Page 69 - EW January 2025

Full house: delegates at EW-BSAI Leadership Retreat Varanasi 2024

ary for delegates that included a ‘cultural immersion’ as an
introduction to Varanasi, famously described as the world’s
oldest city and a hub of Hindu civilisation and culture. Over
three days, delegates were treated to early morning Ganges
cruises, Ganga aartis and a visit to Sarnath where Gautam,
the Buddha delivered his first sermon.
DECEMBER 21. DAY 1. Delegates were welcomed by BSAI of-
fice bearers and EW personnel at the Hotel HHI in Varanasi
between 12 noon-2 pm. After lunch, they were taken on
a tour of the Sarnath Temple and ruins, an excursion
of two hours duration. After tea and refreshments at the
Sunbeam School, Varuna, the Education Leadership Re-
treat II was formally inaugurated in the school’s spacious
auditorium with a lamp-lighting ceremony and inaugural
addresses by Dr. Sumer Singh, President of BSAI, and Dilip Inauguration ceremony
Thakore, Publisher-Editor of EducationWorld.
In his Presidential Address, Dr. Sumer Singh ex- schools, the national interest demands that leadership
plained the genesis of the EW-BSAI partnership concep- lectures, debates and conferences of BSAI members are
tualised to empower and enable India’s K-12 schools to opened up to all K-12 education leaders. The challenge
raise education standards to global norms. This, said Dr. before Indian education is to ensure that all our children
Singh, is a prerequisite of the country attaining developed are provided good quality primary-secondary education,
nation status by 2047, a goal set by Prime Minister Modi necessary for them to realise their full potential in higher
for the centenary year of India’s independence from almost and professional education. For this, school promoters and
200 years of debilitating British rule. This goal is likely to principals have to transform into great institution builders
prove elusive unless K-12 teaching-learning standards are and leaders. Therefore, the carefully conceptualised and
sharply improved on a mass scale countrywide, said Singh crafted EW-BSAI Leadership Retreats have been opened
in his brief welcome address to delegates during which he up to all schools, including day schools. I’m sure boarding
thanked hosts Sunbeam Group for the “cultural immersion” school trustees and principals can also learn a lot from day
education programme. school leaders who manage much larger schools,” said Dr.
“Although BSAI is an association of India’s boarding Singh.

JANUARY 2025 EDUCATIONWORLD 69