Page 55 - Education World September 2021

high-quality English-medium CBSE box supplemented with digital les-
education to children in tier-II and sons and expert support, delivered
III towns with priority given to directly to children’s homes. This
places where Dalmia Bharat Group home-learning programme for chil-
manufacturing facilities are lo- dren aged two-six years provides a
cated. The curriculum is designed hybrid model of learning for parents
to develop children into respectful, to implement as facilitators. Sup-
socially conscious and productive ported by high-quality video content
global citizens and leaders grounded on a gamified platform, Klaytopia
in Indian culture, traditions and provides 30 hours of constructive
ethos. For instance, a distinguishing engagement for preschoolers and
feature of DVM schools is that all of young learners.
them teach children Sanskrit from History. An engineering and busi-
preschool onwards,” says Williams. ness management alum of BITS,
Future plans. With the centenary Pilani and Case Western Reserve
year around the corner, in 2024 — University, Cleveland (USA), Sri-
the first DVM school, Dalmia Vidya kanth acquired over two decades of
Williams: unique curriculum initiative Mandir, Chirawa (Udaipur) was valuable work experience with major
promoted in 1924 — the trustees corporations such as Nestle, the
Nadu, Gujarat, Bihar and Megha- have drawn up an ambitious plan to Cleveland Clinic and the OCS Group
laya) across the country. promote additional primary-second- — UK’s largest facilities management
Newspeg. In July, DVM schools aries in Tamil Nadu, Assam, West company — in India, America and
became the first countrywide to Bengal, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Africa prior to his appointment as
introduce formal teaching of a Desh Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. COO (2017) and subsequently CEO
Bhakti (patriotic) curriculum named “When schools are permitted to of KLAY Preschools & Daycare in
Bharat Gaurav Yatra. Children learn reopen in the post-pandemic era, May 2020.
about India’s heritage, history and there will be a surge in demand for Direct talk. “March 2020 was a major
heroes through print narratives and culturally rooted quality education of inflection point for India’s education
animated videos. “Currently, this the type DVM schools provide. I’m ecosystem. As a leading provider
curriculum is for primary and middle confident we will have no problem in of ECCE (early childhood care and
school classes. We will soon add filling our schools to capacity,” says education) we were quick to realise
modules for secondary and higher Williams. the importance of learning continu-
secondary students. We plan to offer Autar Nehru (Delhi) ity and immediately started develop-
this carefully designed curriculum to ing age-appropriate digital at-home
5,000 schools countrywide through Home learning learning programmes. To address
free-of-charge licensing agreements,” apprehensions about digital over-
says Williams. exposure, we provided early learners
History. An alumna of Agra and edupreneur Srikanth: learning continuity innovator
Middlesex (UK) universities, Wil-
liams has brought with her over 30
years of rich K-12 academic and .K. SRIKANTH is chief execu-
administrative experience in India tive officer of the Bengaluru-
and abroad. She started her career Abased KLAY Preschools and
with the reputed Delhi Public School Daycare (Founding Years Learning
Society (estb.1939) where she served Solutions Pvt. Ltd, estb.2012) — a
as founder-principal of several DPS chain of over 150 owned pre-pri-
schools in Delhi NCR, UAE and maries and daycare centres — well-
Singapore (1991-2010) followed by reputed for high-quality curriculums
a six-year tenure (2010-2016) as and safety standards.
regional director (north India) of Zee Newspeg. In its latest education
Learn. In 2018, she was appointed initiative after Covid-19 hit India in
CEO of the DVM schools chain with March 2020 forcing closure of all
the mandate to rollout operations schools countrywide, in June 2021,
countrywide. KLAY introduced Klaytopia, an inno-
Direct talk. “Our objective is to take vative theme-based hands-on activity

SEPTEMBER 2021 EDUCATIONWORLD 55