they are left with barely - if any - bandwidth for professional development activities. Not surprisingly, very few women achieve leadership positions in education. Apart from the private all-girls’ schools, it is not common to find women as school principals. Due to family responsibilities women rarely have the time to develop their skills or augment their qualifications to prepare for managerial positions. Most start and end their careers as classroom teachers, with a few variations in the age-group of the students or the subjects that they teach. This reality ends up undermining female teachers’ authority in the classroom. Additionally, it reinforces traditional masculinity and femininity with men engaged in leadership and women in nurturing roles. Determined efforts need to be made to recruit women into high school teaching and to also make primary school teaching attractive to men. Sensitising of male and female teachers would help reduce conventional gender stereotypes in the classroom.

Additionally, women must be encouraged to take up leadership positons in education and given the training they require. These measures would bring about greater gender equity in the teaching profession and enable the younger generation to gain a more inclusive view of the roles of men and women in education, and in life.

Role of Teachers As stated by Dr Sandra Stacki in Women Teachers Empowered in India: Teacher Training Through A Gender Lens (UNICEF), it is through teachers that the ideology, values, and culture of a nation, state, and its people flow. Likewise, it is through teachers’ lack of knowledge, misjudgements and biases that misinformation and constricted learning behaviours also percolate down to students. Calls for educational reform must therefore emphasize the education and empowerment of teachers that includes the real opportunity for them to share perspectives, power and decision-making. Gender equity is a key area in which all teachers must be educated. Among international agencies and donors, Education For All (EFA) reform efforts have specifically targeted girls and women calling for the elimination of gender gaps in access, learning and retention. Numerous programmes have also been initiated that either focus entirely on females or make a special effort to ensure their inclusion.

However, the education of girls in strongly patriarchal countries will not result in empowered women who will participate in critical decision making. This would happen only if teachers are empowered supporters of gender equity. Women teachers must serve as positive role models. Despite being frontline participants and key to successful quality schooling, teachers are invariably a silent majority. Not only are they generally excluded from policy-making, governance and management, but also from day-to-day instructional strategies and decision making. It is an unfortunate fact that teachers, especially in less developed countries, have held minimal power in educational systems which are organized in hierarchical ways. Thus, women teachers have been largely unable to participate in decision-making and have little or no voice in creating the institutional structures and policies that affect their lives, both within and out of school, and also determine the success of their students.

Taking Charge We opened our pages to some of India’s women educators, for their views on whether women have a greater role to play in education than they currently essay. Do women also need to step up to positions of power and shape the future of education and India? The responses were enlightening…

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“WE NEED MORE WOMEN IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR” Dr Swati Popat Vats, President Podar Education Network Women are blessed with empathy and intelligence that makes them the best fit to play a greater role in the education system of our country. Currently we do have women working as teachers and principals but we should have more women leading in the private sector especially in private schools. Only a handful of women lead school chains and that needs to change. Women need to work within a life-career balance and ensure that their career in education is not hijacked due to lack of support services when they travel for work or during their pregnancy and post birth. They also need to bring about sensitivity based education practices and help education move away from a ‘dominant, aggressive, punitive based’ learning system to a more liberal, independent, thinking and empowering style of education. Many girls have to convince their family when they choose a career in education, especially early childhood education, as being an educator is not a career that people respect. Don’t get me wrong, teachers to a large extent may be respected, but the career of teaching is not acceptable to many families. Most fathers and husbands are comfortable with it and ‘allow it’ because it has many holidays, working hours are comfortable, and there are fewer males in the work place! There are almost 80% women in the education sector but the problem is that most of them do not choose a career in education! It is their second, third and sometimes a ‘time pass till marriage’ choice! This has to change. Women need to understand the importance of making a difference in education and that will only happen when we integrate it in our culture and in the way we talk about a career in education to our children. Women need to use their intuition and gut feeling combined with educational qualifications to effect an overhauling of our ‘Macaulay based’ education system. Most women shy away from leading a school/education company, because it involves longer hours, more stress, and excellent people skills. This has to stop, and more women should start embracing powerful, decision-making positions in this field to effect a lasting change that will impact our future. Happy Women’s Day, may our tribe in Education increase!

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“WOMEN’S UNDERSTANDING OF STUDENT PSYCHOLOGY ENABLES BETTER POLICIES” Rajeshree Shihag, Principal, The Fabindia School More girls come to school if their teacher is a woman; cultural barriers still exist which seriously impedes their development. When parents know there is a female teacher they are easily convinced to send their girls to school. It is said that if we educate a man, we educate a man only, but if we educate a woman, we educate the whole family, the whole of nation. This highlights the importance of female education. That is how we will be able to address the burning issue of women empowerment. The other very alarming concerns of the society; violence in schools can be taken care of by the warm, loving, caring and understanding heart of a mother, in the form of a teacher. It is a fact, that women are built different than men by nature, they have the extra supremacy to recognize and mould the early warning signs of disruptive behaviour of a child. A society that shows greater concern for the rights of the weaker strata of its society — including women — will be less likely to initiate violence, while economic and social development are strongly elevated when women enter the marketplace, according to the report from the RAND National Security Research Division, a non-profitable organisation. Educational leadership requires skill, passion, and perseverance, and these in light with understanding students, women understand the psychology of students must better. Hence it gives them a better idea in formulating policies or taking key decisions.

“We need to sharpen our skills, not feel guilty”

The presence of a significant amount of women teachers particularly in kindergarten and primary levels is seen in our educational system and many others around the world. However the percentage of female teachers in higher secondary, graduate and post graduate courses keeps decreasing. One of the reasons for this is low female education and literacy rates. On the other hand many reports of the UN say that the presence of women teachers has a positive effect on the education of women and girls. In countries where girl child education is a challenge, the lack of female teachers has been identified as one of the main barriers to equality in education. In today's world when our MDGs and development is focused on girl child education and the concept of Education for All, the involvement of female teachers becomes extremely important. The involvement of women should not only be at teaching level but it should also be at policy making level. It is about time that women stand-up and acquire positions of power and contribute towards making various policies including those in education. Various researches done in corporates, with a higher representation of women at the most senior levels, say that these organisations deliver stronger organizational and financial performance as well as they have better governance. Needless to say, if this is applied in the field of education, the results will be the same. Beside this, having more women in power positions means that the number of female students enrolled and studying will increase. Also policies made or changes in existing policies will be more female student-friendly further facilitating education of girls/women. It will lead to more gender-parity, increased understanding towards student issues especially those of female students, more gender sensitive approaches in dealing with issues related to education and also finer issues like sexuality, violence, discrimination, patriarchal ideas etc.

Yvette Lee, Counsellor & Social Worker, Mahatma Education Society

The onus to do so is right now on us. We, as women should aspire to be in such roles, we need to sharpen our skills, get more educated, have confidence in ourselves and not feel guilty for being ambitious and over-achievers. And to the small group of men who support us... may many more join your clan!

“TIME FOR WOMEN TO LEAD EDUCATIONAL REFORM” It is said ‘Educate a woman, educate a family’, I would further say, ‘Empower women educators, empower a nation’. Today, it is more imperative than before for women to lead from the front because they have mastered the balancing act so beautifully over the years, overcoming varied obstacles like gender bias, lack of equal opportunities, rigid mind-sets that nothing seems impossible for them to achieve. This mind-set is what the nation needs where true leaders are displaying grit, honesty, excellence and humanity. Thus, time for women educators to not only lead schools but lead educational reforms, dictate new educational policies and develop more research-based programs to upscale the quality of education across length and breadth of India! We, women need to get more determined about our desires and ambitions to develop high-level education. We should think beyond boundaries so we should aim for the sky for the world to bow to our wishes. Therefore, having a deep desire to touch lives primarily, is more important for one to render an impact. Always connect, communicate and collaborate with like-minded people because a team always challenges and helps you deliver.

Kavita Sanghvi, Varkey Teacher Ambassador, Teach SDG’s Ambassador

Likewise, try to diversify your talents, explore new dimensions of thinking and working because a constant learner will always bring in new ideas, perceptions and be more accepting of other people’s ideas. These attributes will keep bringing in educational reforms which cater to the present and future needs of the students. As technology and innovations seep in every day making the world more globally connected, so will education need dynamic individuals who mould themselves continuously to the transformation and who better to be plugged in than today’s women.

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MARCH 2018 “THERE IS NO ROOM FOR COMPLACENCY IN THE PROFESSIONAL SPACE”

“PROVIDE GENDER TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES”

Karuna Yadav, Principal, Kapilgyanpeeth

Dr Kamini Rege, Assistant Professor, Dept Of Human Development, College of Home Science Nirmala Niketan

No offence intended but women per se are structured and wired to be more resilient. They do not easily give up to failures of achieving the expected level of learning, especially if they are educators by choice and not by chance, by design and not by default. They genetically are believed to be committed and are equipped with required emotions and empathy to instil the desired morals and code of conduct, suitable for social existence, in children. It is not about curricular transaction but it is about teaching them the life skills. In today's hyper competitive and challenging times, it is imperative to equip the children with the skill to be adaptive and be successful in living a productive life in this VUCA world: a world that is Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. The modes, the purposes, the conventions of functioning of the educator are in a constant flux as far as global educational parameters are concerned. Therefore there is no room for complacency in the professional space of an educator. As an educator and as women, it is more than ever required to exhibit and exercise our professional inertia to sensitize our young brigade to value Secularism, Pluralism and an inclusive society. These would give strength and sustenance to our diverse multi-cultural, multi religious and multi-lingual nation. The faith and responsibility reposed in educators is crucial all the more now, because they have to conscientiously take care of all the three domains of education; the cognitive, the psychomotor and the affector aspect of the holistic development of a child. The most powerful tool to mould our nation's supremely important asset is the women, for they lace the training with love, empathy and their neversay-die attitude. Women out there, you’ve got to be passionate to shape the future of education in India and not in position of power!

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As an educator, I feel it is important to give girls and women a strong foundation through early years of development. Foundation in early years will build strong technical, cognitive, and behavioural skills conducive to high productivity later in life. Successful interventions emphasize, among other areas, nutrition, stimulation, and basic cognitive skills. It is important to help girls and women grow to provide them with jobrelevant skills that employers demand, or that they can use in launching their own business. Focuses on basic education will help reduce income-related gaps through interventions to reduce the opportunity cost of schooling for girls. In addition to increasing enrolment and attendance, we also need to ensure that all girls who go to school can learn—by building stronger schooling systems with clear learning standards, good teachers, adequate resources, and a proper regulatory environment that emphasizes accountability. Set up mentoring programmes for new professions for women to be paired with a woman educational leader who will be a role model and encourage/ support professional and technological development. Provide gender training and professional development opportunities for women education leaders to enable them to promote gender equality initiatives in their own schools and to provide appropriate support for women. Create an environment that encourages investments in knowledge and creativity. This requires innovation-specific skills and investments to help connect people with ideas, as well as risk management tools that facilitate innovation. Again, girls are at a disadvantage when compared with boys, with fewer opportunities and, therefore, lower rates of entrepreneurship in our country. It is important that societies promote flexible, efficient, and secure labour markets. Apart from avoiding rigid job protection regulations while strengthening income protection systems, providing intermediation services for workers and firms is important to transform skills into actual employment and productivity. This matters even more for girls than for boys, as girls are often more constrained and have limited access to opportunities, which in turn can lead to diminished expectations and girls and women may more likely to choose and enrol in training in those traditionally male-dominated fields. Girls and women entering the 21st century job market will need skills, knowledge and technological awareness that can be developed only throughout their lifetime. They need our support at every step along the way.

“EDUCATION TO EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES” Taruna Kapoor, Vice Principal, Wisdom Valley Global School Men and woman in today’s world are seen on the same platform, but women have and will hold the privilege of being a mother, who is the first teacher to any child. Thus, being an effective educator comes naturally to women. For women to take up the role of an educator, it is important that she is educated well too! A forward-looking education system is needed, one that generates practical, inquisitive and creative thinking and one that removes preconceived gender roles or bias, whether at home or in the workplace. Education which enables all women to guide and educate children, because education is what takes us forward in a sustainable manner. It plays a pivotal role in contributing to equal opportunities in the political, social and economic sphere and a basis for communities to thrive.”

“WOMEN SHOULD ASPIRE FOR CONSTANT LEARNING AND SELF-DEVELOPMENT” While education is undoubtedly a key element contributing to women empowerment but due to certain commitments, sometimes self-assumed, women undermine their own strength and possibilities for what they could have achieved and/or given to the society. I believe all women are uniquely qualified for leadership in all spheres of life. Being a woman (and an educator) I think, we are more in control of our own destinies and can effect change in not only the lives that we touch upon (students and other stake holders) but also in the society when we step up to assume responsibilities that challenge conventions. By influencing aspirations, by serving as role models for future generations, woman educators have a bigger influence beyond just their direct circle of influence. Supriti Chauhan, Principal, Raghav Global School, Noida

“THE STRONG OF WOMEN REPRESENTATIVES CAN INFLUENCE DECISIONMAKING” Harleen Mohanty, Educator Educating a woman not only brings about self-esteem and confidence but also promotes active participation in the society. If more and more women are engaged in the educational policy decision making processes then they would actively play a better role in directing the next generation. The women's rights movement is a good example of how women have come across very strongly, fighting for their political, social and economic status in today’s world of technology and modernization. The role of women in the education system can play a big part in the society. The factors like cultural, social, political and technological changes in the world have revolutionized the education and social life of women. Studies have shown that the rate of economic growth from women’s education matches with those from men’s education. Women who are in the field of education can come together and collaborate on various issues pertaining to school education, and work towards bridging the gap between school and college keeping in mind the best global practices. Once it is commonly discussed and formulated it could be presented to the government to be implemented. If taken as an industry then strong presence of women representatives in FICCI and similar bodies can influence decision making of ministry of HRD and other state education departments. It’s time for change.

To assume positions of power and influence to share the future of education, women should aspire for constant learning and self-development, reflect on their own reality, develop self-awareness, build self-esteem, be resilient and not be afraid to take risks… all in an endeavour to learn more, be more and do more for the greater good of the community and the nation.

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MARCH 2018 “UNLESS WOMEN FOR THE COUNTRY, THE DISEMPOWERED HAND WILL CONTINUE TO WRECK THE CRADLE”

“WOMEN WITH GRIT AND PASSION MAKE GREAT LEADERS”

What happens when the hand that rocks the cradle is a feeble, disempowered one? What happens when the knee at which the earliest learning took place, is bent under oppression? What hope can there be for a society that develops under these conditions? Women have a dual challenge to deal with. On one hand, they need to break off from the oppression they suffer and simultaneously lead the change for an egaliNishi Misra, tarian society. But, as Principal, everyone knows, the one Scindia Kanya quality that any leader Vidyalaya, Gwalior must have is ‘vision’. What vision can we expect from those that have been oppressed for eons? The answer, as always, is searched for in education. But seeing how we have fared so far, it is obviously not enough. Though financial independence among girls has increased, social independence has not kept up. Education in India has never been the agent of change in society. It has only ever been a reaction to what happens in our society. When the economy opened up, a sea change occurred in education to provide human resources for such an economy. When the age of internet dawned in the west, Indian education reacted by mass churn-out of software engineers. We have seen education reacting to changing faces of technology, economy and jobs. But do we see the same reaction in education in response to rape, domestic violence, women’s safety and health? Unfortunately the efforts are rarely more than a face-saving by the powers that be. It is time to knock at different doors rather than beating down the gates of education. Fuller representation by women legislators can no longer be left to chance. India stands at position 103 globally in the strength of its women legislators. This is a mere 12% of the total legislators that India has. Compare this with the presence of women in Indian education: a whopping 45%! The time has come to achieve a healthy 50% partnership in our legislative bodies. Unless women legislate for the country, the suppressed, disempowered hand will continue to wreck the cradle rather than rock it.

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Jyoti Chaba, Co-founder, DePedagogics In the current social scenario it has been accepted that women have the potential and capability to lead any organization, be it a corporate, a bank or an educational institution. Women with grit, determination, a strong vision and most importantly passion make good leaders. They are able to stick to their decisions irrespective of the usual hurdles coming their way in a male dominated society.

“WE NEED TO FILL THE VOID” Smriti Agarwal, Senior Headmistress, Podar Jumbo Kids – Hiranandani Powai In formal education women can play a greater role by taking up the responsibilities to bring about the changes in education which are inevitable in today’s times. As educators, women need to hold the decision making designations in regulatory and governing bodies wherein there is a void to fill. There is a pressing need to bridge the humungous gap between policies, needs and future realities. Here women have a greater role to play as policy makers and not be confined to being educators. As an educator and a woman I feel women should be empowered with education themselves. Knowledge of deep rooted theory and culture, clubbed with experience and farsightedness can make someone capable of holding a position of power. Education and insight can equip women to rise in life, aim high to attain the position of power and then envision the future of education for a country as vast and diverse as India. India is currently undergoing multiple changes at multiple levels in education, and if we women want to give the future of education an accurate shape we need to step up and take charge, in order to give both roots and wings to our future generation through pertinent education. If women take up positions of power in education sector, then the future of education in India will be the one which lets one remain culturally rooted and also feel enriched so as to have wings to fly high in life.

“WOMEN IN POWER, INSPIRE” Suvidha Shekar, Founder-Director Williez Pre-school

“FIGHTING ALONE ISOLATES WOMEN” Bhakti Verma, Founder, Word’s Worth Workshops, educational consultant Women can take up positions of power and contribute meaningfully as educators by saying ‘yes’ to realizing their potential and by improving the quality of interactions they have with various stakeholders – students, parents, administrators even their own family members. I think there is no dearth of the number of women who are teachers but that teaching is the ‘incidental’ choice of work continues to be the case. And any role beyond teaching; because it comes with additional responsibilities, skill development and leadership development and consequently ‘more time and investment in oneself’ for the greater good of the organizational and societal ecosystem; is still received with hesitation. I have interacted with countless women who, even today, continue to make choices which are below their potential for non-professional reasons and they continue to believe that these decisions are ‘their own’ when in fact they may be affected by many social factors. And the answer doesn’t lie in just women fighting for their professional success with family and society, but about the family and society being supportive of that decision by equally sharing responsibilities of running the household and raising children. Fighting alone isolates women and once again the fight becomes ‘their own’ and this time it’s really just their own, because it is about a decision ‘they’ took to realize their potential. Women need to be seen as equals professionally AND at home AND in society. We have to question and challenge stereotypical roles of men and women. And women need to invest in themselves, they have to learn to prioritize themselves and do things that make them happy, also ask for help when they need it. This isn’t the time to shy away from honing one’s skills and realizing one’s potential but to trudge confidently on their own path to success!

The women of the present generation have generally received higher education than the women of their preceding generation. There have been far reaching consequences in the economic status of their families. A whole new world is full of opportunities that are waiting to be seized! Women excel on the basis their hard work and their dedication – no less than any man. Women in positions of power became a source of inspiration for millions of young girls who make them their role models.

AREN’T WE ALREADY IN POSITIONS OF POWER? Dr Kavita Aggarwal, Chairperson, MISA, Chief Academic Advisor to Group of International Schools In the education industry, there is a larger percentage of female teachers as compared to males. Given our biological genes, women are better able to connect with kids and parents and hence we are mostly found working with them! In my experience, I receive and hire maximum female teachers, be it for pre-primary, primary, secondary or above. Currently, we also have so many female principals across schools on a global front, who are doing a fabulous job. The competition is getting tougher, even as so many more schools are coming up. We have so much to offer and still find ourselves struggling to lead a balanced life. A women educator is a courageous leader who is prepared to take risks when no one else will. A courageous leader has faith in other people. A courageous leader raises difficult issues, is ready to give difficult feedback, and share unpopular opinions. Having said that, I think women are and will continue to succeed just so. Should women step up to positions of power? Is this a trick question? Aren’t we already in positions of power?! I mean, at home, we are mostly the decision makers! Professionally, we decide what we want to teach our kids, we decide what we want to learn FROM our kids, we decide as Heads of school. We make crucial decisions on an hourly basis! I have been in the education industry since 35+ years now and not once have I come across a situation where we are any lesser than what men can do! Our ‘today’ is as important as our ‘tomorrow’. We are slowly and steadily climbing up the ladder. More and more women choose to work and more husbands are now encouraging their wives to have self-identity. Gone are the days wherein women were confined to four walls.

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“IN-TRAINING PROGRAMME COMPONENTS WHICH LIFT WOMEN’S ASPIRATIONS ARE ESSENTIAL” “I am concerned about the vast inequalities in salaries, especially for those in higher education, and principalships and administrative posts at all levels of education that are infrequently held by women. Although women have held practically every position in the management of higher education, their representation is extremely small. Traditionally women have been under evaluated as their capacity to lead. There is a need to lift the aspirations of women in the academic profession. The roles women take in universities aren’t recognised as routes to the top. But they demand as much drive as the posts traditionally scooped up by men. It is sobering to acknowledge that still, not a countable number of higher education institutions are headed by a female vice-chancellor. And nothing’s changing very fast. With at least equal numbers of men and women studying for degrees – what is stopping highly capable women taking half the seats at the top table? It ranges from male pressure, to long hours, to non-recognition of the leader in her, to forcing a change. I believe women need to build self-confidence and promote themselves. But this is not enough. Real change implies breaking down the structures that favour men. Dr. Sheenu Jain, Professor of Marketing & Entrepreneurship, Chair, Centre for Entrepreneurship & Skill Development, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur

It is hard to get your career back on track if you take long career breaks, because the natural time for a promotion can often coincide with the childrearing years. But women also don't promote women. Women need to learn to be kinder to other women in business: all managers and leaders need to learn to be more flexible and open-minded about the candidate who is going to fill that senior post. What can I do about ensuring that I am included in that tiny minority of women who manage to make it to the higher echelons? Well, it is necessary to provide in-training programme components which firmly lift their aspirations, stimulate their ambitions, and motivate them to rethink and revise their own rating of their role and responsibilities as professionals as secondary to their role as home-makers. Women need to build their self-confidence and realise they can do whatever they want. They must not give up when there is a stumbling block. I have applied for many things that I haven't got, and put myself forward for promotions that went to someone else. At times it would have been easy to give up, but I've learned the importance of being resilient. It is fiercely competitive out there and that is not going to change. When you do get a promotion or an opportunity to sit on a board, be sure to do it well; be prepared and speak up. It is not about being aggressive; it is about learning to be heard by consistently being a valued contributor.

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“SOCIETY NEEDS TO RESPECT WOMEN’S ROLE” Rakhi Chawla, Founder, Ed3D The last couple of centuries have seen women taking up a plunge at various roles within the educational sector. India has some very prominent examples of women who have led the torch bearing role in creating innovative education systems, designed new thinking processes, and broken the myths of traditional teaching methodologies. With a fair number of women rising up from their back seat roles within the society and a fair ratio taking up their profession as educators and getting deeply involved within the system, a boost towards positions of power for women within the education sector will serve as the much-needed stimulus to bring in the needful changes. Society needs to move towards accepting and respecting women’s role in the learning lifecycle of children and see them taking higher challenges in the development of the same by engaging in more decision making positions within the education sector.

WOMEN EDUCATORS WHOM HISTORY WON’T FORGET… Helen Keller

Maria Montessori

Emma Willard

Born with visual and auditory inability, she studied under her personal mentor Anne Sullivan and learned about the world through knowledge - unseen, unadulterated. An inspiring figure, she has mentored hundreds of people and continues to inspire millions around the world

The woman who created the nursery school culture, the 1870-born Maria Montessori propagated the idea that children should be able to shape their future in their own ways. The Montessori Method is still followed by around 30,000 schools all over the world.

Hailing from a farmer's family back in 1787, she nevertheless went on to become a teacher at the age of 20, going on to head a girl's academy in Vermont. She also wrote an "Address Proposing a Plan for Improving Female Education" in 1819, which won wide appreciation.

Savitribai Phule

Clara Barton

Mary Mcleod Bethune

India's first female teacher at the first women’s school in Pune in 1948, she faced strong opposition from a rigid society. Fighting against all odds, her husband Jyotiba Phule and she went on to open five more such schools.

At a time when women were rarely seen working outside the house, she set up the American Red Cross. A nurse herself, she mentored an entire generation about the requirement of basic medical knowledge and sense of nursing.

Born to ex-slaves, she bagged a scholarship and studied to become a teacher herself. A name that’s synonymous with struggle and achievement, she established the Bethune-Cookman College, previously known as Daytona Normal and Industrial Institute for Negro Girls, in Florida

Mary Ward Way back in 1609, this English Catholic Sister pioneered a school for girls, which was different from the pre-existing convents. She broke from the rules that demanded girls not leave the premises of the institute, and obligatorily attend choir. She set up the Sisters of Loreto, an institution with centres across the world.

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MARCH 2018

How well equipped are your INFIRMARIES? A well equipped infirmary with a set of rules or standards in place will ensure that the students and staff at school receive timely treatment Anjana Deepak writeback@scoonews.com

he importance of the safety of our children cannot be stressed enough. Be it at home or in school, the lives and safety of our young ones are of utmost importance. With the best schools around the country providing multiple facilities, is it safe to say that these schools are also adequately equipped with infirmaries or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;sick roomsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to tend to our children if and when necessary? Every school must make it a norm to provide facilities to enable health support not only to their students but to their staff as well. Slips and trips are a part of the hustle and bustle of any school, but they could result in serious injuries. The school management should have standard guidelines that must be set and followed in respect to health and safety.

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Health Corner The infirmaries at school need not only be used to tend to cuts and bruises. They can be used in a number of ways, including to… 1. Store medical/ health equipment

all times during the working hours of the school. Medical equipment such as beds, stethoscopes, wheelchair, etc should be available. Medical check-ups for students and staff should be provided at regular intervals.

