Page 58 - EducationWorld June 2020

Cover Story

Nooraine Fazal laborate with government & NGOs
to implement the Inventure model
Co-founder, Inventure Academy, Bangalore in government schools; and take our
Changemaker Challenge programme
n alumna of Boston Univer- worldwide.
sity with professional work
Aexperience in the Reuters Dr. Madhav Deo Saraswat
Group (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sydney
and Hong Kong), Nooraine Fazal is Principal, The Scindia School, Gwalior
co-founder and managing trustee n English, Hindi and Sanskrit
of the CISCE (Delhi) and Cam- alumnus of the Babasaheb
bridge International (UK)-affiliated ABhimrao Ambedkar Univer-
Inventure Academy, Bangalore sity, Agra, Dr. Madhav Deo Saraswat
(estb.2005), ranked among India’s acquired over three decades of teach-
Top 3 co-ed day schools in the Edu- ing and admin experience in reputed
cationWorld India School Rankings schools (The Doon School, Orchid
2019-20, and Inventure Preschool International, Nasik) prior to tak-
(2019). Together, these schools have ing charge in 2015 as principal of the
1,222 children and 227 teachers on vintage The Scindia School, Gwalior
their muster rolls. (estb.1897). In the latest EW India
ments. These ill-advised circulars have
Inventure Academy’s Covid-19 response. endangered the livelihood of millions School Rankings 2019-20, The Scin-
At Inventure, we have used the crisis of teachers and non-teaching staff dia School is ranked India’s #1 boys
as an opportunity to learn, unlearn of 375,000 private unaided schools boarding school.
and relearn. Even before the govern- across the country. They will also hurt Scindia School’s response to the Covid-19
ment’s directive to shutter schools the education of the 43 percent of chil- pandemic lockdown. We have success-
was issued, we closed the school and dren who study in private schools. fully struck a fine balance between
moved our year-end assessments for Governments around the world meaningful engagement, counseling
middle and senior school online. Si- are supporting students and teach- and communication to ensure all our
multaneously, we conducted online ers in these unprecedented times. In stakeholders — students, parents and
synchronous — face-to-face — classes the US, the government has provided staff — remain calm and unruffled. In
for senior school using Google Class- $13.5 billion (Rs.100 lakh crore) as a way, the disruption has proved to be
room and asynchronous sessions for financial aid to schools, $8.8 billion a blessing in disguise. It has pushed us
primary school, to gauge effective- for Child Nutrition Programmes to urgently train our teachers in online
ness of our online Beyond Academics for children to receive meals when pedagogies delivery to which our stu-
— sports, yoga, dance, music — pro- schools are shut, $750 million dents have reacted enthusiastically.
grammes. (Rs.5,600 crore) for the Head Start
Major challenges confronting Indian K-12 early-education programmes; and $5 Major challenges confronting Indian K-12
education in the Covid era. The chal-
education in the Covid era. million for cleaning and disinfecting lenges before Indian education going
The Covid-19 crisis has highlighted schools. forward are manifold. Among them:
the digital divide between the have Top 3 proposals for reforming K-12 edu- • Reconciling the syllabuses and
and have-nots. We have a very cation in India. learning systems of the country’s
unequal education system and the • Declare digital learning platforms 33 state and national examination
impact of the Covid-19 crisis is being a public utility like electricity and boards
felt disproportionately by children water supply.
from poor households. Children in • Government should fund students,
government schools are being de- not schools, through the much de-
prived of their mid-day meal as well bated school vouchers programme.
as learning. If government schools • Encourage promotion of private
don’t reopen soon, many children schools, and public-private partner-
are likely to drop out of the school ships.
system. Education must become the
There is also the real danger that country’s #1 national priority. Our
many private schools — especially focus should be on enhancing learn-
budget private schools — will shut ing outcomes, scaling innovative and
down because of cash flow prob- sustainable education models, and
lems. Moreover, prolonged closure empowering our best and brightest
of schools is likely to have a negative graduates to become teachers/educa-
impact on the social, emotional and tors.
physical development of children.
Future plans… To focus on continu-
State governments’ fees waiver/defer- ously developing our blended learn-
ment circulars to private school manage- ing model and virtual school; col-

58 EDUCATIONWORLD JUNE 2020