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“We are very conscious about sustainability, it is part of our agenda,” says Kanak Gupta, Director, Seth M. R. Jaipuria Schools in an interview with Chandan Anand, CEO & Group Editor, ArdorComm Media Group at the ‘ArdorComm New Normal – Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2022’ #ELSAJaipur #ELSARajasthan Any message would you like to pass on to the educators who are running the group of schools or schools or who is planning to enter this domain? The only message I have is that take education very responsibly. I think the future of the country is in our hands, the future of the world is in our hands, make sustainability as part of your agenda and focus on creating experiences in engaging with the students. Educate them, develop empathy the four e’s is what I would like to advise people to work on. It’s important to do it for the simple reason that unless you do that you are essentially being transactional and we’ll always be in the 1940s, 50s stuck and not come out of it, we need to now come out of it. Though the main forte for any school is to get admissions, what is the process which you follow for selecting a teacher? I think the most important thing in the school is the student and the teacher. The student and the teacher need to be at the centre of the teaching learning process. At our schools instead of only looking at what a teacher has done previously what we do is that we ask them to make a presentation about what you want to do. We also show them a road map so it’s a two-way process where the school shows the teacher what the roadmap of learning growth is going to be but the teacher also says that what they want to do because it’s a bad system to judge people on basis of what they’ve done in their past, it could be good, could be bad but it’s important to see what they want to do in the future so that is the most important aspect. We have a scale where we rate the teachers and then we try and understand if there’s a good match. Once the teacher is in the system it’s even more important to continue the professional development of the teacher on a regular basis so we do about five training interventions every year and teachers out of which two are teacher driven by teachers come and tell us that this is what I want to do, so it’s very interesting that way. Any mantra which you follow for the growth journey of Seth M. R. Jaipuria Group of Schools? We are very conscious about sustainability, it is part of our agenda. So, we call it SPICE so it’s S is for Sustainability, P is for possibility where we tell students that everything is possible and they can be what they really want to be, I is for integrity, C is for communication and E is for empathy, so that’s what we follow. What does the word new normal for you stands? New normal for me is opportunity, more than anything else. I think it’s the opportunity to impact and change the world to make it better because I do believe that we are facing climate change which is going to affect us in the short and the long run. I don’t want to leave a world behind where we will not have the opportunity to look back and say that I could have made a difference. So, I look at the new normal as an opportunity. Any message would you like to give for the appearing board exam students? Wish you all the best, enjoy yourselves, do not worry about marks think about the learning and think about where you want to go what you want to do that is more important but most importantly enjoy yourselves. Any message for the recently celebrated one year of existence of ArdorComm Media Group? Heartiest congratulations, I can’t believe it’s already been a year, I was there for the first event as well. I hope many more anniversaries and I hope that you’ll be able to create the sustainable impact that you are trying to make at the small cities, identify leaders at local levels who will create a better India for the future.

“The children forget about the main ethics of education and there’s a lot of usage of mobile and this also have a negative effect,” says Mahesh Choudhary, Chairman, Mayur Children Senior Secondary School in an interview with Chandan Anand, CEO & Group Editor, ArdorComm Media Group at the ‘ArdorComm New Normal – Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2022’ #ELSAJaipur #ELSARajasthan You have been witnessing the event since morning, according to you what are the outcomes and learning from these symposiums? The main thing I saw here that all the person who came here are very dignified and well educated and that’s why we can get the best outcome here that’s why I came here. I already searched a lot about this before the event and I got to know that lots of big personalities from education sector came here and everyone have to get a lot of knowledge from here, the good things from here, that’s why it’s a great event. As we’ve seen a transition from the traditional education system to e-learning or digital education, can you share any example of what has been the benefit of it in your school? First of all, I come from the rural background and our schools are in the rural area of Nagaur, Rajasthan. In the online there are pros and cons about everything, the traditional education has their own perspective and online education have their own perspective but after this era of covid and the new normal, the new education policy as well, we tried a lot to digitalize the education in our villages in our schools but there are also some negatives of online education. The children forget about the main ethics of education and a lot of usage of mobile and this also have a negative effect. The positive effect is that two and three years in the covid era we got to educate our children via digital medium if there was no digitalization then everything could have got vanished. That’s why positive and negative both perspectives were there in a traditional era and in this digital era. As we are gathering at New Normal Education Leadership Summit, according to you what is the word New Normal stand for? The main thing is artificial intelligence we are all aware of, but there is one thing which have to be taken care of is the mental health of children. We have to guide our teachers as well as students about the mental health and a peaceful mind, how can we define a peaceful mind and all of these things. In this new normal everything is going to be best when the new education policy will be totally implemented. In these kinds of events where we have the academicians, edtech players as well as representation from the government, what is an outcome of these event for you? A lot of things we can learn from these kinds of events and surely, I am very thankful to you guys to invite us here and these events are like a coordinator in between an institute and a company, digital companies and any platform, that’s why we can meet as school and as an online platform and it’s very good to know about different things here. Recently our media organization has just completed one and a half years of existence we celebrated anniversary any message would you like to give to ArdorComm Media Group? You guys are going on a great path like these kinds of events you are having, it’s great especially in this new normal after a lot of hectic covid time, you guys are taking initiative for the education. You are doing very great work and have a bright future, thank you so much.