2. Conduct health exams

Effective Management

3. Give urgent care to injured or sick students and for them to rest/recover

Setting up the following areas will help create an effective infirmary:

4. Give counselling and guidance to students with physical or emotional troubles 5. Gather and use health-related information 6. Plan and teach injury and disease prevention 7. Develop teaching materials for the promotion of child health and development 8. Study and understand health-related issues at school

Involvement of staff A member of the schools teaching staff could be assigned to being the head of the infirmary. This teacher would require an understanding of health related knowledge or skill or could work with a health specialist outside the school. The school could also organise activities together to increase health awareness. When the infirmary is incorporated into many aspects of education, it becomes much easier to understand health issues and coordinate activities to improve health.

The Basics Any school infirmary must always be equipped with a first aid box which must always be replenished as and when used. It should contain the following -scissors, tweezers, nail clippers, cotton swabs, sling, bandages, rubber gloves, thermometer, gauze, splint, adhesive bandages, mesh/net bandage, cotton wool, eye patch, disinfectant, compress, stomach medicine, pain medicine, motion sickness medicine, eye medicine, anti-itch medicine (for insect bites), sanitary napkins, notepad, pen, penlight, medical gloves, etc. A qualified nurse should be present at

(1) First Aid station - near the entrance of the infirmary, with convenient access to cold and hot water - organize first aid equipment and medicines for easy access (2) Resting Area - located where the teacher/staff can easily monitor the child - use curtains or partitions to create a space where the child can feel safe and relaxed - have clean bedclothes available for students (3) Counselling Area - use curtains or partitions to make an area where children can get counselling in a private, safe environment (4) Health Exam Area - set up measurement equipment so that students can use them freely - post explanations of how to use equipment and physical development information/ benchmarks (5) Health Education Resource Area - keep health education-related books, pamphlets, and videos for easy reference (6) Bulletin Board - post information on health goals and activities, related printed materials (7) Office - set up a desk where the responsible teacher can survey the entire infirmary, and efficiently receive students

Taking Responsibility Are we following everything to ensure children’s safety? Why do most schools shy away from taking responsibility when it comes to children’s health? Most schools are ready to have an ambulance parked at their facility in case of any unforeseen event where the child can be immediately rushed off to the hospital, but they aren’t ready to employ a doctor to be on campus to oversee such events.

It goes to say that the schools are more interested in protecting themselves than taking responsibility. What needs to be understood is that when a child is seriously injured, every moment is crucial from the moment of getting injured to receiving the right medical help. There must not be a moment of hesitation for the school to step forward and take that responsibility to make sure that the child is given the required medical help and not just put the child into an ambulance and whisk them away and wash their hands off the entire incident. Some schools would argue about the expense they would incur in hiring a full time doctor. However, employing a doctor on campus will not only ensure that the required treatment will be received at the earliest, but on the financial front schools must come to realise that the overall salary paid to the doctor divided by the number of students at school will not amount to much. This amount could be added to the children’s fee. Talking to a number of parents, they were in agreement to including an amount during the academic year to go towards paying the on campus doctor. Kavitha Arun whose daughter Vyshnavi goes to a reputed school in Bangalore says, “I would rather see my child immediately tended to by a professional than just being dumped into an ambulance and sent away to the hospital. It becomes extremely important for the school to start taking responsibility while our children are in their care.” Another parent, a practicising paediatrician, Dr Ravindran says, “In certain cases it makes all the difference to a child’s life if they are assessed and provided immediate treatment. The first few moments are crucial to assess the situation and timely treatment goes a long way (sometimes in saving the life of a child) before deciding to transfer the child to a hospital.” Having a well-equipped infirmary is not only needed at school, but must become mandatory. A set of rules or standards must be in place to ensure that the staff and students at school receive the best possible treatment. Children will be children – it’s our responsibility to ensure they receive timely care.

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THE ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE OF INVESTING IN ECE

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Dr Swati Popat Vats, President Early Childhood Association, advocates the coming together of all stakeholders involved with children and childhood issues, to raise children to be healthy, happy and holistically developed individuals, contributing positively to the nation

Dr Swati Popat Vats writeback@scoonews.com

e say, ‘Children are the future’ – and that’s true – but there’s a fundamental problem with that idea. It suggests that... they’re just kids now, but later, when they become the future, we can start taking care of them... with colleges and universities, a better economy, a better job climate. But that’s wrong. The most critical time that you have with children is – ‘right now’. It’s the first five years. Children go through a period of rapid learning in the first five years. The most embedded parts of our personality – our attitudes and moral values, our emotional tendencies, our learning abilities, potential to think rationally, persist with challenge, use language, suppress impulses, regulate emotions, respond to others’ distress, cooperate with peers, cognitive and social skills, healthy habits are all a product of experiences that we have between the ages of 0 and 5. That’s when we learn how to adapt and respond to the world. Early childhood is divided into two areas, ECC - Early Childhood Care and ECE - Early Childhood Education. ECC is from inception to 3 years and ECE is from 3 to 6 years. Brain research and neuro science have proven that 98% of the brain develops in the first six years. A person’s personality is fixed by age 5,

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FEBRUARY 2018 how he/she will handle emotions, learning, social issues, problem solving and how he/she will behave, all this is fixed by age 5 and so by not investing in early childhood we are somewhere happy with creating maladjusted youth, thinking school and college life will change them! Fool’s paradise! The importance of ECE is best understood, with an excerpt from New York Times editorial by Nicholas Kirstof in which he concluded..."Look, we'll have to confront the pathologies of poverty at some point. We can deal with them cheaply at the front end, in infancy. Or we can wait and jail a troubled adolescent at the tail end. To some extent, we face a choice between investing in preschools or prisons.” Countries around the world, even those as small as Belize and Malaysia have realized that investing in early childhood will mean better, well-adjusted, intelligent adults. Which would mean lesser investment in remedial centers, youth defects, and offences. Why spend crores on rectifying adolescents when a small part of the budget spent on early childhood could have saved us, as a country, a lot? Our present ICDS program is one of the largest in the world; it has a strong reach across the length and breadth of India. One of its weakest points though is teacher training and ensuring that children enrolled are given stimulation and nurtured in a learning environment. It has a good nutrition programme but when it comes to giving these children a foundation for lifelong learning, we find this programme failing. The most impressive advocacy and research to prove the long term benefits of ECCE was done by Nobel Laureate James Heckman. He highlighted in his report that "Governments should do more for children aged 0 to 5 years old, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and not wait till they get to ECE Programs or primary school. They ignore a powerful body of research in the economics of human development."... "For early childhood programmes targeted at disadvantaged children, there is no trade-off between equity and efficiency as there is for most other social programmes. Every dollar invested in high-quality early childhood programmes for disadvantaged children produces a 7 to 10 percent annual return on investment

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President Early Childhood Association, Dr. Swati Popat Vats, authors this advocacy article. The Early Childhood Association aims to bring together all the stakeholders who are involved with children and childhood issues, be it parents, teachers, policy makers, doctors, law makers and lawyers, government, NGOs, media, corporate houses etc. to create a ‘village’ that will be able to raise the children of India to be healthy, happy and holistically developed individuals that contribute positively to the nation.

through increased productivity and lower social costs." The ACER report has always pointed out how our primary children in government schools are still struggling to learn the basics, well that would continue to be so if we don’t realize the important fact that the foundation of learning, teaching the brain ‘how to learn’ is laid in the early years, and that is why if the brain is not nurtured in ‘how to learn’ it will not be successful in ‘what to learn’. Analysis of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) also shows that in most countries, students who had attended at least one year of early learning perform better than those who had not, accounting for students’ socioeconomic background (OECD, 2015, p. 326). Without clarity of purpose, our country risks another ‘brain drain’, in the early childhood years, when 98% of the brain develops. The vast differences in the early education experiences of a child in the ICDS programme and a private programme make it unlikely that the two children will ever perform equivalently in school and later employment arena. And thus it makes sense in investing in Early Childhood Education, as highlighted by James Heckman, the following benefits of ECE: Reduced costs in remedial education, healthcare, and criminal justice participation down the line.

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Preschool helps develop the early building blocks of educational success – learning colours and numbers, understanding patterns, realizing that printed words hold meaning. It socializes children. Any language, hearing or developmental problems a child may have are picked up early. If, for every rupee invested, we get back Rs.7 then how is it not economically viable? The problem is, in India, Childcare and Early Childhood Education (ECE) is traditionally viewed from welfare or education perspective; it’s time we viewed it from an economic perspective as well. A perspective that countries like USA, UK, Australia and many others have benefitted from. The problem is not that we don’t want to care for our children. People just need to know how. Parents, teachers, the government – all the stakeholders in the future of our children – we go about it on a trial-by-fire basis, learning each time as the child grows up. But we need a more structured, a more uniform way to do this. ...At the Early Childhood Association of India, that is our mission – to help the country invest in taking care of its youngest citizens. We urge private players to ensure the following for quality in ECE by invest-

FEBRUARY 2018 ing in and supporting the following basic quality standards in Early Childhood Education. A well-researched and developmentally appropriate curriculum. Play way holistic learning of not only the 3 R’s but also of life skills. A round the year support and training for teachers. A strong parent partnership programme. Supporting each child’s overall growth with regular assessments and goal setting. Safety and security. Regular upgradation of curriculum and teacher training based on theory and recent research in the field. At ECA we have proposed ‘Adopt your nearest Anganwadi’ project to the private players. But again they are facing hurdles when they approach anganwadis for the same. So we suggest the government have a private sector partnership to improve the implementation of the ICDS program.

MISSION STATEMENT OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD ASSOCIATION To empower parents, teachers, and professionals to explore and develop holistic programmes and environments for children, that will look after their well-being, relationships, need for family and community, need to belong and communicate and thus helping each and every child grow up to be healthy in mind, body and spirit. www.ecaindia.org, email- ecaadmn@gmail.com

OUR APPEAL TO PRIME MINISTER SHRI NARENDRA MODIJI… At the Early Childhood Association we are worried about the future of early childhood care and education in our country. It is time the government stopped ‘babysitting’ this sector and started respecting and investing in it, both through proper budgetary investments and ‘thought through’ long term beneficial policies that serve both the privately run centers and the government run too. With multiple policies in multiple areas and states which are limited to only ‘outlining rules’, it will end up deterring the committed and passionate early childhood educator from setting up quality centers, which in turn leads to more ‘profiteering minded’ people coming into this sector who will bribe their way through all these so-called new laws and policies and end up giving low quality education and care to the children. We humbly and strongly urge the government to look into 10 key areas One nation-One Policy - Be it for starting preschools or curriculum or safety etc. there should be one common policy with defined nonnegotiable points for every state to follow. States can then add relevant cultural or area specific points.

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Create a lead Ministry for Early Childhood Care and Education or let Early Childhood Care and Education not be a concurrent subject. Consultative process before defining policies, laws and regulations in Early Childhood Care and Education - government should involve important stakeholders before defining laws or policies, involve associations like Early Childhood Association, parents and center owners as we know the ground reality of how and what needs to and can be implemented. Define the developmentally appropriate curriculum and assessment for all ages in the early years centers, so that a child in Delhi or Chennai is not being exposed to different learning expectations that are not in line with their age or stage of development. No distinction between private and government programs in policy, when it comes to curriculum framework, minimum wages, safety standards and learning goals.

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Minimum teacher qualification tied to minimum wages. Teacher-child ratio to be defined with maximum in-group. A curriculum framework to avoid schoolification of ECE. Budget of ECCE to be increased and divided between care and education. Parent education to be given importance Several future presidents and prime ministers are in early childhood classrooms in our country today; so are the great writers of the next decades, and so are all the so-called ordinary people who will make the decisions in a democracy. Now, more than ever, the nation is looking to its leaders and ministers at all levels to roll up their sleeves and get things done. Countries thrive when its leaders invest in smart, evidence-based programmes with proven success. Quality Early Childhood Education is a shining example. I hope our appeal for Quality in Early Childhood Care and Education reaches our dear Prime Minister and all the state leaders.

FEBRUARY 2018

…Because the

early bird catches the success curve Nichola Pais editor@scoonews.com

reschool teachers are nothing more than babysitters. Preschool is way too expensive. Early childhood education is ineffective. Children should be able to play and not have a structured environment…Just some of the many misconceptions floating around about Early Childhood Education (ECE). Research however proves that we commit the gravest mistake by writing off the early years of a child as an unimportant period; and ECE, as an incon-

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sequential filler before ‘real life’ begins. Truly, it is real life, itself ! A child’s cognitive, physical, social and emotional skill development occurs most during this period, which sows the seeds of success in later life. It is the child’s experiences during these crucial early years, which determines its survival and success in life, laying the grounds for learning and holistic development. Supportive family and community care practices, proper nutrition and healthcare, and the right learning opportunities make all the difference to a child’s development in this key phase.

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Early Childhood Education (ECE) has a positive impact on attendance, retention, and learning of children in elementary and higher education. More importantly, interventions in early childhood are seen to have long-term effects on future social adjustment and economic success, and are even passed on to subsequent generations. ECE provides sustained benefits in terms of cognitive learning and socio-emotional adjustment, particularly for children at risk. Yes, it is time ECE received the attention it deserves, from the government, educators and parents. While challenges continue to loom, a

From informal play-based learning recommended by the National ECCE Policy, to the need for a common standard across the country regarding quality and curriculum, to the importance of well-trained teachers, a brief A to Z of Early Childhood Education in India.

quick point-wise overview of the realm of ECE in India…

tional Anganwadis (courtyard shelter) centres in India.

A – Anganwadis

B – Basic Goals

Since 1975, the ministry of Women and Child Development has been providing free-of-charge integrated child development services (ICDS) in the areas of health, nutrition, community awareness and non-formal preschool education to children in rural areas, minority groups, slums, and underdeveloped areas through the Early Childhood Care and Education centres called Anganwadis. As of December 2015, there were more than 13 lakh opera-

Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) has been included as a specific target in the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. The objective is to ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education. India is among the 193 coun-

tries that have endorsed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is committed to working towards the achievement of these basic goals. The SDG goals recognize that children are agents of change when they channel their infinite potential to create a better world.

C – Common Standard A common standard in ECE is what is urgently required across India. While Early Childhood Care is handled by the ministry of Women and Child Development, the states do not manage the same. Preschools thus create their

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FEBRUARY 2018 own curriculum, or become ‘preparatory centres’ for standard one. The lack of a clear-cut policy on quality or curriculum means state governments are unable to regulate preschools. A common standard across India would ensure children get the uniform care and education they deserve.

D – Dropout rate Despite the recognition of the importance of ECE by the Government of India, the challenges in implementation still remain. There are still substantial numbers of children not enrolled in preschools. Even in elementary education, while there is a significant rise in enrolments, the dropout rate continues to be a matter of concern, with dropouts being highest in the first two grades of elementary schooling.

E – Educational facility While choosing an ideal early childhood care and educational facility, a parent must look for qualities like consideration, awareness, alertness and compassion. This age group is still not monitored under the Right to Education (RTE), however, owing to the fact that a healthy learning environment greatly impacts a child’s future, ECCE lead institutions have to create a moral compass for themselves. Early childhood educational facilities must instil in children the flexibility to adapt to changing technologies, while teachers must foster learning environments that encourage critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, communication, collaboration, global awareness, and social responsibility.

F - Franchisee models The concept of private preschooling is fast developing in India. Franchisee models like Kidzee, Podar Jumbo Kids, Eurokids, Kangaroo Kids, Shemrock and Mother’s Pride have made a niche presence in the lucrative and imperative educational scenario. Many of them follow a unique blend of Montessori and Paige’s Early Childhood Learning models and continue to innovate their curricula yearafter-year. The focus is on overall holistic development of the child.

G - Grassroots Educational institutions and government bodies worldwide admit that even if a child from the marginal strata of

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society is exposed to proper ECCE facilities, over the next 20 years of such a child, his or her presence would have significantly contributed to the future of that country’s economy. The child population is a part of the wealth of a nation, if has been exposed to holistic education from the earliest years. This sees the need for investment in ECCE centres at the grassroots level.

H – Holistic development Early childhood care and education is more than preparation for primary school. It aims at the holistic development of a child’s social, emotional, cognitive and physical needs in order to build a solid and broad foundation for lifelong learning and wellbeing. ECCE has the possibility to nurture caring, capable and responsible future citizens.

I – Integrated Child Development Services India supports perhaps the world’s largest public sector integrated programme for children below 6 years of age, known as the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). This programme was initiated in 1975 on a pilot basis in 35 administrative blocks of the country. A centrally sponsored scheme, the programme has evolved over time and has now been universalized. The services they provide include health, education and nutritional support, community mobilization and non-formal preschool education for 3to 6-year-olds.

J – Justiciable right The Government of India brought in a Constitutional Amendment to the original Article 45 which now states that “The State shall endeavour to provide early childhood care and education for all children until they complete the age of six years.” Section 11 was inserted in the RTE Act to address this gap, which directs the appropriate governments “to endeavour to provide preschool education to all children from 3 to 6 years of age so as to prepare them for primary education”. However, in order to make it a justiciable right, the National Law Commission (2015) submitted its report to the government recommending the need for legislation to make Early Childhood Development a fundamental right of every Indian child below 6 years. It also recommended that preschool education be made part of the RTE Act (2009).

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K – Key phase The earliest years of a child’s life are a key phase in the child’s development. These years determine a child’s survival and thriving in life, and lay the foundations for her/ his learning and development. It is during the early years that children develop the cognitive, physical, social and emotional skills that they need to succeed in life. Research in neuroscience provides strong evidence that the pace of development of the brain is most rapid in the earliest years of life, to the extent that 90 per cent of the brain’s growth has already occurred by the time a child is 6 years old. Research has further demonstrated that children’s early experiences influence brain development, by affecting the formation of the synapses or neural pathways of the brain. Early experiences thus have farreaching effects on the overall development of the brain and on behaviour.

L – Life-skills Promoting life skills in the preschool classroom is equally important. Mastering any kind of life skill takes time and experience. As young children learn in a safe environment to play cooperatively with others, or take care of their belongings, they build important skills and feel successful and valued in doing things independently.

M - Methods Well-intentioned activities and engagement is important for any Early Childhood Care and Education programme. While specialised systems of teaching such as Montessori have formed the basis for many a preschool for decades, newer systems and philosophies like the Playway method, multiple intelligence mapping, and the Reggio Emilia approach of learning through experiencing nature have also been incorporated into the curriculum for children up to 6 years.

N - National Early Childhood Care and Education Policy The government of India, in recent years, has taken steps to strengthen the policy framework for early childhood. The National Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Policy in 2013, and the National Curriculum Framework and Quality Standards provide a comprehensive framework for

promoting access, equity and quality in ECCE. State governments have designed their own curricula in the light of this national framework.

O - Outcomes Investments in high quality interventions for young children are thought to be cost effective ways of improving outcomes both for individual children, especially in the case of vulnerable or disadvantaged children, and for society as a whole. Compelling evidence in developing countries shows that almost 215 million children below the age of 5 have not achieved their full potential due to adverse early experiences and are at risk of developmental delays and school failure. Long-term follow-up of children from birth shows that growth failure in the first 2 years of life has harmful effects on adult health and human capital, including chronic disease, and lower educational attainment and adult earning.

P - Primary Grades Learning assessments show that literacy skills are poor in early primary grades. This shows the importance of helping children, particularly from first generation families, to develop adequate academic and social preparedness for formal schooling through a good quality ECE programme, in order for them to make a smooth transition. Evidence indicates that Early Childhood Education (ECE) programmes can “change the development trajectory of children by the time of entering school”.

Q - Quality

ness encompasses development in five distinct but interconnected domains – physical wellbeing and motor development, social and emotional development, approach to learning/language development, cognitive development, and general knowledge.

S - Strictly informal In terms of quality and curriculum for ECE, the National ECCE Policy (2013) lays down some priority areas for children, which include early stimulation experiences for children below 3 years; developmentally appropriate, play-based preschool education for the age group of 3 to 6 years; and a structured school readiness component for 5- to 6-year-olds. Even prior to this policy, the National Policy on Education (1986) clearly discouraged any formal instruction of the 3R’s at this early stage of education and emphasized strictly informal play-based learning. The National Curriculum Framework (2013) defined age-specific curricular objectives for each of the subgroups within the under-six age range and laid out the basic principles of providing ageappropriate, play-based, integrated, experiential, contextual and inclusive teaching-learning experiences.

T - Trained teachers Meaningful Early Childhood Education cannot be delivered without a battery of well trained teachers. Teachers’ training programmes need to comprise international best practices and ways and means to adapt them in schools. In India, there is no legal framework that specifies requirements and standards of ECCE teacher training programmes; instead various education channels provide different types of training.

The benefits from Early Childhood Education accrue only if the quality of the programme is ensured in terms of standards related to qualified teachers, a validated and developmentally appropriate curriculum, parental involvement, and utilization of feedback from assessments. Good quality ECE programmes have a strong track record of ensuring smooth transition from home/preschool to school. They facilitate adjustment in school, reduce dropout and retention at initial stages and improve learning achievements, thus narrowing inequalities in education.

In the words of UNESCO, “Early childhood care and education is more than a preparatory stage assisting the child’s transition to formal schooling. It places emphasis on developing the whole child - attending to his or her social, emotional, cognitive and physical needs - to establish a solid and broad foundation for lifelong learning and wellbeing.”

R - Readiness

V - Varying frameworks

According to the EFA Global Monitoring Report (2007), the consensus from research is that school readi-

The National Early Childhood Care and Education policy led to the development of state level curricula for

U - UNESCO

ECCE across states, but implementation has been uneven due to variations in state priorities and capacities. The policy recommends institutionalization of a regulatory and accreditation framework for quality, particularly for the private sector, but this has not yet been initiated.

W - Willing parents Parental involvement plays a vital role in enhancing literacy skills and development of children even more so when their involvement begins in the cradle and extends to the early childhood education centre. Parents are the prime educators until the child attends nursery or starts school and remain a major influence on their children’s learning through preschool period. When parents get involved, children’s schooling is affected through their acquisition of knowledge, skills and an increased sense of confidence that they can succeed in school. There is a need to educate parents regarding preschool education as they might not have a clear idea regarding the purpose of Early Childhood Education and its vital role in preschool years.

Y - Yawning gap Currently around 60% of children below 6 years of age do not avail of any preschool education in the country. In a country as diverse and large as India, achieving universal access is not an easy task. The sheer magnitude in terms of numbers is a major dimension of the problem. The Eleventh Plan has recommended setting up of one ECCE centre for every 40 children in the proximity of approximately 300 people. The yawning gap in provision is estimated to be almost 1.1 million, indicating a requirement of approximately 53 percent of institutions.

Z - Zero to five From the age of zero to five years, healthy positive reinforcement and a happy environment makes a huge impact on the overall development of a child. Such experiences affect all aspects of their development – physical, intellectual, socio-emotional and spiritual. The early years are the brain development years, when attention should be given to a child’s health, nutrition, stimulation, language and emotional development.

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ECE AROUND THE WORLD

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While global trends in Early Childhood Education around the world are changing, progress has been slow.

Anjana Deepak writeback@scoonews.com

hildren are a Nation’s future.... Any nation that believes in this term will see the value of investing their energy and expertise in Early Childhood Education (ECE). This would require government, non-government, private sector organisations, agencies and individuals (teachers and parents) to bring in their collective wisdom to illuminate a path towards a comprehensive system of care and education towards preschoolers worldwide. ECE applies to children between the ages of 3-5 years and is often referred to as preschool, pre-kindergarten, day care, nursery school or early education. It helps children to transition from pre-school to elementary school, which ensures a positive impact giving the child a head start towards a bright future.

The Importance of Early Childhood Education Early Childhood Education and care is the first chance to introduce a child to the diversity of our society. This will have a huge impact and will influence their attitude and behaviour in life. Investing in a child’s education at the early stages will help a country eliminate poverty, boost prosperity and will create human capital which will help economies diversify and grow, helping its country reach great heights. Quality is of the essence. Providing quality education to pre-schoolers must have sound philosophies and goals; provide high-quality educational environments; reflect developmentally appropriate and effective curriculum and pedagogy; attend to children’s needs, both basic and special; respect families and communities; employ professional

teachers and staff and implement rigorous programme evaluation practices. The years before a child enters the world of formal education are important for their overall development and to have their worth as human beings recognized. All societies have a universal responsibility to recognise the preschool years as ones in which children should be protected from harm, nurtured in growth, motivated to learn, and equipped to contribute to their society in a multitude of ways. Policies must be created and should not separate the needs of the ‘‘poor’’ or the ‘‘disabled’’ or the ‘‘different’’ from those of children presumed ‘‘disadvantaged’’ or ‘‘normal.’’ Nations should set one excellent standard for meeting the physical, emotional, social, and cognitive needs of all children within their societies. It is imperative that the transition from home to school should not be so drastic as to cause psychological or emotional stress for the child.

elementary school a more peaceful transition. Parents that are actively involved in their child’s education will be able to extend and replicate activities that are experienced at school. This helps them understand what their child might need to work on to increase competency and confidence. Taking the time to see where the child stands in his/her development will help parents discover their strengths and interests and appreciate them for who they are.

Across the Globe Roger Neugebauer from Exchange, The Early Leaders' Magazine, asked the members of the World Forum community on Early Childhood trends around the world. This is what they had to say:

Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia Liana Ghent, International Step by Step

Parental Involvement

Under the educational system of former communist countries, the care and teaching of children 0-7 years was a service provided by governments in kindergartens financed and run by the state or by big enterprises. After the political and socio-economical system changed, many kindergartens either closed down or started charging parents significantly higher amounts for their services. The families that have been most affected by these changes are those with low socio-economic status, language differences, from rural areas, and with challenging personal issues.

