Mentor June 2017 - 10th Anniversary Issue

June 2017 | Volume 11 | Issue 01| ₹ 40 R A MATTER OF PRINCIPAL YEARS Anniversary Issue Pedagogy | School Governance |School Leadership | Innovationwww.lxl.in ISSN 2320 – 0650

LXL Ideas - Our reachOur research-backed work transcends cultural, linguistic and geographical boundaries. For over two decades, we'vebrought innovative methodologies to make lessons of life through our brands. The pinpointed locations represent ourpresence through our verticals: School Cinema, Krayon, Mentor and LXL Teach. Reaching 100+ cities, touching thelives of 1 million+ students, guiding 1000+ leaders,testimonial that we are here to teach, not preach.

CONTENTSJune 2017 | Volume 11 | Issue 01 | ₹ 40THE NEXT 10 Our plan for the next decade; entwining the future of Mentor with education in India page 04WHAT YOU SAID Contributors from the past answer some thought-provoking questions page 08THE BIG PICTURE Providing a big picture on education, are all the celebrities who were featured in Mentor page 24YOU HAD TO To everyone who has been part of this BE THERE journey page 32 A Venture ofPublisher & Owner: Syed Sultan Ahmed Editor-in-Chief: Kalpa Kartik All Rights Reserved 2016Content Developer: Ashitha Jayaprakash Designed by: Uday S EduMedia Publications Pvt. Ltd.Production: Praveen U.M., Sathish C., Guna V. Printed by: Manoj Printed at: ElegantPrinting Works, #74, South End Road, Basavangudi, Bengaluru - 560 004.NOTICE:Authors/contributors are responsible for the authenticity of information they provide in the article. The publishers do not accept liability for error or omissions contained inthis publication. By submitting letters/emails or other publication materials to Mentor Magazine the author/contributor agree that it is the property of Mentor Magazine.All communication to Mentor Magazine must be made in writing. No other sort of communication will be accepted. All decisions regarding publishing of an article is theprerogative of the publisher and editorial team of Mentor Magazine. Mentor Magazine is owned and published by EduMedia Publications Pvt. Ltd. for and on behalf of Mr.Syed Sultan Ahmed. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts and forums in Bengaluru City.

LXL Ideas projects the future: the next 10 years of education4

JUNE 2017 Syed Sultan Ahmed, Managing Director, LXL IdeasTen years ago, we, at LXL Ideas (then EduMedia) set Another phenomenon of the future will be the rise of out on a journey to add value to educational 'Women Power'. Given equal opportunities, girls tend to leadership by publishing the first edition of Mentor. study and perform better than boys. Across the world thereLittle did we know that over the years Mentor will go on to is a big effort to bring in girls to schools which means thatbecome one of the most respected educational publications the universities and work places of the future will see moreof India. The reason for its success has been the clarity of women. It is definitely a bright sign for the future. Schoolsour purpose and a clean, no-nonsense approach. We have will have an important role to play to enable this change.clearly stayed away from the 'appeasing-politics' that is One of the key challenges schools will face are scaling thethriving in the education fraternity these days. Our readers number of qualified teachers. Schools will have to come uphave appreciated this sincere effort and that is one of the with innovative ideas to solve this problem. Lookingbiggest reasons of our success. beyond full time teachers and including different stakeI take this opportunity to thank all the contributors and holders from the society like parents, working adults,readers of Mentor for their continuous support in making it college students etc. in an organized manner will lead thean iconic publication. Looking ahead at the next 10 years I way to this change. The government will increasingly have asee a very different world for schools in India. I foresee say in the way schools are run. This is happening becauseseveral challenges and also great opportunities where most educators no longer have the moral authority to standeducators can make an impact. Schools, the way we see up for what is right as most of them are hiding behind thethem today, will no longer exist. Schools today are all about wrongs that they do. If educationists don't get their actpreparing children for an exam; in the future most schools together, clean up and get into an activism mode towill have no choice but to focus on preparing children for safeguard the freedom of education, successivelife. Schools will predominantly be centers for children to governments will continue to play base politics for theirlearn ‘human-interaction’ and ‘social-skills’. On the other short-term goals which will impact the long term future ofhand the online space will cater to the needs of the job-skills the country. A big opportunity that I see in the horizon forrequirement. With ever-increasing demand for personalized educationists is the role they can play in lifting up theand customized services that the world offers, schools too standard of education in government schools. Thewill have to equip themselves to provide personal learning government has failed in this endeavor and it has no choicesolutions to meet the demands of the varied personalities of but to reach out to the private educators and enterprises tostudents. The system will increasingly value the right-brain undo the damage they have done. Public-privateskills as compared to the left-brain skills. Creativity, art, partnership would be a great way to create a better futureinnovation, empathy, adaptation are skills that will be for the education system of this nation.valued far more than math, logic and science. Schools will The past 10 years have been very exciting for us at Mentorhave to gear up to cater to this aspect of a student’s and as we look forward to the coming decade, bothdevelopment which is neglected today by our curriculum. opportunities and challenges await.Parents will have to be made part of the curriculum ifschools want to have a positive impact on children.Focusing on the child alone will not fetch results, parentsneed as much education as children and schools will have tobring them into the learning fold.

THE NEXT 10 Kalpa Kartik, Editor, Mentor Magazine, Director, LXL Ideas Mentor synonyms: wise person, trusted advisor, a counselor, teacher You, my readers are all of the above and the magazine was aptly named so after you. Mentor Magazine was aimed to be a positive and secular magazine which would strive to bring about change in the way our schools are run. Principals were the primary focus but the vision always involved teachers, parents, students, educationists, industry leaders and thinkers. It's been 10 years, 800 leaders and 3600 pages of lessons of life. Mentor magazine has it all: the answers to pertinent questions in school education and the key to the future of education in India. Every page unfurls knowledge that was acquired through years of experience, education and research. Today Mentor reaches more than 17,000 schools and educationists across the country and this number continues to grow each year. In our journey forward we want leaders like you to help us spread the good work happening out there and make “Mentor –A matter of principal” available for all to learn. We have set high standards for the magazine and is constantly on the strive to be better with each issue. We want to delve deeper into different segments of education to support leadership and to spread knowledge to all the corners and crevices in India. All of which would be possible only with your contributions and support. Mentor aspires to become an online publication in the times coming ahead for everyone concerned with education. Today with the ever increasing expectations from a school, we will put together current affairs, problems and issues faced by schools, innovation happening around the world and enlighten the schools on how they can do things differently, discuss and share views on becoming better leaders and better people. In the upcoming issues you will witness articles from principals, teachers, educators, parents, industry leaders, thinkers and students who will share their perspectives and experiences with education in India and how we can all come together to build a better future for it. I would like to thank all my readers for their support in achieving our mission at LXL Ideas which is to transcend the education system in India and urge you to continue to do so in the years to come. We invite you to be a part of our online revolution by continuing to contribute and publish your articles through our LXL Ideas website as well. I am proud to say that we have exceeded our expectations in what we had set out to do. As you flip through the following pages of this 10th anniversary issue you will see how.

