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Special Report

Anjum Babukhan beneficial because now teachers Dr. Amrita Vohra
Director, Glendale Group, Hyderabad have no option but to learn to Director, GEMS India
use technology, online apps and
platforms, and become tech
savvy. n education postgraduate of
The past few months have Himachal Pradesh University
witnessed increasing government Awith a doctorate in educational
interference in fees and online psychology from the Rani Durgavati
education delivery. How much Vishwavidyalaya University, Jabalpur,
damage has this caused to private Dr. Amrita Vohra is the Delhi-based
schools? director (education) of GEMS Education
It has hit private schools India — a wholly-owned subsidiary of the
hard. As it is, schools are Dubai-based Varkey Group-promoted
facing numerous challenges in GEMS Education — which manages 11
switching to remote teaching- K-12 schools in India with an aggregate
learning. Parents are also 6,000 students instructed by 550 teach-
confused and government ers. Vohra is also the executive principal
interference is generating of the group’s flagship GEMS Interna-
panic and uncertainty. Prior tional School, Gurgaon (estb.2010).
consultation with educators NEP 2020 overview. NEP 2020 is progres-
would have yielded better sive and comprehensive. But the actual
results.
impact of any policy depends on effective
A What are the major initiatives implementation. I sincerely hope the
psychology graduate of
Loyola University, Chicago
progressive ideas and goals propounded
Glendale Group has taken recently
with a postgrad degree
in educational administration to upgrade teaching-learning? by the new policy — critical and creative
thinking, 100 percent foundational
and instructional leadership Since end-March we have literacy and numeracy by 2025, blended
from the University of Illinois, provided uninterrupted online learning, blurring of subject boundaries,
Anjum Babukhan is co-founder teaching-learning to all our experiential learning among others — are
and director of the CBSE and pre-kindergarten to class implemented in all schools country-
Cambridge International, UK- XII students. We divided wide. Most progressive schools in our
affiliated K-12 Glendale Academy classes into small groups of country are already working on these
(estb.2003) and Glendale students to enable teachers ideas. I hope they will be recognised as
International School (2015) in to provide personalised harbingers of change and invited to form
Hyderabad. Aggregate enrolment: instruction. Teachers are also private-public partnerships.
2,900 students and 300 teachers. being encouraged to attend
webinars and training sessions Switch of K-12 schools to online/blended
What is your overview of NEP 2020 with all learning compiled learning during the current Covid-19 crisis.
released on July 29? into our GOLE — Glendale For years, progressive educators have
It’s a comprehensive policy. Online Learning Encyclopedia. advocated technology-aided learning, but
However, its success will depend on We have invested heavily have been met with resistance. There-
effective implementation. Specific in online teaching-learning fore, it’s satisfying that a range of innova-
to school education, extension of infrastructure, particularly in tive remote/online learning solutions has
the RTE Act from preschool to customising our learning and emerged in response to the pandemic.
class XII; options to select from content management platforms As boundaries blur between countries
a variety of subjects in senior and conducting webinars for and subject disciplines, our children will
school; introduction of a robust parents. learn to navigate this new free education
and continuous student assessment What are your Top 3 proposals for space.
system, are excellent ideas. If re-inventing India’s K-12 education
executed well they will positively system? Increasing government interference in fees
impact India’s K-12 education and online education delivery. Contrary to
system. • Incorporate technology in public perception, a large number of pri-
everyday teaching-learning vate schools are levying only tuition fees
How satisfied are you with the switch of processes. and have made generous concessions
K-12 schools to online/blended learning • Design curriculums and to support parents in financial distress.
during the current Covid-19 crisis? pedagogies which encourage A special bond is also emerging as the
An online/virtual classroom can self-directed learning. classroom has now virtually entered stu-
never be as effective as a physical • Overhaul the assessment dents’ homes, and parents are witnessing
classroom. However, the teachers’ system to develop students’ the dedication of teachers. Meaningful
community countrywide has risen higher order thinking skills. partnerships between parents and school
heroically to the challenge of This will discourage rote managements is the need of the hour.
adapting to online education during memorisation and regurgitation
the Covid-19 crisis. This switch is of information in exams. Gems India recent initiatives.

74 EDUCATIONWORLD AUGUST 2020