Parents playing an active role in a child’s early educational development has lifelong benefits. Establishing the importance of education and developing a network of helpful connections is a critical point which provides the child with aids that make the move to

In an attempt to improve the situation, in some countries a compulsory preschool year has been introduced in primary schools and usually focuses largely on cognitive issues related to readiness for school. But it is not always accessible to children from dis-

The peak for learning new things, improving motor, language and cognitive skills is usually from the age of 3 years. It also helps in the screening process of the child’s development such as health, cognitive development, speech, vision, hearing, coordination, emotional skills and social skills. This helps identify any development or health issues that need to be taken into consideration, to prevent learning delays.

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FEBRUARY 2018 advantaged families. Other problems include the high number of children in classrooms, and the fact that in some cases day care is viewed as a business and provided by private non-professional individuals.

The Netherlands, Amsterdam Betsy van de Grift, Partou Kinderopvang The government considers child care as an integral and essential part of economic growth. Especially the fact that a large part of the working population is middle-aged makes it necessary that mothers with young children get the opportunity to participate in the economy and thus increase the economic wealth of the nation and their own emancipation.

Nepal Kishor Shrestha, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu The number of students in the schools in the hilly regions has dropped. In some schools there are more teachers than students. On the other hand, the number of students in the schools in the urban plain areas has increased disproportionately. A single classroom has to accommodate more than 200 students and be taken care of by a single teacher. This has led to a shortage of physical facilities and teachers and adversely affects the academic environment of the schools as well as the overall performance of the children.

Tajikistan Ibod Sharifi, Coordinating Child Centre for International Development, Dushanbe

Maggie Koong, Victoria Kindergarten and Nursery Hong Kong is in the midst of a thorough education reform programme that, having recognized early childhood as an integral part of education as the foundation of lifelong learning, and as the first stage of all-round development, is deeply affecting the pre-primary sector in several ways. It has called for the harmonization of early childhood services and this has provoked a paradigm shift towards integrated or coordinated ECEC systems leading to improvements in professional training, greater financial support, better monitoring, and less disparity between child care centres and kindergartens.

Jordan Lara Hussein, The National Council for Family Affairs, Amman Jordan is amongst the first countries in the region that developed an Early Childhood Development strategy (ECD) and a plan of action (2003-2007). The ECD strategy has adopted a definition of early childhood that includes the period extending from pregnancy up to below nine years of child age. The ECD strategy encompasses 14 themes covering a range of aspects aimed at providing children with protection and appropriate environment that enhance their growth and development. Since then, Jordan has witnessed a noticeable development in its policies and programmes relating to early childhood in the different sectors.

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The education system in Tajikistan has gradually deteriorated due to lack of appropriate infrastructures/ schools; lack of education equipment, education materials, and textbooks; brain drain; poor level of educator training and refresher courses for teachers; low payment (average $10-15 per month); and lack of motivation of education and other sectors’ workers who are responsible for child education and care and social support. As a result, these and other barriers increase social exclusion of a growing number of children, a majority of which constitute girls, who lack access to compulsory primary and secondary education.

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Dr Laurie McNelles, Mothercraft, Toronto Most regions in Canada are concerned with increasing the level of professionalism associated with the care and education of young children. Many regions in Canada are experiencing a shortage of qualified early care and education professionals. Predictably, some of these shortages are associated with low wages and poor benefit packages offered throughout early care and education. In addition, these shortages are also related to specific cultural considerations as ethnocultural groups build their internal capacity to meet the early care and education needs of children within their communities.

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India Reeta Sonawat, SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai A large number of children live in an economic and social environment that impedes the child’s physical and mental development. These conditions include poverty, poor environmental sanitation, disease and infection, inadequate access to primary health care, inappropriate child caring and feeding practices. In the private sector, although there are undoubtedly a few outstanding institutions doing wonderful work, the majority are inadequate. The state does not have anybody to describe standards and persons running centres to submit documents that they meet the standards and then the centre is registered. The existence of centres for accreditation, which bring highest standards of quality in early childhood programmes, is out of the question. Globally India is being recognized as a nation whose time has come.

The Future Though most of these global trends in Early Childhood Education around the world, be it in developing or underdeveloped countries, are changing and are upping their ante, progress has been slow. Most countries are now experiencing a high demand for high quality programmes which has stemmed from parent focus on learning outcomes and public funding flowing into early education. Early on parents chose a child care programme based on location - that has changed in recent times. Parents demand to know more about the programme before making their choice. Social media is playing an important role that serves as a forum to review group opinions and ideas while researching a centre. The main factors that influence parents while choosing a centre for their child is the learning environment, parent engagement, teacher experience and training and centre management. When looking at Early Childhood Education, whether received at home, in preschool, in a day-care centre or elsewhere, we must keep in mind the effects on a child’s physical, mental and emotional development. The brain of a child reared in safe, loving and secure environments is more likely to develop in a normal and healthy manner ensuring they are on the right path for a bright future making them worthy future citizens and happy individuals.

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INDIA’S TOP ED

INFLUENCERS On Building India’s School of the Future

Whether it is pushing the boundaries or changing the face of education in India, their contribution to the education sector is exemplary. They are the ones making a difference, and their innovation within their sphere of work, deserves to be showcased. Naturally, when it comes to building India’s School of the Future, India’s top education influencers are best equipped to shine the light and show the way. In an exclusive for ScooNews, these path-breakers share their five-point agenda on the way forward.

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Anand Kumar BEST KNOWN FOR... The Super 30 programme he started in 2002 in Patna, which coaches economically backward students for IIT-JEE, the entrance examination for the Indian Institutes of Technology

DISRUPTION…

An Indian mathematician and columnist for various national and international mathematical journals and magazines, Anand Kumar’s work has won international recognition and even inspired a Bollywood biopic in the making. His Super 30 programme, which he started in 2002, has amazed the world by its stunning success graph. By 2017, 396 out of the 450 had made it to the IITs. What’s more, in 2010, all the students of Super 30 cleared the IIT JEE making it a hat-trick for the institution. His work showcased on Discovery Channel, Kumar has also been invited by the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University to speak on his globally acclaimed effort to mentor students from the underprivileged sections for admission to IIT.It had all started with a poor student who came to him seeking coaching for IIT-JEE. Kumar’s Ramanujan School of Mathematics, which tutored students in mathematics, took the leap into holding a competitive test to select 30 students for the Super 30 program. Of the many students who appear for the test, thirty intelligent students from economically backward sections are selected, tutored, and provided with study materials and lodging for a year. Anand Kumar prepares them for the JEE, minus any financial support from the government as well as private agencies, and manages on the tuition fee he earns from the evening classes organised by the Ramanujan Institute.

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BUILDING INDIA’S SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE… Vouches Anand Kumar, “Education is the only way we can transform society and nation through development that sustains. And it has to begin from school age, as without a firm foundation higher education will be meaningless. First and foremost, we must ensure equity in education, which means education to all. All children must have access to education. But that alone is not enough as we already have right to education. That brings in the second point quality is education. Education cannot be compartmentalised - one for the poor and another for the rich. Equal opportunity must be ensured. For quality, without which education is meaningless, the third most important thing is to ensure availability of passionate and knowledgeable teachers. It is the teachers who make a world of difference to education and cover up for many deficiencies, which a vast country like ours is bound to witness.Today, there is huge dearth of teachers in all spheres of education. At the school level, it hurts the most. This makes development of quality teachers, their continuous appraisal for value addition and regular appointments for drawing the best talent under a well-organised and sustained plan - the fourth important factor. The biggest thing to remember is that there

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cannot be any shortcuts in education.Last but not the least is to attach prestige to teaching as a profession. Being a teacher should be a proud choice, not the last option. For that to happen, teachers should be given good salary and kept away from the plethora of non-academic work the government school teachers are usually engaged with despite court orders.”

Arvind Gupta BEST KNOWN FOR... Inventing toys and popularising science

DISRUPTIONâ&#x20AC;Ś As a student in the 1970s in Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Gupta became a socialist in belief but eschewed action-less discourse; he stated that instead he "placed more faith in small positive action than empty rhetoric." Gupta began his social service by teaching the children of the mess staff who had no opportunities for formal education.Gandhian in outlook, Arvind Gupta participated in the Hoshangabad Science Teaching Programme (HSTP) in Madhya Pradesh in 1978. While he was there he developed his idea of creating simple toys and educational experiments using locally available materials as well as items usually thrown as trash. These simple toys, he found, fascinated children and Gupta went on to make these the hallmark of his movement of popularising science. His first book, Matchstick Models and other Science Experiments, was reprinted in 12 languages. Gupta's website holds instructions, including short video clips on YouTube, in a number of languages, for making hundreds of improvised toys, which he makes available freely without copyright restrictions. Gupta draws inspiration from a number of people, including Gautama Buddha, George Washington Carver and his mother.

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Ashish Dhawan BEST KNOWN FOR... Ashoka University, India’s first liberal arts university, a philanthropic effort of over forty leaders in education and industry

DISRUPTION… An Indian private equity investor and philanthropist who co-founded and ran one of India's leading private equity funds, Ashish Dhawan grabbed attention when he left his full-time position at ChrysCapital after 20 years in the investment management business. He went on to found Central Square Foundation (CSF), a grant-making organization and policy think tank which focused on transforming the quality of school education in India. In 2014, he spearheaded the launch of India's first liberal arts university, Ashoka University, a philanthropic effort of over forty leaders in education and industry. As Dhawan tells it, “A few of us came together as friends and we were really disturbed by the fact that there was no Indian university in the top 200 in the world. We also could see that Indian hirers are moving towards more cookie cutter professional education. Almost everyone we were hiring was very uni-dimensional. They were smart but did not know how to write, never read a book, never really loved learning, just focused on memorisation and mastering a specific body of knowledge. So, we felt that something had to change. Historically, if you go back into antiquity, India had a great tradition of liberal education. Nalanda and

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Takshashila… and so the idea was to bring that back to our civilisation and that is what Ashoka is attempting to do.”Dhawan, recognized as the NextGen Leader in Philanthropy by Forbes India for his charitable work and also placed 15th on the 2014 Hurun India Philanthropy List, believes that you cannot have a first world country with third world education, which India has. He smashes fondly held myths pointing out that we are second last in the world in education and yet we say that we are an emerging superpower. He maintains that while it is great to focus on skilling, skilling is the ‘repair business’ while education is a ‘prepare business’. While skilling gives quick wins, we really need to invest in core education - both primary education and secondary and higher education as well, he points out.The aim at Ashoka is to help students become wellrounded individuals who can think critically about issues from multiple perspectives, communicate effectively and become leaders with a commitment to public service. It emphasises on foundational knowledge, thorough academic research based on rigorous pedagogy, and hands-on experience with real-world challenges, preparing students to be ethical leaders in a diverse and complex world - the kind envisioned by Emperor Ashoka two thousand years ago.

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Dr Ashok K Chauhan BEST KNOWN FOR... Being the Founder and President of the Amity group of institutions, and the founder of Ritnand Balved Education Foundation

DISRUPTION… As an immensely successful entrepreneur in Europe for over three decades, Dr Chauhan had a moment of epiphany. He realised that if one could motivate tens of thousands of talented youngsters and give them global level professional education while instilling in them a sense of values, there could be no reason why they would not cross over to the world to become global leaders. With this vision in mind, he went on to establish the not-for-profit Ritnand Balved Education Foundation in 1986, bringing together some of the brightest minds from the scientific, academic and corporate community to take the first step towards his dream.Today, Dr

Chauhan's vision has translated into the internationally benchmarked campuses that have come to epitomise the Amity Education Group. Currently the Group comprising of five universities, 17 schools and pre-schools and 150+ institutions, is home to over 95000 students pursuing 240 Programmes from nursery to Ph.D., across 15 campuses spread over 1000 acres. This unmatched growth of Amity is a culmination of globally benchmarked hi-tech campuses, a dedicated faculty comprising thought leaders and practicing professionals, innovative teaching methodology and an unparalleled corporate interaction.Dr Chauhan’s innovative leadership strategies have transformed the AKC Group and the Ritnand Balved Education Foundation into a

sustainable, value driven conglomerate set to transform the education landscape of the country.The Ritnand Balved Education Foundation is one of India’s leading philanthropy, education, and development foundations comprising Universities, Higher Education Institutions, Schools, Pre-schools, Forums, Academies and Centres of Research & Excellence. Centres under the Foundation are engaged in research and training, management, education, application in diverse areas of science, technology, medicine, applied sciences, rural development, industrial research, leadership and many more. Dr Chauhan’s dream and mission: to see that India becomes a knowledge superpower by 2030.

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Byju Raveendran BEST KNOWN FOR... Being the Founder of Byju’s, aimed at creating content for school students

DISRUPTION… Byju Raveendran hails from a small district in Kannur Kerala. Both his parents were from the teaching profession. Byju studied in a Malayalam medium school and was encouraged to pursue sports by his father, which resulted in him playing six different sports at the university level which included football, cricket, table tennis and badminton. Though an avid sports person he never wanted to pursue a career in the field and like all students of that time wanted to take up medicine or engineering. He chose engineering knowing that medicine would leave him no time to play sports.He graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering and was offered the role of a service engineer in a multi-national shipping firm. But a trip to Bangalore for his vacations changed his destiny. He ended up coaching his friends for the CAT exam and took up the exam himself for ‘fun’. He scored the perfect score and his friends cleared the exam as well. Through word of mouth Byju’s teaching skills gained popularity and he started coaching MBA aspirants to solve math problems in the least amount of time. The first classes were held on the roof of a friend’s house which then moved to a classroom and then to an auditorium.Byju gave up his job to continue teaching. He became so popular that at one point he coached 20,000 students in math across different cities which included Delhi, Pune, Chennai and Mumbai.In 2009 he started to record his lectures to help stu-

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dents across 45 cities to make his teaching available to them. Byju provided the initial coaching for free till his students were comfortable with his teaching methods after which he charged only for the advanced workshops.A few of his students brought the idea to him about taking Byju to a whole new domain. Together with his former students he founded a company, Think and Learn, which aimed at creating content for school students. Byju believed that com-

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plete concept clarity is a must for students to perform well in competitive exams. In August 2015 Byju’s Android and iOS apps had 5.5 million downloads and 2,50,000 + annual subscriptions. The Chan-Zuckerberg philanthropic organisation that was created by Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and his wife invested a $50 million in Byju’s firm in 2016. Over the past 10 years, he has graduated from tutorial classes to the cuttingedge technology of apps.

Farzana Dohadwala BEST KNOWN FOR... Helping new schools implement the IB programme

DISRUPTION… With over 30 years of experience in the education industry delivering National Curriculum – ICSE, NIOS and International Baccalaureate (IB), Farzana Dohadwala was the Regional representative for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Organisation for South Asia from 1995 till August 2011. She is currently IB advisor for South Asia. A member of ICSE Schools association in Maharashtra and member of IB India Development Board,

she has also counselled various students doing the IB programs and has helped new schools in the implementation of the IB programs. She manages the D Y Patil International Schools and Faziliani Globale Academy. Farzana has attended various IB teacher and staff trainings in various cities of Asia-Pacific, USA, UK and India. She is ex-officio member of SAIBSA (South Asia International Baccalaureate Schools Association), a member of the ICSE Schools Association in Maharashtra (AISM) and a member of IB India Development Board.

As keynote speaker at various forums in India, she has also been a member of the Maharashtra government’s panel discussions and committees. Apart from organising the IB Annual Regional Conference in Mumbai, she is a team member of various IB school authorisation visits in South Asia. The main presenter about IB programmes at parent orientation programmes, she also counsels students doing the IB programmes. Farzana is best known for helping new schools implement IB programmes.

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Francis Joseph BEST KNOWN FOR... Setting up the School Leaders Network helping schools, teachers and leaders to collaborate with each other

DISRUPTION… Francis Joseph is on a mission to connect schools through his ‘School Leaders Network’ to enhance learning experiences for students. He has set up a number of schools in India as well as abroad using his 20 years’ experience in school administration. His expertise includes the working of school operations, human resource, technology, organizational development and strategy planning. In 2013 he was chosen as the emerging entrepreneur by Pearson Affordable Learning Fund (UK) for his work in low-cost and affordable education. He also holds the record for the fastest admissions process (10 days) in India which was appreciated by the HRD Minister of State, Government of India and then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi.The vision of Francis Joseph’s School Leaders Network is to connect all schools. The network consists of people working in the education sector such as principals, management representatives, school CEOs, COOs, etc. The group also has several distinguished mentors who are passionate about creating a student friendly environment. Francis says, “A student in Kerala, after school does not limit himself to Kerala, he goes around the world. So, I want the school in Kerala to benefit from the best practices of other schools in say Delhi or

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Bengaluru. Learning is beyond boundaries.”The network has already connected 170 schools across the globe. His main motivation to start the network was when he noticed that schools didn’t communicate with one other. Having set-up several schools in India and abroad, he realized that it was all about competition. He wanted to disrupt this consulting market and instead help schools, teachers and leaders to collaborate with each other.He is in talks with the ministry of human resources and development to implement this program all over the country so all schools can be connected.

BUILDING INDIA’S SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE… “It shall be a school where learning is not restricted to a specific building,” states Francis Joseph, adding, “Where children, teachers and parents collaborate together as ‘learners’. It’s not about teaching; but all about learning. Our learners don’t need a specific classroom to learn. The environment will play a vital role in the learning process. Education is all about formation; not information. There won’t be teachers in schools; only learners. The most crucial

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step to make it happen is by inspiring a change in mind-sets of school leaders and policy makers. To inspire them to develop an environment, which lays a strong foundation which provides all the learners equal opportunities to excel in their skills, talents and interests. It is important to work together to develop the capacity and abilities of these educational leaders and learners. All are equally accountable for their learning and achieving the goals of the community, nation and world at large. There can’t be different compartments when it comes to learning. Education needs to be flexible; right from the cradle to the grave. Any learner should be able to learn at any age. We should stop micro-regulating the learning outcomes and content; and focus on the learners to make the choice. Qualifications and languages should not be a barrier to learning and communication, with complete focus on the individual and his/her competencies. We have been slowly drifting away from globalization to localization in our thoughts and actions. It is crucial for us to reboot ourselves for the future. My mission is to enable the school leaders and policy makers from the private and public school sectors, to collaboratively work for the betterment of the learners and community at large.”

Geeta Dharmarajan BEST KNOWN FOR... As Executive Director, Katha, she is synonymous with imparting education to underprivileged students across India

DISRUPTION… Geeta Dharmarajan is a writer, social entrepreneur, and educationist. An award-winning writer for children and adults, she has over 30 years of professional experience having served at the India Today Group of Companies, The University of Pennsylvania and INTACH, before she started Katha, an NGO. Her deep interest in how children and communities learn led to her starting Katha in 1988. She has to her credit the creation of Katha’s unique story pedagogy and earthfriendly curriculum that help make children families into leaders. She believes that translation is a counter-divisive force in India and has made Katha a respected name in literary translation.With a special focus on underprivileged children in the slums of Delhi, Katha aims to bring about change in all aspects that affect their growth, well-being, and potential, particularly their education, and help them overcome challenges—low incomes, lack of shelter, water supply and sanitation, health, nutrition, access to quality preschools and good schools.Katha’s first reading programme was launched in 1988 in partnership with UNICEF and the Government of Delhi to take it to as many children from Delhi’s slums, and later the Government of Rajasthan chipped in for their schoolchildren as well.The Katha Lab School started with five children. Today it is a centre of creativity for the slum cluster it is situated in, producing professionals every

year who become entrepreneurs who support their families, or go on to higher studies. More than 80 percent of Katha's children go to college.She was honoured with the Padma Shri award in 2012 for her contributions in the field of Literature and Education.

BUILDING INDIA’S SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE… Maintains Geeta Dharmarajan, “Indian education, I hope, will support 21st century children with, inter alia: 1. Good books. Most of India’s children still belong to a vibrant and imaginative oral traditions — one to which the millennials are returning through social media! We need all children to move with great felicity from the oral to the written word. We need stories, poems, nonfiction that celebrate the heterogeneity that is India; that enhance the joy of reading so our future leaders embrace the wisdom that quality books carry. 2. An ability to listen to others, be thoughtful. When we listen to children, we create a thinking environment that fosters imagination, innovation; and encourage them to

listen, think, ask questions, discuss, before they act. 3. Responsive and responsible classrooms: Children need a curriculum for life that has learning as its focus, not exams, and gives every child what she deserves: autonomy of thinking, caring and sharing. Teacher education must foster teacher autonomy, engagement to enhance the joy of reading. 4. Tools to help every child build a kinder world. Every single study shows that kindness, empathy, cooperation (and not competition) are the essential softer skills our children must cultivate to succeed in the mid-21st century and beyond. When reimagining education for children, we need to remember that schooling does not necessarily support learning. Schools need the courage to lead young Indians beyond schooling into curiosity, problem solving. They must help students foster equitable learning opportunities and skills for all children. 5. A proactive school community that engages with diversity. As citizens we have the onus and ownership for change. Let’s build an equitable and compassionate field for all children, regardless of class/caste, thus addressing the weakest link in our education system.”

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Gowri Ishwaran BEST KNOWN FOR... As Founding Principal of Sanskriti School, New Delhi, she is known for promoting inclusive education

DISRUPTION… Gowri Ishwaran is an innovative educationist with over 30 years of experience in the field. She has brought a paradigm shift in how education needs to be imparted to young students, owing to her clear understanding of the needs of growing children. She was the Founding Principal of Sanskriti School, New Delhi, which is counted among the leading

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schools of India, achieving the distinction within a short span of 10 years. She has also been instrumental in developing, organising and conducting training programmes and seminars for students and teachers, and actively disseminating her experiences and learning.As CEO of The Global Education and Leadership Foundation, she has been instrumental in developing today’s youth to become change makers. Her expertise lies in creating a value

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based curriculum, focusing on inclusive education for children with special needs and the socially disadvantaged. Her guiding philosophy is to educate each child to grow into a caring, sensitive, responsible citizen of the world. Her commitment to the Life Skills & Leadership Programme stems from her conviction that “it is only by investing in the young can we secure the future”.She was awarded the Padma Shri in the year 2004.

Indu Shahani BEST KNOWN FOR... Being the Founding Dean of the Indian School of Management & Entrepreneurship (ISME)

DISRUPTION… The school was founded in July 2016, where Dr Indu Shahani has been the driving force behind delivering new age experiential education in Mumbai. She is also the President and Chair Academics of the Indian School of Design and Innovation (ISDI), ISDI-WPP School of Communication and the Indian School of Management and Entrepreneurship (ISME). Principal of H.R. College of Commerce and Economics from 2000 to 2016, she was appointed Sheriff of Mumbai for 2008 and 2009. The Sheriff of Mumbai is an honorary post and is a link between the citizens and the Government, providing an opportunity to make a difference within the city of Mumbai. As the Sheriff of Mumbai, she launched the 1298 Women's Helpline against domestic violence and harassment with the help of leading NGOs.With over four decades of teaching experience at the college and university level, Dr Shahani has played the lead role in nurturing managers with a heart, through student empowered teaching - learning model. Member of the University Grants Commission from 2011-2014, she was the first Indian to be appointed Vice-Chair on the Board of the Governors of the International Baccalaureate and has over a decade of experience with the IB worldwide 2001 - 2010.She has been nominated on leading boards of large national and global companies that has provided an impetus for ‘academia - industry collaborations’, the subject of her PhD from University of Mumbai. She was awarded the Honorary Doctor of Letters degree by the University of Westminster

in London in November 2009. As a tribute to Dr Shahani, the University had instituted the Sheriff of Mumbai’s Scholarships for Women from Mumbai to study a Master’s programme in the years 2009 and 2010 in London.A Visiting Faculty Member at the UC Berkeley, NYU Stern, USA she is a Lead Speaker at various conferences in India and abroad. She has also developed many linkages for student and faculty exchanges with leading universities in USA, UK, Europe, South Africa, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.Dr Indu Shahani has been acknowledged worldwide as a visionary thought leader for her significant contribution to education and value-based leadership. She

has received many awards, prominent among them are ‘Roll of Honor’ award towards her outstanding contributions in leadership and to Education and Partnerships with Deakin University in India; ‘Excellence Award for Humanitarian Service’ by the Rotary Club of Bombay; ‘Women of the Decade Achievers Award’ by ASSOCHAM Ladies League Mumbai; ‘Citizen of Mumbai Award’ by Rotary Club of Bombay; ‘Excellence in Education Award’ at the FLO Great Women Achiever Awards; and ‘Achiever of Excellence - Women Achievers 2012’ by Bombay Management Association recognising her contribution to society at large.

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Dr Jagdish Gandhi BEST KNOWN FOR... Creating a new mind-set through education, as Founder, CMS schools, Lucknow

DISRUPTION… Dr Jagdish Gandhi ventured in 1959 to create a new mind-set through education after being influenced greatly by Mahatma Gandhi and Vinoba Bhave. With just five children on the rolls, no personal wealth, and the equivalent of 10 US dollars in borrowed capital, the motivated Dr Gandhi began his own personal experiment in Lucknow, India, some fifty six years ago by the name of City Montessori School. He saw this as a more powerful vehicle to prepare minds to prevent conflicts than working with negotiations and top-down policy efforts alone. To do this, he gave up his own active role and successful career in politics, serving at the time as elected and popular member of the Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh, the largest state of India.Today, at the age of 82, Dr Gandhi has no regrets. He works with the same undiminished zeal towards multiplying his mission for peace through education. In the past 59 years, he has not taken a single day off. He has slept little and has worked through every weekend and holiday. Although the journey has by no means been easy, the citizens of Lucknow have greatly endorsed Dr Gandhi’s mission and values.Their support has made CMS the world’s largest school with over 55,000 students on its rolls this year (a Guinness World Record for the largest

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school in the world held by CMS since 1999). This recognition has meant that Dr Gandhi has gained further momentum towards his goal. Children are the world’s future and Dr Jagdish Gandhi believes the best way to mould the future is to nurture them. Dr Gandhi continues with unfailing zeal towards creating a world safe for children and creating students who are proactive agents of social transformation by giving them an education that is capable of saving humanity.

