Making Learning a Matter of Sheer Joy

Magazine

By

-

September 29, 2017

Rangoli lays emphasis on identifying and nurturing the natural talent of its students and making learning a matter of sheer joy, as a preschool begins the process of the child’s initiation into the world of education, says Anamika Anjaria, Director, Rangoli Group of Institutions, in conversation with Elets News Network (ENN).

What differentiates Rangoli Preschool from other preschools in India?

Rangoli lays equal emphasis on both playing and learning, prepares the under structure for the holistic development of children, offers guidance to parents and serves the community at large, is run by a highly qualified teaching staff, offers ageappropriate programmes, and allows a child to be expressive due to the personalised treatment given at Rangoli. All these unique features make us different from other preschools in India and the best one in Western India.

Along with educational qualifications and experience, on what other parameters teachers are evaluated before they are recruited by the school?

Rangoli Preschool believes in recruiting, training and retaining the best-in-class talent. Apart from educational qualification and training, we also look for teachers who are kind and humble in approach, are of expected moral character, have mastery over instructional (including interpersonal) skills to be effective in class, and can use their skills and knowledge to best fit the needs of the school. They also need to have the ability to work with diverse groups of students and parents, have the desire to work in extracurricular assignments, and an aptitude that meets the expectation of the local community.

Rangoli lays emphasis on identifying and nurturing the natural talent of its students and making learning a matter of sheer joy, as a preschool begins the process of the child’s initiation into the world of education.

How does the curriculum followed at Rangoli focus on overall development of children?

Rangoli lays emphasis on identifying and nurturing the natural talent of its students and making learning a matter of sheer joy, as a preschool begins the process of the child’s initiation into the world of education. Since it is the first rung of the ladder, it is essential that the curriculum is designed after taking into consideration the inputs from teachers and eminent educationists. We at Rangoli have done just that and designed a courseware that has a sharp focus on socio-emotional, creative, language, physical, cognitive, intellectual, moral and aesthetic development.

Which other developmental areas Rangoli focuses on along with the formal education?

The developmental areas covered at RANGOLI Preschool include physical development, social and emotional development, cognitive development and language development. Celebrations are an integral part of Rangoli curriculum. We celebrate different religious and national festivals as part of social development. There are also numerous special days celebrated at the school like Parents Day, Grandparents Day, etc.

Throw some light on the toddler care programme offered by Rangoli.

The toddler care programme seeks to ensure that infants get a safe, healthy, emotionally secure and intellectually rich start in life. Our toddler programme uses hands-on exploration and social interaction in safe, engaging surroundings to help the toddlers learn about their expanding world. Through the guidance of our early childhood development professionals, toddlers learn to enjoy learning experiences that promote their independence and social skills, and foster selfconfidence.

Vidhyashram: Empowering Learners with 21st Century Skills

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

September 29, 2017

Dr Bharti Swami, Founder Principal,
Vidhyashram International School

At Vidhyashram International School, we equip learners with knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to establish themselves and contribute positively to the world as progressive and responsible citizens, says Dr Bharti Swami, Founder Principal, Vidhyashram International School, in conversation with Elets News Network (ENN).

What are the various projects undertaken by the school to introduce teachers and students with the best global practices?

The school has undertaken projects pertaining to digital learning which include implementation of “Moodle” in curriculum planning and teaching in the classrooms by the teaching staff. The school has specific projects to incorporate spoken English which is key to teaching-learning process at Vidhyashram in a predominantly Hindi-speaking belt. Apart from subscribing English newspapers, periodicals and books, we have a language lab equipped with audio aids. We have an e-library from where staff members and children may subscribe online books and periodicals through Kindle App.

The school has been awarded the British Council International School Award (ISA), which is a benchmarking scheme to recognise and celebrate exemplary practices of internationalism in schools. We are still a part of the project and various activities are carried out in the school at national and international level. The school has also been a part of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s “The Art of Living”. The project is guided by Gurudev’s philosophy of peace and has touched the lives of over 370 million people around the world to overcome stress, depression and violent tendencies. Recently, we have joined hands with Rakesh Nihal, who runs “Gau Samvardhan Ashram” and is dedicated to saving the Indian cow breed. The school also conducts regular motivational workshops by Srikant Gupta, Director, IICS, to help children evolve with confidence and consciousness.

