It is important for children to understand their real self. They should choose the right path as per their innate talents. While treading such a path, they may face a lot of troubles. But their grit and dedication hold the key to overcome challenges and be successful, writes Smita Dhawan, Head, The Chintels School, Kalyanpur, Kanpur, for Elets News Network (ENN).

Children should always remember — You are loved and loved a lot by your parents, by your teachers, your siblings (even if you fight a lot), your true friends and the Almighty. You are a masterpiece, with some flaws which every human has and even Gods who incarnated as humans had.

You are born unique. There is no one on this planet like you. No one has exactly the same talents, likes, dislikes or a personality like you have. Respect others’ individuality without losing yours. Never be afraid to be yourself, and keep improving towards being a better human being.

Stand up for what’s right, even when it seems hard. Crowd of ordinary people follows the easiest route to rise. The difficult route is followed by real heroes of life. Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid to choose the right thing, even when your friends are choosing the wrong one.

Don’t let others define you. Take criticism from the ones who love you in a positive manner. There will always be people who will say and do mean things. They will want you to be like them. They will try to take away your self-confidence. Don’t let them. Be what God created you to be, not who someone else tells you to be.

Be a judge of truth by yourself. The world is going to feed you all sorts of lies about strength, money, self-worth and relationships. Do not blindly believe them. Seek your parents or God when you are confused about worldly matters.

On your roller coaster journey of life, you will make many mistakes, and it’s OK. No one is an embodiment of perfection. When you mess up, pick yourself up and get back in the game. Learn from your mistakes and move forward.

Always remember! Everyone is gifted some unique talent. You are one of them. Never give up.

With an idea, a vision, a dream to impart quality education to children, the Chintels School was established in the year 1989. The school defines a child’s first decision, the first feel of the sense of responsibility, his/her first achievement, the first failure and the first lesson of perseverance.

At Chintels, with the motto of “Always More, Always Better” of Jyoti (Light), Preeti (Love), Shanti (Peace) and Neeti (Justice), we strive to make this journey of our children a valuable learning experience. With hard work, grit and courage, we are continuously progressing with achievements, laurels and new feathers being added to our cap with every passing day—and there is no looking back! Our children are putting their best foot forward and moving ahead in all spheres, their wings are taking flight yet they are grounded. No matter how high we as an institute or our children as individuals soar high, our hearts and minds will be rooted and humility will never over power success.

At The Chintels School, Our approach is fully child-centric. By child centric we do not believe in information being spoon-fed but making learning a lifetime experience, making the children think on their own and make their own wise choices. Below is a motivating poem on how adults can be a support but at the end it’s the child who has to lead his own life.

YOUR DECISION

‘We care, we teach you to share, we even tell you to dare, for your bright future we prepare’.

Dear children, your family, your school, your well wishers can show you the path but how you trot on it would be YOUR DECISION.

We can teach you the difference between virtue and vice but making the choice would be YOUR DECISION.

We can give you liberty but protecting it, would be YOUR DECISION.

We can teach you to respect but will you work with dignity to get that respect would be YOUR DECISION.

We can counsel you about your friends, but choosing your true friend would be YOUR DECISION.

We can teach you about charity but been generous would be YOUR DECISION.

We can guide you through the journey of thorns but will you walk or quit would be YOUR DECISION.

We can warn you against intoxication but to act responsibly would be YOUR DECISION.

Ryan group focuses on developing the student’s capabilities from a global perspective by instilling self-confidence in order to be able to contribute to community life, says Grace Pinto, Managing Director, Ryan International Group of Institutions, in an interview with Elets News Network (ENN).

From its first school in Mumbai in 1976, today, Ryan Group of Institutions is now a renowned name in the education sector, how is the journey so far?

Establishing India’s premier education brand at par with the global standards was not easy. It involved a vision that has taken the Ryan Group from its fledgling beginnings to soar like an eagle across the globe. By the grace of God who empowered and enabled us to impart value based holistic education, we are able to nurture socially responsible humane leaders.

We are also grateful to every stakeholder that includes our dear students, the staff, parents’ community and all our well-wishers who have been our strong support right from the beginning. Every challenge we faced, presented an opportunity to learn and grow and march forward with greater commitment and determination. Ensuring that all our schools are fine-tuned with the latest trends in education has greatly helped us grow and remain ahead of the curve.

What are the industry-best practices followed at Ryan Group of Institution to nurture students’ innate talent and potential?

Besides being spiritual and value-based, our commitment is to ensure an effective teaching-learning process largely based on holistic development through a relevant child-centered pedagogy. Our objective is to nurture children who not only excel academically, but also beyond academics to become empowered citizens.