BUILDING INDIA’S SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE… Dr Gandhi shares his 5-point programme: 1. Teaching must be directed towards enabling students to apply their knowledge with conceptual understanding, to become naturally inquisitive, to engage critically with different arguments and points of view, and to think on their feet. 2. Schools of the future need to develop a broad range of skills and attitudes in children, to make them not only preferred in the job market but also entrepreneurs and job-creators, equipped to pursue a global decision-making career.

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Schools must enable students to understand the changing realities of the job market, developing soft skills that are transferable across multiple fields and facilitating innovative career counselling. 3. Schools of the future should make use of appropriate technology in classrooms to effectively aid teaching and learning. The use of technology should be on the basis of evidence-based best practices, so that it becomes a helpful tool to improve learning outcomes rather than a gimmick or white elephant. 4. Character education has to be an integral part of future schools to make students proactive agents of social transformation in the world. Students should have not only knowledge but also the wisdom to apply that knowledge in different situations, a spirit of service to the world, and a desire to pursue excellence in all walks of life. 5. The world's problems are great, with disunity and fighting between people of different nationalities and religions. Part of the solution lies in education, and thus future schools should have a curriculum of Peace Education to create world citizens with a global mind-set, who will work for unity and peace in the world.

K Kasturirangan BEST KNOWN FOR... The New Education Policy

DISRUPTIONâ&#x20AC;Ś Eminent scientist K Kasturirangan heads the committee which has been mandated to make Indian education contemporary, improve its quality, and internationalise it. It could also provide a roadmap for the entry of foreign universities into India. The panel is working on 25 different themes including quality education, value education, digital learning, physical education, life skills in education and experiential learning among others, to bring out the policy draft. The New Education Policy is a highly awaited and discussed change in the education sector. The idea is to make the policy holistic, which is why the panel has identified 25 different relevant topics to finalise the policy draft. Helming the committee is Dr Kasturirangan, who for over nine years until 2003, steered the Indian Space programme as Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Under his leadership, the programme witnessed several major milestones including the successful launching and operationalisation of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prestigious launch vehicles, PSLV and GSLV. This Padma Vibhushan awardee is now the chairman of the committee to prepare the final draft of the National Education Policy, also taking into consideration thousands of suggestions received from educationists, teachers, experts, students and other stakeholders from across the country.

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Kiran Bir Sethi BEST KNOWN FOR... Setting up Riverside school which uses a “simplified design thinking” approach for teaching DISRUPTION… Through her education curriculum and initiatives to build a healthy relationship between students and their community, Kiran Bir Sethi is changing the experience of childhood in Indian cities. Kiran believes when children are raised in nurturing environments, they in turn, create such environments for future generations and ultimately build a culture, a citizenship between children and adults.In 2001, Kiran set up her own school in Ahmedabad, India. She had found that modern education places insufficient emphasis upon imagination, emotional well-being and choice, and that a new paradigm was needed in which pupils creatively explore the world, develop themselves and care for others.Central to Kiran’s teaching method is a simplified Design Thinking approach that leads students to understand empathetically rather than just intellectually, and puts academic learning into a real-world context. This in turn encourages collaboration and the creation of future ‘citizen leaders’ who make a positive impact on the world around them.For instance, ninth grade students learning about the water filtration process visit low-income communities to find out about the quality of drinking water available there. They then use the knowledge learned in the classroom to build prototypes of water filtration machines that can be used by the community members.The success of this teaching approach is born out in the ASSET Results, a national assessment for schools in India, where Riverside students have consistently outperformed the top 10 schools in Math, Science and English. Riverside school has been ranked the No.1 Day School in Gujarat for several years and was ranked No. 3 Day School in India by Education World in 2013.Based on extensive research, Kiran has developed a Design for Change curriculum for middle school students, which is being piloted in 64

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schools in India and 5 schools in Spain, Peru, USA and Taiwan. The related Design for Change (DFC) School Challenge was initiated in 2009 and has since spread to over 35 countries, challenging children to design and implement solutions to problems they see around them. DFC has a collection of over 10,000 stories of change by children across the globe.Riverside school has also had an effect on the wider community through the ‘aProCh’ (a Protagonist in every Child) programme, which is a city project promoting the celebration of childhood. Many schools in India have been inspired by this initiative, and aProCh has supported the implementation of these programmes in five cities across the country, impacting over 50,000 children since 2007.Kiran became an Ashoka Fellow in 2008 and was honoured with the Patricia Blunt Koldyke Fellowship 2013 in Social Entrepreneurship. Her Design for Change initiatives won the INDEX – Design to Improve Life Award in 2011 and The Rockefeller Foundation Youth Innovation Award in 2012.

BUILDING INDIA’S SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE… Kiran Bir Sethi shares her vision… Maverick & Visionary Leadership: Create school spaces with an open door policy for others to come, observe classes and school processes. Write, regularly document key school processes/practices for the purpose of sharing.Come together as thinkers and co-create viable solutions for addressing leadership gaps. Network with policymakers of the state, so the solutions are not disconnected from the real challenges. Multidisciplinary Team & Professional Development:Bust the myth that only people

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from educational professions are great educators or leaders! Schools and the state ‘redesign’ their hiring policy for consciously having a team from various disciplines. When teachers from other disciplines choose to associate with education, usually passion is the driver for them; along with the lived experience they bring along!Redesign BEd and Teacher training programs - tie up with various schools for experiential and hands on learning modules as part of the curriculum. Schools become beacons of teacher empowerment and professional development for not just their teachers, but others also!Pedagogy And Learning Culture:Enquiry, open dialogue and experiential learning, an indispensable part of Pedagogy and school Culture.Dynamic School practices to draw from thinkers and educators of the world 1,2Involvement of Parents, the first teacher of the child.Sports of different kinds, an integral part of school calendar.Technology & CommunicationFor documentation and sharing.Classrooms and school events equipped with the right technology to ably support the learning and experiencing.Aid teacher planning, coordination and communication.Backbone of an efficient admin team.Compassion Without compassion every possible endeavour is meaningless!! Emotional intelligence and maturity draw its bearings from a secure, happy and loving childhood.Schools cultures created on the understanding that fear can NEVER be the driver for anything; and deep care and love of learning is the only thing that matters. 1 Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences. 2 Jiddu Krishnamurti on Education. “You must understand the whole of life, not just one little part of it. That is why you must read, that is why you must look at the skies, that is why you must sing, and dance, and write poems, and suffer, and understand, for all that is life.”

Lata Vaidyanathan BEST KNOWN FOR... As Director, TERI Prakriti School, she is best known for the multiple intelligence approach to learning and total quality management in education

DISRUPTIONâ&#x20AC;Ś A veteran educationist, she stands dedicated and committed to promotion of child-centered education. During her illustrious career of more than three-and-a-half decades, she has been the Principal of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's school at Chandigarh, the founder Principal of Eicher School at Parwanoo and the Principal of Modern School Barakhamba Road, New Delhi for the last fourteen years. She spearheaded burden-free education.She is the

director of TERI Prakriti School. TERI, The Energy Resources Institute, is sufficient inspiration to believe that human beings have the power to change the world we live in. The whole organisation is driven by teams of people who have the conviction that they can influence change.Vaidyanathan undertook many outreach programmes to help community and sensitise students and teachers towards addressing issues concerning community development. She has made contributions towards inclusive education of different-

ly-abled children.Honoured with the National Award to Teachers in the year 2003 by the President of India, she is also the recipient of numerous awards including the Dr. Radhakrishnan Award, Bharat Shiromani Award, Madhav Gourav Ratna Achievement Award, International Lifetime Achievement Award 2009 and Global Warming Reduction Award 2009, Educationist of the Year Award 2013 and Lifetime Achievement Award by the Patanjali Trust 2014.

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Lina Ashar BEST KNOWN FOR... Being the founder of Kangaroo Kids Preschool & Billabong High International School DISRUPTION… Having always been passionate about education, Lina Ashar gained sufficient experience in international teaching methodologies before she came to India in 1991. The education system at that time was grappling with archaic evaluation/ dissemination models restricted to rote learning. It was her conviction in the need for change that led to the establishment of the first Kangaroo Kids preschool in 1991. Lina was instrumental for introducing path breaking concepts like learner centric education, research based curriculum and practical application of knowledge assimilated backed by international standards and processes. KKEL, the country’s first private education organization set fresh benchmarks across the K12 segment with the introduction of Billabong High

International schools. KKEL initiated radical methodologies like real-time delivery of curriculum, inclusive education, open-entry system, lowest teacher-student ratios, parent partnership model etc. KKEL still retains its edge on being the first and only education organisation to develop a 360 degree delivery model of curriculum, infrastructure, teaching methodology, operational processes, policies and quality benchmarking from the learner’s point of view.Today, KKEL supports 80 schools in India operating across 17 cities with an international presence in Dubai and Maldives. They also introduced franchising in the sector and created first wave ‘edupreneurs’.

BUILDING INDIA’S SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE… Says Lina Ashar, “The world is changing at a very fast space. We now live in a time which we would have never imagined 15 years back. The future undoubtedly will be turbulent, characterised by vulnerability, chaos and ambiguity due to accelerating change. In this time of uncertainty we need to overhaul our complete education system and following are a few points that a school needs to start working on, to be future ready: 1. Digital Wisdom: Schools need to start working towards digitising their curriculum and think of innovative ways in which technology can be used as a tool and not to substitute a teacher or as a gimmick. Technology should not be about consuming content but more focused on creating

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with technology only being a tool to assist students. 2. Upgrading and retaining good quality teachers: it is very important to start developing skills in teachers to teach for the future. They would need to know how to use technology to teach children. So if schools are going to spend on developing teachers they need to make sure they are retained for a long time by defining a long term career path for them. 3. Collaborative Learning Spaces: Schools need to effectively use ‘Flipped classrooms’ where children learn the given topic at home and then come and have a constructive discussion in school. This creates a better learning environment and helps children learn collaboratively. The entire structure of school infrastructure needs to be re-imagined from looking like an industry conveyor belt to looking like a Google office! 4. We need to relook why, how and what we are assessing our kids for. Boards need to turn their board exams upside down and do a total overhaul. 5. Personalised learning: We believe each child is different and each one has their own preferred learning style. So, learning should be personalised to maximise individual potential. Children should also have a choice on what they learn and when they learn as well as be able to control the pace of Learning. With technology all this becomes possible.”

Madhav Chavan BEST KNOWN FOR... Being the co-founder of the educational non-profit, Pratham that delivers education to the underprivileged DISRUPTIONâ&#x20AC;Ś Born in Maharashtra he studied at B.P.M High School in Khar and Jai Hind College. He received his BSc and MSc degrees in Chemistry from the Institute of Science in Mumbai and did his PhD in Chemistry at the Ohio State University in 1983. He is a social activist and entrepreneur. Dr Chavan started the Read India campaign, which aims to teach basic reading, writing and arithmetic to underprivileged children across India.In 2012, he received the WISE Prize for Education, which is widely considered the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in the field of education. He is also the recipient of Leading-SocialContributor-Award which is the highest degree award in India for exemplary work in the area of operation. He was also the 2011 recipient of the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship.Madhav Chavan taught Chemistry at the University of Houston and the Institute of Chemical Technology in Mumbai before getting involved with adult literacy in the National Literacy Mission in the slums of Mumbai in 1989. He returned to India in 1983. He produced literacy programmes for Doordarshan for a few years. He was invited to work with a UNICEF project to teach in Mumbaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slums. He was also a member of National Advisory Council from 2004 to 2008 and a member of the Governing Council of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Mission (SSA) of the Government of India and has been a member of four half-yearly Joint Review Missions of SSA.Pratham reaches three million primary school children in India every year. It has introduced several massscale innovations such as the Annual Status of

Education Report in the area of assessment and the Read India movement which delivers education to the underprivileged. Dr Madhav Chavan enjoys working out creative ways to

educate or train children and youth. He finds time to work on the challenges of teaching despite his duties as the CEO of a large organization.

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Matthew Spacie BEST KNOWN FOR... Being the Founder and Executive Chairman of Magic Bus

DISRUPTION… When in India as the Chief Operating Officer for travel giant Cox & Kings, Matthew Spacie had initiated the not-forprofit Magic Bus in February 1999. He used his penchant for rugby to engage the young men dwelling on the streets outside his office, and started a rugby team called Magic Bus. Within two years he had resigned from his job to work fulltime for Magic Bus. Awarded an Ashoka Fellowship and an MBE for services to children in the Commonwealth, his passion is fuelled by the mission to show that India’s poverty problem is solvable. Magic Bus works to make sure children living in poverty learn and grow up well so that livelihood options open up by the time they are adults. Since its inception, Matthew has grown the organization from an informal, volunteerled activity for disadvantaged children, into a leading organization working in the area of mentoring some of India’s poorest and young people from education to livelihood. Headquartered in Mumbai, Magic Bus has 1600 full time staff in over 30 offices in 5 countries and 10,000 mentors delivering programmes to over 400,000 children each week. Their mission was to reach 1 million children every week in the programme by 2017, and create effective employment and further education oppor-

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tunities for all their graduates. Programmes in new countries started in 2016 in Myanmar and Nepal.Magic Bus works with children and youth living in poverty to ensure they complete secondary education, and develop the skills required to transition successfully into the world of work. The core belief is centred around facilitating this journey from Childhood to Livelihood, enabling young people to break out of the poverty cycle. At present, Magic Bus works with 400,000 children across 22 states of India. In the impact area of education, Magic Bus works in a holistic way in a country that is still struggling with the basics such as literacy rates.

BUILDING INDIA’S SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE… According to Havovi Wadia, Director Impacts, Magic Bus India Foundation, “18 years of work across several states in India, and programmes in Myanmar, Bangladesh and Nepal, are showing Magic Bus India Foundation that the things we need to do to help our children be future ready require the collaboration of the government, the private sector, NGOs and citizen action groups everywhere. There's no single remedy we have zeroed upon that is the vision of, or implementable by, any one of these stakeholders, if

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indeed we commit to leaving no child behind. 1. Strengthening the community that schools are part of - this involves being accountable to communities for the quality of teaching and being committed to a future ready education. This is not necessarily about being populist - it involves genuine engagement with points of view and a vision and education ethic that is communicated clearly to the community. 2. Building a strong Education Policy that has a child-centric and experiential approach at its core. This policy must be held and implemented responsibly, influencing both curriculum and teacher training. Life skills and academic skills should be seen as complementary rather than binary, and engagement in sport, art and the outdoors should be a requirement in maximum subjects. 3. Teachers that have a plan for growth and development at each stage in their careers. 4. The partnership of the employment sector in secondary schooling so there is a connection between Education and Employment thus facilitating a smooth and relevant school to work transition. 5. A strong community service and internship component that helps adolescents develop and deploy problem solving skills and strengthen learning agility.”

Nandan Nilekani BEST KNOWN FOR... This co-founder of Infosys, Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), entrepreneur, bureaucrat and politician is the chairman of EkStep, a non-profit literacy and numeracy platform

DISRUPTION… Set up by the Nilekanis with an initial commitment of $10 million (about Rs.65 crore), EkStep looks at solving the 'learning problem' by creating a technology-led platform to help children in improving their 'learning outcomes' quite early in their life. The lack of access to learning opportunities, which impacts the lives of millions of children on a daily basis, is sought to be addressed by EkStep, which gather partners on a universal, collaborative platform to reimagine learning opportunities for every child. The EkStep Foundation, a non-for-profit foundation, aims to extend learning opportunities to children through a collaborative, universal platform that facilitates creation and consumption of educational content.Nilekani believes that reskilling and education are in need of an urgent overhaul. “We have to do something and make our education system far more innovative and creativity-based because in future, a lot of jobs that exist today will not exist. A lot of new jobs will get created,” he has pointed out. According to him, people need to go in for life-time continuous learning mode, and absorb new ideas and skills throughout their working career. The education system will thus have to respond with a whole new model of providing life-long education - just in time, highly personalized learning. It is to drive this big change that he seeks to make the education system far more innovative and creativitybased.

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Parth J Shah BEST KNOWN FOR... Founding the Centre for Civil Society (CCS) in 1997, one of the Top Think Tanks Worldwide

DISRUPTION… Parth J Shah was a former professor at the University of Michigan. The Centre for Civil Society (CCS) operates as an independent research and educational organisation. It is rated number 5 of 100 in the "Top Think Tanks Worldwide (non-U.S.)", number 50 (of 150) of "Top Think Tanks Worldwide (U.S. and non-U.S.) and number 14 (of 50) in the "Top Think Tanks in China, India, Japan, and the Republic of Korea" according to the 2014 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report.Shah taught economics at the University of Michigan in Dearborn for seven years before returning to India to advocate for what he calls a ‘Second Freedom Movement’ for economic, social and political independence. He arrived at the conclusion that the statist model of governance was the reason for India’s lack of development and decided to provide an alternative view through the centre.Parth’s research and advocacy work focus on the themes of economic freedom (law, liberty and livelihood campaign), choice and competition in education (fund students, not schools), property rights approach for the environment (terracotta vision of stewardship), and good gover-

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nance (new public management and the duty to publish). He has published extensively in international and Indian journals, on various topics from currency regulation to education policy. He holds a PhD in Economics from Auburn University.

BUILDING INDIA’S SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE… Shah lists his vision thus: “Take Gurudev's famous poem to envision the future of education and the school: Where the

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mind is without fear and the head is held high...Where the [education] has not been broken up into fragments...Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection...Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its wayInto the dreary desert sand of dead habitWhere the mind is led...Into everwidening thought and actionInto that heaven of freedom...let my [school] awake! We must seek quality in diversity and not in uniformity. Each child is unique and needs unique, personalised education to reach the full potential. Free the schools from all shackles to serve each child uniquely!! Let a thousand types of schools bloom.”

Dr P Narayana BEST KNOWN FOR... Being the Founder of Narayana Educational Institutions and changing conventional and categorized education into an interdisciplinary confluence for the best scholastic and non-scholastic personality development

DISRUPTIONâ&#x20AC;Ś Born in the coastal town of Nellore in 1957, Dr Ponguru Narayana started from humble beginnings. He graduated and was honoured with a Gold Medal in Statistics in 1977 after which he did his postgraduate degree also in statistics in 1979 from S. V. University, Tirupathi. He started his career as a math tutor and set up a small coaching centre for the same in 1979. His vision was to train the young minds to reach dizzying heights of success in the field of science and technology.With his dynamic leadership qualities and intellectual prowess he founded the Narayana Educational Institutions. From residential schools to professional colleges and coaching centres across the country today, Dr P. Narayanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s institutional envoy is transforming conventional and categorized education into an interdisciplinary confluence for the best scholastic and non-scholastic personality development. These institutions have the habit of securing state top rankers in competitive exams for medical and engineering courses on state, national and international levels. This has catapulted his reputation and his sole aim is to provide high tech health facilities to the people of Nellore and the surrounding areas. He is also working towards establishing medical institutions and teaching hospitals that provide the most modern medical, dental, pharmacy,

nursing, yoga, naturopathy education.His charitable disposition helps financially support meritorious and economically backward students in pursuit of their education. In 2014 he entered into politics and serves as the cabinet minister of Municipal Administration, Urban Planning and Development for the state of Andhra Pradesh. Despite taking up varied responsibilities, Dr Narayanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s missionary zeal to work tireless-

ly for academia remains undeterred against all odds.Dr Narayana also has said that the Anganwadi centres in urban local bodies would be converted into preschools and municipal schools which would offer LKG to Class X students an education that is on par with corporate schools. He has also inaugurated a toilet complex built in Boyapati Sivaramakrishna Municipal High School at Moghalrajpuram at a cost of Rs.10 lakh.

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Manjula Pooja Shroff BEST KNOWN FOR... The Calorx Foundation, a nonprofit, professionally managed and self-sustaining autonomous institution DISRUPTION… Edupreneur Manjula Pooja Shroff followed her fervent desire to provide quality education with an almost missionary zeal by setting up the Calorx Foundation. The foundation is a non-profit, professionally managed and self-sustaining autonomous institution with excellence in education as its main objective. Powered by the mission to make the foundation the first choice for all possible target groups as far as providing quality education is concerned, Shroff believes it is her unbridled passion for providing good education and the need to constantly create and innovate

that drives her to meet higher standards of performance. That, and her love for children. This MD and CEO of Kalorex runs more than seven educational institutions for kids, differently-abled children and aspiring teachers. Names like Delhi Public School-Ahmedabad, Prerna School for Dyslexic Children, Visamo Kids' Foundation, The Calorx School and Calorx Institute of EducationAhmedabad are pillars of the educational empire she has built.To Manjula, education is a fundamental tool in building a healthy society. Education provides life-transforming opportunities and instills values in children, who are the future of any country, believes this IIM-A post-

graduate and Honorary Fellow of AustralianAsian Institute of Civil Leadership.

BUILDING INDIA’S SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE… Manjula Pooja Shroff maintains, “Change is inevitable, even if not comfortable and Indian education will see breakthroughs over a course of time. Educational practices are already undergoing an age of transformation and disruption and Educators have to come to terms with it and work towards adapting to it Firstly, a visionary leadership is required to understand the demands of the future, and the conviction to offer a variety of programmes today will always go a step ahead in bringing about the change. AI based systems can assist students with their learning experiences, especially in changing the form and nature of content to suit the student. Secondly, making student future ready means inculcating Goal Setting Skills and Peoples Skills in them. The focus has to be on building 21st century skills which will finally help the students to go out into the world and cope with the fast paced life and shape their future careers. Thirdly, Social Networking will start playing a more serious role in globalization and marketing. Schools may start offering courses dedicated to social networking where students may opt for these subjects right from middle school. In future the start-up culture will lead to much more entrepreneurial opportunities for young minds.

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Dr Rukmini Banerji BEST KNOWN FOR... Being the CEO of one of India’s largest non-profits that works in education, working in urban and rural communities, setting up and running large scale programs for improving children's learning DISRUPTION… Originally from Bihar, Dr Rukmini Banerji now lives in Delhi. Initially trained as an economist in India, she did her BA at St. Stephen’s College and attended the Delhi School of Economics. She was a Rhodes Scholar at the Oxford University and completed her PhD at the University of Chicago where she also did post-doctoral research at the Population Research Centre. She worked as a program officer at the Spencer Foundation in Chicago for several years before returning to India in 1996.Until recently, she was responsible for Pratham's programs and activities in several major states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and was also the Director of ASER Centre (the research and assessment unit of Pratham). She has been a member of the national leadership team of the organization and has extensive field experience both in program implementation and in research. She has led the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) effort since it was launched in 2005. ASER has been acknowledged nationally and internationally for its innovative model of household-based, citizen-led assessment which has impacted education policy and practice within India and has also been adapted for use in several countries in Africa and Asia.

she has represented Pratham and the ASER Centre in various national and international forums and is a member of committees both in India and abroad. Rukmini writes frequently on education in both Hindi and English dailies in India and enjoys writing books and stories for children.Rukmini Banerji has been with Pratham since 1996.

She has worked in urban and rural communities in setting up and running large scale programs for improving children's learning. These interventions are done via partnerships with governments and with local communities. Today Pratham is active in more than 150 districts around India and also in over 30 cities.

In 2008, Rukmini was awarded the Maulana Abul Kalam Shiksha Puraskar by the Government of Bihar, India. She was the first recipient of this award. Over the years,

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Rustom Kerawalla BEST KNOWN FOR... Being the Managing Director and Chairman of the well-established VIBGYOR group of schools

DISRUPTION…

An alumnus of the Manipal Institute of Technology, Rustom Kerawalla brings his 25 years of entrepreneur expertise to his group of schools. He is a visionary who envisaged that education in the 21st century should empower students to excel in our dynamically changing world.His belief is that any academic institute should create the best learning opportunities for students that will maximise their potential to excel. With his passion and expertise he has set up 21 VIBGYOR High schools across 7 states in India in the last 10 years and has more than 24,000 students. Through scripted curriculum, experiential and integrated learning, innovative methods of teaching and specialised management, he constantly endeavours to ensure holistic development of children with stronger knowledge base and better understanding in his schools. He ensures qualitydriven systemic processes, a dedicated team of teaching and school administration professionals.As Kerawalla had said in an interview, “Today education is not confined to a set of books and conventional teaching methods; it has reached to a different paradigm wherein modern techniques are introduced. Experiential and integrated learning programme is an essential part of modern education system, and we have inculcated the same very fiercely in our curriculum.”He vouches, “The VIBGYOR group of schools

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has always enabled holistic education with a right balance of academics, sports and performing arts with an approach that integrates academic curricula with real life experiences and prepares the child for a world that many of us have imagined but probably may not be able to experience it as the youth of that era would.”Kerawalla believes his schools’ classrooms are learning laboratories for students, where they experiment and innovate, share and deliberate, lead and follow as they participate in activities. Another challenge he sees that the education industry faces is the mainstreaming of children with special needs. VIBGYOR High has started off as an inclusive school right from the inception of their flagship school in Mumbai and is equipped with a Resource Room operated by a team of well qualified Special Educators and Counsellors who work closely with these children and teachers.

BUILDING INDIA’S SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE… Rustom Kerawalla opines, “It is important to define the word “Future” in education before venturing into building the school for the same. In the current context “Future” should be defined as what a 5-year-old child is likely to witness in his ecosystem when he is 21 years old. This child of 5 could well be

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on a virtual time travel 16 years from now or he could be a Data Waste Management Expert or a Memory Augmentative Surgeon or a Digital Architect. The child may be physically sitting in one country but addressing a large audience in another through a holographic virtual image of himself or herself. Preparing a child for such an ecosystem in a world that is changing at such a rapid pace is what may well be defined as the “School of Future” in India and can be achieved if :1. There is basic literacy and an education program that imparts hygiene and soft skills for all children irrespective of economic conditions 2. There is a customized curricula that is suited to the diversity of the young diaspora of this country 3. There is a school ranking system that motivates institutions to be in a constant state of improvement 4. There is a move to privatise education with the right regulatory checks and balances to ensure fair practices 5. There is greater focus to public – private – partnerships to bring in greater efficiency to education delivery amongst the government run schools and institutions.”

