Education Not Just About Academics, But About Nurturing A Child's Potential To Thrive In All Aspects Of Life

Aditi Mukherjee, Principal of Pune’s Billabong High International School, shares her institute’s innovative approaches to tackle mental health issues, cyberbullying, promote environmental awareness, and ensure equitable education in an interview with Education Post’s Prabhav Anand. Mukherjee provides insights into the school's proactive measures and success stories, underscoring their commitment to holistic student development and inclusive practices.

Q. What strategies does your school employ to support students who may be struggling with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, especially considering the challenges posed by the current social and academic environment?

All our teachers undergo training every six months to understand and identify any mental health issues the students are struggling with and provide guidance and solutions to the students. If students need any further intervention above and beyond this, then our COWB (Centre of Well-Being) team steps in. We have a thriving and efficient COWB department in our school helmed by a psychologist and a special educator trained to handle students’ behavioral as well as academic issues. Students struggling with mental health issues are counseled along with their parents by the team. The issues are handled with utmost delicacy and privacy. In this whole process, the class teachers and the coordinators are always kept in the loop so that they can subtly nurture the child to a positive mental state.

Q. How does your school address the issue of cyberbullying among students, and what measures are in place to promote a safe and respectful online community within the student body?

The school has conducted awareness drives by experts from time to time to make the students wary of the pitfalls and dangers in the cyber world and repercussions of falling prey to these. Internally, our coordinators, Information and Computer Technology (ICT) teachers, and COWB team conduct counseling sessions on cyberbullying threats, phishing, and avoiding fraudulent sites. We are zero-tolerant towards bullying in any form, and the students have been counseled to promptly report any such issues to any teacher they are comfortable talking to.

Q. In today's rapidly changing world, students face a myriad of environmental challenges. How does your school promote environmental awareness and sustainability practices among students to empower them to be environmentally responsible citizens?

Our school celebrates 6th of June as World Environment Day by conducting educational walkathons and recycling drives. Through project works and class assignments, students are being groomed organically to be environmentally aware. 'Global Perspective' is a compulsory subject for all grades. Several chapters in this subject are geared towards making the student an environmentally aware citizen of this world. They are encouraged to recycle their books and notebooks. Frequent donation drives are organized wherein there is an overwhelming response from students and parents.

Q. From your perspective, what are some of the primary barriers that students from marginalized communities face in accessing quality education, and what steps does your school take to bridge these gaps and ensure equitable opportunities for all students?

The primary barrier to quality education that our marginalized brethren face is economic challenges and the stigma attached to children with special needs. Our school is an inclusive school, and we have 50+ students with special needs. We have a ‘Best Buddy’ program in place wherein students receive certificates of appreciation for helping students with special needs. All our staff are sensitized towards including students with special needs in all school activities. Our school is also wheelchair accessible.

We at BHIS provide very flexible fee payment options and have offered deferred payment options to parents after weighing in the requests. Late payment issues have been handled delicately, taking into consideration parents’ challenges. We ensure that there is no lapse in students’ attaining their education goals.

Q. Lastly, could you share a recent success story or achievement from your school that demonstrates the positive impact of your educational initiatives on student outcomes and overall school community?

Let me begin with a student, Umar Khan, whose wilful and confrontational behavior was turned around by counseling and positive reinforcement. Bestowing him with the Class monitor’s duties made him responsible behaviorally and helped him to shine academically. His near-perfect score in Maths is a testimony to that. He was instrumental in getting his class the tag of ‘Best Class’ in our school.

I cannot but add another success story to this list. Drishti Khatri, a Class VII student, is a multifaceted budding sports person bringing in many accolades for our school in the disciplines of Squash and Cricket. To bridge the gap arising out of missing classes due to sports commitments, we arrange for extra classes and offer her academic help to bring about a holistic upbringing for this student. We believe a school should adapt to its students’ needs and they should avail the school’s resources to reach their full potential.