The school has been awarded the British Council International School Award (ISA), which is a benchmarking scheme to recognise and celebrate exemplary practices of internationalism in schools.

It is important to monitor progress performance and behaviour of every student at school. What initiatives have been taken by your school in this regard?

For us, each and every child is important. We maintain a record of graph of the academic performance of every student. A detailed result analysis is done after every test and a corrective action plan is undertaken for the academically weak students. Children with discipline problems are regularly counselled and remedial classes are held for these students. Along with this, we have a concept of identifying best performing students every month to encourage other students to perform the same way.

Conducive environment for Research and innovation is to be encouraged in the school for becoming a model school. What future practices and innovations are embedded with the teaching-learning process in your school?

Provision of conducive environment for teachinglearning process is one of the most important responsibilities of a school. At Vidhyashram, we promote blended learning that combines online digital media with traditional classroom methods of teaching. Moreover, we have also adopted flipped learning, wherein the model of the typical lecture and homework elements of a course are flipped/reversed. Students view short video lectures at home before the class session, while the class time is devoted to exercises, projects or discussions. Besides access to Internet, where the teachers can explore, experience and search for best available teaching material, the school also uses MOODLE which is a learning management system. It has further facilitated the choice of content selection from various online and offline resources. School also uses FLINNT app which is a common platform for communication with parents. Students also get a chance to access some useful courses through this app. Students will be provided free access to online content at all times to assist self-paced learning.

Which software do you use to end paper work and promote digitisation in the school?

Vidhyashram believes in transforming traditional classrooms into engaging, learner-eccentric environment by integrating state-of-the-art technology, infrastructure and professionallydeveloped multimedia learning modules. We are among the best digital schools of 21st century. We believe in global citizenship and paperless communication. ERP software is used to generate reports and results of the students periodically, making the system almost paperless. Our classrooms are 100% digital where e-pathshala, extra marks, teach next and other online modules are used through “Moodle” by all teachers. The entire curriculum planning and question paper generation is computerised. We use Google for education and all the staff members, students and parents are connected through Flintt App SMS alerts are also generated integrally to pass the information and circulars.

Provision of conducive environment for teachinglearning process is one of the most important responsibilities of a school. At Vidhyashram, we promote blended learning that combines online digital media with traditional classroom methods of teaching.

An Overview of Vidhyashram
Vidhyashram International School was conceived with the vision “to be the most admired school by creating adults of tomorrow who are progressive, caring and who will contribute positively to the world’s society for peaceful coexistence and mutual growth”.

The mission of the school is to provide an environment for teaching-learning process to produce humane world leaders of tomorrow who will excel in the areas of their chosen fields and facilitate them in identifying their potentials.

The school started its journey with only 450 students but the tenacity of Chairman Vinay Kumar Jain, the progressive approach of Director/ CEO Gaurav Jain and the selfless dedication and expertise of the Principal Dr Bharti Swami has led the school to such a formidable stature. The school has been successful in grabbing the attention of multitudes of future conscious families ever since its establishment. The school believes in perfect amalgamation of the ideals enshrined in the culture of our nation and values of global citizenship. The institution has emerged as a temple of education in and around Western Rajasthan.

It is said, ‘Only change is constant’, therefore Vidhyashram School has brought about change in the teaching learning process by introducing –

MOODLE Learning Management System which has been developed on pedagogical principles. It is used for blended learning and flipped classroom projects. It gives teachers a choice to explore, select and imbibe the best content available both online and offline. On the other hand, students are exposed to a variety of content which makes learning interesting, exhaustive and engaging.

The school is also using Flinnt, a communication and learning platform with the help of which parents and students are updated about home assignments, school circulars, subject worksheets etc. Students enrolled for English, science and mathematics courses are provided practical knowledge and assessed at the same time through tests.

Vidhyashram is also registered with Google for education and its various tools are used for educational purpose.

Consequently, the school has received Elets World Education Award 2017 for usage of ICT.

Transformation of Education in the next decade

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

September 29, 2017

Education has turned a significant subject of discussion at national and international level lately. When we mention transformation of education, it means evolution of the system in tandem with the global socio-politic-economy, writes Jitendra Karsan, Chief Executive Officer, Safari Kid, for Elets News Network (ENN).