JUNE 2017For the trio who has been with us since inception. We shared everything in the spectrum ofachieving greatness; the struggles, the happiness, the disappointments and even brunches. Webrought up Mentor together from little crumbs of ideas. Thank you for having been there on theboat with us. Below are some thoughts they have shared with us. Mentor, the idea of it holds a great value in each of our lives. They inspire us to live happily, to be motivated, to work well, to be humble, truthful, and strong. Mentoring is a continuous process. For some it's by teachers, some by parents, some by well-wishers, some by achievers and some by nature itself. I wasn't from a publishing background so I realized many things when we first started working on Mentor magazine. First was that bringing out a well-respected magazine was a challenge. I was inspired by the depth of the work, learnt various roles and processes from my team, the industry and technology. This enabled me to research further and dive deeper into the role. We all mentor ourselves too. We listen to stories of people who inspire us, who motivate us, stories of successes, failures and experiments; each holds a lesson we canlearn. Even nature tells us stories every day! We see, we think and we internalize. We have conversations with ourselvesabout every situation, its consequences and outcomes, and instinct always steers us in the right way as a mentor woulddo.We Mentor ourselves the most and that's miraculous. You are a Mentor! You are more than an inspiration, you are aguiding light.Naina Jamakhandimath,Vice President -Strategy and Innovations, India Didactics AssociationTen years ago a baby was born, named it Mentor with the thought of being one in the field of education to anyone and everyone who needs it. The little one, in competent hands, embarked on its journey to grow big and powerful. There's an African proverb which says, ‘Ittakes the whole village to raise a child’ and that's what we did too. Mentor has becomewhat it is with the help of those working in the back end and all the passionate learnerswho contribute or read. The educators nurtured the baby turn by turn. Hundreds ofprincipals across the country came forward to share their best practices, their uniquepoints of views and their achievements to inspire fellow educators. It has become 10years old now which is when it will start growing exponentially. It will want to establishits own identity and therefore will start questioning our convictions in life; this should betaken not as rebellion but a sign of maturity. We have to wait and watch if Mentor startsdisplaying these characteristics and become a fine, independent being. Every one'ssupport is solicited! Dilip Patel, Senior Learning Facilitator, Life Coach and a Certied Zentangle Teacher Mentoring a generation of experienced leaders is a daunting task for anyone. The role of a teacher is to educate and mentor young minds placed in his/her care. Whether professionally trained or not, exclusively in this domain; with experience the teacher grooms herself on the subtle role of a Mentor inside the classroom, in the school corridors and in every aspect of a child's life. Where s/he probably requires support is in the hand holding from time to time; which Mentor provides through a quick read on what is practical to learn and implement in their career and a lot of input that can guide them and reassure them, time and again of whatever they are doing is in the right direction. Perhaps, this is the only domain today in the world, where the more seasoned and experienced an Educator, the more the value s/he brings to the table after having worked with batches of children and parents and this is exactly where Mentor can fit in. Congratulations on turning 10, God bless!Dr. Vidya Shetty,Director, Higher Education, Presidency Group of Institutions

Thoughts, Ideas, 8Lessons & Experiences:we asked, you said

JUNE 2017Prominent personalities or leaders who you thinkhave had a phenomenal impact on the educationsystem in India India has been known to be a Even though India has seen many inspiring leaders in country enriched with education, whether they have made a lasting prominent educationists who impact on the education system in effect today is have believed that change is the highly debatable. However, I personally feel Gandhiji, way forward. The wheel of time Tagore and J.Krishnamurthi have made some significant revolves constantly pushing impact in the field of Indian education. mankind to further progress. Gandhiji's concept of basic education was adopted as the People who adapt will survive, national policy of elementary education, especially the people who are in sync with change compulsory and free education for the ages of 7 to 14. His will love it and people who create concept of education to draw out the best in a child's body,change will lead the society towards progress. This was the mind and spirit still resonates in Indian Schools.philosophy of great educationists starting from SwamiDayananda Saraswati, Sri Aurobindo and so on. The present day curriculumTalking about some of the greatest influencers, the first and educational philosophyname that comes to my mind is our first Vice President and owes a great extent to Tagore.second President Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan. He was He tried to create a system ofnot only a legendary teacher but was also a great education aimed atphilosopher, a spiritual educator who, aptly quoted by Sri promoting international co-Aurobindo as “One of the makers of modern India”. operation and creating globalNext we salute the great noble laureate Guru Sri citizens. He emphasised theRabindranath Tagore who was a writer, painter and a need for the holistic andmusician. He transcended the education system out of four harmonious development ofwalls through the thought that teaching can be imparted in a child's personality. Histhe lap of Nature. This philosophy led him to establish one educational experiments atof the world famous universities, Shantiniketan. He also Shantiniketan and Visva-deserves credit for his works, “Gitanjali” and “Jana Gana Bharati have left their mark on the Indian educational field.Mana” which are some of his most valuable creations. Jiddu Krishnamurthi viewed education as an agent not onlyLastly, we owe our admiration to the most inspiring of inner transformation but also of social change. Accordingpersonality, the Missile Man and the former President of to him, education should create human beings who areIndia Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, whose socially responsible. He set up the Krishnamurthibiggest passion was to teach. He introduced young India to Foundation India (KFI) schools where the focus is not onlyanother realm of education. He made the teachers believe on academic excellence but also on trying to develop and“Creativity is the key to success in future and Primary nurture a different quality of mind that will harmonize withEducation is where teachers can bring out creativity in the world outside the boundaries of schools. KFI madechildren at all levels.\" He strongly believed that asking Indian schools rethink education.questions would lead the youngsters to achieve success. Hewas a passionate teacher, philosopher, achiever, technocrat Vijayam Karta,who passed away while doing what he loved the most. Let usjoin him in his noble thought, Principal, Kerala Public School Trust, Jamshedpur“If a country is to be corruption free and become a nationof beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three keysocietal members who can make a difference. They are thefather, the mother and the teacher.\"Dr. Bro.Thomas Thanickal,National General Secretary,All India Association of Catholic Schools

WHAT YOU SAIDSignicant changes that you made as an educator inthe eld of educationAs a person who gets Academic, emotional and mental problems were on invited to many schools the rise, but the stigma attached to counseling to conduct teacher prevented parents, students and teachers fromtraining or orientation programs, seeking help. It was against this backdrop that I pioneeredI have brought about an inner counseling in the twin cities of Hyderabad andawareness in teachers on the Secunderabad at Nasr School. It is encouraging to note thatfollowing aspects: the once highly resisted service is now sought after freely.Children learn more from the While both family and school are responsible for a child'sattitude a teacher displays in class mental growth, I firmly believe that it is unfair and harmfulthan the lectures. Project a to expect a toddler seeking admission to pass a test. Anxiouspositive image, build relationship with each and every child, parents go overboard in preparing their child for schoolensure that you walk your talk. Manage your emotions, and admission and that creates an aversion for learning in theensure that you uphold the highest of values. Be convinced process. Teaching the three R’s (Reading, wRiting andthat what you are teaching will enhance the quality of life aRithmatic) still falls within the purview of schools butof your students in the years to come and that your subject thankfully the practice of testing that existed foris relevant regardless of which career the child takes up. admissions, designed scientifically and age appropriatelyTo be a good teacher, you need to be a good student. Keep was gradually stopped leading to a happier, less traumaticupgrading your qualifications and skills. Ensure that you induction. An academically demanding curriculum posesread extensively, go beyond your textbooks, and learn time paucity for developing life skills in children. Based oncontinuously from all sources including your own students. the Lion’s Quest ‘Skills for Adolescence’, a graded programChildren today have so much to teach us. Teachers can learn has been designed that has been implemented as classa lot from the way Finland has built a world-class education discussions from Class VIII through Class X, thus ensuringsystem within three decades, and the role of a teacher is the that students gain skills that would help them through lifemost highly regarded profession in that country. I do not when they leave school. Bringing changes thatknow in how many teachers I have actually brought about revolutionizes education in India is something that shouldthese changes but numbers are not important. One inspired be encouraged.teacher can result in the happiness of thousands of younglives. Zenobia Rustomfram,Dr. Ali Khwaja, Counsellor, Nasr School, HyderabadFounder, Chairman, Banjara Academy, Bangalore One of the changes that I take pride in bringing to my school is making ‘child’ the focal point of all our activities. ‘School is for children’ is a message that is loud and clear. Children are the raison d'être of the school. ‘Every child matters' is not a mere slogan in the School. It is a belief system thatpermeates every pore of this school. Every teacher andstudent should be able to experience it. An atmosphere ofpeace and goodwill pervades the campus. There is notension in any part of the school. In such a serene setting,there is no scope for any indiscipline, violence or vandalism.Love and trust are the corner stone of good schooling.Learning sans tears is a reality in this school.Mathew C. Ninan,Principal, Little Rock Indian School, Udupi

