Page 16 - EW November 2024

Education News

formulators and directors of exami- ‘Mainstreaming Mind-
nation boards (who design school fulness in Early Educa-
syllabuses) to heed Mahatma Gan- tion’. The panelists were
dhi’s advice that education should Kiran Bir Sethi, founder
coordinate head, heart and hands of top-ranked Riverside
learning. School, Ahmedabad;
Since independence, India has Deki Choden, Found-
been churning out brahmanical en- ing-Principal of Bhu-
gineering graduates who can’t repair tan’s premier ELC High
a malfunctioning kitchen sink or School, Thimpu; Alexis
mend a fuse. And arts and commerce Harris, Director of the
graduates are qualified for little more Compassionate School
than clerical jobs. Therefore, the sud- Project and Profes-
den burst of activity in the rarified sor at the University of
offices of AICTE and UGC to embed Virginia; Richa Gupta,
practical shopfloor and workplace GMC blueprint: India-friendly global financial hub Co-founder and CEO of
experience in undergrad degree pro- Labhya, Delhi and Celi-
grammes is an overdue development. for conceptualising GNH as a nation- na De Sola, Co-founder and President
Better late than never. al development metric, the important of Glasswing, El Salvador.
Autar Nehru (Delhi) task of designing an aligned K-12 ed- n the panel discussion, Deki Choden
ucation system has been assigned to Irecounted problems with incor-
BHUTAN veteran educationist Arun Kapur, porating GNH mandated for imple-
New happiness founding headmaster of Delhi’s Vas- mentation in all Bhutanese schools in
2010, into ELC’s classrooms because
ant Valley School (VVS, estb.1990),
routinely ranked India’s #1 co-ed day of the general perception that “mind-
school in the annual EducationWorld fulness was for hermits”. But over the
curriculum India School Rankings (EWISR). years, GNH principles have become
or introducing the metric of After retiring from VVS, over the well-established. “For instance, ELC
Gross National Happiness past decade Kapur has served as ad- has a mindfulness gong that is struck
F(GNH) as a counter to individ- viser to King Jigme Wangchuck at regular intervals to remind stu-
ually stressful and environmentally and established Druk Gyalpo (royal) dents and teachers to take a pause,
destructive national development schools in all 23 districts of the king- breathe, and quieten the chatter in
metrics such as GNP (gross national dom which teach the sui generis Bhu- their minds,” she said. “Children also
product) and GDP (gross domestic tan Baccalaureate programme. Draw- go on short mindfulness walks that
product), the independent Himalayan ing inspiration from the teachings of provide a space for them to connect
kingdom of Bhutan (pop.787,000) has the kingdom’s much revered Guru with nature and themselves,” she
attained global renown. In early Oc- Padmasambhava, which stress the added. ELC has also partnered with
tober (1-3), a conference of the Bhu- importance of looking inward for pri- Riverside School to implement the
tan Innovation Forum was convened mordial wisdom and inner awakening, latter’s Design for Change programme
in Dungkar Dzong in Pangbisa, Paro, the Bhutan Baccalaureate programme being implemented in 60,000 schools
to showcase the progress of Bhutan’s is being developed for global export. worldwide.
ambitious Gelephu Mindfulness City “Although BBP comprises a rig- Speaking anonymously on the
(GMC) that is assuming shape and orous evolving academic curriculum sidelines of the three-day Bhutan In-
form along Bhutan’s border with In- vetted and certified by the Advance novation Forum, Bhutan officials were
dia, touching Assam. Placements (USA) exam board, its unanimous that India (and Indian ed-
According to a report in The Econ- unique feature is that it teaches chil- ucationists in particular) enjoy enor-
omist (October 17), when completed, dren how to learn through sustained mous goodwill in Bhutan which geo-
GMC will “cover over 1,000 sq. km development of their cerebral, physi- graphically, is sandwiched between
making it bigger than Singapore. Pow- cal, emotional and social intelligenc- India and China. They warn that
ered by hydro-energy, it is designed es,” explains Kapur. Chinese officials would dearly love
to house a million people including The highlight of the three-day to play a greater role in developing
digital nomads, Buddhist pilgrims and Bhutan Innovation Forum was an GMC which is envisaged to become
wealthy expatriates”. enlightening panel discussion, mod- an India-friendly global financial hub
Against the backdrop of Bhutan erated by Sheila Sarma of the SRS — like Hong Kong is for China. In the
having acquired a global reputation Family Foundation on the theme circumstances, Indian officials and

16 EDUCATIONWORLD NOVEMBER 2024