Based on the current social reality, the next decade is set to actually change many of our fundamental relationships – with ourselves, within our organisations; and with systems and societies. This will be seen naturally in education landscape, where institutions will not be just education or knowledge providers but will become torchbearers of culture, openness and a global outlook and acceptance towards diversity.

Though much has been done for the Indian higher education system, primary and preschool education received only a little piece of the pie. Preschool education is more of a focal point now than in any other decade. Hopefully, this trend may continue and rise in the coming decade.

While preschool education will see more emergence and importance in the coming years, it is also the nuances of pedagogy and methods that will set players apart from each other.

For instance, Safari Kid’s scientific approach to learning has been curated by scholars and veterans which has proven to be effective in adapting children to new concepts from early life. Also, Safari Kid pupils have shown to have performed far superior than their peers due to these methods.

Apart from the scientific nature of teaching and personalised manner of reaching out to children, three transformations will set the education wheel rolling into a much more evolved spectrum, compared to what it is today.

Preschools like ours have been instrumental in helping children learn via structured play and understand concepts by using familiar objects and a differential pace for all students. Safari Kid will launch its first preschool in Gurugram in Dec 2017. Followed by 2 more in Delhi / NCR region and 5 more in other metros by March 2018.

• Shift from rote learning to experiential learning: Schools are increasingly changing their curriculum to fit a more emergent form of learning, i.e., processes that enable students to learn things by understanding and questioning compared to rote models of learning. It is important that this is inculcated among children from an early age. Preschools like ours have been instrumental in helping children learn via structured play and understand concepts by using familiar objects and a differential pace for all students. Safari Kid will launch its first preschool in Gurugram in Dec 2017. Followed by 2 more in Delhi / NCR region and 5 more in other metros by March 2018.

• Percolation of technology and media: The percolation of technology and media cannot be stopped in our lives. Education in the next decade is most likely to use technology to aide in the process of reaching out to students more than ever. Institutions will accept the need and have more standardised usage of technology for quicker and more efficient teaching processes. New approaches to designing learning experiences will deepen our capacity to personalise learning.

• Evolution of institutions’ role: School communities will become points of intervention for societies and their people wherein schools will be one of the crucial sources of information for children. Schools will need to be more globally oriented where different cultures, viewpoints will be accepted and understood. This is actually something that we can boast of at our chain of preschools at Safari Kid.

Learning Means a Holistic Growth

Interviews

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

September 29, 2017

At Brats n Cuties, learning means a holistic growth. Therefore, our curriculum is a heterogeneous mixture of themes, projects and activity based learning. Our learning methodologies allow parents and teachers work simultaneously to meet a learning objective, says Deven Khullar, Chairman, Brats n Cuties, in conversation with Elets News Network (ENN).

What methodologies are adopted at Brats n Cuties to make the learning a passion for the children?

Our methodology is an amalgamation of tried and tested Indian teaching methodologies of the Montessori system, which in turn is integrated with novo technologies and innovative teaching tools that have been developed with constant R&D of our consultants and teachers. Our teaching methodologies are:

• Edudrama – This is a specialised programme for the age group of 2+ to 5 years. The scope of learning under this programme is vast when it is done by the trainers of Brats n Cuties. Edudrama increases the scope of learning through enchanting experience by enhancing linguistic skills, voice modulation, facial expression and imaginative powers.

• Projects and Themes – Monthly themes and projects based learning are another teaching methodology that we follow for the development of children in this tender age group. The monthly themes and projects build awareness about environmental issues and provide an opportunity to get hands-on experience of concepts.

• Special Assembly – We believe that stage exposure and public speaking promote personality development. Experiential learning, stage exposure, personality grooming sessions, phonics and diction activities improve fine and gross motor skills of the children along with their physical endurance.

Besides our set parameters of recruitment, we look beyond the teachers being trained for the Early Childhood Education (ECE) levels. We choose teachers who are sensitive towards the children’s needs at a tender age and are sensitised enough to understand any customised wants of the children.

What distinguishes Brats n Cuties brand from various other preschool brands in the country?

