Page 60 - EducationWorld June 2020

Cover Story

Shishir Jaipuria children from socio-economically learning opportunities for all”.
disadvantaged households
Chairman, Seth Anandram Jaipuria Group of • Ensuring a balanced blend of syn- What are your future plans for the
SAJGEI?
Educational Institutions chronous and asynchronous learning Jaipuria School of Business is all set
given that blended learning is set to
become the new normal to promote its Saamarthya Teach-
ers Training Academy of Research
• Training of teachers in emerging
digital technologies (STTAR) to expose teachers to global
best practices and digital tools so
• Winning parents’ trust and con-
fidence while switching to digital they always remain ahead of the
learning curve. During the next five
pedagogies
• Investing in infrastructure and en- years, we also plan to open 40 K-12
schools in the educationally under-
suring safety protocols are followed
once schools reopen. served Hindi belt of Uttar Pradesh,
Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand,
Several state governments have issued Punjab and Rajasthan.
fees waiver/deferment circulars to
private school managements. Your com- Amit Agarwal
ment.
We understand the financial anxiety Chairman, Unison Group of Institutions,
of parents in these challenging times. Dehradun
The government’s circular to schools
for fee deferment is justifiable for n alumnus of the Hemvati
Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal
A parents suffering income and busi- AUniversity, Amit Agarwal is
highly-respected Delhi-based
ness loss, but not for parents with
industrialist, Shishir Jaipuria
chairman of the Dehradun-based
the means to pay tuition fees. In my
is chairman of the Seth Anan-
dram Jaipuria Group of Educational opinion, the best way to resolve the Unison Education Foundation
(estb.2007). Currently, the founda-
Institutions (SAJGEI), the umbrella issue is by reaching out to parents tion manages four institutions in
organisation of 12 K-12 schools and finding solutions collaboratively Dehradun and Delhi NCR — IMS
(Seth Anandram Jaipuria Schools), to ensure smooth functioning of Unison University, DIT University,
five preschools (Little One — The schools. Institute of Management Studies,
Jaipuria Preschool) and two busi- What are your Top 3 proposals for re- and the Unison World School — with
ness management colleges (Jaipuria forming K-12 education in India? an aggregate enrolment of 10,000
Institute of Management & Jaipuria • The skills students require in students mentored by 1,000 teachers
School of Business) in north India. the 21st century are very different. on their muster rolls.
Together, these institutions have Schools must replace rote learn-
20,000 students mentored by 800 ing with experience-based projects How have the Unison Group institutions
faculty on their muster rolls. with emphasis on lifelong learning. responded to the Covid-19 challenge?
How have SAJGEI schools and colleges Henceforth, pedagogies will have to A month prior to the national lock-
down announcement, we constituted
responded to the national lockdown? be centred around developing the a core team comprising senior lead-
We didn’t allow the lockdown to technology, collaboration, critical ers of group institutions to examine
disrupt school and college education thinking and communication compe- and review the financial health of
and confronted the challenge head- tencies of the next generation. our institutions, academic calendar
on. First, we invested in appropri- • India has attained a satisfactory options, examination status, condi-
ate technology and equipment to K-12 GER (gross enrolment ratio). tion of IT systems and software, and
adapt to digital pedagogies. Next, we But quality of education dispensed is
began training our teachers in online unsatisfactory. Education quality en-
education delivery and developed hancement must become the primary
a robust system to also facilitate focus of schools. They should ensure
parental engagement ensuring that students’ overall preparedness for
all our stakeholders — students, staff future workplaces, not exams.
and parents — are fully satisfied. • As per a UNDP report, the finan-
Since then, despite initial hiccups, cial requirement for India to reach
our committed teachers are success- Sustainable Development Goal
fully conducting online classes for 4 – quality education for all — by
all our students who have responded 2030 is $2.25 trillion (Rs.168 lakh
with great enthusiasm. crore). Huge investment is required
to meet this goal. Private domestic
What are the major challenges confront- and foreign investment needs to be
ing Indian K-12 education in the Covid encouraged with provision of greater
era? autonomy and flexibility to ensure
• Access to digital devices and “inclusive and equitable quality
Internet connectivity especially for education and promotion of life-long

60 EDUCATIONWORLD JUNE 2020