Page 68 - EducationWorld October 2020

EW Spotlight Feature

Covid-19 Education Warriors teaching-learning processes to online
platforms in the following ways:
Initially, the school staff drew upon
their expertise in providing blended
Rashid Sharfuddin learning to swiftly move the teach-
Headmaster, SelaQui International School, Dehradun ing-learning processes online with
the help of digital platforms such as
Zoom and Google Class-
room.
Subsequently, the Mi-
crosoft Teams platform
was used as a one-stop so-
lution for teaching, assign-
ments and assessments for
all classes.
The SelaQui staff also
created a 136-page de-
tailed training manual to
assist teachers in deliver-
ing an excellent blended
learning experience.
romoted in 2000, the Central pedagogical process. SIS’ steady Community outreach
Board of Secondary Education growth, wonderful board results and All members of the school commu-
P(CBSE) affiliated SelaQui Inter- excellent rankings are attributable nity donated a part of their salaries to
national School (SIS), Dehradun offers solely to their efforts,” says Rashid the PM Relief Fund.
holistic 21st century learning steeped Sharfuddin, headmaster of SIS. Under the guidance of the school
in Indian traditions and values. Rou- An alumna of the University of captain Ganesh Tripathi, the student
tinely ranked among the Top 10 co- Delhi with a masters degree in School council conducted an online meeting
ed boarding schools in the country Management and International Edu- of all students to discuss contribution
in the annual EducationWorld India cation of the University of Bath (UK), of their two months’ tuck amount to
School Rankings, SIS has been at the Rashid Sharfuddin started his teach- those worst affected by the pandemic.
forefront of pedagogical innovations ing career when he was just 21. Fol- In collaboration with the local ad-
with special emphasis on developing lowing his teaching stint in highly re- ministration, the school community
21st century skills and global compe- puted boarding schools of the country also supported the daily wage earn-
tencies and technology integration in — The Lawrence School, Lovedale, ers in the neighborhood through do-
the teaching-learning process. and Assam Valley School, Guwahati nation of dry ration and medicines.
During the ongoing mass shut- — he signed up with the The Doon This humanitarian gesture was also
down of educational institutions School, Dehradun — the country’s covered by national news channels.
prompted by the novel coronavirus top-ranked boarding school — as a The school management ensured that
pandemic outbreak, the SIS manage- history master in 2003. He served all the support staff were being paid
ment, under the leadership of Rashid as the assistant housemaster of Jai- full salary despite being confined to
Sharfuddin, has been drawing upon pur House (2008-2011), housemaster their homes. Professional counselling
the expertise of the SIS faculty in de- of Oberoi House (2012) and was the was provided to students and parents
ploying technology in the teaching- housemaster of Jaipur House before in dealing with various emotional and
learning process to provide a seamless being appointed headmaster at Sela- other issues.
online learning experience to students Qui International School in 2014. A A series of webinars on various
and also mobilising the school com- sports enthusiast and an avid biker, pertinent issues were also conducted
munity to help those worst impacted traveller and reader, Rashid Sharfud- wherein experts from various walks
by the Covid-19 crisis. din has been keenly interested in the of life shared their opinions with the
“SelaQui International School was education of marginalised communi- school community.
among first schools in the country to ties and has presented research papers “Our efforts to ensure learning
deliver digital technologies driven on the subject at various national and continuity of students has been ap-
learning for students during the ini- international seminars. He has also re- plauded by all students and parents.
tial days of the national lockdown in searched the history of early 20th cen- We have almost 95 percent attendance
March. I am extremely proud of my tury Delhi. His study on the renaming for our online classes. Parents have
colleagues who despite many per- of New Delhi roads was nominated been included in the process by shar-
sonal and professional challenges, the most original research paper at a ing regular updates and achievements
stepped up to support students and history seminar in Delhi University. of students. They are not only praising
parents during this unprecedented Under his able guidance, the SIS our efforts but also standing with us
crisis. They have reinvented them- management and staff has ensured strongly by paying fee on time,” says
selves and in the process, the entire a smooth transition of the schools Rashid Sharfuddin.
EDUCATIONWORLD OCTOBER 2020