JUNE 2017Qualities you possess today as a leader that were notpresent 10 years ago Over the years, I have I have learnt the art of imbibed and developed collaborating, several qualities that have communicating and sharing made me a better leader. I have ideas. A decade ago, most of us become more perseverant and were trying to outshine each other patient. I have learnt to mitigate by becoming the change maker. risks. In the event that a plan Today we learn from others, ask backfires or doesn't go as planned, questions, and look for mentors in I always have a Plan B. younger people. I have learnt to I have developed the ability to use technology in all my areas of forecast and foresee trends. work; to connect, learn, share and make my teaching a learning anytime anywhereAdarsh Khandelwal, phenomenon. I have realized that learning, adapting, unlearning and relearning does not have an age tag.Co-founder, Collegify Manjula Raman,If I were to be considered a leader or a mentor, it is Principal, Army Public School, Bengaluru because I do not seek to beone. I believe in working together Listening skills, humility,with people, be it adults or and patience are qualitieschildren, as equals. Exercising I learnt the hard way onauthority on others and deriving my long journey of 35 yearsjoy from it, is a sign of insecurity establishing Samadhan, an NGOfrom the leader. To be an effective for children with intellectualleader you need to belong to the disability living in poverty. I soonteam. A leader can be considered realized that going in with readyeffective only if s/he is compassionate and others can sense made plans to guide families on how to manage theirit. children was not the answer. The answers had to fit in with their needs and yes, dreams. So the first quality I learnt wasMalavika Kapur, to listen with genuine love and interest and not as a chore. I learnt to be patient, to listen and to never pass judgment orVisiting Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, react oddly but to give a humble and thoughtful response.Bengaluru Pramila Balasundaram, Seeing the bigger picture is something that occurred to Founder, Mentor, Samadhan me as I evolved into a School Leader. As a young Make a smart (specific, measurable, attainable, teacher, the world would seem to realistic and time-bound) planning for school come to an end if a class didn't go related aspects including governance and as planned or a crisis at the home pedagogy. Being technological aware is an added advantage. front prevented me from going to I have also developed team handling skills where I use the school. However today our collaborative way of doing things. We provide one of the smaller concerns, while remaining most important challenges for any school leader is therelevant, seem pale in front of the larger picture that is the special learners who lack the academic strength. We haveschool ethos and mission. Come what may, the show must go made a simple format of basic learning of each unit acrosson. Delegation of tasks is also a skill that I acquired over the subjects for successive classes of such children.years.Suvina Shunglu, Sanjeev Joseph,Principal, Sri Sri Academy, Kolkata Principal Gurukul, Bengaluru

WHAT YOU SAIDFilms or books or a mix of both you think Mentorreaders should watch or read‘Schindler’s List’ by Steven Spielberg 'The End of Average' by Todd Rose:The film explores the theme of good It made me realize everyone requires personalized inputs because we are vs evil and redemption. ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’ shows all unique. how one can find happiness as we ‘All You Need Is Love’ by Shelja Sen:journey through life and realize that A simple word that has the power to there is no separate road to transcend age, culture and happiness. geographical boundaries. My last suggestion is Natasha The Truman Show showcases the Badhwar’s column on Livemint'sroutines of life and living only to find website. It’s tenacity reaches out to the recesses of our conscious mind that everything was nothing but and unconscious mind. unreal. Dr. Geet Oberoi, Arvind Kumar Chalasani, Founder, President, Orkids Foundation, Principal, Pathways World School, Aravali New Delhi ‘Aavarana’ by S.L. Bhyrappa: I was moved by this story of how a woman’s willpower and ‘never say die’ attitude sees her overcome seemingly overwhelming odds. ‘Pink’: This movie drives home the point of not judging women superficially and staying away from objectifying women from different walks of time. Kalpana Mohan, Academic Director, PNC Cognitio School, Bengaluru ‘Great Expectations’ by Charles ‘The Audacity of Hope - Thoughts Dickens: This is an all-time classic on Reclaiming the American Dream' and it should adorn the library of by Barack Obama: It's an every mentor. inspirational read that shows that‘Taare Zameen Par’ by Aamir Khan, even with turbulence, Obama still Amole Gupte, Ram Madhvani: An had the audacity to have unfettered aspirations. ‘Good to Great - Why eye opener for both parents who Some Companies Make the Leap andwants only marks and teachers who Others Don’t’ by Jim Collins: burden the child with boring A management book that provides exercises. lessons to educators as well. ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ by Danny ‘The leader in Me’ by Stephen R. Boyle: A thought-provoking movie Covey, shares the stories of schoolsabout the issue of abject poverty inwhich slum children are compelled to that emerged successful after adopting principles of leadership. live. Stella P. Punitha, Seema Gupta, Principal, The Schram Academy, Chennai Senior English Teacher, Doon Presidency School, Dehradun

JUNE 2017Policies issued by the government that were either aboon to the education in India or a bane“Social inclusion is one of I shall be penning down some of the policies that I feel the most challenging are achieving results and some that aren't. The Right interventions and one that To Education Act - Compulsory education till the age is highly needed in our of 14 , this has really pushed our enrollment numbers in the country primary school. The mid-day meal scheme has helped, to a large extent, in keeping children in schools across India. However, we haven't been able to maintain these numbers as children go to higher grades and the factors for that are many. In 2009, Section 12(1) (c) of the Right to Education Act mandated that private unaided schools must reserve 25% of seats for students from economically weaker sections (EWS), the cost of which will be reimbursed by the government. Social inclusion is one of the most challenging interventions and one that is highly needed in our country. The spirit of this is aligned with education being a fundamental right and not being limited by social and economic backgrounds. There have been many success stories, however, by and large; there has been a lot of pushback due to lack of consensus building across important stakeholders and untimely and irregular delivery of reimbursement to the schools. SMC/SDMC - The School (Development) Management Committee is a big step in bringing down the walls that separate classrooms/schools from communities. SMC is a legitimate structure that is not only aligned with our democratic values but also considers education as everyone’s responsibility - not just the teachers and school staff but also the political leaders, parents, and children. The SMC has the power to convene on a monthly basis to decide the priorities of the school right from budgeting to implementation. The current laws on teacher accountability and eligibility is not aligned with the kind of education and curriculum changes that has evolved over the last decade. This, coupled with the lack of political will and nexus with teacher union, has left us with no clear teacher incentive and consequence system. Today, in the system there is no difference between a great teacher, good teacher or someone who isn't working - the opportunities, remuneration, recognition doesn't change for any of them. In fact, it is favorable for someone who is interested in political and administrative tasks, rather than teaching and learning practices. Over the years, universal guidelines in school recognition and certification, has made alternate models of schooling (including home schooling) almost illegal. New regulations have made it difficult for these schools to function, in the name of bringing everyone under the mainstream education system; which is often buried in bureaucratic processes. Shaheen Mistri, CEO, Teach For India

WHAT YOU SAID A.K. Sharma Principal, Prabhu Dayal Public School, New DelhiIndia being a vast country with diversified culture, POCSO ACT (The Protection of Children From Sexual languages and traditions, needed more focus on Offences Act, 2012), A child when abused sexually does not education. However, education is a subject of state but know how to react to the situation. The inability of childrenas a whole it is governed by the Central government and its to comprehend the situation often leads them to believingagencies like National Council of Educational Research and it's their own fault. Here the role of the school bodies is veryTraining, Central Advisory Board of Education etc. important as they are the ones to realize the child'sNational Curriculum Framework and National Policy on disposition. Protection of Children from Sexual OffencesEducation are major guiding tools for school education. Act is a boon to safeguard the children and deters all thoseHere I would like to state three education policies issued by who have impure intentions towards innocent lives.government that had remarkable impact on education. Inclusive education, strengthening the capacity of theNo-Detention Policy till class 8, as per the RTE Act, this education system by reaching out to all learners. Inclusivepolicy was reinforced with the motive of providing education essentially means all the stakeholders of schooleducation to each and every child between the age of 6 and are sensitive and have positive attitude towards all children14. Under this policy, all children till class 8 are irrespective of inabilities. It is true to say that not allautomatically promoted whether learning outcomes are educational institutions have infrastructure to tackle theachieved or not. This resulted students adopting a careless needs of differently abled children but we as a societyand non-sincere approach to learning. As a result of this 9th cannot remain insensitive towards them. Inclusiveclass became the first filtration net where many students education policy is a boon for Indian education system as itwith poor learning experiences got trapped. This policy is a treats all children equally and prepares an inclusive societybane in disguise to allow all students to secondary education for better tomorrow.level without evidence of learning.“Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act is a boon ... and deters all those who have impure intentions towards innocent lives

