New Delhi You have come a long way in your career. Tell us about your journey.
I joined Delhi Public School, RK Puram, in 1974 as a primary school teacher. I used to teach Social Studies to Class II. Soon, I became a permanent teacher there. I was appointed to several posts, including House Warden. I became the Head of the Social Sciences Department there. Till 1985, I was in DPS, RK Puram. That same year, I was sent to Bhilai in Madhya Pradesh to set up a DPS for the employees of the SAIL -- the first steel plant that was started by Jawaharlal Nehru with the support of the Soviet Union. The school did very well. I remember that the people there had just two dreams -- they wanted their children to become either doctors or engineers. And they were ready to fulfill and sacrifice anything to achieve that dream. The parents were totally devoted to the well-being of their children. Their commitment and eagerness was amazing. If we asked the parents to send their children for remedial classes, they would cooperate immediately. Neither the children nor the parents were fussy. I had never seen such enthusiastic parents anywhere. After Bhilai, I was posted to Kuwait to establish another DPS school there. This was in 1995. I went there. All the parents there — including Indians, Bangladeshis and Arabs — were keen to send their children to an Indian school. They were impressed with the Indian culture. I remember an Army officer once telling me: "The future lies in India. We want our children to go to an Indian school." Compared to other nations, Indians are fair in dealings. It was the Al-Noori TeachingEstablishment in Kuwait that wanted to establish an Indian. They approached DPS and we gave them the franchise. I was in Kuwait for two-and-a-half years. Then, in July 1997, I came back to India. I became the Secretary of the DPS Society. In December 1998, I was appointed as the principal of DPS, Mathura Road.
What's the philosophy that the school follows?
The first DPS school was established in 1949. The ones who came from Pakistan after the Partition wanted to give their children quality education. They wanted a school that could provide educational excellence at a very reasonable price. Back then, DPS basically catered to the middle class. The feature of DPS is secularism. We believe in a secular outlook and promotion of excellence. We want to produce all-rounder students who are smart, confident and resourceful, besides having a world vision and a scientific temperament that makes them ready to serve others. The motto of the school is 'Service before self'. There were great people involved in the growth of the DPS Society. DPS, Mathura Road, was the mother school. However, the society realised that one school was not enough. DPS, Mathura Road, was established in 1949. Then next branch to come up was DPS, RK Puram. More branches were established later.
Do you think DPS is still the best brand in education? Or is the competition from other schools changing the equation?
It is easy to reach the zenith, but it is difficult to stay there. There are many new schools coming up and they have good programmes. The World Bank, along with other organisations, conducted a survey in 1997. They wanted to know how the DPS Society is able to manage so many schools. They wanted to know how it could be done. Only the brand value cannot help. If a parent does not get what he expects, he will think twice. DPS cannot afford to sit comfortably and leave the rest to the brand name. We are working very hard to maintain our position in the field.
Being an educationist, and being in this sector for long now, what do you think are the most pressing issues that the country is facing right now? How can these challenges be tackled?
The biggest challenge we are facing today is maintaining the quality of teachers. When I talk of public schools, DPS is an educational oasis. But all around, it is not that green. I am deliberately not using the word desert (laughs). There are many areas that are not green. When we have to select teachers, it is difficult. I remember, there was once an NRI who came back to India and wanted to open a school. He acquired 100 acres of land and was willing to provide the best infrastructure. However, the problem he faced was getting teachers. As he could not find teachers who were good enough, so he decided to start a management course instead. And then, of course, the students — the raw material — are equally important. But to be able to produce good students, you need good teachers. So the most crucial thing is ensure that quality teachers are taken in, rather than infrastructure.
What do you have to say about the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, which was implemented last year? It still seems to have many teething problems.
Though the RTE Act is a wake-up call, it has come quite late in the day. Education has been made a fundamental right and the education of the child is now the state's responsibility, not the parents. But there are issues. RTE is a threat to the autonomy and freedom of private schools. Private schools are independent bodies, unaided and there should be no external interference in matters concerning admissions, staff, salary and fees. These are crucial issues. The matter is still pending in the Supreme Court of India, and an order in this regard is expected to come out soon. The first thing we are asking is — why 25 per cent for children from the Economically Weaker Section? Do you have any data to prove that? Where did this magic number come from? Who will pay for this 25 per cent? According to this Act, schools cannot screen the candidates. As parents have the right to select schools, schools should also have the right to select students. But as per this Act, schools cannot do this. RTE also talks about inclusive education — which I think is the solution. But there are many parents who do not want their children to mix with EWS children. There are parents who are against this. But inclusive education is the solution. If admissions for EWS children are done at the entry level, the success rate will be 100 per cent. We have an afternoon-shift school for under-privileged children — the Ibtida Shiksha Kendra. Almost 700-800 children study in that school. Every year, a good chunk of these students is shifted to the day school on merit. Once, there was this girl who came up to me and said she was missing her friends. I told my teachers to take special care of the girl. But as she was still unable to cope, she went back to the afternoon school. But like your said, these are just teething problems. Everything will settle down in a few years.
What is the public response to Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE), which was implemented in classes IX and X.
There are diverse reactions to CCE. While some have good things to say about it, others say bad things. It depends on your perception. But, overall, it has been very well-received by the students.
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