At Brats n Cuties, learning means holistic growth. Therefore, our curriculum is heterogeneous mixture of themes, projects and activity based learning.

Which activities other than studies are conducted at Brats n Cuties to ensure holistic growth of the children?

Holistic growth at a tender age involves imparting skills, learning and ensuring physical and emotional growth. Hence, to strike a balance, we have a lot of age-specific physical drills to build up children’s physical endurance. Activities like pottery, rope tying, etc improve their gross and fine motor skills, while monthly themes and projects make them sensitive towards life and environment.

In a rapidly changing education landscape, it is important to have teachers who may develop children’s learning capabilities. What parameters Brats n Cuties follows to recruit teachers?

The recruitment of teachers is done very judiciously. Besides our set parameters of recruitment, we look beyond the teachers being trained for the Early Childhood Education (ECE) levels. We choose teachers who are sensitive towards the children’s needs at a tender age and are sensitised enough to understand any customised wants of the children. For us, post recruitment skill workshops conducted at school are more important to assess the credibility of a teacher over a period of time.

How does the curriculum help the preschool to create a balance between skill development and studies of the children?

Our curriculum is a mix-perfect blend of out-ofthe- box learning methodologies combined with projects, themes and learning objectives of the month, thus helping us maintain the right balance throughout the year.

Innovative to Unleash the Potential of Children

Interviews

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

September 29, 2017

JIE Preschool employs those teachers who love the children unconditionally, are patient, and have a nurturing personality. Their main goal is to participate in a child’s growth and development, learn to understand and help their students, and to use a child’s natural curiosity to develop a learning plan, says Avneet Kaur, Director, JIE School India Pvt Ltd, in conversation with Elets News Network (ENN).

To help students reach their maximum potential, how curriculum and strategies are modified at preschools?

Implementation of curriculum to meet the preschool standards is an ongoing process. Full understanding of curriculum and familiarity with appropriate developmental practices are necessary for their implementation. Children should be given time to be creative without any specific purpose and opportunity to work on their own.

To unleash the potential of the children, the teachers have an open dialogue with the children so that they can share their feelings and talk about their passion.

What are the parameters adopted by JIE Preschool to employ experienced and qualified teachers?

In our schools, we employ those teachers who love the children unconditionally, are patient, and have a nurturing personality. Their main goal is to participate in a child’s growth and development, learn to understand and help their students, and to use a child’s natural curiosity to develop a learning plan. Preschool teachers need to create an atmosphere where risks can be taken and discoveries can be made while maintaining a safe environment for children. A teacher should be able to create a climate of safety and respect, and when this happens learning follows automatically.

With an individual focus on every child, how their learning capabilities are enhanced?

Play builds the imagination, promotes social skills, advances physical and cognitive development. Play also helps kids work through emotions. Children seek attention of a teacher when they enter a classroom. Attention given to the children while playing or learning together build their self esteem.

What are your expansion plans for India and abroad?

We are a franchised business and we intend to expand it globally. Our main focus in India is in Tier three cities. We believe that there is a great untapped potential in these towns and cities. Currently, we are present in seven states of India but are looking forward to ensure our presence in maximum number of States. Internationally, we have entered Malaysia and the target is to enter more countries in future.

Nurturing Stimulated Learning Among Children

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

September 29, 2017

At Oi Playschool we work not just towards imparting education but imparting a lasting love for learning amongst children in a nurturing environment, says Prasannanjaneyulu Mandava, Joint Managing Director – People Combine Playschool Inititatives, in an interview with Elets News Network (ENN).

What is the significance of preschool in a child’s initial years of learning?

During a child’s early years, nearly 700 new neural connections are formed every single second. Ninety percent of a child’s brain development is complete in the first 2000 days after birth. A child’s early experiences are determined by the connections (wiring) formed in early childhood. It will also act as a foundation (strong or a weak) for his/her future of learning. While exposing babies and young children to a variety of experiences, it is also important to ensure that all are positive. Hence, a quality early-learning experience (at preschool) is very crucial for the better future of children.

What philosophy does Oi Playschool follow to prepare global leaders?

“Children are like buds in a garden and should be carefully and lovingly nurtured, as they are the future of the nation and the citizens of tomorrow,” Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru once said.