Salman Amin Khan BEST KNOWN FOR... Khan Academy, the free online education platform which has produced over 6,500 video lessons teaching a wide spectrum of academic subjects

DISRUPTION… Named by Time magazine on its annual list of 100 Most Influential people in the world, and featured in the Forbes magazine cover with the story ‘$1 Trillion Opportunity’, Salman Amin Khan’s has been a rather sensational arc. The change for this American educator and entrepreneur kicked in in 2003 when he began tutoring his cousin, Nadia, in mathematics over the internet using Yahoo!'s Doodle notepad. Soon, other relatives and friends sought his tutoring, leading him to transport his tutorials to YouTube where he created an account in 2006. They were a hit. The sheer popularity of his educational videos on the video-sharing website saw Khan quitting his job as a financial analyst in late 2009, to focus on developing his YouTube channel, Khan Academy. Khan Academy, the non-profit educational organization created with the goal of developing a set of online tools that help educate students, has received worldwide interest from both students and non-students. It produces short lectures in the form of YouTube videos, with supplementary practice exercises and materials for educators available on its website. The website and its content are provided mainly in English, but are also available in other languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Turkish, French, Bengali, and Hindi. As of 2016, this free online education platform had more than 3 million YouTube subscribers and the chan-

nel’s videos had been viewed more than 1 billion times. Khan believes that supplementing traditional classroom education with the technology being developed by his academy can improve the effectiveness of teachers by freeing them from traditional lectures and giving them more time for instruction specific to individual students' needs. His mission, outlined as to "accelerate learning for students of all ages,” sees Khan Academy share content “with whoever may find it useful.”Khan Academy, which is mostly funded by donations coming from philanthropic

organization, received $2 million from Google to support the creation of more courses and to enable Khan Academy to translate its core library into the world’s most widely spoken languages. The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation also provided Khan Academy with $1.5 million to help it grow as an organization. A hefty compliment came the way of Padma Shri Salman Khan when he was invited to speak at TED by Bill Gates – Gates revealed that he uses Khan Academy Exercise Software to teach his own children!

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Samina Bano BEST KNOWN FOR... Being the Founder Director of RightWalk Foundation

DISRUPTION… An IIM Bangalore alumna and RTE crusader, Samina fought several odds in Uttar Pradesh to enable over 20,000 children from underprivileged gain access education in private schools. Her objective is to use her management skills to help revive the public school education scenario in the country through institutional reforms within the system. It could be through working with government schools at scale or building a self-sustainable social enterprise in education sector that can make quality education accessible to the underprivileged section of the society. She also strongly believes in redefining education from rote-based since colonial times to learning-oriented that could encourage experiments, creativity and innovation.Samina had started the Bharat Abhyudaya Foundation (BAF) in Lucknow with the dream of bringing parity in the society and fighting discrimination based on socio-economic backgrounds. Her objective is to build a better and equitable society that is not divided on the basis of caste, religion and money. She strongly believes in social inclusion within classrooms that not only benefits the underprivileged children but also helps kids learn empathy and become pro-social. She has been at the forefront of the implementation of the RTE Act which

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mandates 25% reservation for children from Economically Weaker Section at the entry level in every unaided private school, in the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh.

children more pro-social and generous. 3.

Data-driven and technology enabled internal as well public accountability systems around Public schools in order to improve Governance and monitoring, thereby delivering better learning outcome. An innovative approach could be giving students a voice thus enabling children to share their feedbacks with the authorities regarding the functioning of their schools, and recognizing them as the change makers of their school system

Judicious Regulation of private schools, since 53% children are attending private schools while there is no regulatory body to control their functioning, commercialization, monopoly, segregation, uncontrolled fee hike and parents’ harassment.

Developing Teacher cadre as a highly qualified, trained and passionate professionals with adequate autonomy, learning / teaching tools and performance based career path. Public Education System has to move beyond teacher unions and political involvements so that it can be transformed into a student welfare program from a teacher employment program.”

BUILDING INDIA’S SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE… Samina Bano believes, “In order to better equip the next generation of schools for a changed world, we need to re-set the balance - and this will start with… 1.

Strengthening our existing institutions in Public as well as Private Education System to make it equitably accessible for all, delivering high quality and an inclusive space welcoming every child regardless of her socio-economic background. This will primarily involve investing in people, policy, system design, capacity building, accountability systems and technology integration. Enabling Socially-Inclusive classrooms which are representations of the real world where people of all backgrounds and abilities co-exist. Social inclusion within Private schools would not only benefits the poor, but also make rich

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Sandeep Dutt BEST KNOWN FOR... His work with Fabindia schools to deliver education to villages in India

DISRUPTION… Sandeep Dutt has been passionately working with the youth of India to build great institutions. An entrepreneur, bookseller, author, educator and a mountaineer, he has had the opportunity to travel all over the world; has been invited to industry, government, social sector and education sector presentations for exchanging views; and has contributed to policy making. His ability to network combined with a good understanding of digital communication has helped create international brands.Sandeep's work for The Fabindia Schools Programme to demonstrate excellence in school operations, involving the community and establishing a sustainable model for delivering good education in the villages of India, is now being replicated on a larger scale. He believes that the happiness of young people is in our hands, and we must do all we can to help them live their dreams by providing them with the best possible education. Taking ahead his vision and mission, he is working to provide affordable quality education in rural and urban India.With over 30 years of hands-on experience as a social entrepreneur, a trainer and mentor for thousands of young people, he has been involved with schools across the country and worked with students in all kinds of socioeconomic environments. He drafted the project reports for the Government of Meghalaya, the Government of Uttarakhand, the State Govt. of

Delhi, the Ministry of Youth & Sports and helped implement the development plan of the Australian Sports Outreach Programme (ASOP) in his avatar as the National Director of The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award. Sandeep's contribution to building a curriculum for enabling young people to equip for life and set in place a sustainable model for youth empowerment has been widely acknowledged all over the world. As CEO designate for the Indian Pluming Skills Council, Sandeep worked closely with the National Skills Development Council (NSDC) to set up and frame policy guidelines for the plumbing industry.He sees the possibility of a nation where every school offers young people the opportunity to be rewarded for challenging themselves, rewarded for engaging with adult mentors, rewarded when finishing school, and rewarded for giving back to their communities. He aims to deliver affordable quality education by building professional learning communities.

dents, teachers and the management to partner for the personal and social development of the child. Our work and the My Good School Program demonstrates excellence in school operations, involving the community and establishing a sustainable model for delivering good education in the villages of India, is now being replicated on a larger scale".

BUILDING INDIA’S SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE… Sandeep asserts, “Quality in school education consists of happy teachers, a good student-teacher ratio, modern equipment, adequate space and classroom facilities. A good school brings together the parents, stu-

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Shaheen Mistri BEST KNOWN FOR... Founding the Akanksha Center and Teach For India and working towards ending educational inequality in India DISRUPTIONâ&#x20AC;Ś Shaheen Mistri was born in Mumbai in a Parsi family. She lived in 13 different countries as she grew up as her father was a senior banker with Citigroup. At the age of eighteen she came back to Mumbai and enrolled at the University of Mumbai. She graduated with a BA degree in Sociology from St. Xavier's College, and later obtained a MA from the University of Manchester. Shaheen is an Ashoka Fellow, a Global Leader for Tomorrow at the World Economic Forum, and an Asia Society 21 Leader. She is also the author of the book, Re-drawing

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India.Shaheen wanted to educate the less privileged children from the slums and so founded the Akanksha Center in 1989 and enrolled 15 children. She employed her college friends as volunteers. This eventually became the Akanksha Foundation, a non-profit organisation that provided after-school tutoring to children from low income groups. The teachers of Akanksha teach its students using innovative methodology for which the foundation has won international honours. Their centres and schools are in Mumbai and Pune. In 2008, Shaheen founded Teach for India with a vision of providing quality education to all children across India. She and her team leaders work towards ending educational

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inequality in India. The Teach for India fellowship enlists India's most promising college graduates and young professionals to spend two years teaching in low-income schools and attempts to bridge the educational gap in the country.Teach for India is funded by corporate donors, other foundations and high net worth individuals and is in its ninth year. It receives thousands of applications each year and has an acceptance rate of 8%. At present, it has 40,000 students, 1,200 fellows, 240 staff members and 1,500 alumni. Shaheen serves on the boards of Akanksha and Design for Change, and is an ex-member of the board of India School Leaders Institute, the Thermax Foundation, and Teach for All.

Shantanu Prakash BEST KNOWN FOR...BEING THE FOUNDER OF EDUCOMP SOLUTIONS LTD

DISRUPTION… In 1994, post acquiring a management degree from IIM-Ahmedabad, Shantanu turned down job offers and instead took a loan of Rs.100,000 rupees from his father to start an education company, Educomp Solutions. His vision: to transform the teaching-learning process through the use of technology and best practices. Phase one saw the setting up of computer labs in schools, followed by the developing and licensing of computer-aided lessons for both public and private schools. This saw the birth of Smart Class, a

range of interactive, multimedia digital lessons that Educomp licences to schools. This innovative system currently reaches 23,000 schools and 12 million students and teachers. Educomp has also expanded overseas through acquisitions such as its purchase of Learning.com, an e-learning company in the U.S. As Founder and Managing Trustee of the Learning Leadership Foundation (LLF), he works to bring the best practices in education to under-resourced schools. A frequent speaker at education and business conferences worldwide, he commands respect across the business spectrum for his visionary impact on the education sector.

BUILDING INDIA’S SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE… Shantanu Prakash shares his five-point plan: “There is clear consensus among government policy makers and private sector that providing students with the education they need to thrive in a globally connected world is an urgent imperative today. For that we need to rethink how we create schools. Government policies, private sector’s energies and investments must focus on the creation of schools of future where our children will develop attitude and skill sets necessary to succeed in our rapidly changing world. Below are 5 top things we need to do to build Schools of the Future: 1. Rethink how we design schools: We need to rethink and invest in creating relevant learning spaces since traditional classes are becoming irrelevant owing to technology disruption. Heavy investments in physical

infrastructure are no longer relevant or necessary. Schools of Future should have open learning environment and allow for seamless collaborative and project based learning in a variety of settings, depending on learning goals and subject at hand. 2. Rethink Pedagogy: Pedagogical change is needed, because the skills learners will need in society and working life of the future have changed. What students know today could well be outdated in a year and learning therefore is more important than knowing. Hence Schools of Future should foster-life-long learning among students. This requires a 360 degree shift in current orientation of a teacher. 3. Rethink school curriculum: Curriculum needs to adapt to the new pedagogy protocol. Instead of focusing on school subjects, schools of the future should have a knowledge-based curriculum that adopts for example phenomenon-based learning that focuses on actual real-world and interdisciplinary elements. 4. Rethink assessment: The assessment in schools of future should be based on a student’s learning process, not on the outcomes or end-products. 5. Rethink technology integration: While technology has made inroads in school education, it needs to be integrated at a much deeper level in all aspects - from infrastructure to school management processes to teaching-learning where it should be as natural a part of learning and teaching as paper and pencil/ pen to assessment.”

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Dr. Shayama Chona BEST KNOWN FOR... Being the Founder and President of Tamana Association to help the cause for the mentally challenged, Multiple disabled and autistic

DISRUPTION… The former principal of Delhi Public School, R.K.Puram, New Delhi, Dr. Shayama Chona established Tamana in 1984, a non-profit organisation that works to help the cause for the mentally challenged, multiply disabled and autistic. The organisation is recognised by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt. of India, Department of Social Welfare; Govt. of NCT Delhi and is registered with the National Trust. Dr. Shayama Chona is now a patron of Lotus Valley International School, Noida. The prestigious National Award for individual best work done for the cause of the disabled was received by her in 1997. She is also the recipient of the Padma Bhushan in 2008 and Padma Shri in 1999. The Tamana Association received the first Mother Teresa Award for their tireless work to the intellectually impaired, under the leadership and guidance of Shayama as the President of the Governing Council.The association was named after Shayama’s daughter ‘Tamana’ who was born with cerebral palsy. The first school, Tamana Special School was inaugurated by none other than Her Royal Highness, Diana, Princess of Wales. With the guidance of Shayama her daughter Tamana crossed the innumerable hurdles and her progress was miraculous. Shayama was so inspired by her daughter she started to extend the same kind of help and guidance to other handicapped children. This was the reason for the inception of Tamana –the charitable society.The organisation that started out with 4 students now

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has hundreds of students between the ages of 4-30 years in its three Delhi branches- Autism Centre -School of Hope, Tamana Special School and Nai Disha. Shayama solely created Tamana for the purpose of providing the best professional help to children and adults with developmental and multiple disabilities and autism, providing a holistic developmental education to children with special needs, to effect optimum adult habilitation, to enable the special needs individual to become a happy, useful and integrated member of society by realising his /her full potential.

BUILDING INDIA’S SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE… Dr. Shayama Chona shares her five-point agenda for change… 1. A teacher learner relationship encompasses emotional and scholastic relationship. Unfortunately the classroom situation is anything but bonding so the first need is that the teacher should be able to win the students emotionally and then move to academic enrichment. 2. A teacher should understand the learning styles of each student i.e. whether the student's style is based on memory or comprehension or application or analysis and synthesis. More importantly the teacher, after understanding the learning styles should work on

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strengthening the strengths and weakening the weaknesses. 3. There should be an atmosphere of joy in the classroom. 4. Education system needs to be age relevant and there should be future connectivity in learning. 5. Schools of the future should encourage questioning, curiosity and self-learning. Students should have the freedom to choose what they want to learn, how they want to learn and where they want to learn. Unfortunately in schools marks and examinations are more important than the students themselves as a result rote learning is the order of the day. Our National Board is very large and to maintain standardisation 80% of the questions are based on rote learning for the convenience of correction work therefore there is no scope for out of the box thinking.It is very important that the students in India at any age should enjoy studying and have the desire to learn more. Methods of teaching besides project work should include methods like immersion, peer learning and learning by doing. Efforts need to be made to continuously improve the learning outcomes. This can be done by ensuring that they are first measured correctly then enough time and effort needs to be dedicated to ensure that they are improved. Teaching should take place for the love and desire of learning for now and the future leading to greater emotional quotient, physical quotient, social quotient, spiritual quotient and technical quotient.

Shukla Bose BEST KNOWN FOR... Being the CEO and Founder of the Parikrma Humanity Foundation, a non-profit organisation that runs English medium schools for under privileged children in Bangalore, India

DISRUPTION… Shukla Bose started her career as a teacher in a convent school in Kolkata. She volunteered with Mother Teresa at Missionaries of Charity for 7 years. She then moved to Bhutan and continued her teaching career at an army school there.Shukla also worked in the hospitality industry working for the Oberoi Group after which she became the Managing Director for Resort Condominiums India. In 2000 she started to work for a multinational NGO setting up their Indian operations. Working for them for two years she felt inspired to set up her own NGO. She left her 26 years of service in the hospitality industry to finally open the doors to her NGO Parikrma in 2003. The motto of the foundation reads ‘Love, Explore, Excel’ and focuses on loving oneself, family, friends, neighbours, the environment and life. Exploration through imagination, curiosity, creativity, cutting-edge knowledge and dreams and excelling by striving for the best, taking on challenges and reaching higher are its core beliefs.The mission is to allow children from the poorest backgrounds to have accessibility to the best opportunities in the world. Starting out on the roof top of a building with 165 students, today Parikrma has various centres in Bengaluru with over 1700 students. The Foundation won the Governor’s Award for Exemplary Social Work, 2007 and the Derozio Award Excellence in Human Enrichment and Education. Parikrma has also partnered with Bengaluru Municipal

Corporation to enhance the quality of education of 18 government schools.Shukla Bose is the recipient of many national and international awards. She was awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 1995,

the Bharat Gaurav Award in 1996 and the Woman of the Year award in 2000. She has a Bachelor’s degree in English and Education, an MA in Comparative Literature and an MBA specializing in Marketing.

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Sonam Wangchuk BEST KNOWN FOR... Founding the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) that follows the alternative method of teaching through experience rather than through text books

DISRUPTION… Born in Uleytokpo, near Alchi in the Leh district of Jammu and Kashmir in 1966, Sonam Wangchuk was enrolled in a school in Srinagar only at the age of 9 as there were no schools in his village. Till then he was taught by his mother in his mother tongue. He completed his

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BTech in Mechanical Engineering from National Institute of Technology, Srinagar (then REC Srinagar) in 1987. He also studied at the Earthen Architecture at Craterre School of Architecture in Grenoble, France in 2011.After his graduation in 1988, Sonam along with his brother and five other peers founded the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL). The SECMOL campus is

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unique in a way that it uses no fossil fuels for cooking, heating and lighting but runs completely on solar energy. Sonam Wangchuk launched Operation New Hope in 1994 which is a collaboration between the government, village communities and civil society that is instrumental in bringing reforms to government schools. He invented the Ice Stupa technique that creates artificial glaciers, used for storing winter water in the form of conical shaped ice heaps.His school follows the alternative method of teaching where he encourages teaching his students through experience rather than through text books. He is the second Indian to win the prestigious Rolex Award for Enterprise in 2016. The winnings were one million Swiss francs and also a Rolex watch with his name engraved on it. He won the award for his pathbreaking idea of freezing millions of litres of water in the form of ‘ice stupas’. This water is then used during the summer to grow crops.His alternative school is in Phey which is 13 kilometres from Leh. He teaches about 60 students a year who fail the competitive board exam. He plans to use his winnings from the Rolex Award as seed money to build a university that will offer courses in farming, tourism and businesses that is suited to the mountains.Wangchuk hopes that the university will have an affiliation with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), where the students will be taught to use the 3 H’s – their heads, hands, and hearts.

Dr Swaroop Sampat Rawal BEST KNOWN FOR... Training teachers on how to use drama techniques to help children improve various skills

DISRUPTION… Dr Swaroop Sampat Rawal has a PhD in Education from the University of Worcester. She did her doctoral thesis on using drama to enhance life skills in children with learning disabilities. She recently wrote a book titled

Learning Disabilities in a Nutshell: Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Dyspraxia. She describes the book as an introduction to various forms of learning disabilities to parents.Swaroop had a keen interest in helping disabled children which was the motive behind her doctoral dissertation. She wrote letters to ministers in Maharashtra as well as to the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi. She received a response from the Gujarat Chief Minister and was selected to head an educational program for children. Swaroop travels to Gandhinagar in Gujarat where she gives training to the teachers on how to use drama techniques to help children improve their creative thinking, decision making, and problem-solving abilities, besides understanding emotions and also coping with stress.With UNICEF, she is engaged in the programme for Protection of Girl Child, while Child Rights Organization has engaged her for its 'Save the Children' programme. Both the projects are running concurrently in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

BUILDING INDIA’S SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE… Believes Dr Sampat Rawal, “The school of the future is not a building; it should follow a tradition of proficiency augmentation, and should play an important role in societal enhancement.

In this constantly changing environment, I believe life skills education meets the ‘future’ educational needs of India. Future??? It can meet the present and future needs of the world. I am not saying one size fits all, because the industrial production type of education is obsolete. The schools of the present and future need more personalised and empowering classrooms. To manage the increasing pace and the challenges of everyday life in the 21st century, students need enhanced life skills. Will life skills education improve academic outcomes? Will it close achievement gaps? Life skills education is equal education; it can help personalise education and also democratise it. Low-income, vulnerable and minority students and especially the girl-child have a disparate and often more tough life as compared to their privileged peers. Life skills education using ART can break the ‘habit of inertia’ the underprivileged experience. ART is art/ the expression or application of creative skill and imagination, and also a means of Action, Reflection and Transformation. ‘Imagination’, reveals Dickenson, ‘can light the slow fuse of possibility’ and Marcuse suggests that ‘the arts do not change society, but they could change the human beings who might change society.’ The only question that remains is how quickly all this can happen? To this I would like to quote the words of Victor Hugo, ‘There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world, and that is an idea whose time has come’.”

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Dr Swati Popat Vats BEST KNOWN FOR... As Director of Podar Jumbo Kids, a leading play school chain, she is best known for bringing in changes in early childhood education

DISRUPTION… Edupreneur An educator, an avant-garde educational activist, a teaching expert and a parenting guru, Dr Swati Popat Vats makes compassion and an empathy with the environment the sole language of integrated learning that she advocates. She also spearheaded the college of teacher’s training called the Podar Institute of Education, which conducts a one year programme in Early Childhood Education and a certificate programme for learning disabilities in children. She is a parenting professional, an educator, an advocate for child rights, a curriculum consultant, an entrepreneur, a school director, an author, and a teacher. Swati works to promote a developmentally-appropriate curriculum and conducts workshops on pedagogy, parenting, educational philosophies and school design. She believes in stress-free learning and gets teachers to question anything that is archaic within the system while also absorbing Indian educational thoughts. For Swati, education has never been restricted to the classroom. She tries to spread awareness on parenting and pre-school education in various avenues. She is an educational advisor for Tata Sky’s interactive television games channel, Whizkid.She is the national representative for India at the World Forum Foundation which works for early childhood in 50 countries and whose

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mission is to promote an ongoing global exchange of ideas on the delivery of quality services for young children in diverse settings. Swati received the Sarvashri award for child education from the government of Goa.

BUILDING INDIA’S SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE… Dr Swati Popat Vats avers, “We live in a new world where education, neuroscience and classroom instruction are joined. (Dr Stephen Rushton 2012, Exchange). And so I believe that in this new world it is important to ‘renovate’ educational spaces and curriculum to help education become truly the development of the mind, body, and soul. It is important to break the monotonous image of a traditional school and bring in a more contemporary and scientific image of an educational environment. It is time we threw the box away when it comes to education in our country. The word school is derived from the Latin "a place for learning," from Latin schola (same meaning), from Greek school emacron "leisure, discussion, lecture, school". The most important word here is ‘leisure’ and that is what schools should be for children, but sadly today they have become factories where children labour

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to learn! According to me these are the top five things we need to do to build the school of the future in India: 1. Include grade one and two in early childhood education. 6- and 7-year-olds too require stress-free learning based on play way and inquiry based learning. This will reduce the burden of academics on senior kindergarten and will also create less stress, as the children will transit to primary only after age 7. 2. Neuroscience and education are deeply linked so teachers need to be immersed in its understanding during their training course. 3. Do away with subject teaching and instead introduce project based learning that is inclusive of all areas and skills required in learning. Do away with desks and tables and chairs, have flexible seating. 4. Being cooped up in one class is so boring, so let’s bring moving classrooms where children move from one area of the school to another throughout the day. 5. Do away with board exam results being splashed in media. Once that happens the stress that young children go through will disappear and inclusive education will truly emerge.”

TV Mohandas Pai BEST KNOWN FOR... Being the co-founder of Akshaya Patra, the world's largest midday meal program

DISRUPTION… Padma Shri awardee and former CFO and Board Member at Infosys, TV Mohandas Pai works actively with government and regulators on policy recommendations and guidelines. One of India's most prolific angel investors, he has a keen interest in improving literacy across the country, mainly primary education. In 2000, Pai, along with others, founded the Akshaya Patra Foundation, Bangalore, to start a midday meal programme for school children. This midday meal program today feeds over 1,200,000 children in 7,669 government schools across seven states in India, primarily in Bangalore's rural and urban areas, Mysore, Mangalore, Hubli, Mathura, Jaipur, Baran district of Rajasthan, Nayagarh district of Orissa, Puri, Bhilai, Guwahati, Ahmedabad and Vadodara. This program aims to feed 5,000,000 children by 2020. This initiative has turned out to be the largest midday meal program in the world. Pai is known to have made substantial personal contributions to this program.

BUILDING INDIA’S SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE… TV Mohandas Pai asserts, “To build the School of the Future we should first build leadership capacity and capability in our schools. As with all institutions Leadership is the key to success and to lead Change. We need enhanced training of

School Heads and their exposure to technology so that they understand the changes and disruption taking place in our society and the need to reorient Education to meet the demands of this change. We need to imbibe technology in our school in the way children are taught, in the way they create, in the way they do projects and in the way they are assessed. School administration too should use technology for routine functions and should be fully net enabled. Children in their home life will use a lot of technology right from their childhood, in a sense will be born to technology and the internet and their school experience should be no different. The pedagogy should be discovery and project based so that curiosity and the spirit of adventure is retained throughout the school experience. Teaching should be a Dialogue, children should be asked to do more projects, develop a problem solving mind-set rather than be subject to a barrage of information. The learning process has got disrupted as rich multimedia content is available through digital media, continuous quiz and assessment is available, asynchronous Learning is easily possible and personal tutoring too is easily available. Now the structure of teaching should change to address this. The teaching load should be brought down with teachers taking on the role of tutors and mentors than one way communicators. Children need their teachers to be their guides than figures of authority and fear. Self-reading, self-learning, use of multimedia content and

digital experiments should be encouraged with teachers inspiring children to discover for themselves and be their mentors who clear doubts. Assessments should be based on projects and continuous events than on single tests with focus on creativity, problem solving ability and ability to Marshall information from all sources to deliver an output. Society should be clear about expectation from children from their school experiences. Schools are places of developing social skills, of team work, of emotional stability, of Learning expression and communication, of developing empathy, ethical conduct , humaneness etc. sports, extra curriculum events, cultural events, arts, dance, music, dramatics and other creative forms of expressions that create the base to demonstrate talent and areas of interest. This is in addition to learning the basic skills and getting exposure to the sciences including the social sciences, mathematics etc. We must accept that each child is different, will grow in a different way and have varied interests. Schools must provide the setting in which each child will discover their own persona than become a standard industrial era product. The future for our children depends more and more on their creative skills in any area of human endeavour and schools must provide the opportunity to realise their potential Of course the structure and governance of schools should change with greater freedom to the school to innovate while adhering to certain minimum standards.”

