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Tell our readers about The Academy School and your professional journey.
The Academy School (TAS) is a National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 model ICSE school and follows the Finland Education System pedagogy. It is the first school in Maharashtra to introduce the Finnish learning model and one of the first schools to have adopted the NEP.
The goal of TAS is not just to give best education to students but also to help students develop independent thinking. The idea is to support students as they discover their journey and help them become responsible global citizens. TAS was established in Pune in 2015 by the Gramodaya Trust with the aim to provide world-class education to children.
Helps us to understand your opinion about current Education trends in India
The biggest worry is the propping up of unauthorized or bogus schools everywhere. Many have been taking this as an advantage and have commercialized the education sector. Parents, in desperation, to provide the best quality education, end up falling into their trap. There is no doubt that many have been making the education sector a means of business and less about passing the knowledge and skill-set to students.
Secondly, without sounding too critical, Indian schools’ focus is on completion of syllabus, textbook learning, and ultimately good performance in exams. The problem with this kind of setup is that it gives out a feeling that every student needs to toil hard or cram books in order to succeed. That can’t be it. Curiosity-based learning instead of intelligence-based learning is the way to go.
We would like know more the concept #HappyAtSchool are better learners
Most of the times students have to run after content with a fear of completing the syllabus. The school can be a safe environment where children discover their strengths and practice different skills in order to face life after school and become confident and independent.
Happiness plays a huge role in the holistic development of children and they need to understand the fact that knowledge is not equal to information and learning is not merely developing memory. It is about developing social skills, emotions, perspective, relationship and community-based learning. Once they are in the know of these things, they are much more relaxed and calm and produce better results naturally.
Your thoughts about the importance of providing skill-based training or Vocational learning at the school
Right from parents and teachers, such skill-based training should be encouraged and inculcated to further assist the student. Education, be it non-curricular or any other offbeat training that can be called learning, should be an-round help towards making a student a better and an able human being equipped with the arsenal that is needed in life, from intelligence to intuition.
The double whammy would hit a student when only cramming books push the student away from pursuing intelligence and was not able to pursue non-curricular training as well. The student would lose out on both, which can be devastating.
What is your opinion about the New Education Policy which came in 2020 and the new education system of 5+3+3+4.
NEP brings in a much-needed focus on international standards of applied learning, multiple learning pathways, and focus on technology-enabled pedagogy. The NEP did manage to do some heavy-lifting by adopting a new pedagogical structure of teaching which pays attention to the holistic development of a child and trying to do away with the rote culture. It paints a positive image of learning that is built on a solid foundation of five years of activity-based learning and another three years of preparation.
But from early childhood education to bachelor’s and master’s degrees, the Finland Education System FES has a takeaway on each stage that we can adapt to or get inspired from since the NEP is still taking its baby steps towards transforming education for good.
Help us with your view about why India is projected as the education hub of the world
India looks poised to become a global education hub with the government introducing major policy changes. With more information about quality education and exposure to various other international teaching techniques and learning methods, the focus is now shifting from rote culture and it is time we build curiosity as base for education.
There is so much we can do with today’s students who are our country’s tomorrow. India is on the right track, they just need to keep building on it and it is only a matter of time before India becomes the Mecca of education.
This interview was authored by Vishwasjeet Singh, Editor-in-Chief, Estrade Business News. To share more stories kindly email: vishwasjeet@estrade.in