JUNE 2017Lessons of life that you learned during your yearsgrowing upAs a five year old with a sibling eight years older, I need seven more father stationed in Kuwait and a working mother, I months to clock discovered the value of good neighbours and true s e v e n t y. L i v i n gfriends. Their positive approach influenced me into loving through three generations,without condition, talking without bad intention, giving I've learnt many lessons.without reason and caring for others without expectation. Believe in yourself – letAnother lesson I learnt is during the Indo Pak war (1971), passion be your soul-mate;huddled in the corner during an air strike my mother led her The first-born girl child in10 year old to understand the difference between an extended family, steepedspirituality and religiosity by saying, “God is the arm that in tradition, I grew up withholds you at your weakest, the eye that sees you at your elders talking of mydarkest, the heart that loves you at your worst. Listen to His marriage long before I wasvoice everywhere you go and in everything you do.” I ten, but never of any plansunderstood the power of prayer and was reassured that for my education. However,when storms come my way I just need to remember that I my fascination for the printed word transformed into anknow the master of the wind. He will fight my battles and undying passion for learning. My earning a seat in a medicalmake ways for me even when I don't see one. The third college by merit was then rejected by the family because Ilesson was when I was a 1st rank holder and scholarship was a girl. I had to fight silent battles to pursue myholder at school, a career in medicine was a foregone education and search enduringly for employment. Justconclusion. From that pinnacle of success I plummeted to listen to your inner voice. Look back only to learn, and atthe depths of despair when I failed in Maths at the Higher every step along the way, look forward and choose the nextSecondary Examination. Suicide seemed the only option as available option. Learn to turn objections, obstacles,failure could never be my second name. That's when my disappointments and struggles into triumphs. They playusually taciturn father comforted me, “Accept life as a pair havoc with one’s own thoughts feelings and physical well-of walking legs. The foot forward has no pride, the foot being. Be a blessing to others – forgive, love and help. Let nobehind has no shame. Both know their situation will one be excluded from one's love. Shed all blame, shame, fearchange. So keep walking. Challenges make you more and hate. Fill your mind with positive thoughts about love,responsible. Don't give up and never quit. Happiness comes hope, compassion, dreams, triumph. I am myself, my life iswhen most unexpected.” Today as I teach high school what I made of it. I am happy and peaceful. If it is to be, it isMathematics, I realize that while it may not teach us how to to be by me.add happiness or subtract sadness, it teaches us, ‘Everyproblem has a solution.’ Lalitha Kandaswamy,Ninette D'Souza, Mentor, Vagdevi Vilas Institutions, BengaluruTeacher, Canossa High School, Mumbai Lesson 1: Failure is the best teacher, if one is open to learning. Lesson 2: Happiness comes in unexpected forms and when you are least looking for it. Lesson 3: Life's pages are not inked in black or white; accept change and keep growing. Ruchira Ghosh, Regional Director for South Asia, Cambridge International Examinations

WHAT YOU SAID The ‘life’ theme is the purpose of your existence. It represents the ride. Goals are the checkpoints. Passion is the consequence. Don't look for the easy way out, thrive under constraints and enjoy the challenges thrown at you as you tread on the journey called ‘Life’.Arvind K. Chalasani, Lesson One (Professional): As an academician, the exploratory methods, teaching styles, constantPrincipal, Pathways World School, Aravali assessments, regular feedback about self and others involved in the process has taught me a lesson. This hasLife and the experiences it offers are one of the best made me redefine the philosophy under which I am teachers you can find. No Substitute for working, to calling myself a “Reflective Practitioner”. preparation, however big you are what we have Lesson Two (Social): Socializing with parents, students andlearnt from our experience and practice religiously is to other stakeholders at school has helped me evolve into atreat each event like our first and every book we create like good team member rather than a team leader. I haveour debut. The power of thinking beyond the box, we live in acquired the skills of linking the essential principles ofa world where it is sometimes not about what you do but collaborative learning, collegial learning and cooperativemore about how you do it. This is where being relevant on a learning. Lesson Three (Personal): Being an admirer of artconsistent basis with the audience you cater to becomes forms and also with an ever evolving spirit to get involved incritical. Be prudent before you make your passion your music, dance & drama, I get a lot of scope to make my ownprofession, as you grow up you will find a lot of people who living moments meaningful, laudable and satisfying. Theadvise you to follow your passion and make it your most important learning lesson for me has been “That it isprofession. Before you follow it think about what difference not what I feel within but it is an expression of my thoughtsit can make in the world. and feelings that makes a difference in my relationship even if it is to my own self!” R. Meenakshi, Principal, Vaels International School, Chennai Program Leader, Cambridge International ExaminationGiri Balasubraniam,CEO, Greycaps

JUNE 2017 Three lessons I have Keep learning from books, biographies, gathered over the inspirational literature, from people around you, years are, o read, to from events and from everywhere. Always learn – especially from well challenge yourself. Be a discerning learner. Quoting Newton, researched books, articles, “I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to and workshops; and put myself, I am like a child on the seashore looking for a them into practice if the smoother pebble or a prettier shell, while the whole ocean of idea makes sense. As an truth lay undiscovered before me”. First priority is to be fair avid reader of philosophy, and square in your field of work. The prime motivator b i o l o g y, p s y c h o l o g y, should not be money. Constantly striving towards making physics, bio-chemistr y, the world a better place in whatever way one can. Even in yoga, spiritual texts, adversity, keep up your spirits. Be comfortable with feminism and anthropology uncertainty. I do not ask to see the distant scene, one stepI come across several useful concepts, practices, and facts. more is enough for me. Have confidence that God is on yourTo think freely, independently and silently, by myself - side, and always act so that God remains on your side. Don'tlooking for universal principles that link seemingly get attached to materialism. An inspiration drawn fromunrelated facts and ideas into a narrative in synchrony with Rudyard Kipling's 'If', “If you can make a heap of all yourevolution and adaptation for survival. That and not a set of winnings and risk it on one turn of pitch and toss; and losereligious doctrines or political beliefs is the touchstone for and start again from the very beginning and never breathe ame. To create, not complain, I have realized that the 'being' word about your loss…you'll be a man, my son.” I have livedpart of a Human Being is where the maximum potential for my life with these 3 principles, and now at 70, I think I havecreation exists. I can experience and have others experience led a fulfilling life.any quality, peace, love, integrity, freedom, boldness,competitiveness. Dr. Madan Mohan Pant,Dr. Sangeeta Saksena, Indian Forest Service (Retd.), Natural Resources EconomistCo-Founder, Enfold Proactive Health Trust, BengaluruKahlil Gibran says, “For life goes not backwards nortarries with yesterday.” Thefirst lesson I have learnt fromlife is not to regret about thepast but to move forward.The past has already left thestation; the future willdepend upon what you dotoday.The second life lesson is tohave a survival kit that will help you even as the worldaround you continues to change. In it always include thefollowing assets; agility, adaptability and continuouslearning. The last, and perhaps the most valuable lesson isthat of empathy. Because in order for the first two lessons tobe fully internalized, the thin yet strong thread of empathyis required to hold you together as part of humanity.Avnita Bir,Principal, R. N. Podar School, Mumbai

WHAT YOU SAIDIncidents where a student taught you a lesson“Children are watching I realised an important aspect of human nature when I you and they quickly lose became a Principal; the moment an individual ascends respect if you do not walk to a position of authority, his/her ego inflates the talk proportionately. I began thinking that I was the sole repository of all knowledge and wisdom and would talk graciously to all, children and adults alike, with a laboured humility till... I was going on my rounds one day when a K. G. child wished me and walked towards her class. She was in a traditional Kerala outfit, all dressed up for a dance performance. I called her back and said ‘Nalla Bhangi undallo’ (You are looking very pretty). She looked at me and said sternly “Speak English!”. I was taken aback at what I thought was her impertinence, but had the grace to apologise to her then. I went back to my room chastened. I realised, there cannot be two rules in an institution. Everyone has to follow the same regulations - be it language or the courtesy extended to those under you; students, staff, parents, visitors. The children are watching you and they quickly lose respect if you do not walk the talk. Children don't like any form of condescension. They can sense it intuitively and will respond immediately and honestly. This one time I was asking a primary school candidate whether he would like to join the school because we had many enjoyable activities. Suddenly came his reply “No” he said, “Because you do not have enough play equipment.” That was his priority, not ‘activities’. His priorities were different. Yet another learning was - to see things from a student's perspective. So I started having discussions with my student counsellors from 6th upwards before I introduced major changes in the curriculum. Students felt that they had a say in the development of the school and that their voices would be heard too. They learnt leadership through decision making, team work and conflict resolution and so did I! A third learning occurred when I was crossing the lawn to go to my room. A young boy ran up to me and said, “Hi MAN!” I wished him as well. He asked, “Where do you sit?” Honestly didn't he know who I was? I pointed to my room upstairs. He nodded and asked me the most sagacious of questions “So what do you do there?' I opened my mouth to say something cutting. Then I saw his innocent face and mumbled that I teach. He was satisfied and ran away. I, however went up to my room and started thinking. I began to introspect - 'What do I do every day? What am I doing as an educationist? How do I as a teacher impact society? What is my role?' I have not got a complete answer till now, it is still in the making and even today with three decades of experience I am still a ‘work in progress’, I am still a learner! Maya Mohan, Director, Tattwa Centre of Learning, Kochi