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Dr KM Vasudevan Pillai BEST KNOWN FOR... Being the founder and CEO of the Mahatma Education Society, a not-for-profit trust that manages 48 educational institutions, including schools and colleges DISRUPTIONâ&#x20AC;Ś Dr Pillai was born into a family of agriculturists and he was sent to Mumbai in 1962, at the age of sixteen to acquire an urban education. After completing his post-graduation in English Literature, he worked for a year as a lecturer of English in Somaiya Polytechnic College, Mumbai. Later, he completed his doctoral thesis on the works of the renowned English poet, William Wordsworth, traveling through the length of the Lake District to track the poet's life and sources of inspiration. In 1970, Pillai established the Chembur English High School under the aegis of the Mahatma Education Society.The Mahatma Education Society is a non-profit trust that manages 48 educational institutions, from schools and colleges to institutions of architecture, man-

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agement, engineering, vocational education, and teacher training. The institutions are spread over five locations (Chembur, Gorai, Panvel, New Panvel, and Rasayani) and serve over 30,000 students. The Mahatma Education Society employs over 2000 teachers, many who have been trained in-house.Pillai's foremost achievement lies in creating an educational infrastructure in areas of little or no development, areas like Panvel, New Panvel, and Rasayani. In his capacity as a grassroots educator and social entrepreneur, he draws on the transformative powers of education to create self-sufficiency and spur the economic development of a region. He is the founder of the Dr Pillai Global Academies in Gorai and Panvel. They are international schools that offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and the University of Cambridge

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schooling programmes. The schools have won many accolades for their state of art of infrastructure and innovative teaching methodologies. He started four teacher training institutes to create teachers who would be mentors. He is also the Chairman of Erudite Education Mission, a non-profit organization that fulfils the CSR objectives of the group.In 2006, Pillai started an international management exchange programme with St. Mary's College of Business and Economics, California, with a view to expose students to global advancements in management. He was felicitated by Dr Vijay Khole, the then Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mumbai, for his contributions to social and institutional engineering in education. In April 2010, he was part of a high-level national delegation to the BRICIBSA Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Virendra Rawat BEST KNOWN FOR... Transforming regular schools to green schools around the world, as Founder of the Green School Movement in India DISRUPTION… Virendra Rawat is a Green School crusader based in Ahmedabad, India. He works tirelessly to transform conventional schools into Green Schools across the globe. After establishing the first Green School of India in Modasa, Gujarat in 2010, he has been instrumental in inspiring the government to embrace the innovative concept of launching 100 Government Green Schools across the Gujarat in the year of 2013.He is currently mentoring 61 Government Green schools. Besides mentoring IIT - Techfest - 2015 in IIT Bombay, he is also the Core Committee Member of Hyderabad based CII - IGBC Green School Programme.He was conferred The National School Sanitation Award in 2012 by the MHRD, Govt. of India. The Central Board of

Secondary Education New Delhi has constituted a Green School Committee under his leadership. His pioneering work has been recognised with interviews and he has been a spokesperson in expos and international seminars.Virendra Rawat is the first Indian who has been nominated by the Government of India for the UNESCO JAPAN Prize for Sustainability in Education. He is the first Indian honoured by House of Representative of Massachusetts, Boston, USA for making Green Difference through Education.He has transformed more than 120 conventional schools into Green Schools in India, UAE and USA. He is a member of United Nations Association of USA. He has addressed the Harvard University and United Nations on Sustainable Practices in Education & Green Schooling Concept. A

member of Harvard Extension Environmental Club of Harvard University, he is a Mentor of Climate Reality Leadership Corps, headed by Al Gore – former Vice President of United State of America. He mentors many individuals, schools and universities on sustainable practices and hosting Model United Nations Worldwide.The first person who introduced Green Uniform in Schools and Universities; he has also presented Zero Carbon Lifestyle Clothing in India, UAE and USA. Rawat is also the only person who has introduced Nature-connected Global Green Curriculum, Green Teacher Diploma, Green Games and Green Incubation Centre as alternative concept of global education.

BUILDING INDIA’S SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE… Virendra Rawat makes the following suggestions towards developing future schools: 1. Scrap the National Curriculum and close NCERT, because it has successfully failed to meet the student’s talent and expectations. 2. Reform Teacher’s Education; recruit teachers not servants. 3. Withdraw bureaucrats from educational bodies. 4. Stop spending on education and start investing in education. 5. Connect curriculum with Nature which will gift us a sustainable future.

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DECEMBER 2017

SKILLING

UP FOR

2018! Nichola Pais editor@scoonews.com

Staying relevant is a constant. Educators share their personal targets for the year aheadâ&#x20AC;¦

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“USE WEB 2.0 TOOLS IN CLASSROOM ENGAGEMENT”

Neeta Bali, Director Principal, GD Goenka World School Gurgaon Technology has become one the most essential parts of today’s world and some can’t even imagine a day spent without it. It has become a continuous process to upgrade ourselves in order to walk an extra mile in society. In the education industry, both teaching and learning have become more interactive and informative by inheriting the rapidly increasing technological platforms available to us each passing day. We, as educators, should use Web 2.0 tools in our classroom engagement in order to build the young generation. These mainly include Animoto, which completely simplifies the creation and sharing of videos. Survey Builder is another platform which allows you to easily create and manage online surveys. Pinterest as a bookmark management tool helps teachers to organise and share anything from lesson plans, ideas, and crafts using a virtual bulletin board. Collaborative work among our colleagues can be enhanced by using Edmodo which facilitates collaboration and content sharing among school community. Schoology is the tool through which teachers can share their instructional resources and connect with other educators. Apart from this, course management can also be done by using Prezi, where teachers can use this presentation tool to organise and share ideas with other educators. In addition to all these, we should use Google Docs, Google Calendar, Skype sessions, podcasts, videocasts etc. as an integral part of our classroom learning and engagement, leading to widening of the imaginative ideas of the pupils under our care.

“EQUIPPING STUDENTS FOR AN UNPREDICTABLE FUTURE” Teaching has been the most important part of education. Currently with the access to technology, students don’t come to school only to learn, instead they are here to experience, experiment and evolve as individuals. As per my prediction, 2018 would be a year with some of the biggest changes in the field of education. There is going to be a lot of technology which will be collaborated for better understanding and learning of the students. As an educationist I believe that learning skills should be more practical and connected to the real world. We at our school have introduced a new session which will have regular discussions only on the current developments and future predictions. This would surely give us an insight into the minds of future leaders. The next decade is unpredictable for most of us, as to what future jobs offer, how businesses work or even how the education system functions. As an educator, I strongly believe in equipping students with wings by giving them a platform and letting them choose the direction to fly.

R Karthik Naidu, Founder Director, White Petals Schools

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DECEMBER 2017 “EMBRACING THE CLOUD”

Joseph Thomas, Director Principal, Chairman, Founder trustee, Mount Litera Zee School Technology has given a whole new meaning to education. It has changed everything in our lives; what we knew, what we were accustomed to and has helped us to achieve our objectives more effectively and efficiently. Technology has twisted the fabric of traditional learning and extended new and more evolved learning methodologies. Education, with the help of technology, has crossed borders and has opened up a world of opportunities for students. These are the new technologies we are looking to embrace in our school in 2018… Cloud-based technology in education - The biggest advantage of cloud technologies is that they create a centralised repository of knowledge for students and teachers to access. This is taking the student-teacher collaboration beyond traditional classroom interaction. Cloud-based technology also enables educators to boost their reach without making any significant infrastructural spends. Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence - Machine Learning enables the system to learn individual actions and skills without explicitly being programmed. It establishes the relationship of different learning methodologies with respect to different behavioural models, progress reports, and annual results. They also create personalised training paths that match the needs of each and every student. AI is influencing pedagogical training and its algorithms create behavioural models by studying individual data sets. Based on these models, the algorithms develop a deeper understanding of a student’s strengths and weaknesses and devise a unique personalised learning curve. Data Analytics Data Analytics enables educators with new teaching methodologies. Existing data points are being extracted to gain deeper insights that affect the overall academic growth of a student. Data scientists were able to derive critical observations through these records. They included an optimal book-topupil ratio – drawing on the optimal pupil-to-teacher ratio. Further, the analysis was quick to find that the dropout rate amongst this demographic gets reduced with the introduction of separate toilets for them. Virtual Reality and Gamification Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Gamification are giving students an immersive, first-hand experience through graphical simulation, and, thereby, extending the concept of experiential learning. This has the effect of boosting both engagement and retention, while the use of animation ensures that students understand complicated theories easily

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“ENABLING ENDLESS KNOWLEDGE TO BE GATHERED AND SHARED” As a principal, I think my job is to expand my student world as far I can. The year 2017 has been a year that marked the same. Our cultural exchange with Sri Lanka, helped students learn about another country’s culture, food, religions, sacred places and of course accepting a child of another nationality as a friend. While staying in school, students also communicated with students from Korea and Egypt, learning about them, their habits, their routines, their school and much more. Apart from this my students also sent some tokens to Korea which show the Indian spirit of togetherness and celebration like Ganesha, sweets, dandiya, etc. thus helping other students know about India and its culture. Such activities have helped blur lines on maps and globes. Nowadays books are getting outdated; they provide relatively less knowledge and restrict the child’s mind to a few pages. I would like to incorporate research by the student himself to understand a certain topic. This would inculcate the habit of using technology for something purposeful and not only for social networking. Taking one computer class per day and teaching a pre-decided syllabus might work to fetch marks, but will not work in bringing creativity in a child - space for experimenting and creating has to be provided. Computer and technology being such important facets of a student’s life, a structured syllabus for the same will only restrict his mind and knowledge to some five or six topics. Innovation is the new trend that is prevalent nowadays and a child has to be trained for the same. This can only be done when there is room for exploring and learning. Therefore, boring books and notes should be replaced by internet and computers where endless knowledge should be gathered and shared. This would enable the child to grow and not chase syllabus deadlines.\

Taruna Kapoor,Vice Principal, Wisdom Valley Global School, Palwal

“MAKING THE SHIFT IN THINKING” Education is an ongoing process. It is not confined to the four walls of the school. Our society is changing rapidly. With the advent of technology, our lives have been revolutionised. The main purpose of school education is to give a child the skills, knowledge and values to be able to live a happy, accomplished and powerful life. The child should become a valuable global citizen. Seeking a livelihood in the field of their choice is paramount. This should include not only their choice but aptitude as well. Keeping the above in mind, in the information-rich society of today, it will be important for us to teach our students to ‘learn, unlearn and relearn’. We need to accept certain shifts - from an emphasis on providing content to providing skills, from looking at the classroom as the only point of learning to accepting that learning happens across life spaces, the shifting equation between the relationship between teacher and student, parent and child. Concepts such as smart classrooms in schools have given the students more control of learning, moving the power centre from the teacher’s desk to the student’s fingertips and mind. The classroom at our schools means more opportunities for collaborative learning among children, from student to student, from student to teacher and not just teacher to student. Even in terms of ‘Discipline’ – there is a paradigm shift from an authoritative environment to a democratic and collaborative one. As we make this shift in our thinking, our expectations will definitely match the outcome. We need to constantly remember – we are yesterday’s adults teaching children today for tomorrow.

Nidhi Sirohi, G.D. Goenka Global School, Noida

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DECEMBER 2017 “Coding is No.1 on my ‘Learn Something New’ list” Call me outdated, prehistoric or from the land of dinosaurs; I can take it. But redundant is not something I take myself to be, especially when I am dealing with young learners and want to learn everything along with them. Trying to know what interests the young learners brings me to what has been tickling my interest – Coding, and it gets more interesting with everything that I have been reading about it. I think the learner in me is never going to fade away. The closest I’ve come to the world of programming was a few computer science classes I took in school. My impression of computers is that of intimidating, sophisticated machines, handled only by engineering wizards! It is the idea of setting up a Code Club for young learners in our school that has inspired me to learn more about coding, computing and digital making. I am already tinkering with Tynker and MIT’s Scratch; apps that teach programming concepts. So, I’d rather be known as a ‘Tech-savvy Dinosaur!’ One may ask, shouldn’t other skills like critical thinking, logic reasoning, and problem solving, be reinforced before teaching a child the steps to coding or programming. My take - let the reinforcing of others skills go hand in hand with something that the future is moving to. The point here is not whether to teach children how to code or not, but to introduce them to a concept that has a growing importance in our technology driven, ever evolving world. When I remember my own arduous introduction to computers, I cannot help but welcome the idea of having children learn about it as a delightful preference. I am very excited to initiate a Coding Club for young learners at our school, I did my homework on it and I think coding is at number one on my 2018 ‘Learn Something New’ list (I have a long wish-list)! For future generations, coding skills will be of profound importance. When computer programs run our world, then why not learn and tame them to make things more convenient and seamless. Knowing coding builds creativity and reasoning skills, while simultaneously learning how devices that surround us can be used as flexible assistive learning tools rather than just gaming or browsing mediums. It is time we move with the young learners. Supriti Chauhan Principal, Raghav Global School, Noida

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“A BETTER FACILITATOR THAN MERELY A TEACHER” Education-wise, 2017 has been a year of reflections for me. As an educator and an early childhood expert, I asked myself many questions. I pondered over the true qualities of a professional practitioner… Are we there to teach children? Are we there to direct them? Are we there to make them capable enough that they reach our expectations? Are we there to make children better persons? Have we taken our jobs too seriously? The answer to these questions was yes, we are doing it all but it wasn’t effectively bringing in change. This led me have conversations with children who studied in different schools. ‘What do you think a teacher should do, teach?’ I asked. To my amazement, I was asked in return: What is likely to happen if you were to give up this belief and give us the right and might to learn by ourselves? What if you were just there somewhere in the classroom - available as a resource - if we happen to need some guidance? What if, when we do come to you for guidance, you refuse to offer it? Rather you show us the immense resource we have inside us. What if, when we ask you to teach us, you point us to peers who can do an equally amazing job of teaching? What if, when we are totally lost, you also get lost (from the room)? Left high and dry, we will then push ourselves to further create what we will need all our lives - abilities - to solve, to ideate, to understand, to assimilate, to correlate, to beat ourselves. What if we give up and that is the occasion you do not give up on us? You hit us back: you do not make it easier for us, you make it more exciting for us - you bring in more ingredients, you add new twists to the tale and yes, you twist our tails too. What if you make us accountable - not just to ourselves - but also to the whole class? All ensuring that all have learned whatever was to be learned. And more! This is what I would like to learn and spread, as a teaching skill in 2018. I would like to train myself to become a student rather than a teacher. As a practitioner I would also like to accept my children as my colleagues. What if running a class were to become a cooperative endeavour? When I see kids as kids, I always try to control them. But if I see them as co-workers then we ALL transform into a team of raring professionals out there to conquer every learning peak! One team takes on the onus of teaching. Another team will manage the projects. One more will take care of homework and yet another, of tests (preparing, administering and checking). There will be a team to take care of the learning environment by doing research, making and displaying posters and distributing trivia on the topic of the week. I know as an educator, if I start sharing responsibilities with my kids, things will not work fine. They will make mistakes, they will omit, forget, mismanage and even be completely irresponsible. But can I just see the opportunity for more effort, more challenges and more growth? Can I also shift from making them a better person to making them better at knowing how to become a better person? Can I also leave them to assess themselves, praise themselves? Can I just be with them, accept them, forgive them, laugh and cry with them? It is not about doubting myself or my skills; rather it is about just being a student and learning a few more skills not only to improve teaching but also to become a better facilitator. Have a reflective 2018 too! Sonal Ahuja, Director, Shri Ram Foundation Preschool

“The Cloud and Compassionate Motivation”

The future is about access, anywhere learning and collaboration, both locally and globally. For me, the future of technology in education is the cloud. Technology can often be a barrier to teaching and learning. I think the cloud will go a long way to remove this barrier. So our school will plan and learn how to use cloud successfully. As cloud computing will remove the number of things that can go wrong like loss of exam data etc., all we will need is a fast robust internet connection. No software installed, servers or local file storage. Teachers can use the cloud to set, collect and grade online. Students will have instant access to grades, comments and work via computer or tablet. Many schools are already doing this, and I want to start the same in my school also. School classrooms are going to change, as technology will be integrated into every part of the school. In fact, it won’t be just the classrooms which will change but, whether offsite or onsite, the school teachers, students and support staff will all be connected. In my ideal world, all classrooms will be paperless. I definitely think that with cloud, the world will be our classroom. As a teacher, I follow and keep advising my staff also to follow Compassionate Motivation which means, as a teacher we motivate our students to do well in studies but if we are compassionate towards our students, if we really feel from within that the child is not doing well in academics and he/she will suffer, then we can communicate better with them. If I genuinely feel for the student, I will be able to motivate him/her better. As a teacher, the cultivation of compassion is an important part of daily teaching practice in our school. It’s one all educators should follow. Dr Harleen Kaur, Founder Principal, Mount Carmel International School, Ambala

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DECEMBER 2017

Principles for Principals

In a much-needed twist, teachers list the must-have qualities in principals. Educators, are you listening? Nichola Pais editor@scoonews.com

he key cog in the wheel that is the school, the principal’s role in the success of the school ecosystem is paramount. “A principal is the leader of an entire community within the school, responsible for managing administrative tasks and supervising all teachers and students. Teachers look up to their principals as facilitators and supporters. A successful principal-teacher relationship is essential for a school’s success and it is

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with mutual communication and trust that both can work towards the wellbeing of students,” believes Santosh Raghav, Co-ordinator, Wisdom Valley Global School, Palwal. Schools will only be a better place when the adults learn how to work better, points out Swati Tomar, Shri Ram Foundation, Preschool. “Leaders and teachers need to work on goals together and keep a constant focus on those goals as they go through the year. The success of any organization depends on team work, decision making, work ethics, visions, responsibilities, plan-

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ning and management that cannot be controlled by a leader alone. Teachers and principals can both be leaders in schools. They can lead with negativity and resentment, or a more inclusive environment can be inculcated where teachers feel safe to share when they agree or disagree with a process and discuss the way forward. When there is a positive relationship between both the principal and teachers, the school will achieve success.” “In school, instead of worrying constantly about setting directions and then engaging teachers and others in a

restricted pattern, the leader should focus more on removing obstacles, providing materials, emotional support and taking care so that it makes the journey of teaching easier and fun for everyone,” adds Sadika Salim Lalparia, Vanita Vishram Primary School, Mumbai. Here is a listing of the key qualities that teachers appreciate in principals…

Walk the Talk There is nothing better than leading by example. Teachers naturally appreciate it when principals model the behaviours they would like to see. Ideally, a principal should reflect the key qualities of the school, so these values filter down to teachers and the entire administration team. “The principal is the educational leader and spokesperson for the school community,” believes Swati Tomar. “It is the leadership of the school principal that sets the tone of the school, climate of learning, level of professionalism, morale of the staff members and degree of concern for children. A school principal is the primary leader in a school building and a good leader always leads by example.” According to Sadhana Saxena, Subodh Public School, Jaipur, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way. Those who believe in doing, not just preaching; their actions speak more than their words, and they inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more.; become more.” As Madhuri Kohli, Sri Ram Foundation Preschool puts it, “Before the principal commands, let him practice it himself first, whether it is punctuality at work or meeting deadlines. This will inspire and influence the staff.”

Respectful Listening As in most professions, a leader who listens respectfully creates a healthy work environment. This quality enables teachers to feel confident to come forward and share their feedback and concerns. An open door policy or dedicated monthly meetings would enable principals to gain valuable perspectives from teachers on day to day classroom issues. “A good principal would also express value for dissenting views,” points out Khushboo Bhatia, “Principals should try and welcome and embrace conflict as a way to produce substantive, positive outcomes over the long run. Regarding conflict as potentially constructive helps build supportive human relationships because it allows us to deal with our differences in win-win ways. It also allows teachers to feel

more secure in providing honest input and participating meaningfully in school decision-making.”

Forward-thinking It is important for a principal to exhibit leadership and develop innovative school policy and vision, and to then share the same with the teachers. It helps teachers know that their leader is looking to the future. Sadika adds, “Technology is not just a tool. It can give learners a voice that they may not have had before. A good principal must be aware and well updated about all the modern technologies and tech savvy methods teaching.” Sadhana Saxena believes a principal should be “a keen observer, vigilant and must keep himself informed about the local and global happenings to widen the scope of knowledge.” She adds that it would also be okay if the principal were to create an atmosphere of a little stress for healthy competition. “This will certainly add thrill and excitement, with a challenge open to all either to find a way or make one!”

Inclusive management Teachers are the lifeblood of a school and are also a treasure trove of talent. Their talent and experience can enable the school administration to make the best decisions for the school. A principal who engages then in the decisionmaking process definitely builds a better relationship and benefits all at school. “Principals who knock down walls by creating supportive environments for teachers, and welcome parents into schools are those who understand how important their actions are to the school climate,” avers Swati Tomar. “They should listen to all sides and find the best solutions. Principals who engage positively with students, and treat them with respect and like they are the growing human beings they are, are the ones who understand what positive relationships and engagement means to learning.” Khushboo Bhatia adds, “Principals should facilitate authentic participation by asking for the input of those affected by decisions, providing background information necessary for staff to weigh in on decisions, and treating teachers as capable professionals whose insights are valuable.”

Planned & Prepared Success occurs when opportunity meets preparation and Sadika Lalparia believes it is important for a principal to be prepared and organised in order to face the many challenges. “A good plan implemented today, brings a better tomorrow. Proper implementation of strategy is very essential for the

“In school, instead of worrying constantly about setting directions and then engaging teachers and others in a restricted pattern, the leader should focus more on removing obstacles, providing materials, emotional support and taking care so that it makes the journey of teaching easier and fun for everyone,” Sadika Salim Lalparia,

Vanita Vishram Primary School, Mumbai. “Leaders and teachers need to work on goals together and keep a constant focus on those goals as they go through the year. The success of any organization depends on team work, decision making, work ethics, visions, responsibilities, planning and management that cannot be controlled by a leader alone. Teachers and principals can both be leaders in schools. They can lead with negativity and resentment, or a more inclusive environment can be inculcated where teachers feel safe to share when they agree or disagree with a process and discuss the way forward. When there is a positive relationship between both the principal and teachers, the school will achieve success.” Swati Tomar, Shri Ram Foundation, Preschool.

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DECEMBER 2017 “A principal is the leader of an entire community within the school, responsible for managing administrative tasks and supervising all teachers and students. Teachers look up to their principals as facilitators and supporters. A successful principal-teacher relationship is essential for a school’s success and it is with mutual communication and trust that both can work towards the well-being of students,” Santosh Raghav, Co-ordinator, Wisdom Valley Global School, Palwal.

“Principals should try and welcome and embrace conflict as a way to produce substantive, positive outcomes over the long run. Regarding conflict as potentially constructive helps build supportive human relationships because it allows us to deal with our differences in win-win ways. It also allows teachers to feel more secure in providing honest input and participating meaningfully in school decision-making.”

Khushboo Bhatia S.V. Public School, Jaipur

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smooth functioning of the school. As the principal is the head of the school, she must make sure that all the plans are properly executed and monitor the same in action to ensure their smooth functioning.” It is important for a principal to show commitment and achieve targets in a genuine manner. “This shows integrity, which is keenly observed by staff, students and parents, and will gain their trust,” adds Madhuri Kohli.

Unbiased Approach “A principal must be honest and unbiased in sharing duties and responsibilities, according to one’s interest and capabilities, so as to channelise the energies in the right direction,” points out Sadhana Saxena. She must grant equal opportunities to all, to

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showcase their potential with no comparisons. She must also have respect for all cultures, believe in assimilating the best and adopt all that is beneficial for the betterment of human society. “Principals earn trust from members of the school community by encouraging open communication and actively making themselves available to teachers, parents, students, and staff without bias,” avers Khusboo Bhatia. “It is very rightly said, once the leader takes the risk of being open, others are more likely to take a similar risk— and thereby take the first steps necessary to building a culture of trust.” Santosh Raghav adds, “A principal should be fair and consistent. She should be adept at building relationships in the school team, connecting with each person that she deals with, and balance tough love with earned

“Before the principal commands, let him practice it himself first, whether it is punctuality at work or meeting deadlines. This will inspire and influence the staff.” Madhuri Kohli, Sri Ram Foundation Preschool

praise. She must be true to the teachers and students as high standards of expectations have to be implemented and achieved.”

…All this and more! “A principal must be a pleasing and cheerful person; a person with good character, strong, bold, confident, kind, compassionate and considerate who could live in the heart of every student and teacher as a source of inspiration. He must be easily approachable, patient and honest in dealing with people and situations, effectively and efficiently; quickly and decisively; diplomatically and dynamically to reach to the core of issues in resolving them fairly. He should be commanding and dutiful; strict and

law abiding, who believes in goodness, keeps the hopes for all the best to come and maintains the trust of his workforce,” declares Sadhana Saxena. “A principal should be positive, enthusiastic, and put the needs of the school before herself,” adds Swati Tomar, while Madhuri Kohli advices, “Always be gentle and polite as it cascades to the rest of the school. Stay humble, and treat everyone in the organisation with love and care. Maintain boundaries and limits. Learn to ignore; your attention to all incidents is not always necessary. Stay light, keep smiling and stay humorous!” Yes, that is a daunting list of musthaves for a principal. We have no doubt, however, that most of our educators already have glowing report cards!

