Page 66 - EducationWorld June 2020

Cover Story

M.A. Faiz Khan and we can proudly say that we are education.
Trustee, Mukarram Jah School, Hyderabad the only budget private school which • School managements should
has started successful online classes
switch to blended learning models
for the academic year 2020-21. This integrating online and conven-
has been an amazing journey into tional classroom learning pedago-
which our parents community has gies starting in senior school. High
also been smoothly inducted. importance should also be given to
co-curricular and sports education.
HPS’ Covid-19 response. The Hyder- • Schools should not neglect emo-
abad Public Schools in Begumpet, tional well-being of students and
Ramanthapur, Kadapa and Warangal must increase the happiness quotient
have also responded swiftly to the of all students. Moreover all schools
Covid-19 challenges by introducing should offer counselling service.
online learning with their highly ex-
perienced teachers providing online What are your future plans for MJ
academic learning and emotional School?
mentoring in these testing times. We want to expand to several parts
of the city and also start profes-
What are the major challenges confront- sional colleges with the objective of
ing Indian K-12 education in the Covid providing affordable, high-quality
era? education.
The sudden transition from conven-
tional brick-and-mortar classes to Reekrit Serai
usinessman and education- the online medium is a formidable Managing director, Satluj Group of Schools,
ist M.A. Faiz Khan is trustee challenge. Unlike the Western world,
Bof the H.E.H. The Nizam’s Mu- where technology-based learning has Chandigarh
karram Jah Trust for Education and been used for many years, our K-12
Learning which manages the CISCE- education system is traditional and
affiliated Mukarram Jah School, Hy- conventional. However the positive
derabad (MJS, estb. 1987). Ranked outcome of the Covid-19 disruption
the country’s #2 budget private is increased use of technology in
school in the EW India School Rank- teaching-learning. Even after we re-
ings 2019-20, MJS provides high- cover from the pandemic, integration
quality low-cost education to 2,619 of technology will remain part and
children mentored by 111 teachers. parcel of K-12 education. Though
Khan is also honorary secretary and there is no substitute to classroom
treasurer of the HPS Society which learning, a balanced blend of conven-
manages the top-ranked Hyderabad tional and online learning is the way
Public Schools in Begumpet, Raman- forward.
thapur, Kadapa and Warangal. Several state governments have issued
The Covid-19 crisis has majorly dis- fees waiver/deferment circulars to pri-
rupted the operations of private budget vate school managements. What’s your
schools. How has Mukarram Jah School comment?
responded to this challenge? I agree that private schools should
The Covid-19 pandemic has not relax some terms and conditions
only disrupted school education, such as collecting tuition fees n alum of University Col-
but the global economy. When this monthly instead of quarterly or lege London, Reekrit Serai
pandemic reached India, our first annually. But BPS and non-profit Ais the Chandigarh-based
step was to spread awareness about schools should be protected against managing director of Satluj Group of
this virus within our school com- bankruptcy and closure which will Schools comprising 13 institutions
munity. All our institutions adopted prove a big setback for children from with 30,000 students and 1,000
a proactive approach to combat this socio-economically disadvantaged teachers in north India. Serai is also
unprecedented crisis. MJS children households. co-founder and director of Rumour
mostly live in old Hyderabad which What are your Top 3 proposals for re- Books India, a reputed English-
is densely populated. Our response forming K-12 education in India? language trade publishing house and
was to immediately shut down the The Covid-19 pandemic has made us angel investor.
school and focus on equipping our aware of the urgent need to reform
teachers with the digital infrastruc- the Indian education system. My Satluj Group of Schools’ Covid-19
ture and training to provide online suggestions: response. It was tough initially.
learning to our students. Though • Government and exam boards Everyone — students, parents and
a budget school, we left no stone should revamp K-12 education syl- teachers alike — were thrown in the
unturned to aggressively train our labuses to promote hands-on and deep end and struggled to adapt to
teachers. These efforts have paid off activity-based learning and civic online teaching-learning. Eventu-

66 EDUCATIONWORLD JUNE 2020