‘The key lies in identifying the child’s strengths’

What is the school’s ethos,philosophy?

Delhi Public Schools all across the country believe in excellence in education. We believe in the holistic development of a child. DPS has a general agenda for all its schools. Here,we try to look for special talents in each child. That is very important for me. I believe every child should be given equal importance. Even shy children should be given a chance. Every child’s potential has to be tapped. I work towards that. I want more and more new faces to come forward. So we encourage children to come forward and take part in presentations,and I even ask them to take part in programmes. I personally look into this. Even the parents receive it very well. I now see the change. Students are coming forward. We also put a lot of emphasis on talent hunting. We need to recognise the talent in children. In fact,we have a format in school,where we ask students to write about their experiences.

You have been in this profession for so long. What keeps you going?

One has to be passionate about his/her profession,otherwise it would turn out to be just a job. One has to be passionate about teaching. I think if you are really interested in teaching,the enthusiasm will never wane with time. I remember I once advised a student to follow her heart and her conscience. Sometime later,she came to me and said that she had faced many situation sin life but she remembered my words. She said,“Ma’am I remember those words that you told me.” You see,academics is not the only area that needs attention. It is the other things in the society that make a good human being. Ethics are very important. We need to really focus on values. I remember that once,during the annual day,I asked a naughty child to participate in a play. I gave him a part that required forceful acting. He performed very well and,soon,I saw a sea-change in his attitude. You need to give a child a platform where they are recognised. We need to focus on the strengths of the children and strengthen their strengths.

Do you see any loopholes in the country’s educational system?

A lot of reforms have been introduced in the country’s education sector. Initially, there was a lot of anxiety. But the whole process of refinement has to take place. Although many training programmes have been conducted to sensitise teachers to the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) scheme,the scene in most remote areas is completely different. Since I have had teaching experience in remote areas,I can emphathise with them. We need to ask how much training reaches them. The teachers there still educate students in the conservative way. They know only about transacting the curriculum in the classroom. There is a need to fill those gaps before we think of bringing about any meaningful change. Having said that,it is a good start. We have access,we can directly sort out issues with the CBSE,we are constantly training our teachers. It also depends on the commitment level of the teachers. Teaching is no longer an easy task. Of course,CBSE took time to refine it. There are also a few grey areas. We have to look into them to see if,over the years,they will be discarded. Regarding the Right to Education Act,I am concerned about the social-emotional impact it will have. In every society,intelligence has a bell curve. I feel that emotional-social integration is difficult. In nursery,pre-primary,the child is open to ideas. We can mould him. We give uniforms etc,so there is no apparent discrimination. You can also sensitise teachers. But what happens when these children are not invited to birthday parties? That feeling of segregation eventually comes up. It is then that the revolt begins. The social gap today is so wide that bridging it seems close to impossible. Language,itself,is a barrier. I feel the government should make use of their own schools — they have good buildings and playgrounds. The government had come up with a project,under which each private school was to pair up with a government school and share resources. They would send their teachers,and we would train them. Our teachers would also go to their schools and,hence,there was sharing of resources. I don’t know why it didn’t work out. I wish we could come together and share our resources. I just hope that the emotional-social cost does not result in too much frustration and anger.

Today,technology occupies a major position in the classroom. How do you feel about that?

There is no substitute for personal touch. You know,years ago,I was shocked to hear the voice on the answering machine. There was no emotional touch. Similarly,in a classroom,there has to be an emotional touch. A pat on the back means a lot to a child. Smart classrooms are a good tool but not a substitute. I am okay with smart classrooms,but only as a tool.

Could you say something on the school’s exchange programmes?,/b>

Yours is a young school. The first batch of Class XII students passed out only this year. What are your plans for the future?

We have to put things in place. We need to consolidate them. For example,we have put career counselling in place. We have our own aptitude test because we are not satisfied with the one CBSE has to offer. We are inviting people from all walks of life to talk to our students. Sports is coming up in a big way,and alternative careers are being talked about. It is the lack of information that causes anxiety. A few things need to be refined. We have overcome the initial teething troubles,and now I am focussing on making the school meet quality standards. I am also keen on building out teachers’ capacity. Discipline is also very important. We need to constantly keep asking ourselves “Can I be better?” I think every teacher has to be good. Every teacher can make a difference.