“Preschools have to be taken seriously, preschool educators have to be taken seriously so I think that would play very important role for us now,” says Sneha Rathor, CEO, Sanfort Group of Schools in an interview with Chandan Anand, CEO & Group Editor, ArdorComm Media Group at the ‘ArdorComm New Normal – Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2022’ #ELSAJaipur #ELSARajasthan Would like to understand from you the energy mantra of yours, the way you have been taking the journey of Sanfort Group of Schools to a certain level, what motivates you? I think not only me that goes for all the educators. I think the biggest strength that we have is our children that we see and all the energy is being derived from them. We spend most of our time thinking about the kids in our schools or spending time with them so they give a lot of energy to us because whenever we see what is it that we want to do for them as educators and how we really want to change things for them so that they have a better education and they turn out to be a global leader with more information and a lot of innovation in their minds. So, I think that’s the greatest form of motivation for all of us to go ahead in education. I have seen the journey of your group specially the way you have transformed from the preschool to schools, how do you guide the people who actually look to venture into preschools especially post covid? I think education right now is a wonderful space to come in specially post covid because during covid greatly there has been a shutdown in preschools and because of which there’s a lot of vacuum that has been created and the number of births that have happened during the pandemic has also been great so a lot of children are coming and the number of schools that we have right now, the number of preschools that we have right now to cater to the needs of those children is less so it’s a huge vacuum a huge opportunity for people to come in and venture into. But, it has to be on a professional level so earlier pre-covid that we used to see there was a little gap in the terms of what kind of pre-schooling that should be there in our country. In a country as huge as India with a massive population of young children so what we need to see is whoever is venturing into preschool has to be somebody who’s very professional, somebody who actually understands that why preschools are required in our society and what is the importance of it and how really pre-schooling should happen so it shouldn’t be just like our next door place where the children go they play and learn some rhymes. It has to be taken seriously and I think it will now be taken seriously because NEP has come into place so it becomes more of a serious education rather than just a neighbourhood preschool concept. How would you execute NEP in your schools and what are the benefits which you see in near future which NEP will definitely bring in overall preschool education? We’ve been discussing it for a really long time for all the old players in preschool industry. So, I think when we talk about NEP and after reading NEP most of the leading preschools in India or good preschools in India they had been following it for years now, so for us it has been nothing new in terms of incorporating it. But I think it gives a huge sense of importance to us now that the NEP has come into play so earlier it was taken as an option that okay fine like you can send your child to the school but now NEP coming into place it gives us importance that this is a formal education also, it has to be taken seriously. Preschools have to be taken seriously, preschool educators have to be taken seriously so I think that would play very important role for us now. So, teaching techniques we’ve been following it for a long time but making it formal is what brings a huge change for us. What are the values or the mission of Sanfort Group of Schools? I think it’s very important as I said that India is a huge country and with such massive young minds that we need to nurture. So, I think what we look at is giving quality education to more and more children to be accessible to all kind of children. It should not be restricted to a particular society it should be accessible to everybody because its important, early years are very important and that’s how we need to look at it. We all have gathered at New Normal Education Leadership Summit and Awards, what does the word new normal for you stands? I think new normal has a different meaning to us now because when it was covid the New Normal was that oh now the schools are not open everything is shut and we need to sit at our homes, it would be even two years old children learning through screens and all of that was the new normal. But post pandemic era the New Normal is that, oh the world is open now and that we feel so happy that now the children are coming back to school you could see people roaming around freely and then the new normal is that we’re now respecting that what freedom is and how important it is because in those two years the sense we were lacking that, oh we never knew that this freedom could ever be taken from us. Yes, so I think pandemic really made us realize how could we be restricted from going out of our homes towards offices or something like that meeting our own relatives our

“The main thing is learning but with which perspectives it is on to you,” says Neetu Sharma, Founder and Principal, Million Miracle Pre-School, Jaipur in an interview with Chandan Anand, CEO & Group Editor, ArdorComm Media Group at the ‘ArdorComm New Normal – Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2022’ #ELSAJaipur #ELSARajasthan What has been the learning from your session and the time which you have spent at the event today? The event was very interactive and it was a great learning from all the learned peoples we were sharing the stage. We were getting upgraded mentally and by spiritual learning which really a person needs at this time. Being a pre-school teacher what I really feel if you are having an energy of a 150 percent then we can deliver the hundred percent to the children because children are the most energetic persons, to engage those brain in a very positive manner we have to see how we can upgrade them on ourselves, first ourselves in a better way by learning what is newer to get upgraded with them to their levels. Children don’t have a lot of patience they are very quick learners and for them regular reinforcement is very much important so whatever we are teaching is that a life skill or it is a social thing we are teaching them or anything which is from mythological things or educational. Our students have to be self-driven they should not be dependent on anyone they should know what is right, what is wrong. They should know how to use the things wisely. So, I have learned these all things lot from here we were like the children with the experienced peoples so let’s see how we can apply them and next time whenever we meet I can assure