JUNE 2017A teacher learns her lessons best from students and Being in a profession these turn into my lessons for life. Some instances where interaction that come to my mind are: Once a student of my with youngclass 12 expressed his inability to score well in English. He unfettered minds offers peacesurrendered, “No matter what you do and how hard you try, to the mind, I feel privilegedI’ll end up disappointing you because English Literature is to bear witness to thebeyond my capacity.” I provided him individual and limitless possibilities ofpersonalized attention, gave him exclusive assignments. He human potential unfoldingremained unconvinced. We didn’t give up. Lo and behold he before me day in and day out.scored 74% in his Board exams in English. The lesson he I believe it may not be wrongtaught me was to never give up. Today when he comes to to say that a teacher is as goodmeet me, he regales the entire experience with a sense of as his/ her students. In mytriumph and accomplishment. Another situation is while I decade old experience as anwas auditioning children for a play, a student who educator, I have witnessed and shared many moments whenvolunteered from among the many seemed shy and the external manifestation of my student’s potential wonawkward. Despite his overt inadequacies I tried him out and them many laurels. It is not their accomplishments thathe proved to be a good choice. From this instance I learnt make them remarkable and unique but the quality ofnever write off an individual on the basis of preconceived humility. I have learnt from such students how beingnotions. The world is full of beautiful surprises. grounded stems from integrity of character. In an era whereIn April 2015, the devastating earthquake in Nepal caused too much is too little and flamboyance rules the roost, it isaftershocks in Lucknow. I happened to be out on a ‘learning reassuring to know that there are saner individuals who havewalk’ in the pre primary section of my school. Due to their head firmly over their shoulders. Another student hadsudden chaos and panic, children had to be taken out of the shown me the power of single mindedness and one pointedbuilding for their safety. Suddenly I see a little girl pulling focus when he scored the second highest score in IELTS toup the edge of my sari and asking me with tears in her eyes. gain admission into the course of his choice in a premier“Principal ma’am, please can’t you set everything right, university in the United Kingdom. Surprisingly he hadwhat is going on, why are we scared? After all you are received no coaching or training. He had achieved it solelythere!” The kind of faith, belief and conviction your little through diligent practice and disciplined study routine.ones have – you are supposed to set everything right and And then there is a student in class 8 I presently teach, whowhy not? You are supposed to live up to the expectation of taught me an invaluable lesson that is, to be yourself,your students as a school leader. unapologetically and truly, yourself. Though many of my colleagues loudly express their exasperation in dealing withVera Hajela, the student who doesn’t fit the mold, S/he is happy being who they are is in spite of being constantly compared with aPrincipal, CMS Station Road Campus, high achiever sibling. This one has a lesson or two to teach allLucknow those who constantly fret and fume about their inadequacies being always compared with the accomplishments of others. Ajitha Paladugu, Teacher, Delhi Public School, Coimbatore

WHAT YOU SAIDTechnological innovation that you want to see inschools in the next 5 years Si n c e c h i l d h o o d A progressive future-ready school should during the literacy always next 5 years transform itself to prepare for the 4th meant reading, Industrial Age and provide individualized learning writing, speaking, and experiences that help each learner develop learning power, listening. The meaning of curiosity, complex problem solving skills, the habit of literacy has evolved over learning and information fluency. Almost every other day the years, more so, in the we realize that we are living in a VUCA world (Volatile, last three decades. The Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) and change is mode of communication happening at an exponential rate. The success mantras of through moving images, the earlier decades will not work anymore. Schools should be graphic designs and sound using technologies like Virtual Reality and Augmented led to the advent of visual Reality for an immersive learning experience, and 3D literacy. The early eighties printers to build a ‘maker culture’. Computational Thinkingcharacterized by television channels and the need to teach should be a skill fostered from early classes right up to seniorpopular culture and mass media led to media literacy. The secondary. Since this must be implemented in a gradualearly nineties completely transformed the meaning of manner, I have proposed a year wise execution plan with endliteracy with information explosion, computers and new of year goals:skills in social competencies. As a result digital and media Year 1: Orientation and on-boarding programs for learnersliteracy is in the limelight today. Schools, therefore, need to & teachers and flipped teaching adopted for 20% ofrecognise the 21st century competencies that our students pedagogy. Integrate mobile phones in classroom.must be imbued with. These competencies refer to the Identification of resources and devices for AR & VR. Set upefficient use of tools and technology, skills of critical a Robotics lab. If such lab already exists then enhance itsthinking, analysis, message composition and creativity. impact.Other important social skills are ethical thinking and activecollaboration. Technology plays a significant role here. To Year 2: Flipped teaching atachieve this, we propose to develop these skills in our 60%. Integration of VR &teachers as part of their professional development. This we AR into classroom teaching,intend to achieve through the school-wide integration of wherever feasible. Create andMicrosoft technology available on Office 365 for education implement 3D printer.platform. We have already joined the global community as a Introduce ComputationalMicrosoft Showcase School engaging in the digital thinking for classes 9 to 12.transformation to improve teaching and learning. Teachers Year 3: Flipped teaching inhave registered themselves on MS collaborative platform, this year reaches 100%.yammer using tools such as One Note, Skype, Sway and Implement 3D printing.completing online courses to build on competencies. Each Create and implementof the 150 teachers is expected to earn certification, badges Chatbots as teachingand ease of using technology to help students thrive. We will assistants for Mathematicshost visitors and experts and share best practices of using and English. Introduce Computational thinking for classes 6MS Technology for teaching learning. Our resolution is to to 8. Year 4: Use Chatbots for Science and Social Science.invest in building infrastructure capacity and human Computational Thinking for all studentsresources necessary to bring digital and media literacy Year 5: Empower all teachers with Chatbots for all subjectseducation to all. and all classes.Ashok Pandey, Dr. Madan Mohan Pant,Principal, Ahlcon International School, Indian Forest Service (Retd.),Delhi Natural Resources Economist

