India is known for its multicultural and diverse culture. Exposure of the youth to different facets and cultures of India would help the country prosper and flourish. Nowadays, education or learning is not confined but is spread wide open to encompass the entire world, shared Dr. Amrita Vohra, Director Principal, Elpro International School, Pune with Sheeba Chauhan of Elets News Network (ENN). Edited excerpts:
Union Budget 2023 focused on revamping teacher training. How do you support the move and what are your plans for implementing training at your school?
The times are changing and so are the educational needs of learners. The teachers are the ones who execute the policies and plans at the grass root level. So, if we strengthen the competencies and capacities of our teachers, then we would mould our students into capable future nation builders with all the necessary skills. Hence, I completely support the idea of strengthening and incorporating teacher training programs at all levels in the school.
We have conducted training at regular intervals for the teachers to basically refresh and revamp their skills & knowledge and update them with the latest changes and requirements in skills and teaching methodologies. In the future, we plan to keep relevant training at regular intervals to ensure the teachers are apprised of all the updates in the field of education. For conducting training, we have a ‘Chief Head of Academic Excellence’ who continually conducts observations of teachers, and ensures the right techniques are adopted and followed, and also conducts training to keep the teachers updated with all the necessary tools. We ensure that the teachers attend all the training conducted by CBSE. Constructive engagement of teachers in the training program would be in the plan of action for the new session for the professional development of the teachers and to ensure that learning is progressive and aligned with the changing needs.
Recently, the Education Minister launched the Yuva Sangam portal which will concentrate on organising youth exposure tours for students from North Eastern States to other states and vice versa. How do you think such initiatives are going to develop multicultural education in Indian students?
India is known for its multicultural and diverse culture. Exposure of the youth to different facets and cultures of India would help the country prosper and flourish. Nowadays, education or learning is not confined but is spread wide open to encompass the entire world. If there is strong backing from the government through such progressive programs then it would pave the right path for the youth to imbibe the necessary 21st-century skills. Yuva Sangam is one such avenue that would widen the horizon of our youth, sensitise them towards different cultures and expand their learnings and experiences. When children travel to different countries, they experience the first-hand culture of that country. Interaction with the people enhances their knowledge bank, and they inculcate the necessary skills for building a stronger personality, thinking, and decision-making. A stronger and empowered youth ultimately leads to a stronger and more empowered nation.
NCERT issues guidelines for ‘Early identification and intervention for mental health problems in school-going children and adolescents. How are you planning to work on the same at your school?
Early identification and intervention help in giving the right support at the right time so that these individuals can live their lives independently and in a better way. We plan to strengthen and train our teachers with the necessary knowledge to identify such students. Individualised study plans help such children a lot. Balance in mainstream and individual classes will be taken care of. Extension of timelines in regular schoolwork will also be considered. We will try our best to maintain home–school connect on a regular basis. The assignments and papers are structured, keeping in mind the individual needs of these special children.
Above all, we would ensure the child is always motivated and the classroom environment helps the special children grow to the best of their potential. A positive classroom environment and proper guidance from the school counselor are imperative and would be taken care of.
According to the economic survey 2022- 23, enrollment at the pre-primary level decreased from 1.1 crores [11 million] in 2021 to 1.0 crores [10 million] in 2022. Your comments on the same.
If we consider a school, it is majorly the leadership, staff, and environment that are deciding factors in terms of enrollment. Effectiveness in all is necessary to maintain the optimum level of entrees.
One major reason for the drop could be the pandemic. Parents preferred home tutoring due to several reasons. But children who complete their early learning years, are seen to have stronger foundational skills. We need to make sure we are welcoming our kids back to safe and nurturing environments and building relationships with them.
Schools at all levels showed an improvement in their gross enrollment ratios (GER) for the fiscal year 2021– 22. Do you think the mere improvement in GER will enhance the quality of education?
Enrollment of students in schools indicates that the population is somewhere realising the importance of education in one’s life. But if we just consider the numbers and do not pay heed to the quality of education then we are somewhere ignoring the purpose of education altogether. Quality of education is important considering the hike in enrollment numbers due to increased awareness. Improvement in GER does not ensure quality at all.
The NEP has come into place to restructure the curriculum, pedagogy and reform assessments. While it sounds impressive on paper, the execution on the ground will need drastic measures. While the policy is timely and its objective is noble, it calls for transformational leadership to execute plans to bring about the far-reaching changes visualized to galvanize the Indian education system to attain global standards.
Although increasing GER is the first step toward improving the quality of education because if children step into schools therein begins the roles and responsibilities of the school to give quality education.
