Message From our Principal

Creating Leaders of Tomorrow
Issue 43, December 2011

Dear Parent,

The latest trends and thoughts in education:

Gone are those days where the teacher and the school were responsible for the child’s education.  In today's education, the teacher remains a facilitator and the onus of learning is on the student herself. As schools, we provide the right environment and guidance for the students to be self learners who are encouraged to gain knowledge from various avenues and through experiential learning.

Education is no longer the qualification-on-paper which is attained after completion of ‘n’ number for years at school and appearing for an examination at the end of curriculum!  In the modern day scenario, education is a learning process and the child, a lifelong learner. As educators we must advocate this philosophy and ensure that we are able to provide an environment conducive to enable this process.

Increasingly, the education sector is undergoing a transformation in the form of education reforms where experiential learning is becoming the core of the learning process.  The enhanced enthusiasm of the CBSE to become international and to incorporate the international systems in to the current system is evidence of this changing trend.

The national boards still need to introduce these new systems and processes in the vast number of schools we have across the many states in the country. However many schools are running dual curriculums (national and international) for various commercial and financial interests and are being dubious in implementing these process. While they call themselves international, the corruption of the curriculum by running the national and international curriculums parallel and sharing the faculty for these programmes is defeating the very essence of education. How do you expect a teacher to shift her teaching style as required by the dual curriculums she is teaching the same day! Also how will the student fit into a system which is running two completely different curriculums where the demands are completely different?

At Indus we try not to do these and we run only the international curriculum from grade I to XII. The unique feature of the schools like ours is the diversity in the students body and the dedicated faculty from across the country and the world.

In Indus we believe in holistic education and not syllabus-determined education at the cost of the value education. Value systems are part of the school culture and each student of Indus is expected to be the embodiment of the values that we stand by - Love, Discipline, Respect and Empathy. These are taught as part of their curriculum itself in school.

Student leadership has become a buzz word in schools in India today. Mere appointment of the student council and conducting an investiture ceremony does not reflect the leadership ability of the students. Each student must be able to demonstrate what leadership is all about and be ready to take responsibility for their own actions. In Indus this is inculcated from their early years. Leadership curriculum is part of the Indus core curriculum.

Today’s world is driven by technology. The current education system is increasingly dependent on technology both for curriculum transaction and also for facilitating learning by the students. At Indus we are conscious about the changing learning scenario in the country and we have introduced OLPC (One laptop per child) policy where every student is given a laptop (teacher controlled) and learning is enabled through these laptops in the class where the teacher assumes the role of a facilitator when this learning happens.

One must not lose connect with one's local community. Schools which proclaim themselves as international are increasingly becoming more interested in overseas service projects and trips; however it is at the grassroots level where service is required. Unfortunately, this is ignored. Service to the immediate community must be a part of the curriculum for all schools. At Indus, community service is part of the learning process for all students in school starting from Grade I. Schools must realize that ‘Localism is the precursor to Globalism’.

Project based learning and research skills must be imparted in the students from their early age and all schools which are genuinely concerned about the learning process of the students and are keen on improving the pedagogical processes are making this an integral part of their curriculum. At Indus, children are exposed to these skills from their primary years and by the time they reach senior school, these children are capable of handling the research demands of the curriculum.

Schools and parents are increasingly becoming aware of the importance of the placements for their wards after school. In the past this was not a preference, all we were interested in were the traditional subject choices and the regular colleges. Now, all schools are focusing on the placements of the children and advising their subject choices as per their future choices.

At Indus, we have a career counsellor with vast experience in the US and India who is able to guide the students in the right direction for their college placements. As a school, we understand and value that all subjects are equally important and not only the traditional subjects like sciences. Students are given the freedom to choose their subjects within the purview of the university requirements and are advised accordingly. It is in today's education that students take the ownership of their choices and learning.

In the new world, all stake holders have a role to play in the functioning of the school. As one often hears from many parents, in many schools parents are seen as a hindrance to the system. This old school of thought shall be replaced by considering the parents as one of the important stake holders. At Indus, the parent advisory council is actively involved in the functioning of the school and is equally important as the students’ council.

Coming to the economic strata, good education is no more expensive these days for those who understand the importance of the knowledge vs economy. While I agree with the argument that schools like ours are expensive, one must also understand that good infrastructure and good faculty comes at a premium. But, parents are increasingly diversifying their portfolios and increasing their investment in the education of their wards rather than in the stocks and gold. In this knowledge era, the only investment which is going to fetch you good results is the investment in knowledge.

Thank You

Aravind K Chalasani