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Special Report

R.J. Bhuvanesh
CEO, KRM Schools, Chennai
n alumnus of Coimbatore Institute of Technology
and Alagappa University, R.J. Bhuvanesh is CEO
Aof the Kaligi Ranganathan Montford (KRM) Group
comprising five K-12 schools in Chennai with an aggre-
gate enrolment of 9,500 students and 550 teachers.
NEP 2020 overview. This is the first education policy to give
prime importance to the foundational pillars of access,
equity, quality, affordability and accountability in educa-
tion. It aims to transform India into a global knowledge
superpower by making school and higher education more
holistic, flexible and multidisciplinary. I am especially
happy about setting up of the National Mission on Ekta Sodha
Foundational Literacy and Numeracy to ensure all class
III children acquire basic CEO, Cadmus Sodha Group of Schools, Jamnagar
literacy and numeracy
skills by 2025. postgraduate in education, international leader-
Transition of K-12 schools A
ship and management of Newcastle University,
to online/blended learn- UK, Ekta Sodha is the Jamnagar (Gujarat)-based
ing during the current CEO of the Cadmus Sodha Group of Schools, a chain of
Covid-19 crisis. I believe five affordable K-X schools in Gujarat with an aggregate
today’s VUCA (volatile, enrolment of 5,500 students and 550 faculty.
uncertain, complex and
ambiguous) environment NEP 2020 overview. The government has done an excellent
will perforce reshape job in stating the problem, and a problem well stated is
education systems and half solved. However, I have reservations about even half
processes. In the cur- of what’s promised seeing light of day by 2025.
rent Covid-19 crisis and Switch of K-12 schools to online/blended learning during the
shutdown of all schools current Covid-19 crisis. The switch of schools to online
countrywide, the switch learning has largely been inefficient and there’s likely to
to online learning was be a major drop in students’ learning outcomes. Children
necessary to ensure children’s education is not inter- can only benefit when online learning is disseminated as
rupted. However, the success of online teaching-learning a blend of synchronous and asynchronous learning. How-
is heavily dependent on well-trained teachers who will ever, I believe blended learning is the future of education.
provide high-quality education to fulfil lofty parental
expectations. Increased government interference in fees and online educa-
tion delivery of private schools. The outlook of govern-
Government interference in fees and online education delivery ment towards private schools is heartbreaking. How can
of private schools. government be so insensitive as to expect us to continue
Unwarranted government interference has hit private delivering education without paying salaries to our teach-
schools hard. Most schools are unable to pay teachers’ ers and staff? Just like any commercial entity, schools
salaries because of fees collection delays. Moreover, gov- need funds to run day-to-day operations. Moreover, the
ernment restrictions on online learning hours will result divide between parents and school communities is grow-
in learning loss to children and increase parental anxiety ing wider and denting our mutual trust which has taken
about their future. years to establish.

KRM Schools major initiatives. We have successfully con- Cadmus Sodha Schools initiatives. We have designed innova-
ducted continuous online professional development tive age-appropriate online pedagogies and intensively
programmes for our teachers, collaborated and engaged trained our teachers to use them. For young learners, we
with all stakeholders — schools, teachers, students and are using skill-based online worksheets and for higher
parents — to make the switch to online teaching-learning classes, high quality audio-visual content. Moreover, our
smooth and effective, and provided online counseling for teachers are counseling students on a regular basis.
anxious students, parents and teachers.
Top 3 proposals for re-inventing India’s K12 education system.
Re-inventing India’s K-12 education system proposals. We • Redesign syllabuses to promote skill-based learning
need to use our own VUCA (vision, understanding, and logical, analytical, critical and creative thinking. Rote
courage and adaptability) 2.0 strategy to train teachers learning should be discouraged.
to develop into tech-savvy, kind, thoughtful and caring • Promote industry-academia interaction by incentivising
professionals. There’s also urgent need to develop joyous schools to collaborate with industry and vice versa.
curriculums that focus on all-round development — aca- • Design pedagogies which can be easily adapted to face-
demics, values, sports, life skills — of children. to-face schooling as well as remote learning.

88 EDUCATIONWORLD AUGUST 2020