Page 14 - Alka Sharma

Eduleader

bytes

What were the prime factors behind the promotion of CPS in 1989?
From a very young age I became aware of the life-transformative power of meaningful education. It
was unacceptable that Udaipur my home town lacked a good quality English-medium school. It’s a
matter of great satisfaction that CPS is the city’s top-ranked day-cum-boarding school in the Educa-
tionWorld India School Rankings for the past few years.

What are the distinguishing features of CPS primary-secondary education?
In CPS we are guided by eight golden principles of child development — social, spiritual, emotional,
physical, mental, language development, habits and routine, and skills enhancement. Our USP is that
we ensure all-round development of children. Our distinctive blend of academics, sports, co-curricular,
life-skills and values education is the prime factor behind the success of CPS.

Some eight years ago you also promoted the Rockwoods School...
Rockwoods School is our response to the pressing demand of parents in Udaipur for international
curriculums and pedagogies to develop students’ critical thinking, communication, creativity and col-
laboration skills. There’s deep awareness within this progressive city that international education and
certification is important for success in our rapidly globalising world of the 21st century.

Thinker/philosopher you admire the most.
Swami Vivekananda, whose definition of education — “Education by which character is formed,
strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded, and by which one can stand on one’s feet”.
This drives the ethos and character of our schools.

Your leadership style.
I believe in leading from the front and have developed a blend of participative and trust-building lead-
ership style.

Your favourite book on Education.
Although not strictly a book on education, my personal favourite is Srimad Bhagavata for its valuable
knowledge and wisdom.

How satisfied are you with the growth and development of CPS and Rockwoods?
I am very pleased that CPS and Rockwoods are strong brands writing their own success stories.

Pessimistic or optimistic about the future of education in India?
Very optimistic. With the Central government having announced several progressive education ini-
tiatives, and think-tanks, educationists and private edupreneurs engaged in shaping and promoting
quality education institutions, the future of education in India is bright. I believe India has the potential
to become a global education hub attracting students from around the world.

What are your future plans?
After three decades of providing progressive K-12 education in Udaipur, we are planning to reach out
to other towns and cities of Rajasthan. On the drawing board is a residential school inspired by ancient
India’s gurukul system and perhaps a wholly residential liberal arts university for women inspired by
India’s ancient Nalanda University that attracted students from around the world.

236 | 21 Leaders Transforming Indian Education