In the lap

The school was started in 1994 under the aegis of the Kerala People’s Education Society (KPES),and had only 10 students in its first year. Since then,it has grown every year,and now boasts of a total strength of 730 students between the classes of kindergarten and class X.

“We settled down here from Kerala,and the state of Maharashtra has been very good to us. We wanted to give something back,and thought that making a contribution to the education system was the best way to do so,” says MN Vijayan,secretary of the KPES. “Our aim at Hillgreen High School is to provide quality education at an affordable cost,” Vijayan adds.

The school follows the SSC syllabus,and has had a cent percent result in the SSC board exams for the last five consecutive years. Malayalam is taught as an optional extra subject,and the school is planning to introduce foreign languages like French and German in the near future. “Careers are becoming much more global now,and we see many students going abroad for higher studies and interacting with people from all over the world. With this in mind,we have decided to include foreign languages which will be of use to them later on,” says Principal Mona Dey.

Hillgreen also has an affiliation with the National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT),and the students are taught a computer course according to the syllabus guidelines of the institute,right from the class one to ten.

“We have incorporated this course into the normal class schedule of the students. After completion of the course,each student gets a certificate from NIIT. This certificate,and the knowledge they get,gives them an added advantage for professional courses as well as in technical careers,” adds Dey.

Erwin Braggs,a student of class XI,says “We learn many things during the NIIT course,and skills such as programming and web-designing are not something you normally learn in other schools,and will be very useful in the future.”

Another innovative teaching tool that is used by the staff at the school is audiovisual aids for every subject. After explaining the lesson in class,the teachers reinforce the concepts using pictures and other visual data. “Children nowadays are better-oriented to visual media,and we find that the use of media helps them to absorb it better,” says Dey.

Physical education is of utmost importance at Hillgreen,and Yoga and Karate are compulsory classes for all the students. Besides this,the school also has facilities for sports like football,basketball and various other games.

“We have a well-balanced schedule in school,not just with academics and sports but with extra curricular activities like music,dance and elocution which we enjoy immensely,” says Sayali Shivarkar a student of class VIII.

The school has adopted stringent security measures,not only for safety but also to preserve the sanctity of the environment. Visitors’ vehicles are not allowed inside the premises,and every visitor is required to sign in and state the purpose of their visit before entering the school.

Dey explains the reason behind this,saying,“The safety of the children is first and foremost on our minds,as they are our responsibility. Also,allowing vehicles into the premises would affect the cleanliness of the environment we have worked so hard to maintain and this is why we request parents to bear the minor inconvenience of walking inside,” she adds.

With its pleasurable environment,unique teaching approach and student-oriented activities,the Hillgreen High School is making a significant contribution to the education scene in the city.