Oi Playschool Philosophy — The roots of our preschool philosophy come from the theories of Piaget, Erikson, and Vygotsky. We try to provide our students a platform for global learning through our pedagogy balanced with rich traditional values. At Oi, we enable a child to explore the world outside their homes in safe and stimulating environment. It is our duty to nurture the child socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually and to be a life-long learner.

A child’s early experiences are determined by the connections (wiring) formed in early childhood. It will also act as a foundation (strong or a weak) for his/her future of learning.

Infrastructure is an important parameter to provide an interesting and enabling environment at the preschool, what important aspects are being taken care of in this regard?

At Oi, we ensure to create infrastructure with a blend of the three most important aspects of a preschool – aesthetically designed child space, child-friendliness and functionality.

We concentrate on developing infrastructure which includes spacious, bright, colourful classrooms with open air space for outdoor play, carpeted flooring, clean, safe and sanitised environment and soft textured furniture designed, keeping safety of children in mind.

How the playschool in partnership with parents encourage independence, foster creativity, instil confidence amongst students?

Parents play a major role in the development of a child, as they are one of the greatest influencers. Oi promotes ‘Parent Partnership’, encouraging them to be actively involved in the child’s learning process. Through a series of events and activities over the year, parents and children come together to cherish their learnings and make fond memories.

Please describe about Oi Playschool’s initiative Eco CARE?

Eco CARE is an Oi Playschool initiative that aims to give students hands on understanding of the world around them. It is implemented once a month through planned, sustainable ecoactivities that encourage students to build a lasting relationship with nature.

Skilling india

Magazine

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

September 29, 2017

Vinesh Menon, Chief Executive Officer
Education, Skilling & Consulting Services, Vibgyor Group

Is there a conviction in this initiative?

When I was invited to write an article on Skill Development in India, I must confess that the first question I asked myself is if I am convinced that this initiative is indeed a value addition for our nation and not just another political plank to help create a positive agenda for a particular political party or government.

I started to do my own little checks and research on this more so with the common everyday hard working bread earning citizens of the country…the domestic help, the chauffeurs, the masons, construction workers, our longstanding house help at my mother’s home whose grown up son is now looking for a job and many more. I am more than convinced after some of these practical connects that if we do not take this initiative seriously as a citizen of this country, we are likely to reach a stage where the gap between the haves and have nots will widen and the number of youngsters who would be on the edge of anarchy due to frustration will be on the rise. India cannot afford a scenario such as that.

So, lets visit the Basics first – what is Skilling ? what is this initiative ? Why is the word starting to become a buzzword and why is there still a lack of conviction in mass propogating this initiative ?

Here is a list of points that will give an insight into this ecosystem.

1. Multiple reports and findings by experts indicate that the number of Indians entering the job market in the coming years could far exceed the number of traditional jobs that exist in India. One of the reports released by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) pegs the number at only 140 million jobs for more than 3 times increase in the working age population in the coming 5 to 7 years.

2. India continues to be challenged by High School Drop out rates, lack of formal vocational training, lack of capacity for skill training and lack of industry ready skills.

3. Most of the skills acquired by the youth are due to default option of not finding any other means to earn a livelihood and hence skill related labor starts to become a social stigma in society. The stigma alienates the citizens from one an other and the sheer lack of respect leads to wage labor unions and strikes and distrust.

4. India has only 2% of its population as skilled workforce as against 45% in china and 65 – 80% in countries like UK, Germany and Japan. Korea has 96% of its population trained in key skills.

5. Nearly 24 sectors need 119 million additional skilled workers – To quote Rajiv Pratap Rudy, the minister for skill development, many skilled work force are needed in Chemicals & Fertilizers, Pharmaceuticals, Steel & Mining, Coal, Power & Renewable Energy, Social Justice & Empowerment areas, Heavy Industries, Construction, handloom etc.

With Make in India programs, emphasis on wider education delivery, focus on manufacturing and a population that will continue to be demographically inclined towards the youth, Skilling initiatives will be a core requirement to help sustain India’s growth engine amongst the faster developing economies of the world.

So what is the missing Link ?