JUNE 2017 Technology has integrated Progress is impossible seamlessly into education without change and and has become an those who cannot interesting and acceptable tool for change their minds cannot both students and teachers. change anything Learning abstract concepts like -George Bernard Shaw light waves and dispersion and the In the present era, education valves of the human heart from is poised for a revolutionary pages of text books, often left to change in its approach and the imagination and interpretation methodology. Learning is theof students, thanks to technology today students view real only factor that neverworking of the heart and are able to see the properties of exhausts, never fears andlight. Concepts have come alive across subjects be it never regrets. Asgeography, physics or mathematics. Technology has educationists and teachers, it is imperative that the best isenhanced teaching and learning and helps students and chosen to deliver to students and make changes as time andteachers move towards higher order of learning. At the technology progresses. This change is happening so rapidlyTitan School, we have integrated technology in teaching, that schools need to hasten up their course material, toolslearning, assessment, feedback and administration. and infrastructure to be able to deliver results.As part of pedagogy, teachers have e-lesson plans. Planning In today’s lifestyle technology is entwined in every aspect ofand documentation is done using tools like One Note and our life. Students love technology and are quick to adapt toClass Note. Teacher generated AV resources are stored the use of gadgets wherever and in whatever situation theysystematically for ready reference and retrieval. Being Wi- are in. So educational institutions are no exception and IFi enabled and LAN networked, teachers have access from would firmly recommend the use of Information andmultiple locations within the school and outside. Communications Technologies (ICT) to the extent to whichLearning by students has leapt forward as they have the infrastructure is geared up to handle their use. In mostresources and materials which interests them and promotes of the schools and in the school that I am involved in, there ispersonalized learning. This ensures ownership for learning a wide gap in the economic, social, and the culturalas they are able to learn at their own pace and time. background of the students. Hence a lot of forethought andAssessments are executed online with options of immediate planning is required to bring in novel innovations in the usecorrection and feedback. This ensures not only test taking of technology, in this scenario. Smart Boards (Educomp),but also reinforced learning. using low cost tablets issued by the National Mission forFeedback is quick and analysis of performances provides Education (Aakash Project) and of course hands on workingdeeper insights. Technology thus makes time for enhanced on computers, are at present, and the technology that islearning by optimizing time spent on routine work. Keeping feasible to be introduced in the next five years. Anythingabreast of current trends, teachers and students have more complex or more modern may take some timeWhatsApp group to share notes, homework, sending considering the cost involved and the teachers withassignments and other materials. Breaking geographical expertise to handle the ICT'S. In this age of acceleratingbarriers, Skype in classrooms have connected students change, we have to figure out what is ideal. I also feel thatacross the country and the globe. Students have traveled teachers need to be present to act as enablers, guides and1000's of virtual miles to learn. mentors.Creating collaborative learning spaces where students maynot be part of a single institution and benefit from multiple Sujatha R. Rao,expertise may be the future of learning and education.Flipped classrooms may be the order of the day. Students Co-ordinator, Aradhana Academy, Bengalurudoing online collaborative work transcending physicalspaces may be the future reality.Sajeetha Barathi,Principal, The Titan School, Hosur

Life Skills through CinemaSchool Cinema is a film-based module that makes learning lessons of life an entertaining experience. It reaffirms life skills & values for students, parents and educators through award-winning films and engaging activities. At the recent 64th National Film Awards it bagged two awards: Best Educational Film (non-feature) for ‘The Waterfall'’byLipika Singh Darai & Best Film on Family Values (non-feature) for ‘Little Magician’ by Neha Sharma.This article includes excerpts from interviews conducted with Syed Sultan Ahmed (MD, LXL Ideas), Neha Jain (Head,LXL Films) and Lipika Singh Darai (Filmmaker) interlacing together a perspective on the impact of films in Education.Left to Right: Neha Sharma, Syed Sultan Ahmed, Lipika Singh Darai, Neha JainTeaching through cinema and its big accolades. Having said that, it is a phenomenal boost toimpact on children be appreciated for the hard work we put in every day. I'm extremely happy and it just sets the standard higher inCinema as a medium blends audio, visual, entertainment, saying that can we get another one next year.emotions and storytelling. Pedagogically, you can use anyone to teach. Cinema is thus a lethal combination of four Syed Sultan Ahmed,very interesting learning formats and that’s the reason whyretention of cinema is extremely high. Moreover, because of Managing Director, LXL Ideastheir age, children's retention rate is much higher whilewatching films. There is a huge difference between 'fiction- Little Magicianstory cinema' and 'documentary-informative cinema'.Fiction has more impact; hence, more than 90% of our films director : Neha Sharma | producer : LXL Ideasare fiction. We have consciously, and strategically, usedcinema's impact as a training tool, which has never beenused before.Your rst thought when you heardabout the National AwardsI don't think it has sunk in. It is a tremendous achievement!If film making was my goal, of course there is no biggerachievement, but I look at film only as a medium. For me theresponse I get from children in a school is more exciting than Best Film on Family Values Non-feature

P r o m o t i n g c h i l d r e n ' s  l m s a s Your inspiration to work on this projectpedagogy in schoolsToday's digital natives are addicted to the screen - be it a My main inspiration was the audience: millions of schoolmobile phone, tablet or a laptop. While technology is children who use School Cinema. I work from Odisha and Icatching up in schools, films are still not a common tool for have seen one of the tallest waterfalls in India calledpedagogy. There is a lot of content for children but the value “Khandadhar” struggle for its survival and how theit teaches is questionable. If done right, cinema can be a indigenous communities have spearheaded the cause to savepowerful tool to make children internalize lessons that will it. I needed to convey the story of this struggle as anhelp them become rational and empathetic global citizens. attempt to reconnect with our nature, the mother Earth.Schools can use cinema as pedagogy in several ways:Ÿ Periodically organize international film screening in Your approach to the movie, keeping in mind the lm is educational schoolŸ Create film clubs for students to discuss and critique films I wanted the film to be evocative and story to be humble yetŸ Organize film appreciation workshops for senior students powerful in its depiction. My focus was to show a differentŸ Encourage film-making workshops side of reality in 20 minutes, and involve children by makingŸ Ask students to prepare homework or projects as films the characters relatable. If they don't connect to the protagonists, they will not give attention to what the film isEvolution of children's lms in India conveying. My film also has the nature of a documentary as I wanted to show real locations as much as I could. TheThis is an interesting period for Indian cinema. Many script had many drafts to achieve a balance betweenyoung, talented film-makers are now able to get their hands information and perception. I was very conscious of the facton funds and innovate distribution strategies. Small budget that I was constructing a story for the young minds aboutfilms too are doing well and making money; most relevant issues: the present scenario of the ruthlessimportantly, short films as a format are developing a loyal destruction of nature around a waterfall in the name offollowing. All these factors help more stories and screenplays development. The story needed to be true and genuine; thesee the light of the day. While films for children are few and young audience had to connect with the subject whilefar between, the success of regional children's films like watching the film otherwise the film would fall flat. TheKaaka Muttai (Tamil) and Killa (Marathi) is certainly point being, it would be a great platform to initiateencouraging. All in all, it's a good time for Indian cinema; I discussions around the subject in schools. Children wouldjust hope more film-makers start looking at children as a definitely have queries after seeing the film. To answer themtarget audience. responsibly then would be the real challenge.Neha Jain, Lipika Singh Darai,Head, LXL Films Filmmaker, National Award Winner The Waterfall director : Lipika Singh Darai | producer : LXL Ideas Since its inception, School Cinema has won a total of 6 National AwardsBest Educational FilmNon-feature

Thoughts from who’s- 24who: the big picture ineducation

Dr. Shashi Tharoor, JUNE 2017Member of Parliament Indian Education: what’s working, what’s not. Policy-wise, two boons for our education system have been measures that have sought to overcome social and gender inequality with regard to access to education. The RTE (Right to Education Act) has been a great leveller against social discrimination, allowing the less privileged to gain access to the education system. In 2013, under the 25 per cent reservation provided by the RTE Act, 66,306 out of 0.2 million students from less privileged sections received admission into 8,500 private schools in the district of Pune. In 2014, 12,500 students were admitted to various schools in Indore district using the RTE provisions. These are but small examples of the larger impact that the RTE is creating across the country. Gender-specific elements of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan have helped address gender inequality. At the primary level, SSA is further aided by the National Programme for Education of Girls for Elementary Level (NPEGEL) in educationally backward blocks which help enrolled female students to regularly attend classes, and by the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) scheme which creates residential upper primary schools for girls from SC, ST, OBC and Muslim communities. At the secondary education level, RMSA is aided by three schemes: Construction and Running of Girls’ Hostel for Students of Secondary and Higher Secondary Schools Scheme, Mahila Samakhya Scheme and National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education, which places 3000 rupees in a bank account for girls below 16 which they can only collect, with interest, when they pass Class X and attain the age of 18.). However, our higher education system, as a whole, continues to remain over-regulated and under-governed, with the University Grants Commission (UGC), Medical Council of India (MCI) and All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) issuing one-size-fits-all directives to prospective universities, stifling academic advancement rather than promoting it. That remains the bane!

