Page 8 - Alka Sharma

HISTORY

milestones

orn into a well-educated professional household — her father B.P. Joshi rose to the position of
B chief engineer in the public works department of Rajasthan — Sharma was schooled in St. Patrick’s,
Jodhpur and Kendriya Vidyalaya, Udaipur. However, as soon as she completed her Plus Two, as per
the custom of the times she married at the young age of 17 and her daughter Pooja was born a year
later. But early motherhood didn't deter Sharma from continuing her education. She signed up for an
undergrad programme at a college in Jodhpur, and was awarded a bachelors degree in science. “My
son Deepak was born a day after I wrote my final year B.Sc exam,” she recalls. Nevertheless despite
having to discharge parenting duties, she pressed on to acquire a postgraduate degree in English from
Rajasthan University.

“The seeds of my ambition to become an educator germinated in my mind at a very young age. When
I was in class V while visiting my aunt who was headmistress of a small village school, I was requested
to take an English class for an absent teacher. I loved the experience and I resolved to promote a prima-
ry-secondary school of my own. Though I married young, I was fortunate that I had a very supportive
husband and in-laws who encouraged me to complete my education. Later after I qualified, my father-
in-law K.C. Sharma, a former deputy director of education of Rajasthan, provided valuable advice and
guidance to enable me to promote the Central Public School 30 years ago in a rented building with

a first batch of 85 students and seven teachers,” recalls Sharma. She also recalls that bank finance for Snapshot
education institutions was a constraint and in 2004 she had to mortgage the family home as collateral
to avail a loan to establish a computer lab in CPS.
Estb: 1989
Looking back on her early years as the Lake City’s pioneer edupreneur, Sharma says they were a great Institutions: 2
learning experience in entrepreneurship and organisation management. “With the benefit of my expe- Students: 3,500
rience of starting and consolidating CPS, it was relatively easy to promote and establish the Cambridge
International-affiliated Rockwoods School which currently has an enrolment of 1,800 boys and girls Faculty: 200
tutored by over 100 teachers. It’s a matter of pride and satisfaction that both these day schools are Affiliation: CBSE, Cambridge International (UK)
highly respected by the parents community of Udaipur,” says Sharma — also a Reiki healer and master
trainer who routinely signs up for teacher training workshops and seminars because of her belief that
“learning should never stop”. Institutions

Central Public School (estb.1989)
Rockwoods School (2011)

230 | 21 Leaders Transforming Indian Education