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An
Interview with...
...Ms Gowri Ishwaran, Principal
of Sanskriti School, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
A committed educationist, Ms Gowri
Ishwaran is not only an inspiring teacher but also very
committed to the cause of protecting the environment.
She encourages her students to take part in a wide range
of activities concerning 'protection of nature'. This
efficient administrator is not only adept at conducting
teacher-training workshops but also computer savvy,
being actively involved with schools from the USA, UK
and Canada on projects concerning online activities.
A gold medallist in MA, she intends to encourage in
her students an urge to be life-long learners and grow
into caring, sensitive and responsible global citizens.
Q:Education is expected to prepare
the students with knowledge and life skills to face
the future. How much of our school syllabus actually
focuses on this? How free is the school head in today's
scenario to ensure that the syllabus actually caters
to this vital need?
A: In my view, equipping students with life skills means
building in them the ability to approach the surprises
that life offers, with confidence and self-esteem. Another
value that teaching life skills should hope to inculcate
in the students is that they should put in their best
efforts in whatever they are doing and try to excel
in them. Life skills should empower the students to
blossom into citizens that contribute to the society
and learn to work best in a team.
I would say even learning to take an examination with
the right spirit is a life skill although at Sanskriti
examination is not an overriding concern. We counsel
the parents to understand that children need to feel
challenged to respond with effective performance but
statistics play no role in Sanskriti. You will never
see Sanskriti making a newspaper announcement proclaiming
the number of students that get into the IIT or some
such thing. Our parents are happy with this. So I feel
that if the children are taught to take the results
objectively, even taking an examination is a useful
life skill to acquire.
Within the prescribed syllabus, in the classes where
there is no preoccupation with the preparation for Board
examination, we give the children plenty of opportunity
for play, debates, discussions, sports, handicrafts
training and other extracurricular activities.
I give a lot of freedom to my teachers to experiment
with new ideas and teach innovatively. Most decisions
are made in consultation with the teachers so they feel
as committed with the implementation of the ideas as
I do.
There's this other issue about pressure-free education
that people are making much out of. I don't believe
in raising children without any pressure. What we have
to make sure is that they learn how to cope with the
pressure. In moderation, I would say, even pressure
helps turn a child into a complete human being. Acquiring
information, applying the relevant information to analyse
and evaluate situations and to choose the right options
in the given circumstances to reap the best results
is what 'being complete' is all about.
Q:Do you think school education in
India creates thinkers?
A:
Time
magazine in a recent analysis had declared that the
European system of education and the systems that were
patterned after the European system have flaws. They
don't seem to be creating thinkers. The American system
has a less loaded syllabus but gives more space for
individualistic thinking and drawing conclusions. They
teach how to find out the information one needs and
apply it where necessary towards a productive task.
They also make their students extremely IT savvy. Their
students use their computer skills very effectively
to locate the information they require. I feel we should
take the best from both the systems and encourage children
to question, think, analyse and evaluate.
Q:What do you notice in today's children
that is particularly different from children, say, twenty
years ago?
A:Today's
children don't swallow anything without questioning.
They need proof. The adults will have to earn their
respect. When we were young we took as gospel truth
whatever our elders told us. Now the children are constantly
evaluating us. Unless they are convinced they do not
believe. It puts us adults on guard. Our actions are
constantly being monitored by our children. This wasn't
so in our generation. I think it is a welcome change.
There is this other issue that I am not happy about,
that is, the ill effects of media intrusion. Violence
is getting legitimacy because of programmes like WWF.
Children look at violence as something heroic. I am
worried about this trend.
Q:If
you were given the authority to change one thing in
the Indian school education system, what would it be?
A:
I would like to implement a system whereby every student
takes a common examination for entry into the universities.
I would also like to recommend a cumulative system of
assessment by class teachers. I know teachers will have
to be trained for that but the effort will be well worth
the results.
Q:One
last question. The first thing that struck me when I
came in was that you were willing to meet everyone who
had come to see you. I did not notice any of the drama
that I always associated with a Principal's office.
You are so accessible and cordial. How do you manage
that?
A:
I do not meet anyone during school hours. School hours
are only for my teachers and students. Any child can
meet me. I listen even to a nursery child's request
for a section change. If the child has a valid reason,
I comply. If a secondary level student wants advice
on an issue, I give him/her time. Nobody goes away from
my office unheard.
After school hours, I meet parents and other visitors.
This way I am able to keep in touch. Yes, I do work
long hours but I prefer it this way.
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