THE BIG PICTURE“ There is an urgent need to shift from the earlier paradigm of an education system that was linear, passive, hierarchical, non-participatory, to a system that is dynamic, vigorous and bold; inclusive and integrated; focused on cultivating creativity and intellectual skills; aligned to the needs of the sub- system of Indian society; geared to provide vocational or technical or professional education required in the global workplace, and it is here that the Government and society counts on the wisdom of the management, Principals and teachers of schools to step in. Kapil Sibal, Former Minister of Law and Justice of India, Former Minister of HRD and Minister of Communications and IT 2011 “ The ferocity of competing has increased at an alarming rate. Sport has turned to commerce and become a profession; so ‘love’ has been replaced by ‘demand’. It’s the same with education. Studies are no longer about learning as much as they are about a commercial degree; everything is about the best and the highest placements. These are current realities from which there is no escape. ,Kiran Bedi, Retired Indian Police Service ofcer, Social activist, Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry 2007“ Don't cover the syllabus, uncover the syllabus. Give children what they need. Let us invite and involve people to change and to innovate. We need to look at matters in Schools of today slightly differently. Schools need to bring in a corporate structure within their respective set up. They need to bring in an administrator, a HR, a marketing officer and so on, for the man who is the best Administrator may not necessarily be a good Academician. Neil O’Brien, Former Chairman, CISCE 2008

JUNE 2017 “ While most schools would boast of security measures such as door locking mechanisms and surveillance cameras, the real million-dollar question is what is spent on training school stakeholders to effectively use the hardware purchased. School safety training should empower, not intimidate. It should come from an educational perspective. The training must understand and acknowledge the unique characteristics, constraints and developmental needs of an educational setting. World-wide educational leaders must understand and learn that the need of the hour is a comprehensive and overall all-hazards approach to school safety, which is based on evidence, best practices and a truly pro-active commitment to prevent violence. Amanda Klinger, Educator, Attorney at law 2016“ Explorer does not directly \"instruct\" students to actively champion an environmental or animal welfare cause. By showing real, up-to-date depictions of the situation, we hope to inspire children to think about the environment. We will encourage or promote each child to make small adjustments on their own for a collective passive impact. We believe in change through inspiration and education, never revolution.In today's classroom, the teacher has to play the role of a fellow explorer, exploring the world with students. Let students come to their own conclusions based on what they have acquired in the classroom. Let students think and decide for themselves. This will foster a generation of creative and innovative thinkers, much needed in today's transforming India. Francis Downey, Vice President and Publisher, Explorer Magazines National Geographic Society 2012 “ I believe moral education is very, very important. I studied in a convent school in Mangalore where we had to do one hour of social work every day, and we learnt morality as we went along. It did not have to become a subject, it was a lifestyle. Each student was given a vegetable plot – in that, we grew our own plants, swept our own classrooms. Sweeping, dusting, cleaning, keeping the chairs in order so that the class is ready for the next day – the duties rotated, and it developed character within us, even as we learnt the dignity of team work. We had a daily assembly in which we sang a national song, there was a lot of nationalist feeling and love for society. Now these things are all being phased out and the result is that nationalism is not being encouraged in the younger generation. Margaret Alva, Former Governor of Rajasthan 2007

THE BIG PICTURE“ Principals are people of dedication, commitment and highest integrity. Moreover, top management personnel must take personal interest in the running of the schools. We have our fingers on the pulse of what is happening in our schools. It is not a question of just constructing the schools and forgetting about them; we continue to remain involved as we see it as our commitment towards nation building. Basant Kumar Birla, Dr. Sarla Devi Birla, Chairman, Krishnarpan Charity Trust, BK Birla Institute of Engineering & Technology 2007 “ Leaders set systems and bring changes in the processes to make a smooth and effective road to success. It is important that we encourage and motivate team members. At Infosys, we follow a model of planning and assessment process that focuses on achievement results and leadership: Malcolm Baldridge Model of education. It is an effective planning tool that enables schools and classrooms to focus on what is important for students and how to put processes and systems in place that empower students and teachers to accomplish school and classroom goals and action plans. Dinesh Krishnamurthy, Founder Member, Infosys Technologies 2008“ Make it relevant. To make teaching effective, any curriculum must be relevant to students' lives. Lack of relevance leads to lack of motivation. The relevance of learning specific knowledge and skills is much clearer to students—and much more motivating—if they understand how a given topic fits into \"the big picture,\" or a meaningful context. Humor and use of current examples also help engage students.Dr. G. Immanuel,Chairman, CISCE2016 “ The principal must have a dialogue with students. The aura of exchange must exist in every school. Schools should not have an atmosphere where the child is scared to ask or express. Such an environment is extremely critical in every school and the principal and only a principal can do it successfully. A Principal ought to be a great learner; as leaders they should be keen on learning and develop a penchant for learning. They are the faces that represent the entire system of education. They can set milestones by proving, by demonstrating in all that they do that learning is eternal for us and thus prove to be exemplary 'Principal learner' to the 'learners of their schools'. Vineet Joshi, Former Chairman, Secretary, Central Board of Secondary Education 2009

JUNE 2017 “ Books can give us so much comfort, companionship and love. Books give us appreciation of life, an understanding of people and an understanding of ourselves. They are perfect friends. Literary clubs in schools could have children come and give a little talk on the book they have enjoyed reading recently and give little reviews of their own. Discuss the books they read, whether they like them or dislike them and maybe exchange their ideas for stories and so on. Clubs could also maybe have little competitions among them like writing competition, just talking about the books. I would say that by the time the child finishes school, they should at least have a basic idea of what they want to do in life. They should have an idea of what you like doing, what you are good at. Don't force on a child something that will leave you unhappy at the end. Ruskin Bond, Author, Writer 2009“ The power of questioning developed through exposure to science and technology will mold the students to have a broader view of the various physical phenomena and will also help in developing interest in other fields. It is necessary to inculcate a scientific temperament among children. This can be done by providing exposure to students to developments in science and technology through lectures by eminent scientists, conducting debates, quizzes competitions, model making on science and allied topics. Research has shown that regular visits to planetariums, science museums etc. can provide a tremendous impetus to a child's interests. It promotes the cognitive aspect of a child's development as compared to books alone. G. Madhavan Nair, Former Chairman, Indian Space Research Organization; Secretary, Department of Space, Government of India 2009 “ If you look closely, many literate adults in our country are in fact financially illiterate. They struggle to decipher mobile bills, credit statements and loan instalment plans. They end up paying atrocious amounts of interest and other charges. The root cause of this problem is disability called Innumeracy. Introducing financial literacy in the school curriculum is a must for making India a financially literate nation Effective integration of financial education into school education is the cornerstone to bringing about long-term generational change in knowledge, attitudes and behaviours. It does not make sense introducing financial literacy as a separate subject and increasing the burden on the student. Ambarish Datta, Managing Director, BSE Institute Ltd. 2013

THE BIG PICTURE“ Education needs a passion like never before. We need to embrace the ethos of the students, marry it with our own and then create a synthesis. We should create responsible communicators of tomorrow at the school level. Educators need to first educate children on the value of experiences, the truth of winning and losing. We need to activate the thinking of the child and make them participate. The teacher today is not just the guru, but the guide and guardian! But most of all, the teacher is a Friend, who does not judge but understands as well. Roshan Abbas, Indian Radio Jockey, Actor, Director 2008 “ Clothing should be appropriate to age, school setting and weather conditions. Both students and parents share the responsibility for student's attire because clothing often sets the pattern for behavior Principals are expected to carry themselves respectably and professionally. Why should this be any different for teachers? Their life needs to reflect the values and standards of the community in which you work. How can we expect the students to respect their educators if they don't represent themselves as professionals? Manoviraj Khosla, Fashion Designer 2009“ As society becomes more material oriented, and technology more freely available, the moral dilemma of the students gets accentuated. If student is on a weak wicket of his value system then the schools come under flak. I believe that the role of schools should modify slightly. Both family and school should work in co-ordination. I also feel that the role models of children must shift from sports and film personalities to people of very high moral values like Dr. Abdul Kalam.Farooq Sheikh,Actor, 2007 “ In a school, the encouragement of teachers and principal can transform an individual's life. My principal in Dakshin Bharatiya Mahila Samaj (DBMS) English School, Jamshedpur, discovered my calling and goaded me onto the stage; I wish there were many more Principals who can make a difference to the lives of the hundreds entrusted to their care. Imtiaz Ali, Director, 2008