1. Communication & Awareness – How many of us are aware that there is an Annual World Skill contest that happens every year in one of the countries ? Do you know Saudi Arabia is conducting one in Year 2017 ?Do you know if India is sending a contingent to pit our skilled workforce against the world’s best ? Do you think it will be good for a us to cheer India in this area just as we do for other sports ?

2. Start Early – Let us accept some realities. In government schools where the failure rate is high and drop outs happen quite often, the reality is that not all of the 50 to 60 children of the class will break out to become engineers and doctors and chartered accountants and Bankers. There will be a high percentage of the class that will fall by the way side and when they finally pass out or drop out and realise that the big wide world out there will not absorb them into certain jobs , they tend to take up skilling as a Default Option and NOT by design – it is high time that we provide inputs at an early stage in school to enable skilling expertise in time and get them better prepared than face a rude shock later.

3. Industry needs Plug & Play workforce – The industry does not have the resources or the financial strength to train their workforce over jobs that they have been taken for. Give them a Ready to Work workforce and they will lap it up. The whole concept of Identifying – Training & Placement therefore becomes a complete circle and a win win for both the employer and the potential employee who undergoes active skill training.

4. Combine Skilling with Soft Skill training – Have you imagined a future world of electricians, beauticians, counter manning employees, welders, plumbers and so on who would be able to speak clear English, show high quality of service levels, will maintain high levels of hygiene and discipline ? This can be achieved if we start combining Skilling training with soft skills management at an early age and make this a course by choice and not by default.

5. Create Skill Ambassadors – How many of you have been reading the tweets of the Honorable minister for Skill Development ? Many of his tweets reflect success stories of many employees who have benefitted from skill development. Citizens of smaller towns, villages who have got gainfully employed with reputed industries. Why cannot we have these folks turn into Skill Ambassadors and pave the way to further increase awareness and communication of this program ?

I believe that if each of us citizens who have been far more privileged than many others genuinely try to peel the onion and try to recognize the void that exists in the Indian employment diaspora, we will automatically be convinced about the need for skill development and soon we will start having social conversations about this important topic with the same fervor as we do for topics such as Re Skilling of our much luckier and privileged IT Sector workforce.

EuroKids: Reinventing Preschool Education

Interviews

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

September 29, 2017

EuroKids International, India’s NextGen preschools, is synonymous with quality early child education in the country. With more than 900 preschools in over 350 cities, having nurtured over 3,00,000 children and won over 18 awards in the education segment, EuroKids is setting new benchmarks by reinventing education, writes Prajodh Rajan, Co-founder and CEO, EuroKids, in conversation with Elets News Network (ENN).

preschool is the child’s first experience away from the parents and it’s a huge leap for both the parents as well as for the child. As the child takes the first step into a new world, EuroKids makes the child feel comfortable and offers a nurturing learning environment. By providing emphasis on the child’s security, a structured curriculum and ensuring the child’s well-being and development in close coordination with parents, EuroKids preschool is truly a child’s second home!

At EuroKids, we keep the ‘Child First’ ideology at the core of our pedagogy. Our focus invariably remains on understanding the needs of the child and directing initiatives that are solely childcentric. Our curriculum is powered by our years of experience in nurturing young minds and research from the Centre on the Developing Child at Harvard University that aims to develop ‘Executive Function Skills’ (EFS) in children that are crucial for building positive behavior in children from an early age.

EuroKids preschools are equipped with CCTV cameras and customised child-friendly furniture to avoid injuries at preschool. Toys at EuroKids are 100 per cent non-toxic and are cleansed and disinfected at regular intervals. All the teachers, staff and support staff (maids) undergo police verification, background check and previous employer check prior to being employed.

At EuroKids, we keep the ‘Child First’ ideology at the core of our pedagogy. Our focus invariably remains on understanding the needs of the child and directing initiatives that are solely childcentric

Innovations at EuroKids
S. P.E.A. K .
S.P.E.A.K is a phonic-based language programme which helps children learn language with emphasis on pronunciation, diction and proficiency.

Learn2Play
Learn2Play toy library gives your child access to learning based toys that are aimed at developing 13 skills like logical reasoning, abstract thinking, aesthetics, visual perception, analytical reasoning, etc.

