Page 14 - Grace Pinto

Eduleader

bytes

Over the past 43 years RIGI has grown into India’s largest proprietary chain of schools. What were the prime factors
behind the steady growth and development of RIGI?
Forty three years ago, God planted a seed in my husband Augustine’s heart and directed us to make affordable,
high-quality English medium education available to India’s children. With God’s blessing and the support of well-wish-
ers and stakeholders including teachers, students and parents we have been fairly successful in spreading the light of
K-12 education across the country.

What would you say is the most significant impact of RIGI on Indian K-12 education?
I believe that educating over a quarter million children every day to develop them into knowledgeable responsible
citizens is our major contribution to society. Moreover, RIGI provides employment to over 16,000 teachers and 20,000
support staff, which has enabled financial empowerment of thousands of households.

What are the distinguishing features of a RIGI education?
Academic rigour complemented with life-skills, values education and global exposure.

Thinker/philosopher you admire the most.
Aristotle, for his tremendous contribution to metaphysics, logic, poetry, linguistics, and government.

Your leadership style.
Inspire others to dream big and empower them to achieve institutional and personal goals.

Your favourite book on education.
Creative Schools: The Grassroots Revolution that’s Transforming Education by Ken Robinson & Lou Aronica

How satisfied are you with the growth and development of RIGI?
I believe RIGI has made a significant impact on India’s K-12 education sector by demonstrating that it is possible to
provide high-quality English-medium education at all price points.

Pessimistic or optimistic about the future of education in India?
Very optimistic, I believe constantly improving preschool to university education will help India reap the benefits of its
demographic dividend in the near future.

What are RIGI’s future growth and development plans?
We plan to expand our schools network to cover tier-II and III cities in India as well as in the UAE. Moreover, we want
to utilise the power of new technologies to make affordable high-quality education accessible to children living in the
remotest regions of India.

76 | 21 Great Leaders Transforming Indian Education