Page 26 - EW August 2023

Education News

students groups representing coun-
tries discuss international issues and
learn the skills of debate, diplomacy,
negotiation and draft resolutions.
An annual fixture at The Lawrence
School, Sanawar (TLSS, estb.1847),
India’s top-ranked vintage co-ed
boarding school in the latest Edu-
cationWorld India School Rankings
2022-23, the Sanawar MUN or SNA-
MUN ’23 now in its sixth year, was
threatened by inclement weather.
But the host school’s students-run
secretariat pulled out all stops to en-
sure full-house participation. “We re-
turned to school on July 20 after the
break, and mailed videos of blocked
roads opened for traffic and shared
them with participating schools and
delegates conveying the message that SNAMUN 2023 snapshot: boarding schools comeback
it was quite convenient to travel to
Sanawar,” says Aditya Das, a class Health Organisation) — are making a Within the country’s middle class,
XII student and secretary-general of comeback in middle class conscious- there’s emerging awareness that our
SNAMUN ’23. ness. SNAMUN ’23 was a success rapidly deteriorating cities experi-
s a result, 100 student delegates despite the rain gods having show- encing heavy pollution, perpetual
Aand teacher coordinators from ered excessive bounty on TLSS. traffic jams which require day school
11 boarding/day-cum boarding “Over the course of three days, we children to endure long commutes,
schools across the country including discovered exceptional talent from and shrinking play spaces, are
Army Public School, Dagshai (HP), participating schools. Because of in- robbing them of their right to an
KK Blossoms School, Solan, Mayo clement weather, the number of par- enjoyable and fulfilling childhood.
Boys College, Ajmer, Modern School, ticipant schools was not on a par with In particular, girls boarding schools
Barakhamba, Delhi, Pinegrove, So- previous years. But the consensus which offer high quality education
lan, St. Kabir Public School, Chan- was that our best schools are shap- in safe and secure environments, are
digarh, Rajkumar College, Rajkot, ing a next generation ready to drive experiencing a resurgence as crimes
Yadavindra Public School, Patiala, progress and make our shared planet against women and girl children are
and Mussoorie International School a better, more harmonious place for rising unchecked in the country’s
made their way to the host school in everyone,” says Himmat Singh chaotic cities. Moreover, boarding
Sanawar to discuss ‘Peace, Justice Dhillon, the highly experienced schools which draw students from
and Sustainability’ at SNAMUN ’23. headmaster of TLSS, who has served all castes and communities appeal to
The three-day event also brought in leadership positions in schools in liberal and educated parents because
back bad memories of the Covid-19 Indonesia and the UAE prior to tak- they tend to be secular and progres-
pandemic, which had posed a threat ing charge at TLSS in 2020. sive institutions offering lifelong
to all boarding schools as parents Furthermore, it was agreed that friendships and networking opportu-
preferred to keep children at home India’s boarding schools have a good nities for children.”
or in neighbouring day schools. future despite left academics and This trend is confirmed by Dhil-
However, after the end of the pan- media pundits routinely pillory- lon. “Compared to boarding schools
demic, boarding schools — especially ing them for “elitism”. Presciently, in the UK and US, India’s are very
upscale boarding schools in hill sta- Sumer Singh, former headmaster affordable. Moreover, they have
tions and Himalayan foothills, which of Daly College and currently an embraced contemporary digital
offer clean air and healthy lifestyles independent education consultant technologies and introduced new
at a time when India’s chaotic cities and incumbent president of the pedagogies to the extent that they
are setting world records for measur- Boarding Schools Association of are on a par with the best residential
able environment pollution, 14 of the India, had told EducationWorld way schools worldwide. We have a bright
world’s 20 most polluted cities are back in 2018: “Residential schools future,” he says.
in India according to WHO (World are becoming popular once again. The success of SNAMUN ’23 is

26 EDUCATIONWORLD AUGUST 2023