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MESSAGE FROM
THE PRO-VICE CHAIRPERSON
Q 1. What is your vision for education in India, especially for the school? What drew you towards the field
of education?
Within the past few decades, education has transitioned in so many ways. From chalkboards to smart
boards, sitting in rows to online teaching, notebooks to iPad. Infact, the entire way of growing up has
changed to a large extent! Our ever-changing society is increasingly diverse, tech savvy and
multidisciplinary—as is education!
There is an apt saying, ‘The future belongs to those, who prepare for it today.’ At PWS, our vision is to
empower our multi-faceted learners to go beyond academic success, and shape out as good human
beings! Being ‘Future Ready’ is the sine qua non of today’s education-critical thinking, resourcefulness,
optimistic attitude and confidence to think on one’s feet are an essential part of our life; hence we
endeavour to inculcate amongst our learners’, skills which enable them to face the real world.
Perhaps, inspired by our students, I embraced the idea of a life-long learner and chose to be an educator
mostly because I feel, I can strongly collaborate and contribute to create a better world based on the edifice of ‘Self
Discovery and Change’.
Q2. Considering that you’ve completed your higher education abroad, what are various attributes of
education in the western developed countries that schools in India need to adopt?
In India at large, there is a fixed curriculum at every level, which is vast and has an
undue focus on theory with little connection to challenges faced by the world in the
present times. Redundant theoretical practices cannot keep pace with the 21
st
century’s social and technological changes. Practical knowledge and its application
in the form of group work, experiments, projects, research and problem-solving
case studies; enables learners to master skills and knowledge required for the
real world. This has been my biggest learning with my education abroad; and
therefore, the curriculum at PWS is framed in a way, to let our children evolve
by experiencing things rather than merely cramming!
Another indispensable factor is to create global citizens who are
confident, possess high self-esteem and are patriotic. It’s imperative to
instil amongst our children, the feeling of pride and respect towards
their culture, heritage and traditions. Like it’s rightly averred, ‘A
nation’s culture resides in the hearts and soul of its people.’
Together we must strive to build a stronger Nation!
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Q3. Please share any experience of your school time that you will always cherish?
I have completed my schooling from 7 different schools and my fondest memories are from the enjoyable time
spent with diverse people. My biggest learnings were from the group work we did, like organising fund raising
events, going on school trips together, participating in competitions as a team, organising a farewell, going out for
surveys and data collection etc.
My first fund raising event was when I was in II grade. It was a bake sale at school. I baked a batch of cookies with
my mother, and one of my teachers decorated them beautifully with colourful icing! Those were a hit, we sold
them all. I still have a memory of the smell of those freshly baked cookies and oh their taste, was the best I’ve ever
had! Every year, once, I do attempt to bake a batch of cookies and experience that joy again…. But like they say, it’s
hard to replicate your first experience!
These events pose real life challenges before children and tests their inherent skills in real life scenarios. After all,
that’s how Arnold Fornachou came up with the idea of an ‘Ice Cream Softy Cone’ when he ran out of paper cups at
his school fair!
Q4. How do you visualize the Pacificans in the coming years?
The odyssey of the school started with 200 children, and since then there has been no looking back!
Each child at the PWS is a sublime vessel of knowledge, values and ethics. I passionately believe that by working
on the basics like sensitivity towards the environment, empathy for fellow beings, responsibility as leaders and
members of the social fabric; will go miles in making this world a better place. As educators how we shape our
children matters the most. As rightly said by Nelson Mandela, “History will judge us by the difference we make in
the everyday lives of our children.”
So, I perceive our children as the
‘Torchbearers of Humility, Empathy,
Compassion and Wisdom’. Together
they will create and sustain a stronger
world!
So ‘Keep Shining’ and attain the ‘Zenith
of Success’!
Nidhi Bansal
Pro-Vice Chairperson
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