Wellness@EuroKids
Wellness initiative caters to the well-being of children through health check-ups that are done by pediatric experts and one-on-one consultations for four parameters – paediatric, ENT, dental and eyesight. Parents are given report cards with comments and feedback that help to assess health of the child.

EuroGym & EuroMusic
EuroGym is India’s first specialised children’s gym. It includes a healthy dose of running, jumping and movement to keep your child active. The EuroMusic Programme provides age-appropriate musical experiences that help your child discover and develop an ear for music.

MyBuddy Smart Locator
MyBuddy smart locator is a wearable device for children that helps track a child’s location outside of home. It also gives the child the power to reach out to you incase of emergency.

EuroKids Buddy App
The EuroKids Buddy App for parents provides realtime updates about a child’s day at the preschool. It enables them to receive important notifications and updates, monitor observations and exchange messages with EuroKids and vice-versa.

Reforming Higher Education Landscape in Chhattisgarh Holistically

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

September 29, 2017

From infrastructure to Information Communication Technology (ICT), the Chhattisgarh Government is trying to revamp the higher education landscape of the State in every aspect, says Bhuvanesh Yadav, Joint Secretary, Department of Higher Education and Additional Charge of Mission Director RUSA, in an interview with Susmriti Sahu of Elets News Network (ENN).

What has been done so far to improve the higher education scenario in Chhattisgarh?

There are 206 government colleges and seven universities including private universities. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in the State is around 13 per cent, far behind the national average of GER which is around 22. Certain measures have been taken by the Chhattisgarh Government to equate the GER of the State with that of the national average. The most important of those measures is the implementation of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA). RUSA is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), launched in 2013, with an aim to provide strategic funding to eligible higher educational institutions of different states. The scheme focuses on three major aspects: Access to education, equity among children and providing quality education.

For easy access of higher education to youth of the State, we are coming up with four new universities at Jagdalpur, Bilaspur, Durg and Ambikapur. Under RUSA, grant of Rs 20 crore has been sanctioned for the construction of each new university.

Apart from this, grant of Rs 2 crore for constructing eight classrooms and two toilets has been sanctioned for each of the 54 colleges in the State. It would help the colleges to increase overall intake of students by around 50,000 annually. It will directly lead to the increase in the GER and to provide easy access of education to the students, we are trying to enhance the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in education. We have made it compulsory to provide leased lines to the leading colleges at district level. Last year, we have given Wi-Fi Network to around 50 colleges. Few colleges have their own network that has been provided under the scheme of UGC. We are also focusing on providing smart classrooms and virtual classrooms to the colleges as well.

What initiatives have been undertaken by the Chhattisgarh Government to improve the Gross Enrolment Ratio in the State?

We are opening new colleges and starting new courses in the existing colleges to increase the intake of students. We are opening eight classrooms in each of the 54 colleges that will lead to increase in intake of students by 50,000 annually that will automatically lead to improvement in GER.

What are the major challenges in implementing ICT across Chhattisgarh and how those challenges are overcome?

The major challenges that we face include problem of connectivity. We do not have good connectivity. In order to overcome that we are trying to get leased lines for our leading colleges. We are trying to develop icloud also so that students can benefit. Other major initiatives taken up by Chhattisgarh Government under the leadership of Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh was that the students who are coming to colleges were given computers, laptops and smart tabs. They are using those appliances to watch the sessions recorded by us on important topics by eminent lecturers. We are distributing these accessories in colleges located in remote districts of the State.

We have a shortage of good quality teachers. We are facing around 30 per cent shortage of lecturers. We are trying to recruit new assistant professors and professors. We have recruited around 500 new assistant professors and very soon we are going to recruit 1,000 lecturers through Public Service Commission.

For easy access of higher education to youth of the State, we are coming up with four new universities at Jagdalpur, Bilaspur, Durg and Ambikapur. Under RUSA, grant of Rs 20 crore has been sanctioned for the construction of each new university.

What are the Government’s top three priorities for increasing efficiency and effectiveness of higher education?

We are actually stressing on modifying the curriculum as it is outdated. We have formed a community of vice chancellors to improve the curriculum in accordance with the new scenario and this is in the process. We also want to improve employability amongst the students by introducing certain vocational courses. Chhattisgarh is one of the first States which have started vocational courses. Additionally, we are trying to introduce courses training programmes for students to improve their employability. We have tied up with IITs and Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to develop 300 hours course on communication and computer skills. We are also trying to improve employability courses like sales and retail management that students may pursue in addition to their graduation. It will make the students more employable after their graduation.