you with some more good betterments in ourselves even and thank you for such a good platform you have given to us. What has inspired you to become an owner of your own brand? When we were working with the other brand also, they were the first gurus, I have learned a lot of things from them but when you work we can’t find that if this thing would have been to this level it would have been easier because practically doing and having in the books is entirely different. So, when we come on the grounds we find that there are some limitations to it just work with that free zone and then I find if the children at this age get that plight of knowledge at a full side, full learning they will of course bloom like anything. So, to working with them with a free side that without the foundation that we have to cover this, that you have to do this way only no I don’t think learning has a particular pattern learning is something which every person learns in a different way. If I say do this, means a child can take it in any way in whichever mode or state he is. It is not that he is listening if I say write ‘A’ he will take my instruction, but in my school the child can write in the air also he can write in the copy, some children will like to write on wall so this is the free liberty side what we are giving to the child that they should learn how to write. The main thing is learning but with which perspectives it is on to you. I say best teacher is the one who doesn’t teach how she knows it is the one who dealt herself according to the child how she is making interesting one for the children. We have been managing really hard to execute this event and we have been doing this from last one and a half years recently we celebrated our first anniversary any message or any advice would you like to give to ArdorComm Media? I should say ArdorComm Media is doing a good job they are getting so many big peoples at a single platform. I can understand from my level being an entrepreneur it becomes very difficult to cope up with so many people with their busy schedules and of course you are doing great work, giving us this platform especially the teachers and educators who are actually the foundation layers and if we are on the same stage and we are able to connect with the things over the higher educations it will become something else only, so thanks goes to the ArdorComm Media who is giving such a good platform to us.  

“We need to skill our teachers as well because they are coming from the 80s and then we are going to teach in the 21st century children and that’s a huge gap in between,” says Hema Harchandani, Founder & Managing Director, Canvas International Group in an interview with Chandan Anand, CEO & Group Editor, ArdorComm Media Group at the ‘ArdorComm New Normal – Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2022’ #ELSAJaipur #ELSARajasthan What is the message you would like to give specially to the people who are already running schools and those who are eying to be one of the owners of the school? I think two things are the major agenda which I also speak about, one is the parent partnership program which has to be very dignified way and then every school has to design in a such a process because we are focusing on the new skill-based program most of the time. So, the parents should also be aware of that what are the skills we have and what we are going to teach our children that’s one major fundamental thing because then only the collaboration work together, as a school as an educator as a parent. Another part I always emphasis on is the training process, the training process has to be the school side in a very high side because the way today the recruitment is happening we need to skill our teachers as well because they are coming from the 80s and then we are going to teach in the 21 century children and that’s a huge gap in between. So, first we have to skill ourselves and then only those strategies have to be put on. Earlier we used to talk about teacher training program now is it like teacher training and skilling program? Yes, it’s more into a skill-based program, I think the teachers who are already coming from they know how to teach the subjects but they need to enhance their levels because the children have skill set better than the teachers so they should think out of the box. This is not a classroom sitting kind of thing there has to be life experience even in the science, math any language we are talking about those things has to be in an experienced way that’s what we have to talk about. Would you like to share any experience as a live example of your own school? I always remember one thing is when you take them outside from your school campus most of the things whenever we the teachers are doing inside the campus they are okay with that. Take them out take that risk along with you, yes definitely there is a risk involved but I think beyond the campus if you take the children then you see the ‘wow’ thing is happening with the children so think about those strategies, think about the openness don’t focus on the numbers, numbers will come automatically. We all have united here for the New Normal Education Leadership Summit and Awards, what does the word new normal stands for you? I think new normal is adjusted now, we all are adjusted after covid in the new normal. I think new normal for me has done wonders personally as well as professionally. One thing I’ve learned from after covid is patience. Whatever you do things will happen their own way. So, I think that one message I really wanted to give is be calm, be patient things are going to happen as per your plan don’t be impatient and rude for the anybody else so that’s what it is. When we gather in a program like this where all the stakeholders from the same fraternity like academia, industry and government are present, what should be an outcome of certain forums? School and education is a community business we need to understand, it’s not be, okay the government only going to do that or as a owner I’m going to change it or as a parent I have to, every stakeholder has to come on the forum and then talk about. At the end of the day we have to focus on what are the end results so suppose today we are talking here so many concepts, so many things. I think everybody has to take it forward in their school the strategies we gather here, we discuss. If I am doing something different and somebody else is doing we should start, this has to be exchanging program instead of okay no I am doing this, I am very rigid on my strategy which should not be. So, in any conference we are going be ready for the openness be ready for the learning thing and be ready for taking it forward. I’m glad to share that we’ve recently celebrated our one year of existence, any message would you like to pass on to ArdorComm Media? I think Chandan and the team is doing excellent work and I know him for last couple of years now and I am sure you are doing such a great work and keep doing it.