With the help of pedagogical experts, our curriculum has enrichment activities that not only focus on enhancing academic capabilities of students but also provide them a stimulating environment that addresses their cognitive, physical, emotional, and social needs. We are helping the students to grow holistically. Our teaching methodologies nurture traits like decision-making, critical thinking and collaboration among students. We help students enhancing their knowledge and skills through hands on and practical learning. The same is ensured through interactive sessions with professionals from different industries. Technology is transforming the practices in education sector.

Our approach is to provide a holistic education to our students. Our journey of four decades has been marked with innovation and pioneering of several significant events to develop leadership and excellence amongst students.

How Ryan group is leveraging the technology for holistic development of its students?

The Ryan Group was the first group of schools to include computer education in the curriculum, way back in the early 90’s. This came from the school’s philosophy of embedding technology into schools. We believe in embracing change and leveraging it to make education more engaging and meaningful. We have partnered with leading edu-tech players like Google, Microsoft in order to support our vision to nurture future ready students.

Also, many of our schools have established NITI Aayog’s Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) to foster curiosity, creativity and imagination among students. Tech driven teaching methodologies like Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and flipped classrooms make learning student-driven. Further, the Ryan Parent App plays a key role in teacherparent communication.

We have also developed our Learning Management System (LMS) called Personalised Learning and Assessment Tool (PLATO) which is used in many schools. This tool has been developed in collaboration with a leading ed-tech company and gives Ryanites a definitive cuttingedge for board and competitive exams.

How do the schools under Ryan’s umbrella inculcate global citizenship, appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development in its students?

In order to provide a holistic global exposure to our students, we have in place various national and international events that stimulate interest among them to learn beyond the classroom walls. At Ryan, there are structured student exchange programmes as part of the learning process such as Thames Valley Summer School, London; Swiss Exchange; and Theater Werkstatt Zitronengelb, Brixen, Italy.

Ryan Pennhub Partnership allows students a global platform to explore opportunities in higher education as well as summer internships and study programmes. As of now, the Ryan Group sends the largest number of students annually to NASA for their in-house study programme on areas like rocketry and space studies.

We also invite students from various countries to come and spend time with ours to encourage global cultural understanding. Recently performing arts groups from various countries like Czech Republic, Spain, UK, Swaziland, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe camped in our school campuses and spent time with the students helping each other to know about various art forms.

We have created these opportunities for exchange programmes with our international affiliations to encourage Ryanites to travel and be up to date on global ideologies and academic culture.

What are the measures taken by the Ryan Group of Institutions to keep its teachers abreast with the latest methodologies?

The process of learning is not monotonous in our schools. This is mainly because we have adequately focused on the aspect of “train the trainer”. It is true that the role of a teacher has radically changed over the years. We believe that a teacher’s role is not relegated to the sidelines or substituted by the technology instead the role has become even more critical in the current scenario.

At Ryan, we have invested heavily in the professional development of our teachers (both in-house and external) and also work with leading pedagogical experts from all over the world. This is to ensure that our teaching-learning process remains relevant keeping up with the current trends. It guides our students to absorb the “Future Ready Skills” such as collaboration, critical thinking, communication and research.

The process of learning is not monotonous in our schools. This is mainly because we have adequately focused on the aspect of “train the trainer”. It is true that the role of a teacher has radically changed over the years.

How Ryan Group of Institutions is focussing on nurturing life skills along with academics among its students?

Our approach is to provide a holistic education to our students. Our journey of four decades has been marked with innovation and pioneering of several significant events to develop leadership and excellence amongst students. It includes:

International Children’s Festival of Performing Arts (ICFPA) – India’s largest performing art platform with participation from over 20,000 children and 25 countries

Indian Model United Nations (INMUN) – India’s first and largest UN simulation and Ryan TV – where children are provided programmes to learn about media studies, TV journalism, film making and camera handling.

In the field of sports, the group has collaborated with the best in the industry like Mahesh Bhupathy, Baichung Bhutia, Anil Kumble among others, to bring world class coaching to children. Music, art, drama, debates and competitions are a regular feature in our school calendar. Through various events and activities, we identify the unique talents of the children early and ensure these students are provided with right training, support, motivation to develop their talents and skills appropriately.

What is the vision and mission of the school?

Enduring our legacy of shaping lives and developing global citizens, we will continue to live our vision and provide education that prepares our youth to face life’s realities and challenges, while continuing to be lifelong learners, in order to reach one’s rightful place in the modern world. It is our vision to extend Ryan Group’s educational reach to international frontiers as well as to introduce learning opportunities in all corners of the nation. We make every possible effort to reach towns and cities we are not present and also to make education accessible in every nook and corner of the country. We want to remain the “School of Choice” for parents everywhere in the country.