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way. Those who believe in doing, not just preaching; their actions speak more than their words, and they inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more.; become more.” Sadhana Saxena, Subodh Public School, Jaipur

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INTERVIEW

Decoding DISL... DYSLE... DYSLECT... DYSLEXI... DYSLEXIA! Dr Philip John, Sr. Consultant in Psychiatry, Peejays Neurocenter, Cochin explains the causes and effects of Specific Developmental Disorders to Parvathy Jayakrishnan

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What is the cause of learning disorders? Dyslexia is just a part of learning disorders. When the babyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brain develops in the womb, there are changes that occur to the brain cells as they grow. Those changes are predetermined by the genes. In some individuals where there is a family history of some of these deficits, the problem occurs. There are two types of deficits that we talk about in terms of brain development. They are called developmental delays. Since two years now, the terminology is renewed and it is called neuro-developmental disorders. Specific Developmental Disorders (SDD) come under this category where the intelligence of the child is normal or sometimes even above normal but the child has specific developmental delays in some areas of functioning i.e. specific functions like reading, writing, arithmetic, attention and concentration, language, ability of motor coordination.

What are SDDs? Firstly, SDD is the disorder of language. Some children know what they want, they know what to say, they know the answer, they know what happened in the bus when two of his friends fought but when you ask them to say it, they are unable to bring it out as words. There is difficulty for the child in communicating. The second SDD is the disorder of scholastic skills. They are called learning disorders (LD). Unfortunately the current government has brought in a new Act wherein they are calling this a ‘disability,’ which is wrong. Disability is when there is no response to intervention. The third SDD is co-ordination disorder. Here the child is unable to hold his pen correctly. He holds it too tight or near the nib and hence he can’t write properly. Due to this, he cannot write quickly, or he cannot write when the teacher is dictating notes. Could you explain LDs? Learning disorders are difficulty in reading, writing and arithmetic. There are areas in the brain on the left side which predominantly control these functions. When a child has developmental issues in these designated brain areas, he ends up with difficulties. Dyslexia or difficulty with words is one of the problems. There can be a situation where the child can listen and learn very quickly because any child with an SDD has a normal IQ. The problem is he cannot express on paper what he can answer orally. A child with dyslexia cannot read and understand but he can listen and understand. Reading comprehension in controlled from the left brain areas whereas listening comprehension in controlled from the right brain areas. The crux of the story of learning disorders is the gap between what a child knows in the head and what he can write on paper. So they perform poorly in class. Such children suffer tremendously because they know that they know the answer but they don’t understand why they can’t write it. In fact, they are very good at creative skills like painting, acting, mimicking, cooking, sports, bringing up pets, farming etc. They are good with computers too, which is another reason why they are blamed when they score low marks. Basically, anything other than academic skills like reading and writing, they are good at. This is why often such children are labelled as being ‘lazy’ or just ‘pretending’. Their visual and auditory skills are very good too. They will not forget their way, they remember faces and names. They can be very street-smart.

Dr Philip John was instrumental in bringing in the right-brain based provisions in CBSE exams. He worked with the then CBSE chairman Dr Ashok Ganguly and Director in Academics in CBSE Dr G Balasubramanian for four years to bring in the change. He has written a handbook for teachers called ‘Poor School Performance in Children’ published by the CBSE. Can they cope well in a mainstream school setup where reading and writing is a mandate? It is absolutely wrong to put them in a special school because their intelligence is normal or above normal. It is his right to attain inclusive education! He has to be given extra provision to fulfil his education. All the educational boards have been given the mandate to give extra provisions for children with learning disorders so that they can choose the subjects related to the right brain like home science, foundations of information technology (FIT), music, painting, physical education. CBSE and the CBSE examination bye-laws 23, 24, 25 gives them the right to choose these subjects. They get one hour extra time if they cannot hold their writing instrument properly. We are not giving them a privilege by giving an extra hour. It is the time he will take to write down what is there in his head. You are letting him take home science as an option because he is good with his hands and head. He may make a good chef one day! We tell children not to focus on their skill deficits because they need them only till their school is over. After that, they will bloom! Can any medications help in providing relief to this problem? Of course, there are medications that can provide an instantaneous connectivity between the right and left brain that can help but from my experience, the moment you prescribe medications to a child, parents google it and come back to me citing the side-effects. They don’t look at the benefits that the child gets from the medication when used as a support mechanism. Sixty to 70 percent of children with learning disorders have an associated ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Without treating ADHD, it is futile to get them to sit down for an adequate period of time to learn a task. They get disturbed by the slightest noise or movement around. At the same time, if you give

him a mobile phone, he can sit with it for more than two hours at a stretch without being disturbed because using a mobile is a right brain skill. How can we identify a child with a learning disorder? I did a study with World Health Organisation (WHO), a couple of years ago. There are 25 questions to relate to the difficulty the child is facing and based on the response, you can mark him as “always present”, “sometimes present” or “almost never present”. This is an inventory which we developed with the WHO country office. My work here shows that among Indian children, learning disorders are present in almost 15-18 percent of children. ADHD is present in equal number of children. What is the ideal way for educators to deal with dyslexia in students? The first thing is to identify that the child has no intellectual disability i.e. if he walked normally, spoke normally and attained all his milestones normally. If he has normal intelligence, you may notice that he is not functioning at par with his normal intelligence. Teachers need to identify it when there is a discrepancy between what the child knows and what he writes on the answer paper. If a child makes too many spelling mistakes, you may suspect dyslexia. A child who is good at arithmetic may do a sum correctly at the working column and make a mistake while writing it back at the answering column (transposition of numbers). Teachers may shrug it off saying that the child is just careless in math whereas if this problem is occurring frequently, it needs to be attended to. The best way a teacher can help is to identify a problem in a child. A teacher’s awareness has to be good and they need to get the parent on their side. Parents are usually hostile and defensive when it comes to problems with their children. They need to accept a problem and try to get help.

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NOVEMBER 2017

TECH – Teacher’s NEW PET!

Anjana Deepak writeback@scoonews.com

lackboards and chalk are so passé. Classrooms have converted themselves into a futuristic space that we would have thought impossible a mere 10 years ago. The way we learnt is very different from the way our children learn. It is like the brain’s development is at a breakneck speed to absorb and process as much informa-

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In the classroom of 2017, educators across the country adopt tech to inject efficiency combined with fun into the learning process

“Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is most important.” - Bill Gates

tion as it can in the shortest amount of time! The pros are enormous. According to Yatharth Gautam, Head – Marketing, Birla Edutech, “Technology has brought efficiency, and fun into the process of learning. Students who struggled to gain a better understanding of aspects that cannot be visualised such as vibrations of particles and how they interact with each other, now

have the platform to virtually see those interactions. Research has time and again proved that cognitive learning plays an important part in ensuring our brain registers new concepts and learnings. Through technology today, the process of learning has evolved from the days of memorising text from textbooks towards a more holistic approach of visualising, interacting and practising. This ensures that the process of learning is never mundane and the students have assistance in learning from teachers and technology!”

Neeta Bali, Director-Principal GD Goenka World School Gurgaon, opines, “Technology allows students to exercise independent choices in learning. Consider a book report delivered with Prezi, Glogster or a video. Students make a decision as to which approach is best suited to their communication and learning style. Also, students become active learners, not just consumers. Technology makes

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NOVEMBER 2017 that happen by asking them to publish, share and collaborate.” Rohini Aima, Principal cum ViceChairperson, Jammu Sanskriti School, Jammu shares, “We, as education leaders and academicians, have adopted technology to deliver concepts better which has given birth to the desire to achieve efficiency through digitization, the power to deliver one on one learning environments to our learners.” When we talk about a classroom, our minds immediately conjure up a room in a school/ university, but today we have various classrooms that are not physically present in a building. Classrooms can be anywhere. With the growing popularity of online or distance learning, virtual classrooms are sprouting in all corners of the world, helping millions of students to access teachers, lectures, expert opinions and information on subjects online.

Classroom tech gadgets and their uses The only technology that we probably experienced during our time of learning was the calculator. Today, there is a plethora of gadgets being used to enhance the teaching and learning experience. Educators are spoilt for choice, given the range of options available to make the classroom smarter and to help fast-track the process of learning…

Tech Tools Hariharan Bojan, CEO, Sirena Technologies, which provides new age tech solutions for classrooms to enhance the students’ learning experience, avers, “As part of SKIP, Sirena Technologies implements the complete Robotic lab in the schools. As part of the lab, we introduce students to Nino - the first Indian Humanoid Robot developed by us, robotic kits, robotic ARMs, software tools, 3D printers and hardware tools. In the lab, we offer two models as part of the package - SKIP inquiry, where students get to learn about Robotics through lab exercises and programming; and SKIP inception, where the students get to learn from our Robots - Nino delivering Science, Maths and English classes and

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assisting teachers. Nino is the study buddy who is going to be introduced to kids in schools and eventually become very personal to each kid and help in interactive learning.” According to Neeta Bali, “Staff are encouraged to enhance learning through 'Connected Learning' - a model of learning that holds out the possibility of re-imagining the experience of education in the Information Age, which draws on the power of today’s technology to fuse young people’s interests, friendships and academic achievement.” Education in the true sense is adaptation to change and many schools have tried to keep pace with the changing scenario, by integrating technology in the implementation of curriculum to facilitate learning. Some of the areas in which technology has been implemented successfully and the teachers have been trained are Wiki Spaces, Google Classrooms, Khan Academy.com, Course Era.com, British Council Programme, and Connecting Classrooms.com. According to Poonam Arora, Principal, Bombay C a m b r i d g e International School, “The teachers’ support CIE website is being accessed by teachers to upgrade their knowledge and keep abreast of the latest in education.” Smartphones: Though controversial as to whether smartphones are actually of use or more a distraction, there are various ‘smart’ uses for this gadget

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in a classroom. Students can use it for on the go online research. A dedicated Twitter feed can be set up by the teacher where they can post assignments and due dates. They can move on to share newsfeeds or track hashtags on a particular topic as a class project to examine and discuss contrasting viewpoints. Setting a calendar app on students’ phones is a good way to learn the essence of time management for class assignments and test preparations. Photos and videos can also help in augmenting class assignments in interesting ways and can be uploaded to sites such as YouTube or Vimeo. The audio recording app can help students to record lectures or add in an audio recording with their photos or videos. Smartphones are compelling tools in the hands of students. Tech savvy educators using them in classrooms, provides new opportunities for students and teachers to work together on leveraging these devices. Laptops and tablets: Forget about a backpack stuffed with books, it is now the era of laptops and tablets making their way into the traditional school set-up. Though some conservative educators are apprehensive about the use of this technology, others say that it is a revolutionizing versatile tool helping in delivering instruction. There are over 15,000 educational apps in the Apple App Store and Google Play is not far behind. These gadgets are not only easy to use but help in connecting all stakeholders: students, teachers and parents. It forms a live knowledge base where students can access information in a cou-

ple of taps and is available at their fingertips. Teachers can also use the device to deliver a lesson in different ways thereby catering to the different learning paces of children, be it fast or slow, by using videos or playing edu games. These devices also cater to the differently abled students who will appreciate its flexibility, freedom of access and tailored curriculums. Students become creative forces rather than being passive knowledge recipients. It also solves the problem of conserving the environment to a large extent by encouraging going â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;paperlessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Interactive Whiteboards: With an interactive digital whiteboard, instructors have the capabilities of a computer, including web access, as well as the ability to draw, make notes, and share ideas with the classroom.

Classroom applications for using interactive whiteboards include Multimedia lessons and presentations including audio and video Collaborative problem solving Showcasing student projects and presentations Virtual field trips Recorded lessons that can be used by substitute teachers Documentation of student achievement Interactive whiteboards provide an extraordinary opportunity to create classroom environments where students with different learning styles can engage and learn from each other. Some leading brands of this technology are SMART, Promethean, Mimio, Numonics, eInstruction, Polyvision etc. This easy-to-learn technology ensures that both students and teachers are developing 21st century skills. Document Cameras: These are an amazing addition to classrooms. Teachers can help students look at objects in a more interesting and fun way. Small objects can be zoomed and can be viewed by the entire class at once rather than having to pass around an object. There is no need to make copies of a particular text. The book or

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passage can be placed under the camera and students can discuss it without the need for excess papers. Great news for the environment! Digital copies of students’ work can be taken, which can be uploaded to a classroom website to be accessed by teachers or parents. The record feature also plays a major role in sharing of information. Digital field trips can be taken helping students and teachers connect with one another around the world. Podcasting in Classrooms: The term ‘Podcasting’ comes from the amalgamation of the words ‘iPod and Broadcasting’. A podcast can be created with the help of a digital device, microphone, an internet connection and the topic that needs to be podcasted. There are various sites for creating podcasts. The two popular sites are Audacity and Garageband. Once it has

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been created it is then saved as an MP3 and can be played through any program that accepts this kind of file, eg. SoundCloud, Windows Media and even Google Drive. Podcasts ensure easy accessibility to information where a student can download the information required at their time and on a device of their choice for later use and this requires basic technical knowledge and skill. This can also be a boon for students who miss a lesson. They can access the information directly without depending on others. Similarly, if a teacher misses a class, they can post the lesson online and make it available to the students. Podcasting enables easy sharing of information to all its members. It stimulates different types of learners, as students can learn visually through videos and PDFs, auditory through audio clips, and also by the very act of

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doing it physically. Thus students are motivated to learn and excel. The above mentioned gadgets are just the top few that are presently being used in classrooms all over the world. Ragini Bhatnagar, Principal, Modern Defence Sen. Sec. School, Luhakana Kurad, says, “Using technology in the classroom gives teachers and other faculty members the opportunity to develop their students’ digital citizenship skills. It's one thing to use mobile devices, it's a completely different thing to know how to use them correctly and responsibly.” Saadhana Malik, Principal Bodhi Taru International School, Greater Noida maintains that technology has played an active role in her school. “It has

greatly helped my students in learning the subjects and gain additional knowledge. It has greatly helped in teaching the students by all the three methods; Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic (VAK). Technology helps in the satisfaction of student curiosity and they can now explore the subjects with greater enthusiasm.”

Is There A Downside? As they say, there are two sides to a coin and technology also has its cons. Kamaljeet Yadav, Principal, Subodh Public School, Airport, Jaipur talks about some of the negatives of technology in school… Misuse of technology by young learners Students’ diversion from the main motive, lack of focus, not giving satisfactory performance

Students wasting time Leads to bad handwriting; breaks the writing habit and reduces speed, which is important for development of motor skill at a young stage Can lead to temptation – adopting technology for cheating in exams and other sinful acts Possibility of students becoming lethargic Possible behavioural changes like loss of respect for elders and moral values, leading to over confidence and aggression. Overdependence on technology, which in harmful

Future Classrooms Ever wondered what the future holds for classrooms? Some predictions would be that the layout of the classrooms would change, VR and AR will change the educational landscape, the

introduction to flexible assignments will accommodate multiple learning styles and MOOCs and other online learning options will impact secondary education. Due to the rapid advances in technology students, teachers and parents have limitless technological tools at their disposal to make learning a lasting experience. Though with technology we see a huge difference in learning, it is not enough that these tools are used - it is critical to develop a plan for their use and have regular checks to ensure that a student is gaining the most value possible and is not becoming overly dependent on these tools. Though the advancement in technology in classrooms is promising, the human touch is still required, where teachers play a huge part in getting the kids together, motivating them and enabling them to use the tools of technology. And in this scenario, as Bill Gates pointed out, the teacher is most important.

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The 21st century

GUIDE

The 21st century safe school addresses school safety from a holistic perspective of mental, emotional, physical and social safety.

to SAFER

schools

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Anjana Deepak writeback@scoonews.com

he shock remains but the panic is replaced by a growing resolution: Enough is enough. The recent gruesome incidents (rape/ murder) targeting children in schools, compels a complete relook and rethink of where we are going wrong and what exactly can be done to ensure and secure the safety of our children. Keeping students safe and in an environment where they

can flourish is becoming more and more difficult. Children spend a large percentage of their time at school and it is imperative that we make sure that we implement every possible measure to keep them safe. A new kind of rigorous education is now a must for all children as well, maybe from the very moment they learn to understand the word “safety”. It is not only the parents’ responsibility to make sure their child is safe but also the duty of the school that we equip the minds of our children to do everything in their power to protect themselves from the monsters that roam in society.

The concept of ‘Your mind, your body’ should be taught to a child. A child must know that they and only they own their bodies and it is okay for them to say ‘NO’ if they don’t want to be touched. Even if it’s as simple as a hug or a kiss, a child should have the right to say no if it makes them even slightly uncomfortable. They have certain areas as ‘private’ which are off limits to everyone else, including members of the family.

Sexual Abuse A difficult topic but A difficult topic but one which demands we shed inhibitions and educate children about the issue and their rights.In most cases the sexual predator is usually someone the child knows and has interacted with. A teacher, a family member, a neighbour, a friend… any of these people who we come to trust may violate our children.

Says Pushpendra Kumar, Principal, RM Public School, Bijnor, “It should be made mandatory for school children to be educated about sex. Since I am from a rural area, I see a lot of parents hesitating to discuss sex with their child. As society leaders we have to take up these responsibilities as sex education is not only for the children of the big cities; it is very important for the children of the rural areas as well to understand and shed inhibitions around the topic.” Using appropriate terminology is important. It ensures that the child is correctly informed and can talk about it if there is a situation. Making the child feel comfortable during this conversation is a must.

Sonal Ahuja, Director, Shri Ram Foundation Preschool and Shri Ram Bal Bharti School emphasises on the fact that, “Once we cross the barrier of our own apprehensions, only then will we be able to share many more secrets of ‘sex education beyond the physical act’, with children.”

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OCTOBER 2017 The mouth, chest area, stomach area, area between the legs, buttocks are off limits to anyone and everyone. That doesn’t mean that everywhere else is okay. Illustrated books on sex education can be used to explain these concepts to children simply and effectively.

Sex education is mandatory. According to Kavita Sanghavi, MET Rishikul, “Sex education is imparted through regular sessions by the school counsellor and expert talk on the subject is delivered to students by gynaecologists, psychologists and sexologists from outside.” This awareness goes a long way in keeping children safe.

Bullying Bullying, one of the largest problems in schools, is a form of abuse that usually occurs when a child or a group of children target another individual and exercise their power over them. It usually happens in areas that have less supervision by the staff or teachers of the school - bathrooms, deserted hallways, cafeterias, at the school bus

areas or even in the bus. Bullying comes in many forms - fighting, name calling, teasing, excluding someone repeatedly…. Bullying can be physical or an emotional trauma for the child who is at the receiving end of it.

signs can be seen if a child is a victim of bullying. They might withdraw from people and from friends, lose interest in activities they previously used to enjoy, display physical injuries, and show a drop in grades, etc.

Bullying isn’t considered a big problem as compared to drug abuse, so most parents and teachers tend to make light of it, but it can have long lasting effects on the child being bullied and on the bully as well.

If a child is being bullied, they can be helped, first by talking to the parents of the bully, teaching kids to take the nonviolent approach to deal with a bully by walking away, talking it out or just by moving away to play with a group of friends. They need to be helped to restore their confidence. The first thing that bullies usually do is to break the self-confidence of a person.

If signs of bullying are seen, a parent or teacher must address it immediately. A child disclosing an incident of bullying must be taken seriously. Sunny Mahajan, Joint Secretary, Pratap World School says, “Workshops are conducted with students and there is an Anti-Bullying committee also in place. Statements like these are also highlighted at various places in school. Bullying is strictly prohibited inside the school premises and no such act should go unnoticed or unpunished.” Don’t brush it away. Certain tell-tale

Vice Principal, The Wisdom Valley Global School, Palwal, Taruna Kapoor says, “We conduct assessments in our school as to how often bullying occurs, when it occurs and how students and adults intervene. Parents are also made aware of these problems and encouraged to handle them properly. Awareness campaigns

DEPRESSION Although depression is classified as an adult disorder, children are also susceptible to it. When depression is recognized early and treatment is provided, young people can feel and function better in school and life. Schools play a pivotal role in in identifying depression and intervening. School staff must be knowledgeable about depression as the disorder can seriously impair academic and interpersonal behav-

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iour. Some of the signs teachers must look out for are: low tolerance for frustration and negative patterns for thinking, giving up on tasks quickly which they find daunting, doubting their ability to independently complete tasks and solve problems, lethargy, speaking laboriously, difficulty in completely expressing thoughts and ideas, decreased self-esteem and self-worth, and separation anxiety from parents.

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In cases where the child is going through depression a homeschool communication system has to be developed to share information on the student’s academic, social and emotional behaviour. The best approach taken is often individualised. Children, when helped to overcome their depressed state with patience and perseverance from school staff, home and peers, tend to lead happy and normal lives.

and workshops are conducted for the benefit of students. A thorough code of conduct, rules and reporting system is established. Also, a general school culture of acceptance, tolerance and respect is encouraged. Positive social interactions among school staff, students and parents is reinforced. Bullying prevention materials are introduced in the school curriculum and activities.” She adds, “Bullying can threaten students’ physical and emotional safety at school and can negatively impact their ability to learn. The best way to address bullying is to STOP before it starts.” Children who are bullies must also be helped as it can cause severe behavioural problems later in life. Children normally turn out to be bullies when they don’t empathise or sympathise with others, they usually like to be the centre of attention, enjoy aggression and love to pick fights. A counsellor at school could talk to the child, and may help get to the root cause of the problem. They might have anger issues, or some changes that are happening at home or they might feel insecure. Counselling may help solve these problems. Children who usually bully have, at some point, been victim themselves.

Corporal Punishment A common disciplinary measure in schools is corporal punishment. Hitting with the hand or with an object like a cane, pinching, excessive physical exercising, twisting of the ear, etc are some forms of corporal punishment. There have been instances where children have lost their lives or have been gravely injured. In most cases the physical hurt can be treated but the psychological and emotional effects can have severe consequences in the future. Mental harassment is also a form of corporal punishment. There is no excuse to resorting to corporal punishment. It is important to treat every student with respect and care. Children can lose their confidence and self-esteem. With a child being continuously subjected to corporal punishment, the dire consequences could be children developing aggressive or destructive behaviour. They start to think that it is okay to hit someone if not listened to, or they may show cowardice, learning to obey without asking questions or having opinions.

Learning Disabilities How receptive are our schools and teachers to kids who have learning disabilities? These kids are most vulnerable and are at a risk for long term academic and social problems. Children who find it difficult in classrooms be it with reading, writing, comprehending, paying attention, proper coordination, memory, and staying organised could be facing learning disabilities. These disabilities can manifest in varying degrees of severity. Some students may struggle with more than one. Proper diagnosis is extremely important, followed by remedial measures to correct their situation. Solutions for children with learning disabilities must focuses on individual achievement, progress and learning to ensure they are successful.

It is the collective responsibility of all to abolish corporal punishment completely. Teachers and educators need to form mutual agreements with students, motivating them and giving them a sense of belonging to the school. It is the right of every human to live a peaceful life without having to face violence in any form.

Online Abuse Technology cannot be eradicated from children’s lives; it is here to stay. Monitoring them every second of everyday is impossible. So, when they get sucked into the big bad world of virtual reality what do we do? How do we cope with the fact that our kids can be hurt by someone who is sitting thousands of miles away? The Blue Whale game, which is a 50task game culminating in a suicide order, is a classic example of children being ensnared online. Developing trust and openness is the way to combat such dangerous influences. Children should be educated to talk openly about things that concern them, whether it is internet related or otherwise. Adults in a child’s life should

make sure they don’t blow things out of proportion or overreact to situations but understand the needs of the child so that, in any situation, they feel comfortable to come up and speak to an adult, regardless of the issue. We need to speak to children, develop their self-worth and give them the confidence that life is not about letting someone or something influence us into the wrong behaviour, and that there are alternatives to combat stress and confidence issues. Countering the sinister Blue Whale challenge is the Pink Whale challenge or the Baleia Rosa game, which aims to spread not anguish and harm but love and happiness. While the Blue Whale is about depressing messages, self-harm and suicide, Baleia Rosa promotes positivity and encourages people to save lives. Eventually, youngsters must realize that online challenges are not the ultimate game-changers, and that we all have our inherent traits of strengths and weaknesses - it is up to us to work on them.