JUNE 2017 “ Drama is a practical subject. In it, almost every lesson is a practical exercise and every practical exercise is a lesson. Drama involves reading each line meaningfully, effectively and communicatively. It gives training to the physical aspects such as voice, speech, gestures, facial expressions in keeping with the psychological aspects, such as intelligence, imagination, emotions and thoughts provided in the scripts and planned exercises. It involves the use and training of all the senses and development of various sensibilities. Anupam Kher, Actor 2010“ What Rishi feels desolate about is that he cannot even remember the teacher's name. “It shows how badly we take our teachers for granted,” he says, then adds passionately, “I would do anything to be able to contact that teacher – I have thought of him often; I have wanted to go back to him and say, 'Thank you for your patience and your time; it is because of you I was able to get into a career that I love.” Rishi Kapoor, Actor 2007 “ Allow the child freedom to choose what s/he wants to do. Treat the child as a whole, physically, mentally and emotionally. Children learn at different speeds. Spend time with the slower ones, find out their hurdles and help them. With children who have that extra edge, see what they are good at, hone it and polish it. Children have one specific area of interest. Identify, nurture and develop it. This is where the role of the school or teacher comes in. Javed Jaffrey, Actor 2009

Be proud, we shaped minds 32and inuenced educators -You had to be there

JUNE 2017 Volume 01 2007-2008 Ms.Avnita Bir(R N Podar School), Dr.Bhavanishankar(Chettinad Vidyashram), Ms. Sujatha Mohandas (Sishu Griha Mont. & High School), Ms. Usha Reddy, (Meridian School), Mr. Sundaram Subbharatnam- (Atul Vidyalaya), Sr. Flavian (Carmel Junior College), Mr. Neil O'Brien, President(All India Anglo-Indian Association), Mrs. Begum Anees Khan (NASR School), Mr. Harold Carver (St.Stephen's School)Volume 022008-2009Dr. Grace Pinto (Ryan International School), Dr. B Volume 03Chandra Sekhar/ Mrs. Gita Iyengar (Johnson GrammarSchool), Mr. S. S. Jayaram (The Valley School), Ms. 2009-2010Jayshree Pariwal (Step By Step High School), Dr. SunitaGandhi (City Montessori school), Mr Mathew C. Ninan Mr. Shailesh Termurnikar (Global India International(Little Rock Indian School), Dr. Bro. Thomas Thanickal, Schools), Sr. M. Cyril Mooney (Loreto Day School), Fr.(Cambridge School), Mr. Rahman Khan (Delhi Public Celetine Sera (St. Joseph's Boys High School), Dr. S.School), Mr. Pramod Sharma (Mayo College), Mr. Vineet Ganguli (Aditya Birla school), Captain V. K. VermaJoshi (CBSE Board) (Motilal Nehru School), Rector. C.P. Joseph (St. Paul's school), Mrs. Suniti Sharma (Maharani Gayatri Devi Girl'sVolume 04 school), Fr. George A. Hess (Loyola communications Center), Mr. N. K. Dutta (Miles Bronson Residential2010-2011 School), Ms. Anne Warrior (Chairperson, Ujwal trust), Ms Lina Ashar (Billabong High International School), Brother George K.J (Montfort School)Ms. Kiran Bir Sethi (Riverside School), Dr. P.C. Thomas Volume 05(Good Shepherd International School), Ms. VijayamKartha (Kerala Public School Trust), Ms. Vimala 2011-2012Mallappa (Sindhi High School), Ms. Anjum Babukhan(Glendale Academy), Mr. Babar Ali (Anand Shiksha Mrs. Neeta Bali (GD Goenka World School), Mrs. GraceNiketan),Mr. R. Paul Victor Samuel (St. George's Anglo- Noronha, (Lourdes Central School), Mr. Shashidhar / J.Indian Higher Secondary School), Mr Neil O, Brian/Ms. Krishnamurti (C/o Centre For Learning), Mr. DeepakJanet Morris (CISCE, University of CIE), Mr. Kapil Sibal Madhok (Sunbeam Group of Educational Institutions),(Minister of HRD and Minister of Communications and Mr. Vinayak Kalletla (Abhyasa International ResidentialIT), Mr. Dev Lahiri (Welham Boys High School), Mrs. Public School),Mrs. Ismat Ahmed (Delhi Public School),Shalini Nambiar (Excelsior American School), Mrs. Ms. Janet Morris (University of CIE), Mr. SmarajitAnurekha Barkakoti (Sanskriti - The Gurukul) DasGupta (Podar International School), Ms. Nupur Nutan, Mr. Anirudh Gupta, Mrs. Amrita Mittal (DCM Group of Schools), Mrs. B. Gayethri Devi (Little Flower Public School), Ms. Manjula Raman (Army Public School)

YOU HAD TO BE THEREVolume 062012-2013Ms. Mukta Misra (Maharaja Aggarsain School), Rev. Dr. Volume 07Jose Aikara (Chairman Council for Indian School SchoolCerificate Examinations), Mrs. Anita Verma (Shanti 2013-2014Asiatic School), Mrs. Kalpana Mohan (VidyashilpAcademy), Mrs. Punam Kashyap (Director, GEMS Mr.Jagdish Gandhi (Educationist), Mrs. Nalini ChandranEducation), Mrs. Mukta Chatterjee (Centre Point Group (Hari Sri Vidya Nidhi School), Dr. N. R. Shetty (Nitteof Schools), Mrs. Sunita Sen (Ballygunge Shiksha Sadan), International School), Capt. Prakash Mani PradhanMrs. Seema Buch (Gundecha Academy), Geetha Narayan (Rockvale Academy), Rev. Fr. Gregory Devarajan(Mallya Aditi International School), Ms. Stella Punita (St.Mary's Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School), Mrs.(Chennai Public School), Prof. B.M. Hegde (Manipal Banita Mittal ( Alok Vidyashram), Ms. Shaheen MistryUniversity) (CEO, Teach for India), Dr. Shashi Tharoor (Minister of State for HRD, Govt. of India and Member ofVolume 08 Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram), Dr. Reijo Laukkanen (Docent of International Education Policy,2014-2015 University of Tamper), Ms. Adilakshmi C. (Oakridge International School), Ms. Deepa Sridhar (Sri Kumaran Children's Home - CBSE), Ms. Meenakshi Ramesh (Vaels International School)Ms. Sangita Chima (The Lawrence School), Dr. Savitha L. Volume 09(Kautilya Vidyalaya), Ms. Anjana Saha (Mahadevi BirlaWorld Academy), Ms. Annie Cherian (Timpany Group 2015-2016Schools), Fr. Sebastian Puthenpura (Loyola School),Mr. Ashutosh Tripathi, Director (Krishna Public School), Mr. Suribabu Nekkanti (Shri Vidya Niketan PublicMs. Bijoya Baksi, Principal (Navrachana School, Sama), School), Ms. Sujata Lakhani (Billabong HighMs. Nidhi Thapar (Pearson), Mr. Benny Joseph(Clarence International School), Ms. Mukta Nain (Birla HighHigh School), Prof. Swati Karad Chate(MIT Group of School), Ms. Reetu Duggal (Thakur Public School), Mr.Institutions), Ramakrishna Reddy & Shalini Reddy - Amitava Ghosh (Bhavan's R.K. Sarada Vidya Mandir),Academics (Manthan International Schools), Ms. Sonya Dr. Amrita Vohra (Global Indian International School)SGandhy Mehta (The Assam Valley School) Vaitheeswaran (MD and CEO, Manipal Global Education Services), Dr. Farooq Ahmad Wasil (CEO, Goldline Education), Dr. G Immanuel (Chairman, CISCE), Ajay Kumar (KV Pattom), Ms. Maya Mohan(Chinmaya Vidyalaya), Ms. Anupama Sagdeo (Amanora School)Volume 102016-2017Mrs. Jaskiran Harika (DAV Public School), Mr ArvindKumar Chalasani (Pathways World School), Mrs NoniKhullar (Akshar), Ms. Arti Chopra (Amity School), MrSatish Jayarajan (Mallya Aditi International School), Dr.Geoffrey Fisher (Aga Khan Academy), Ms. Akanksha TSrikrishnan (Bhavan Vidyalaya), Ms. PadminiSambasivam (Bala Vidya Mandir), Mr. Trilok Singh Bist(Jodhamal Public School), Ms. Suvina Shunglu (Sri SriAcademy), Mrs. Shalini Kadwe (Wisdom HighInternational School)