As the need to develop an eco-friendly world turns a serious affair, school children’s awareness can be vital. Influencing children at an impressionable age can actually be a game-changer. To instill a sense of care, it’s significant to build a habit of precaution for an environmentally sensitive society, writes Sandeep Datta of Elets News Network (ENN).

Just visualise a world, 10 or 20 years from now, where we along with our children would struggle to lead a normal healthy life. It would be far more difficult than it already is. We would be striving to survive. There would be no one but ourselves to curse as contributors of the dangerously polluted surroundings.

Looking at the way the climate change is affecting seasonal change, something needs to be done. After all, it isn’t wise to let things deteriorate around us and be spectators to our own deaths due to steadily polluting environment. Schools hold the key to trigger a steady and widespread change.

There is need to be pro-active and do something which may start with – awareness and a collective will for a comprehensive change. Can awareness programmes and initiatives involving children help in the long run? Let’s delve into it and explore much more.

Being Eco-Friendly – Taking Baby Steps

It’s important to first agree to turn eco-friendly. Equally important is that acting in this direction should not remain limited to just turning off lights before leaving a room or segregating garbage for recycling.

The approach to eco-friendly world involves actual practices that influence how communities, businesses and individuals conduct themselves. Perhaps, there is a need to change the way we live.

Eco-friendly products promote green living that help in energy conservation and also prevent air, water and noise pollution. They prove to be a boon for the environment and also prevent human health from deterioration.

To encourage youngsters to engage with their environment, eco-school is an initiative that allows them to actively work for protecting it.

Environment-Friendly Programmes of Different Hues

Eco-Schools Programme

To encourage youngsters to engage with their environment, eco-school is an initiative that allows them to actively work for protecting it.

The Eco-Schools programme is a way for schools to embark on a meaningful path towards improving the environment in both the school and the local community. Besides, it also has a life-long positive impact on the lives of young people, their families, school, and local authorities.

Through this programme, young people experience a sense of achievement at being able to have a say in the environmental management policies of their schools, ultimately steering them towards certification and the prestige which comes with being awarded a Green Flag.

Starting off in the classroom, the initiative expands to the school and ultimately fosters change in the community at large. It is also about having a life-long positive impact on the lives of young people, their families, school staff and local authorities.

In Britain, various programmes like Energy and Greening the School-Run are worth inspiration.

Energy

The Carbon Detectives’ Kit allows schools to work out their carbon footprint and compare them to other schools. The Sustainable Learning programme encourages schools to make energy reductions of 10% on average and develop a better understanding of how energy and water is used within their buildings.

Greening the School Run

The Walk to School movement, run by the charity Living Streets, encourages children and parents to leave the car at home when it comes to the school run. Its annual walk-to-school month has inspired over two million primary school-aged children to take part in activities.

School Food

The Food for Life Partnership is a network of communities across England, committed to transforming food culture, one school at a time. The Better Nursery Food Now campaign, led by the Soil Association and Organix, calls on the government to put in place clear rules to ensure high quality food is served in all nurseries. It includes a Facebook page where dissatisfied parents and nursery workers can post their experiences.

How Some Indian Schools are Making the Difference?

Ahead of the festive seasons, various schools were approached to explore how do they alert and make students aware about developing an eco-friendly world? It was simply an eye-opener how much vital schools can prove to be.

School Initiatives at a Glance

According to Kanak Gupta, Vice President, Seth M R Jaipuria Schools, they have set up pollution control boards.

“We were one of the first schools in India to install an air quality monitor which helps to “Flag The Pollution” levels in the school on any given day, with a Red Flag hoisted where levels are above 200, and Amber Flag when between 200 and 60 and a Green Flag when the Air Quality in the school meets acceptable standards of 60 and below.”

Special Activities to Aware Students

“Creating awareness is the first step. For instance, in collaboration with a citizen’s initiative, MyRightToBreathe we did something called VrikshaBandhan during Raksha Bandhan where students tied twigs to trees, taking a vow to protect them. Recently, we did Navra-tree where every class takes a vow to plant a tree for each of the nine days, and so on. We conduct regular workshops to educate students and teachers about the ill effects of pollution. We also engage our sweepers and all Grade 4 staff to attend regular workshops,” Gupta said.

“We even do workshops to teach parents how to segregate and compost their waste. We have separate waste bins for separate types of waste, conduct workshops with the school sweepers and cleaners to educate them as to how to go about waste segregation. We have tied-up with reliable waste collection agency for apt recycling of waste collected at school, encouraged parents to put an absolute stop on plastic tiffins, adds Gupta.

