How has your journey been from a retired bureaucrat to an academician, and what have been your key learnings? School education has been close to my heart. I have been passionate about it. In my early life, in my childhood, I had to struggle a lot because I come from a village which is not close to a city. We used to walk 5 km a day carrying a school bag on our back, not complaining, having fun all the way, and being a part of nature. We all learn by our senses. We learn by observation, by listening, and by doing. Sometimes we also learn by listening to wise and learned people. Being part of government service, I had exposure to a variety of situations and experiences, and that has been useful when I thought of setting up a school. In our school, we believe in the motto “care and share.” We care for each other, and we share what we have. It is not only about sharing your lunch or dinner; it is about sharing your knowledge. Because life is too short, and if you leave this world without sharing, it all goes with you. How important is digital hygiene in today’s world, and what precautions should be taken? The digital world is everywhere, and we are more and more into it. It is created by human beings to help perform tasks easily and smoothly. But we do not want the digital world to take over everything because we are human beings, and the human touch in learning should never go away. That is what I believe. Technology can facilitate learning, but it cannot replace human interaction. Person-to-person experience, sharing, talking, and learning is the best form. Technology can only help; it cannot take over all functions. Human interaction is the best way to learn from each other. How do you bridge the digital gap between rural and urban students? The digital world is everywhere. Access to the internet is available widely now. It is not about going to a big place to learn; you can learn wherever you are. Our students are already learning these things at home. Technology is easily accessible. In fact, sometimes students are more knowledgeable than teachers. So it becomes a challenge for teachers to keep themselves updated. We must accept this fact. If teachers are not updating themselves, will they remain relevant? That is the question. What are your views on NEP 2020 and its implementation? Our Education Policy 2020 is a very good document. The challenge is implementation. It is beautifully created by wise people and should be followed in letter and spirit. But what we often miss is whether we are listening to our children. Education has been more teacher-centric rather than child-centric. Teachers sometimes feel they know everything, but that may not always be true. The best classrooms are interactive. When you listen to children, you realize you also need to learn more. What innovative practices have you implemented in your school? Our school focuses on activity-based learning and learning by doing. At the same time, we are experimenting with child-centric learning. One day in a week, we ask children what they want to learn and how they want to learn. We act as facilitators. My experience is that children are learning and enjoying it. It is worth trying this experiment. How do forums like this help society at large? Such forums are necessary because many times we live in our own isolated worlds. We do not sit together, share ideas, or exchange experiences. These forums bring people together to share knowledge, experiences, and best practices. Education is a vast field, and learning must always continue. If we stop learning, we start stagnating. So we must always remain open to learning. Any message for ArdorComm Media as it grows? Just keep it up and have more such sessions. We need more opportunities where people can come together with an open mind and share ideas, experiences, and best practices.