What is the vision behind implementing ICT in the learning scenario?

If students are taught through audio-visual tools, they pay more attention and tend to remember more and it helps them to relate things in a better way. We are promoting and installing virtual classrooms, smart classrooms and smart libraries containing pre-recorded lectures of important topics from various eminent professors for students to learn effectively. To provide them with extra input, we are trying to focus that every college has a Wi-Fi so that they can search more things about their subjects. We are also planning to distribute them Tablets pre-loaded with the content of certain important topics of the subjects.

Fostering Cognitive Development Among Children

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

September 29, 2017

The preschools brand – Sanfort – a pioneer partner of “Trinity College London” – is all about bridging the learning gap in the early years of the children. The brand has around 150 preschools in 22 States of India and two abroad. S K Rathor, Founder and Managing Director, Sanfort Group, shares the success story of the brand in an interview with Elets News Network (ENN).

What kind of role Sanfort is playing in the child education system in India? Today’s parents are more concerned about their child’s education. In a competitive landscape, children need to acquire a multitude of skills to become successful adults. From communication to coping with stress along with innovation help children to become successful in life. Sanfort is bridging the learning gap and preparing children for the life ahead.

What distinction Sanfort holds to have an edge in the existing competitive market?

Our learning environment has adopted 21st century approaches and a process-oriented model. In the preschool space, we are having one of the most innovative curriculums. We take effective, time-tested elements of traditional learning, and infuse them with cutting-edge technology and resources. We have a unique Smart Learning System with Touch ‘N’ Learn technology. Everything is designed to be at the teacher’s fingertips — the learning content, student progress, and parent communication are all managed within a mobile application.

You recently entered the K-12 school segment as well, please brief about it. After building a strong foundation in preschool education, we entered the Primary and K-12 school space. Being a young nation with around 65 per cent of the population under the age of 35, the school segment has a huge potential in the market, both at the preschool as well as at K-12 school level. We strongly believe that the quality education should not be restricted to metros or big cities. People in tier-2 and tier-3 cities are becoming aware about the importance of quality education, which has resulted into the demand of good schools in these cities as well.

We have a brand and strategy that has been proven successful to attract and retain students, as well as excite and engage parents. We have strong branding, strong demographics research, and child-centric curriculum that parents love.

What is the reason behind tapping the franchise model for expansion and how has franchising helped in your business growth?

I strongly believe that franchising is the most powerful method for scalability in the entire business world and it is a winning formula both for the franchisors and the franchises. It is a great way to expand our network, as we have people to manage our locations without paying salaries. In this model, we can grow the number of centres without tapping much of our own capital, as the franchise owns the cost to open and operate the branch.

In a franchise model, a lot depends upon your franchise partner. What criteria do you follow to choose right franchise partner and how well you bond with them?

In a franchise model, success or failure of a brand depends on the success or failure of the franchisees. So, it is very important to choose right partners. We look into their financial status and social reputation. Their educational background and passion towards the education profession is also very important. Once we chose a partner, we give them proper training and inputs to run the business and complete hand- holding to make the venture successful.

How has been your journey so far?

The journey was not easy, as it involved a lot of investment, restless efforts and many sleepless nights. But the experience gave us a lot of learning, a successful brand, and recognition.

Today, Sanfort has a proven business model, refined strategies and best support system in the industry, which are the key factors of a successful franchise business. We are awarded as “Franchisor of the year 2016 – School Education”, “Most Trusted Brand for Preschool of the Year”, “Preschool Chain for Innovation and Value-based Education”, Indian Education Award 2016 for “Best Infrastructure in Early Childhood Education” and World Education Award for “Leading Preschool Chain – National”.

What is your message for those who wish to be your potential franchises?

We have a brand and strategy that has been proven successful to attract and retain students, as well as excite and engage parents. We have strong branding, strong demographics research, and child-centric curriculum that parents love. These are the key factors that are required to establish a successful preschool.

LATEST NEWS

Top Trending News

Top Trending Categories