Page 47 - EW December 2020

its animal population and fuel wood
and this space is a kind of insurance
against long periods of drought. More-
over, the school has an active Rishi
Valley Institute of Bird Studies &
Natural History founded in 1991, and
its home studies course in ornithology
attracts students from across India.
The school also hosts a Rural Educa-
tion Centre which has a unique struc-
ture of elementary education that con-
sists of a network of satellite schools
where community-based curriculums
are taught by village youth trained in
multi-grade multi-level methodol-
ogy,” says Dr. Jyothi explaining the
RVS mystique which has evidently
captured the imagination of the edu-
cated middle class countrywide. Lawrence, Sanawar’s Dhillon: proactive pandemic response
The second place at the high table
of the EWISR 2020-21 national league from our parents community. For of Covid-19 has been very difficult.
of co-ed boarding schools is shared by this, our teachers deserve great credit However, thanks to the collabora-
the consistently high-ranked Chin- for going above and beyond. There- tive effort of our teachers, students,
maya International Residential fore, I am especially pleased by our parents and the administrative staff,
School, Coimbatore (estb.1996), high score under the parameter of and despite the geographic seclusion
inspired by the also widely revered teacher competence,” says Dhillon, of AVS, we have made a fast transition
indigenous seer-educationist Swami former student of LSS and English to the virtual mode and ensured that
Chinmayananda (1916-1993) and literature and education postgrad of we keep abreast with the best global
the vintage Raj-era The Lawrence Delhi and Maharishi Dayanand Sagar practices to enable our students to
School, Sanawar (LSS, estb.1847). universities, who acquired a wealth of learn, share and collaborate. In AVS,
Evidently Himmat Dhillon, the tac- teaching and admin experience in the we value our teachers very highly and
iturn principal of LSS, is neither sur- Doon School, Dehradun, as principal are committed to their welfare and
prised nor excited about this pioneer of the Gandhi School, Jakarta (Indo- continuous professional development.
co-ed boarding school being promoted nesia) and principal and CEO of the In 2019-20, AVS was awarded a score
to #2 (cf. #3 in 2019-20) this year. Dubai-based Varkey Group’s pioneer of 170 out of 200 under the param-
“We are pleased to note that our Our Own English High School, Fujai- eter of teacher competence. This year
educational, pastoral and infrastruc- rah City, prior to his appointment as we have been awarded 179 under this
tural facilities and offerings and the principal of LSS in March on the eve key parameter. This is proof that our
success of our students in academ- of the national pandemic lockdown. faculty is continuously improving and
ics as well as extra-curricular edu- A similar sense of satisfaction for dispensing all-round education to our
cation has been recognised by your being awarded higher rank in these students,” says Vimal an alumnus of
informed sample respondents. This challenging pandemic times, and for Delhi and Jamia Milia universities
has been a difficult year for this a smooth switch to online teaching- who acquired valuable teaching and
school and our major achievement is learning is also discernible in the administrative experience in the top-
a proactive response to the Covid-19 reaction of Dr. Vidukesh Vimal, ranked Doon School and Mayo Col-
pandemic which forced closure of the youthful principal of the superbly lege, Ajmer prior to his appointment
the school just before the summer equipped Assam Valley School, as headmaster of AVS in September
holiday. On July 8 we launched our Balipara (AVS, estb. 1995), located 2019.
online remote learning initiative ti- on a 270-acre green campus carved With RVS, LSS and AVS ranked
tled the Facilitated Virtual Learning out of a scenic tea estate. “News of the top three co-ed boarding schools
Programme (FVLP) based on cutting- our promotion to the #3 position in of the country this year, the Top 5 is
edge digital technology. FVLP, the the league table of India’s best co-ed completed by Pinegrove School,
first-ever online classes programme boarding schools and #1 in North- Dharampur (Himachal Pradesh)
of LSS, has proved a great success East India has cheered spirits in our promoted to #4 (5) and Jain Inter-
with 94 percent positive response silver jubilee year, which because national, Bangalore #5 (2) which has

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