Page 52 - EW August 2021

Cover Story

Ashish Gulati a commendable task of re-designing schools to sustain learning and wel-
our technology-enabled curriculum fare through these difficult times.
Vice-chairman, Blue Bells Group and pedagogies.
of Schools, Gurugram Moreover, our team of teachers
have also demonstrated exceptional Rashid Sharfuddin
resilience, creativity, and enthusi- Principal, SelaQui International
asm to re-invent the eco-system for School, Dehradun
online learning. Ditto our parents
and students who deserve accolades n alumnus of St. Stephen’s
for their adaptation, support and College, Delhi, the Univer-
commitment. Asity of Bath, UK, and former
Whether schools should be reopened housemaster at the top-ranked The
immediately. Safety precautions of Blue Doon School, Rashid Sharfuddin is
Bells Schools. This is an area of un- headmaster of the CBSE-affiliated
certainty. With no vaccines licenced fully-residential SelaQui Interna-
for children, students are at risk. tional School, Dehradun.
However, the decline of the second Degree of satisfaction with shift to
wave of the pandemic has generated the online mode of learning. We were
hope. In Blue Bells Schools we are probably among the first schools in
fully prepared to reopen. We have the country to switch to the online
instituted strict Covid protocols, and mode via Microsoft Teams in the
assure parents that their children last week of March 2020. Colleagues
will be safe when our campuses quickly adapted to this new mode of
reopen. teaching-learning, indicative of our
n alum of the top-ranked Post-pandemic remedial education institutional growth mindset. We
Management Development plans. Our first priority will be to also took sports, clubs and hobbies to
AInstitute, Gurugram, Ashish comfort students and parents. Stu- students’ homes and in many cases,
Gulati is vice chairman, Blue Bells dents will need time, guidance, and parents have become our active col-
Group of Schools comprising five an emotionally safe environment to laborators. In fact, our special thanks
schools and preschools in Gurugram readjust and adapt to technology- to parents who found themselves
with 3,626 children and 281 faculty. enabled blended learning. We will homebound with their children 24x7
Degree of satisfaction with the Blue restart with flexible timetables, — an unusual situation for boarding
Bells Schools’ switch to the online mode remedial break-out group education school parents. But my fear is that
of learning. Adaptation from regular and ensure no student is left behind. virtual classes for six hours daily
cannot be sustained.
schooling to the online mode has two Advice to digitally under-served educa-
Nevertheless, we were also lucky
components. The first is information tion institutions. Widespread disparity that we had secondary students on-
technology and the second its opti- in access to digitally-enabled educa-
mal deployment to align teaching, tion is a harsh reality not only in campus for almost six months in the
academic year 2020-21. This helped
learning and socialisation as close as our country, but in most developing
possible to offline schooling. nations. Budget private and govern- to break the monotony of online
learning. We were among two board-
The first part of acquiring technol- ment schools should avail all support
ogy tools and training educators was offered by government and NGOs ing schools in India to reopen in
November last year with almost 98
relatively easy. However, the bigger to restart conventional classes and
challenge was to adapt technology make up for their students’ loss of percent attendance. But in April this
year, we had some Covid-19 cases.
to pedagogy and assessment and learning.
engage students. Ensuring socio- Despite this our parents trusted us to
care for their children, and stood by
emotional wellness of students was Advice to government to make up for
another challenge. I’m quite satis- academically lost ground. The national us until government ordered closure
of all education institutions. This is
fied with the transition, especially crisis caused by the novel Corona-
because it has had the full support of virus requires collaboration and an indicator of the faith that parents
and students have in the school’s
our students and parents. cooperation among all stakeholders
in education. Initiatives such as the management.
Major factors behind the smooth switch cancellation of board exams and Main factors behind smooth switch to
to online learning of Blue Bells Schools. reduction of syllabi taken by govern- online learning and classes. One of the
The smooth transition was driven ment are encouraging. The Central few silver linings of the pandemic is
by the collective support of all our and state governments should the time and opportunity it provided
stakeholders. Mutual respect and sincerely aid schools in underserved to revisit our curriculum and make
will to maintain learning continuity areas of the country. This will require it more engaging and futuristic.
under all circumstances has enabled additional resource mobilisation for SelaQui’s revised 2020 curriculum
this transition. Credit is also due to education. Moreover, a tolerant and promotes inquiry-based, student-
our in-house curriculum develop- compassionate attitude from govern- led learning and redefines student
ment and wellness team which did ment towards children will enable

52 EDUCATIONWORLD AUGUST 2021