Internet Safety Internet usage has to be monitored continuously as today’s youngsters tend to use the internet heavily these days. It is important to provide kids with safety and protection from online predators. We must keep an eye out on what they surf online. Children should be taught not to trust everything that they hear or see on the internet and to never reveal any personal information like their real name, which school they go to, their address or even frequent places they hang out. They must also be told not to share their family or friends’ information either. Most internet browsers have parental controls that can be easily used to set up security safeguards and content filters for language, nudity, sex and violence. Special browsers can also be set up that are kid-friendly. You can allow your child to only have access to this browser. Children also get sucked into online chats where identity thieves or child predators pose as friends. A constant vigilance has to be maintained to their chat activity. Children must be allowed to play age

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OCTOBER 2017 appropriate games. Check gaming websites that list the ratings of each game. Do not allow children to do online shopping by themselves, we never know if they are going into insecure sites to make purchases and could be left vulnerable to online thefts. School Safety Schools must ensure that there is CCTV coverage in all corners of the school to ensure that the kids are monitored. When hiring staff and teachers, the school must ensure that they go through the proper channels of hiring, because these are the people who are responsible for a child’s safety and wellbeing. Schools must develop guidelines regarding the hiring process. It shows that the institute has done their homework and that they are a serious organisation and not just a money-churning machine. Says Kusum Kanwar, Principal, Billabong High International School – Santacruz, “The 21st Century Safe School is a forward-thinking comprehensive approach addressing school safety from a holistic perspective of mental, emotional, physical and social safety. It is much more than physical threats. However, schools at times have a false understanding of school security and poor training and not following best practice guidelines for safety programs, leaves schools vulnerable to threats.“Students deserve quality education in a learning environment where they feel safe and secure. Ensuring safety training for stakeholders prepares and empowers school administrators, educators and staff to effectively plan and train for a multitude of potential threats risks. It begins with planning and an increased level of awareness of potential threat indicators.“Safety Training includes creating safe learning environments which are emotionally and psychologically safe, have situational awareness and other critical social and behavioural topics and simulation drills and safety exercises. Many schools have a mindset that training a small number of staff who can train the rest of employees can help, however the outcome will probably not be favourable. Parents need to be a collaborative partner in this endeavour by heightened awareness.“Safety Training programs need to merge mental health and security practices for creation of a safe school.” “If a school is aware about related to raising sensible then parents automatically lowing the culture of the

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the facts children, start folschool,”

points out Sonal Ahuja, Director, Shri Ram Foundation Preschool and Shri Ram Bal Bharti School. “We hold sessions and make sure that each one of them attend. School activities are not done just as formalities. We make sure that raising a child is a triangular effort: Teacher-Child-Parent. We all have to play our roles equally to reach a set standard or a goal. “Schools are expected to address behavioural issues, minimize absences, reduce or eradicate mistreatment and bullying, prevent abuse cases and also fully prepare all students regardless of family circumstances or community characteristics. Given these demands, schools may find it difficult to be successful if they are operating in a reactive stance. “Quality and character of school life can also be improved by welcoming partnerships, which aim at mutual trust and respect, responsiveness, research, reflections and introspections. In this partnership, school, staff, principal, parents, neighbourhood school representatives can develop a plan of action that is responsive to the needs of the school towards safety and security. The goal is not to provide the ‘one size fits all’ set of prescribed action. Schools should now step out of the so called, self-centred approach and bring a more community driven approach, by collaborating and welcoming partnerships - more brains, more reflections and hence most appropriate action plans leading to safe schools.” Sunny Mahajan, Joint Secretary, Pratap World School also adds, “More personalized care by every member of the school can help in spreading positivity and protection for students. Mobile jammers can be introduced so that children do not become a victim of the Blue Whale game in school premises, particularly boarding schools. CCTV cameras should be present in every nook and corner so that everyone is alert. Police verification of each staff member must be conducted and anyone found with a record should not be kept in school. Psychometric assessment of each and every employee is essential. There should be security guards in school premises at various points as a physical presence always has an edge over any technology. Meditation activities for non-teaching and teaching staff help to maintain a positive balance of energies. Negative thoughts can be channelized. Ensuring more technology driven checks and

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balance can also help.” Kalpana Chaudhary, Principal, NH Goel World School, Raipur, says that apart from the regular norms of school safety, “We also do not encourage children driving their own two or four wheelers to school. We encourage children to use school transport. The children who come by their own vehicles have been issued I-cards to the drivers. Their names and phone numbers have to be registered with the school and they have to sign a register and a gate pass while leaving the school. Random and regular breath checking of the

support staff specially the transport department is also essential.â&#x20AC;?

Stay Prepared Life is full of surprises, not all of them pleasant. It is better that the organisation is prepared for fewer surprises. Institutes must continuously sensitise staff and enhance security measures in all possible ways. Some schools have already increased their security detail. Some of the measures that these schools have taken are: The school staff and teachers are in the premises much before the students enter the school. After dispersal the building is secured by security staff. CCTV cameras are installed at strategic points across the school and are regularly monitored by dedicated personnel. Regular maintenance is done to ensure functionality is strictly implemented. Entry and movement of all adults in the school campus is recorded. The

school is secured and the gates are manned by security guards all the time. Students toilets are clearly demarcated and separate toilets are used by the support staff. The GPRS system has been incorporated for school buses, while CCTV cameras, first aid and fire extinguishers have been placed in every bus. Students board and alight from the buses within the school premises under the supervision of the school transport in charge. Teachers are assigned duties on vantage points during school hours. The school medical team comprising of doctors and counsellors conduct regular sessions with students on various subjects on safety and otherwise. Bullying is strictly dealt with. Corporal punishment is not permitted and the physical safety of each child is

of utmost importance. An ambulance is stationed at the campus at all times for any medical emergencies. Adding to these measures, Kavita Sanghvi, MET Rishikul, recommends that profiles are very clearly outlined to all so that every stakeholder is aware of their roles and responsibilities. Regular monitoring and recording, working closely with parents and earn their support and trust, informing parents of the school safety measures, holding meetings with staff members on child protection policy and their need to look into every aspect of studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; safety, recording of regular inspection by school safety officer, and the Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) of male staff members, are all essential steps. When it comes to the safety of students, it is infinitely better to err on the side of caution.

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NOVA N I L T

S ION

GLOBA

5 Indian education initiatives feature in the hundrED list of

Vega Schools, Design For Change, Project DEFY, Self Organized Learning Environments (SOLE) and The Museum School were listed in the most prestigious Top 100 K-12 education innovation list of hundrED, Vinay Singh and Parvathy Jayakrishnan bring you firsthand insights from these innovators.

undrED, a Finland based non-profit, selects 100 inspiring innovations in K-12 education from around the world annually. The first collection of 100 innovations was released on October 4 in Helsinki. Vega Schools, Design For Change, Project DEFY, Self Organized Learning Environments (SOLE) and The Museum School from India feature in this list. To celebrate the release of the 100 innovations, hundrED has organized an innovation summit for the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading education innovators at

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Helsinki, Finland. Last year, hundrED had showcased 100 great innovations from Finland. All insights and best practices are documented, packaged and shared with the world for free. The ones that made the list had to adhere to strict search criteria. HundrED's research team analyzed all innovations to find out if they were addressing a problem from a new perspective, if they provided real impact, and if they could work somewhere else and scale. Over 1000 innovations were researched and interviewed by

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expert researchers and then analysed further by an academic advisory panel. The range of the innovations chosen span 41 countries. The best thing about this initiative is that you can find out more about each and every innovation on their own page, complete with step-by-step instructions on how to implement them where you are. Here is a brief on the five Indian innovations in K-12 education featuring in the first hundrED global innovations list:

Vega Schools Vega is a school thoughtfully designed to facilitate ProjectBased Learning with a school culture centered on flat leadership, collaboration and international sharing. According to hundrED, “Vega is inspirational and encourages dynamic interaction with people around the world.” Learn more about Vega at https://www.vega.edu.in/

Design For Change (DFC) The vision of Design for Change is to ensure, by design, that all children grow with the “I can” mindset – the belief that they are not helpless, that change is possible and that they can drive it. According to hundrED, “Design for Change is very contextual. It can be replicated and used in multiple ways to teach content and inspire children to participate in projects and become self-aware. It is the simplicity of the framework that allows so much innovation to happen. The programme develops problem-solving skills, critical thinking and a high level of empathy.” Learn more about DFC at http://www.dfcworld.com/SITE

Vega is an open learning community. We have no classrooms. We have multiple learning zones and they help us do what is core to Vega, which is project-based learning. Children right from the age of three learn by doing real-world projects and real-world problems. All the data on project-based learning around the world says that children perform incrementally better in that set up. The reason they perform better is because while learning, they don't go from one topic to another, unlike in a classroom lecture where you're listening to something and if your attention wavers, you miss out on what you've learnt. Here, you have to constantly reinforce your learning all the time. So their fundamentals become stronger and that enables them to do better in a test as well. I founded Vega because of my own school experience. I spent a large part of my time in a classroom being bored and uninterested. While graduating, I realised that I had no sense of what I wanted to do. When I started working, I realised how disconnected really education is from the stuff you have to deal with in the real world. It’s only now, over the past few years, that schools around the world have changed. That has sparked a revolution and we wish to do that here. I think we have already started doing it here. Sandy Hooda, Co-founder of Vega

I’m a designer by education. I realised that if one wanted to make an impact we should introduce design to children at an early age. If children learn to take responsibility and learn to solve problems at an early age, we can make them doers rather than ‘complain-ers’. We want children to know that they can make a difference. Rather than working on a child at age 17, we believe the earlier the better. We should work on them at age 7, not 17. Young children is where a lot of potential rests. We want children to move to think from “Can I?” to “I can!” Our programme is running in more than 60 countries. Nandini Sood, CEO, Design for Change, India

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OCTOBER 2017 The Museum School, Bhopal

OASIS is a social innovations laboratory. We want to create new models for the development sector. New approaches should be experimented with, which can later become models of development. Our story began like this... We were waiting at a bus stop when we saw a group of rag-picking children on the road. As we looked on, another set of children were dropped off by their school bus and safely taken home by their parents. It was an absolute contrast between the ragpickers and the school-going children. One group of children were protected by their parents while the other was neglected. But these rag-picking children had a sparkle in their eyes when they saw the children coming out of the school bus. “We spoke to them and came to know that they wanted to go to school but not a traditional one, where a teacher dictates and a student learns. They wanted to learn by moving around. These children were very observant because that's what they are trained to do. These are skills which today's privileged children do not have. Another problem in the education sector is that no one talks about quality in education. Even in the RTE, it talks about everything else other than quality. “There are three things that contribute to quality in education, namely, infrastructure, sufficient and good quality of teaching aids, and quality teachers. “Privileged children get all three but the poor children are denied it all. Education is the foundation of every country but there is a huge disparity in education. In our search for infrastructure for children, we landed at the museums of Bhopal. That’s when we realised that the museums can be used as a teaching aid for children. With the consent of the museum director we brought in underprivileged children to the museum to learn. Now we have collaborated with five museums in Bhopal. We engaged volunteers to map the items of the museum to what we can teach based on this. We identified a few educated girls in slums and got them to teach these children in museums. The subject experts were sitting right there in the museums. So we got them to train the teachers. We got it all in place absolutely free of cost!” Pradeep Ghosh, Founder and President of OASiS (The Museum School is a project of OASiS - Organization for Awareness of Integrated Social Security).

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The Museum School reduces educational inequality by bringing school to underprivileged children in the form of their local museums, giving them high quality infrastructure, teachers and materials, as well as access to a whole world of knowledge! Although museums are an invaluable source of knowledge, Indian museums had never been included in mainstream education on a regular basis. While museums struggle to get visitors’ footfalls every day, underprivileged children struggle to get quality education every day. HundrED includes The Museum School in the global innovation list as it matches the two needs in a unique effort to provide quality education for underprivileged children. Learn more about The Museum School at www.themuseumschool.in

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We congratulate all innovators who have been included in this year's hundrED innovations showcase and are excited to share this with our readers. The complete list of 100 inspiring innovations that are changing the face of K-12 education today can be seen here https://hundred.org/en/collections/hu ndred-2017

Project DEFY: Design Education for Yourself At Project DEFY: Design Education for Yourself, the mission is to change the way people think and ignite individual passions so students can believe in their abilities to educate themselves, others and their communities. “The concept of Nooks flips the power dynamics of education, and returns it to the people. It breaks the quality spectrum created in a linear increment with economic status, by mainstream education, and democratizes learning bringing it to its simplest necessities – needs and interests – of individuals and communities,” says hundrED. Learn more about Project DEFY at http://www.projectdefy.org/

Self Organized Learning Environments (SOLEs) SOLEs grew from Sugata Mitra’s ‘Hole in the Wall’ experiment in New Delhi which recognised the potential for self-organised learning. This developed into the understanding that, with access to the internet, groups of children can learn almost anything by themselves. From India the idea spread to the UK, then to the US and beyond. According to hundrED, “There are no limits to this approach which makes it very exciting! All you need is broadband, collaboration and encouragement. It is then fascinating to see how much children can learn themselves without any direct instruction.” Learn more about SOLE at https://www.theschoolinthecloud.org/about/

I quit my job and moved to a village outside Bangalore. No one had used computers and smartphones in that village. When I would use my cell phone or play a game of Temple Run on my phone, a lot of kids coming from school would come and stand behind me and watch me. After a few weeks, one of them asked me for my phone. I gave it to them and in just 15 minutes, they had figured out how to play Temple Run just by watching me, with absolutely no prior experience of using the gadget. We then set up a room with a computer and internet and asked the children to just try out things and soon enough they were playing games online, without even knowing that they were online! We believe that learning happens naturally since information is available freely. So, we want to help communities create their own schools because they are capable of doing it on their own. We call such groups as Nooks and currently we have set up five Nooks. Abhijit Sinha, Founder Director of Project Defy

Children in unsupervised and self-organised groups can learn to use the Internet for their own purpose (1999-2005). They learn to search and find answers to questions they have. Such ‘hole in the wall’ environments can be created inside schools. They are called ‘Self Organised Learning Environments’ (SOLEs, 2006-2010). In SOLEs, children can learn almost anything by themselves. Their reading, comprehension, searching skills and self-confidence seem to improve quickly. Search Engines are at the heart of this process. This process is helped by the presence of a friendly, but not necessarily knowledgeable, mediator. In remote areas, such mediators can be brought in using Internet video conferencing [The ‘Granny Cloud’ (2009)]. SOLEs augmented with the Granny Cloud form the so-called ‘School in the Cloud’. They can be built inside schools or in community settings. Prof. Sugata Mitra, TED Prize Winner 2013 & creator of SOLE, Granny Cloud & School in the Cloud (Excerpt from article in ScooNews June 2017)

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It is a vicious circle. People, at some point in time, didn’t have money and couldn’t get their children educated. And since they were not educated, they continued to be poor.

“I see such POSITIVE Anil Swarup, Secretary School Education & Literacy, lists the many positives of the current education scenario, in an exclusive chat at SGEF 2017. Nichola Pais editor@scoonews.com

The vicious circle of poverty and education… How do we break it? As you rightly said, it is a vicious circle. People, at some point in time, didn’t have money and couldn’t get their children educated. And since they were not educated, they continued to be poor. A lot has happened in the past 10 years and if you look at the data of children attending school, almost everyone goes to school. This is because of efforts of various governments in terms of seeing that every child comes to school irrespective of the income. Firstly, it is the free education being provided by the government, and secondly, the Right to

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Oh I was very naughty! I was a sportsman. I used to study a bit; later I realised that if I didn’t I wouldn’t get into any service! And I owe to my teachers what I am.

ENERGY in the country” Education Act which ensures that every child does get an education. We have managed to get the child to the school but I think the problem now is to see that the child gets actually educated. He has come to the school but I’m not very sure if the quality of the education we are imparting to him, especially in government schools, is good enough for him to get educated. So that is something we are looking at.

It’s too late in the day for me to back down. I’m coming to a close to my innings as a bureaucrat. I haven’t backed down in the past and hopefully I’ll continue to be the way I am!

Earlier you briefly touched upon the education mafia. Are they are hindrance in your approach which calls for low cost resources and higher outcomes? In any walk of life, be it government or personal life, there would be hindrances. And there are hindrances and challenges I enjoy, given my past work in the Coal ministry and otherwise. I’ve enjoyed these challenges and I will continue to enjoy the challenges here. Yes, mafias are present in education as well – probably they are trickier than the ones we had in the Coal sector. But that is a lovely challenge; let’s see what happens!

Amidst the scenario of multiple boards in India, would the government consider a single board system for the entire country? My take is that India is a country of many countries, in the sense that we have different cultures, different languages, and different social norms. To impose something from the Centre would not be advisable. If the Centre is able to create a board which attracts everyone and all voluntarily join this board, I would be only too happy to have that. As long as we are unable to provide a platform where everyone willingly joins in, I would definitely not impose anything on anyone. In a country like ours, we should allow different systems to operate and evolve. Over a period of time, if there is a feeling amongst the consumers that they should ride on a particular board, then they should be facilitated to do that. People should be given a choice.

Right, so evidently there’s no backing down where you are concerned?

Ideally, the process of identifying, documenting and replicating different teaching models across

the country should be conducted every year by an appointed team of experts… We are already doing that, and will continue to. I don’t think the Education Secretary should be going around the country to identify different models. Right now I am not travelling so much but I am getting all the feedback from all over the country from delegated people who send me those details. Then there is intensive interaction and we see how that particular model could be replicated. Credit for this entire grassroots model must go to you. Nothing of the sort existed before, over the decades… You know, I would not say that; I’m sure there must have been some effort in the past also to identify such models and replicate them. But, I think, in a structured manner, this is the first ever effort to put in place an institution mechanism through which you discover the good work that is happening in education in the country. We have now set up a portal called ShaGun (Shala Gunvatta), where all these models of good work are being displayed, for people to see and replicate on a wide scale.

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SEPTEMBER 2017 What exactly would be the objectives you hope to achieve through the National Teacher’s Platform? As I said, there is so much good work being done by so many teachers in the country. Now, how do you get the other teachers to know what good work is happening? So you create this portal wherein all the good work gets filtered, gets curated, and is then placed on the portal. Through a navigation tool, if a teacher wants to understand how the Archimedes Principle can be explained, and it has already been explained beautifully by a teacher somewhere in the country, she can actually pick that up and show it to the students, or then learn it herself. What we are trying to do is create this virtual platform wherein the good practices, the good lessons, get showcased. And more importantly, as there is an information overload, there is a team which curates it; it provides a navigation tool so one can pinpoint and go to the particular video they are seeking. Problem today is if you go to Google and search, you will spend so much time in arriving at what you want to know. This navigation tool which we are putting in place will enable the teacher to reach where he or she wants to reach, almost immediately. Do you think anganwadis and government schools should work together, as the anganwadi workers also act as teachers? I’m so glad you raised this point. Just 10 days ago, Secretary, Women & Child Welfare and I sent a joint letter to chief secretaries to bring in anganwadis wherever possible to primary schools. It will solve a number of problems. In the midst of so many negatives about education in India, can you share a few positives about our Indian education system? Well, amazing positives! In the first place, look at the data when India got Independence and look at where we are today – almost every child is going to school! That is a huge positive, to get the child to the school. If you look at the Korean model of education, they did precisely this. Initially they got the child to the school and then they taught him. We have got the child to the school, now the challenge is to teach the child. Number 2 – despite all the problems

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there are wonderful, wonderful models that are available in the country, and that is a big positive. As I said during my presentation, the idea is to see how that can be replicated and scaled. Number 3 – I think we have a set of such dedicated teachers. The challenge now is to recognise them, so that others feel deprived and yearn for a similar recognition. And when they want similar recognition, they will improve themselves. Create that challenge amongst the teachers, create that competition amongst the teachers. Similarly, there are wonderful schools that are doing good work. Can we identify them? Can we put them on a pedestal for others to see? There are such wonderful things that are happening. There is such positive energy that I see in the country. When I travel through the country, I find people who feel that things can still be done! And they can still be done, because they are actually being done! The question is whether I am able to direct the attention of the majority of the people to things that have happened rather than the things that haven’t happened, so as to learn from them. As all this is happening within the country, you won’t have doubt about its replicability. If these examples were to exist outside the country, then people would think twice if that same example could be replicated here. But if it is happening within the country, it gives you the conviction that it could happen in other places as well. What’s a day in the life of Mr. Swarup like? Oh, I enjoy every moment that I have, irrespective of what is happening around me! I rise a bit early and do some physical exercises to keep myself fit, I reach the office around 15 – 20 minutes ahead of the office time. And the initial hour that I have at the office is a very useful hour where no one disturbs me and I do my work. We have managed to digitise all files and papers so we don’t have files and papers. When I leave your place, as I go back I’ll do all my files and when I reach the office I won’t have any files pending to be seen. A lot of work gets done as I move. I enjoy travelling a lot, so I travel at least once a week if not more. I go to different places, because that is where the action is.

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Like I often say, Delhi is a fiction; real learnings are in the states. You move around, you learn; I do that. I avoid sitting in the office beyond 6 pm, 6.30 at the most. I come back home and enjoy spending time with my grandchildren; I love that the most. That’s my personal time and I look forward to it. What was the current Education Secretary like as a student? Oh I was very naughty! I was a sportsman. I used to study a bit; later I realised that if I didn’t I wouldn’t get into any service! And I owe to my teachers what I am. Just yesterday I spoke to my teacher who taught me 45 years ago. I’m in touch with quite a few of them. Some of them are no more in this world but they continue to inspire me. I remember each of their statements… I love them. Regarding the ScooNews Global Educators Fest, do you think an initiative like this helps on different levels? Oh, it’s an amazing effort! I had never thought that I was coming to such an event. I thought it would be just speeches and then it would be over. But what you have done here is, you have got the practitioners together. I don’t get to meet too many practitioners in a conference; there are too many speakers. But there are practitioners who are very good speakers as well so they are very inspiring! The two speakers that I have heard so far have left me amazed. So much to learn from them, so much is happening and they have done it despite everything going against them. They have managed to achieve something. And they were so good in conveying what they have done. Very inspiring! You featured on the cover of ScooNews magazine in July 2017. Any feedback on the magazine? Many magazines have good editorial content which indeed ScooNews also has. But what amazed me was the production quality – it is so well produced, so well presented. Compliments to the team for presenting it so aesthetically! I loved it! Content-wise, I am no expert but I would suggest you get good practices reported as much as you can.

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“Our education system needs to make our children self-reliant and compassionate”

Parvathy Jayakrishnan writeback@scoonews.com

n the evening of August 19, the final day of the Scoonews Global Educators Fest 2017, the room was filled with the cream of educators in our country who waited patiently for the much-awaited

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speaker from Ladakh. He came just in time to thrill the audience with his experience of teaching students 12,000 feet high, in the mountains, something which not many among the other educators in the room had experienced. Rushing in to deliver his speech on ‘The Next Learning Revolution’ was Sonam Wangchuk, founder of the

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Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL).The crowd showed respect by being silent as a man brimming with energy within, with fine lines of wisdom on his forehead, and a smile as bright as a sunny day in Ladakh, took to the podium. He began his speech with a traditional

Sonam Wangchuk speaks on the need to create an educational system that is not just about the head but also about hands and heart, at SGEF 2017. greeting from Ladakh - “Juleh”. He explained how he accidentally stumbled upon the world of education from the field of engineering. He had differences with his father on the stream of engineering to choose and the same resulted in him having to finance his own engineering education. He had to teach students to raise some funds for

his own education. This experience, he says, changed his life completely. He came face to face with realities, or rather the “falsehood” of the educational system. And he continued to try and understand the problems in the educational system… In the 1990s, students were failing in huge numbers in Ladakh - to be pre-

cise, 95 per cent of the students were failing in the X grade, every year. The people and the system blamed the students for the failure rather than examining the system. But clearly, when 95 per cent fail, it is for the system to look into itself rather than blaming the children. That is when Wangchuk started questioning the system to see

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We need to replace the 3 Rs (Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic) in the current education system with 3 Hs - Head, Hands and Heart.

what could be corrected. From his interactions with the children, he realised that the very same children who failed exams year after year were, in fact, very bright and kind and everything about them was right, yet they were blamed and labelled as “retarded “ or as “primitive mountain people”. When he looked into the depths of the system, he realised that they were made to follow a system that was more like a ritual for them, which made no sense. They were being taught from books that came from Delhi and London and the concepts made no sense to someone who was in Ladakh. Even the concept of teaching alphabets through association with objects was a failure there, because when the books read “F for Fan” - no one, including the teachers, knew what a fan was in the -30 degree Ladakh temperature! Sonam realised that the children who were skilled at performing tasks with their hands were being forced to learn, by rote, things that they could barely relate to and that was very wrong. The children had learnt skills of mending torn clothes or repairing houses from their parents, yet the system of education they were forced into was “undoing” whatever skills of the hand they had learnt and they were asked to use only their head. A good preparation for the life that they would live required skilled hands and kind hearts but that had no place in the school system. Their parents had taught them the importance of cooperation and collaboration, which is an important skill to survive in a place like Ladakh, yet the system of education that they were into, forced them to compete rather

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than collaborate! It forced them to put themselves first over others in the race to the top. He noted that the most developed or “industrialised” countries like Japan and Korea are also places with the highest rate of suicides. Clearly, the system is not doing good to the people, nor is it making them happy. The outcomes of this system are also causing havoc to our environment itself because the glaciers are melting as global temperatures rise and while the people in Ladakh will have to flee, people living near the coast will drown. This is a system that will not do good to our planet or our country. He believes that we must rethink and reconsider what we put into our children if we want a different outcome. The system was not making our children self-reliant to survive in difficult places like Ladakh. As a result, he decided to think beyond the system that the West had brought in 300 years ago during the industrial revolution. The need of the hour was to create a better system that we can give to the world. We are a country that has given to the world Yoga and Vipassana. We need to create a new system that is not just about the head but also about hands and skill - a system that values experiential learning and preparation for life. Sonam believes that we need to replace the 3 Rs (Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic) in the current education system with 3 Hs - Head, Hands and Heart. Education should not be merely about production and consumption. “I’m more impressed by the technolo-

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gies of the inner world that our country developed than the technologies of the outer world that have come in the last 300 years. The latter helps fulfil our desires of comfort and ease of doing things but desires keep growing!” Quoting Lord Buddha, he said, “For human beings, it is a bigger achievement to conquer one single desire than to fulfil 1,000 desires.” The current system trains us to fulfil our desires but the buckets of our desires keep filling with products of technology. He believes that we can keep filling this bucket, all the while failing to notice that it is a bottomless bucket. A much wiser technology is to have a bottom for this bucket and fill it with much less - and this is his vision for education. “We need to figure out where we are going. We are told we have to go fast but I believe that if we do not know where we are going, it is better that we go slow. We need to teach our children to be self-reliant and show compassion to others. We need to make them take responsibilities and that is when they grow up,” he pointed out. With like-minded friends, Wangchuk launched SECMOL. Working with the government, they rewrote text books and retrained teachers and the results started changing too. Children are partners of the school and involved in the governance and they are taught to solve real-world problems like climate change. They publish their own campus newspaper and they have made their school solar-powered. Together with the support of like-minded people, he hopes to revolutionise the face of education in our country and the world.

ScooNews - August 2018

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Making India a Global Education Powerhouse