Page 77 - EducationWorld Aug 2020 Flipbuilder

How satisfied are you with the switch of increasing government interference in students to make a smooth transition
K-12 schools to online/blended learning fees and online education delivery. How to online teaching-learning. We have
during the current Covid-19 crisis? Is much damage has this caused to private also moved the school’s activities
this a beneficial development for school schools? programme online and successfully
education? Since education comes under the Di- conducted two student examinations.
The Covid-19 crisis has worked as a rective Principles of the Constitution,
catalyst to speed up integration of the government looks upon it as a Top 3 proposals for reinventing India’s
K-12 education system.
technology in education. This is a welfare scheme. The role and contri-
good development since it has helped bution of private schools is ignored Government should establish a
educators create a repository of despite their providing superior dedicated department of education
resources and larger teaching-learn- education to a large proportion of research and development with
ing bandwidth which has helped children. The contribution of private the remit to design and develop
teachers and students. Exchanges, schools to nation building must be subject-specific content. Second, it
discussions and discourses are now duly acknowledged. must focus on bridging the digital
available to all without distinction. What are the major initiatives that the divide by providing digital devices
The new blended classroom is here Assam Valley School has recently taken and Internet bandwidth to enable all
to stay, benefiting us with flexibility to upgrade teaching-learning? children to access online learning.
of schedule and resources, amongst Third, it needs to urgently pay atten-
other things. We have accorded top priority to tion to capacity building of teachers
remodify policies and implement through high-quality pre-service and
The past few months have witnessed systems that enable our teachers and in-service training programmes.

Ashish Gulati
Vice chairman, Blue Bells Group of Schools, Gurgaon

n alum of the top-ranked Management Devel-
opment Institute, Gurgaon, Ashish Gulati is vice
Achairman, Blue Bells Group of Schools compris-
ing five schools and preschools in Gurgaon with an
aggregate enrolment of 3,700 students and 350 faculty.
NEP 2020 overview. Arriving after a 34-year hiatus, the
NEP 2020 is welcome and heralds overdue reforms in
Indian education. Reiteration of the resolve to double
government spending on public education to 6 percent
of GDP is encouraging although this promise has
been made before and not fulfilled. I also welcome the
360-degree assessment system that takes into con-
sideration the holistic development of children. The deavour is to assure parents that we are equally invested
change to the 5+3+3+4 schooling system, in line with in the well-being of their children.
international education standards, together with the What are the major initiatives Blue Bells Schools have
proposed reforms in higher education, will develop recently taken to upgrade teaching-learning?
India into a education hub. I am hopeful that imple- Blue Bells Group has devised a two-pronged approach
mentation of NEP 2020 will be smooth and successful.
to improve teaching-learning in our schools. Started
How satisfied are you with the switch of K-12 schools to eight years ago, our in-house curriculum development
online/blended learning during the current Covid-19 crisis? and teacher training centre enables us to continuously
Is this a beneficial development for school education? upgrade curricular content and pedagogies. The second
The switchover to the online mode was the only option initiative focuses on organisation-wide behavioural inter-
available to schools to ensure learning continuity for ventions to develop a compassionate culture conducive
children. Fortunately, teachers and students adapted to child-centric learning and emotional well-being of our
very quickly. Blended learning is here to stay as it al- students.
lows greater flexibility and interaction between students, What are your Top 3 proposals for re-inventing India’s K-12
parents, and teachers. However, it will never entirely re- education system?
place bricks-and-mortar learning, which offers a more It is critical that we build policies and systems that en-
wholesome learning experience.
able schools to focus on teaching-learning, rather than
The past few months have witnessed increasing govern- on administration. Also establishing a separate regula-
ment interference in fees and online education delivery. tory and accreditation body for private schools — one that
How much damage has this caused to private schools? supports and improves rather than merely regulates their
Inevitably in times of crisis, vested interests try and cre- activities — is imperative. However, school reforms will
ate conflict. Erosion of trust between schools and parents be effective only when similar reforms are introduced in
is the worst damage they have caused. Our constant en- the higher education system.

AUGUST 2020 EDUCATIONWORLD 77