Manju Rana, Principal cum Director, Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Vasundhara, Ghaziabad, says being an eco-friendly school Green Diwali echo reverberates in their entire campus and they also spread the word in the neighbourhood areas too.

“We provide an advisory / flyers reminding ways to celebrate safe and eco-friendly Diwali without crackers. Buy earthen lamps, use environment friendly products for home decoration, reuse the décor and gift wraps, use natural colours for rangoli decoration, use jute bags for shopping, follow Buy- One Give-One rule. Donate to the needy.”

“Children design various catchy and thought provoking mock advertisements are issued in public interest to celebrate Green Diwali “Students conduct mass awareness programmes and urge Resident Welfare Associations to hold community fireworks for brief period of 30 minutes on a single day.”

“We hold Eco-friendly Rangoli making competition, instilling in them the spirit of competitiveness along with environment sensitivity.”

“We always support and promote Eco Friendly celebration of all Indian festivals. Children make Rakhis using cloth, clay and other biodegradable materials. On the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi , students of Eco club of the school make Ganesha idol with biodegradable or recyclable materials. They spread awareness and urge people to make ritualistic immersions in buckets instead of immersing the idols in water bodies. During Holi, we make and use organic colours at home with the help of flower or plant extracts,” Rana added.

Sona Dhingra, Principal, Children’s Academy, Kandivali East, Mumbai says they have undertaken various initiatives while playing an important role for environment. According to the principal, Children’s Academy’s other initiatives include:

LED Lights: We have replaced tube lights with less power consuming LEDs. This has reduced power consumption by around 260 W per tube light. Undaunted by the financial hassles that we faced during the inception of this idea, the reduction in global warming as an outcome made us march ahead in this venture.

Proper Ventilation: Apart from having a sturdy infrastructure, we also have classrooms which are well illuminated with natural light. This has reduced the necessity of switching on lights during the day time. Also, ample ventilation has ensured that our class rooms remain cool even during summers. We have ensured that we reduce Green House Effect by having non-AC class rooms.

The Eco-Schools programme is a way for schools to embark on a meaningful path towards improving the environment in both the school and the local community

E-Circulars and E-Magazine

The school communicates with the parents via its school portal and e-circulars and SMS services. To save paper, we have an e-school magazine, uploaded on our school website.

Reuse of Plastic

“Our students have taken the initiative to demonstrate and mentor their fellow students on how to reuse plastic milk packets and transform them into utility items like baskets.”

Solar Panels

“We have installed a total of 97 panels, each having the capacity to produce 300 Watts of electricity. In totality, these panels can generate 29.1 KW D.C. The same is converted to A.C. and synchronised to the grid. As the frequency of the solar panel is higher than local grid power, it travels faster and can optimise the load on itself so that there is less power drawn from the non- solar electric sources. The residents in the vicinity of our school were inspired by our move and took steps to install such panels in their buildings as well.”

Anirban Bhattacharya, General Manager-School Operations, Seth M R Jaipuria Schools, says, “We are extremely aware of the hazardous environment problems and pains every citizen is going through. We encourage non-usage of plastics, use of natural colors, facilitate and boost clean up initiatives, educate them. For instance, we have Diwali celebrations without fireworks; we celebrated Rakhi with Vrikshabandhan. We also believe in decorating the surrounding neighbuorhood by natural means.”

According to Anna Correa, Principal, St Stanislaus High School, Mumbai, a number of initiatives have been undertaken towards the objective of building an eco-friendly world.

“The theme for this year is Care for Creation and the cover of the Calendar and many competitions carried out in the school like poster, elocution, debate and quiz have been around Caring for our common home – our environment.

“The school has two dustbins in every class and on corridors for dry and wet garbage. Children are advised about segregation. The wet garbage goes to a tumbler compost machine and the compost generated is used for gardening.

“E-waste collection is also done and special bins are placed for this purpose.Use of plastic bags and single use plastic bottles is expressly forbidden.

“Students participate in road and beach clean up activities. There is also a campaign with an NGO called ‘Phenk mat Stanislite’, where special Ecocommanders and Eco-captains have been appointed to prevent littering on the campus.

“Regular workshops for students and parents have heightened awareness,” Correa added.

Conclusively saying, it’s high time we realised the dangers of being contributors to an ecologically dangerous world. While many schools have made a beginning in the right direction, there is a need to take the message into every household through schools and its students. Let’s make the difference together. Let’s build a safe and livable world to gift our children a better tomorrow.