CA Utpal Shah, Director, Amity School, Bharuch; Amicus International School, Vadodara shares how the schools sailed off during the tough times of covid

“The adaptability is going to be the life factor for anybody to survive,” says CA Utpal Shah, Director, Amity School, Bharuch; Amicus International School, Vadodara in an interview with Chandan Anand, Founding Editor, ArdorComm Media Group at the ‘ArdorComm New Normal – Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2022’ #ELSAGujarat #ELSAAhmedabad

Under your leadership how it has been taking the education and implementing the newest technology in the schools which you are leading?

See the phase of pandemic has given us absolutely new dimension to the field of Education as far as the classroom teaching is concerned. Lots of emphasis has been given on the use of technology and internet connectivity. The school did well just because we could adapt ourselves during this pandemic time. With respect to the use of technology and bringing it to the from the classroom to the residences of each and every child.

When we talk about the implementation of newest technology in the institute a very important factor which comes to the mind is the financial knowledge of investing right amount into right product, having a finance background how do you manage to inculcate or adopt a technology?

I think it is always like whether ‘egg came first or hen’ so I think as an Institute we should invest first in the technology and then we should think about the returns. I am sure once the parents are satisfied with your services they never mind paying the fees. So, cost factor maybe yes initially we might have to invest something but in the long run it pays.

Any of the case studies would you like to share during this tough time of two years, how did you manage and sailed off across taking teachers, faculties, parents and students?

I must say thanks to the God that we could envisage such a critical situation in the first week of pandemic. We started our online classes on the 1st of April itself that was I think around 23rd of March the lockdown was announced and we could start the online classes within seven days of its announcement so that was the one thing which clicked almost in the right direction for us. We took the Reliance Broadband connections we made the laptop compulsory for all the teachers and classrooms were converted into the studios. So, each classroom was having a 65-inch Smart TV the teachers were bringing their laptops the connectivity was given and somehow, we could reach to the students despite having offline classes within seven days that was I think a crux of the issue.

So today we have been gathered where we can see so many schools are here, teachers, academicians are here we can see the edtech players and the startups are here even the government is coming, how does such kind of forums or symposiums help overall education sector to grow and learn?

I think over the period of time it has been very transparently clear that one thing which is going to happen is one has to change the way we think. The adaptability is going to be the life factor for anybody to survive. I think the way these people who are coming here and displaying their products is going to be the future of the education. For example, the first presentation which was given was of a classroom acoustic, it has clicked us right so this is something where probably you know the future of classroom or future of school education is going to be so I think it immensely helps all the participants.

Sir to share with you we have recently completed our one year of existence, ArdorComm Media was started as a startup and we have celebrated our anniversary, any message or any guidance would you like to give for ArdorComm Media Group?

I can’t give you any guidance but I can wish you best of luck you are doing a fantastic job for the school education and maybe for the higher education my best wishes to you.