Values Are Taught Through Stories, Fostering Compassion, Empathy

Q. What are the significant shifts that you have observed in the landscape of education and how have these influenced your approach to school leadership and student development?

So, there's obviously been a significant shift in the education system in the last 40 years. The NEP has redrawn the schooling system again to 5 + 3 + 3 + 4 formula instead of the current 10 + 2. There is also an attempt to universalize education for pre-primary right from pre-primary to secondary. It is more inclusive, holistic, comprehensive and fast-sighted, with a focus on life rather than just livelihood.

There is an emphasis on learning outcomes, exponential learning and vocational training which was not there before the breaking of walls between arts and science and allowing students flexibility and removing they’re thereby removing the stereotyping that existed.

I think while it needs a certain aptitude, the humanities subjects are equally important if not more in this time and date. And I think that's where the government has given them a little bit of flexibility to choose or to explore and then come back to what they think they'd be comfortable doing right then. The dominance of technology has changed world education completely. So, these are some of the major things that have influenced, influenced the teaching and learning system a great deal.

Q. As the principal of Jasudben M L School, you oversee both primary and pre- primary education. How do you ensure a seamless transition and continuity of learning experiences for students across these crucial developmental stages?

There's more emphasis on hands-on learning and this has made learning less tedious for the students and allows them to express their curiosity. It is more satisfying intellectually. Teachers also have had to upgrade their skills as well. As a leader, I have enjoyed learning or I am enjoying learning, exploring, adapting, adopting, teaching, implementing and most importantly, solving problems. Pushing myself to do better, to learn quicker and so it's a huge bonus. The change really is exciting, as is the likely outcome. And I know, I realize and you know, as they say that the more I do, the more I realize how much more I can do. And the more I know, the more I realize how little I know. So, it's a classic case of that for me as a leader.

So, but it's a very exciting time to be in because there is a lot of unlearning and relearning and implementing and because the system is new, there are teething issues which I really enjoy solving and bringing something to fruition. So, the second question is to ensure a smooth transition and continuity in the learning experience. The pre-primary teachers spend a week in the pre-primary classrooms. The primary teachers, I'm sorry, spend a week in the pre-primary classrooms before the new term starts. They introduce themselves to the children, are introduced to the teachers and do activities such as storytelling spending the whole day in the class trying to get them acclimatized and there's progress. What we have is a progress meeting where the head sits with the teachers and takes feedback on each and every child. This she does besides the fact that she goes around class observing classes whenever she is free to do so.

So, these progress meetings are where the progress of each child is discussed with the teachers in a group and all the teachers give an input. So, the view is that it's not doesn't come from one person, it comes from all the teachers who teach, even the PE teacher. The librarian is important and a part of the discussion. So, the child behaves differently in different places and especially in the sports field they are different people altogether. So, we take feedback from all the teachers. So, this is something that we do at all levels and at all not only transitional classes, the normal classes. Also, handing over is very important to us. Then this similar thing we found follows a similar thing when the children move from the primary section to the secondary section.

And in the 11 and 12, of course, we have interviews with parents and the children to ascertain the kind of, you know, to establish relationships and to tell them that this is the way our school is, you know, showing them the way. And we have regular meet and greets. We have orientation programs for the child, for the parents. And yeah, so this is the way that we help the parents also transition along with the children. The expectations of the school are put down very clearly and categorically before the parents, so they are also aware. So, I am a part of the planning and I oversee many things that the headmistresses do and I supervise this very closely. But of course, the entire secondary section is taken care of by me.

Q. In today’s fast-paced digital age, technology plays an increasingly integral role in education. How do you leverage innovative technologies to enhance teaching methodologies and create engaging learning environments for students at the school?

Technology plays an increasingly integral role in education. Of course, it is important. So first and foremost, the usual things like smart boards that allow us to import collate matter that we can use to initiate debates and discussions in class. You know the visual learner is greatly benefited by this and the children enjoy watching these and it's very easy to elicit a response. So, it's a great tool using Google Class to send assignments to share assignments to get their assignments. They can upload assignments in Google Class. The children also record project work, make PPTS and they send it to the teachers which are for evaluation. And so, these are some of the ways that we have leveraged technology besides in the classroom and outside the classroom everything is actually completely almost paperless and everything is conveyed to parents and children.

All the circulars, all the, all the, you know, everything, all the communication is through the digital platform.

Q. Addressing social and emotional well-being is paramount in nurturing well-rounded individuals. Can you share some initiatives or programs implemented at your school to promote mental health awareness, emotional resilience, and social inclusivity among students?

So, we have four counselors and one head counselor in our school and entire student well-being center of the SWBC that is manned by these five counselors who are qualified and addressing emotional issues and having discussions with parents also providing remediation to children who need it. The center is open to the children all day every working day of the school.

We also have life skill classes where teachers discuss issues such as bullying, stress, interpersonal, personal issues are discussed to create an awareness and to tackle issues that maybe may be in class or some children may be having an issue in class that the class Teachers also handle this. They have been trained to do this right social sensitivity. We have a whole school project work pertaining to social issues such as global warming, environment and many other ways in which we create awareness of their surroundings and make them socially sensitive. Reaching out to us has very strong community service programs that make them sensitive to social issues and their work. And this also develops resilience. And besides this we also have the NIOS, the open school system where children who may be suffering from some learning disability, come to learn in our school from this NIOS center.

And all the children participate in all school activities together. So, they really are a part of GML except that they do open schooling. So that is a lot of integration that happens over there. You know, acceptance by the children, the older children especially. And this really helps a lot. This really helps the children get sensitized to children with different kinds of needs.

Q. Beyond academic excellence, holistic education encompasses the development of essential life skills and values. How does your school instill qualities such as leadership, empathy, and responsibility in its students, preparing them for success in all aspects of life?

Values are taught right from the pre-primary stage through stories, through comic books. We are associated with the Amar Chitra Katha where we teach values through the stories that are there.

In Amar Chitra Katha, we very often use the epics, our own epic Ramayana and Mahabharata to where we tell them the stories and we bring out the values systems all right and eventually this culminates in some activity or the other at the end of the month. The social service programs also teach the children to learn important values of life such as care, compassion and empathy.

Children are given responsibility of supporting, supervising and conducting camps that are meant for young leaders. Then we have the IYP camp, which is specifically to train children to be leaders.

They go for a camp that is especially a leadership camp, then into school competitions, the ones that we conduct. We allow the children to organize everything including sponsorship. I do believe that the participation, traveling across the country with their teachers, helps build leadership qualities, especially participating in debates, and putting forth their opinions etc. So, the children are constantly engaged and given exposure to enough inter-school activities, which I believe also develops leadership skills because they take the lead and they lead the school to victory.

So, these are some of the ways in which we prepare the JML children, for the different phases of life. Besides academics, there is sports, dance, drama; all those other things that develop their skills. Our main aim is to ensure that the children have as much exposure as possible so that besides being technologically savvy, they also turn out to be good human beings who are compassionate and balanced people.