Geetika Bahuguna, COO (Services), Millennium Education Group emphasizes on implementation of immersive learning in Preschools

“Learning has to be orchestrated where the child experiences learning because you can’t teach a child he has to learn,” says Geetika Bahuguna, COO (Services), Millennium Education 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

As you have moderated a very well defined and an informal segment which is now formerly coming under the umbrella of NEP as well, what has been your experience two years before and now?

I think there has been a lot of change in the mindset of people and also the confidence level that you can embrace technology because they have seen it happening during the pandemic now it’s only about how do you leverage it better, how do you actually harness the potential of technology. If I talk about the pre-primary segment that has been untouched so we haven’t literally leveraged it in a physical school so now it’s about taking it out from the virtual mode and bringing it into the physical school and creating maybe a hybrid or an integrated model where technology becomes a very innate and a critical component of the entire pedagogical cycle.

Preschool segment has been considered as a very experiential and a lot of hygiene should be maintained over the years, people are very sensitive in selecting a brand or a school, how are you taking your brand in that way?

See, we are a very child safety focused organization so our processes are very well defined. We have all the structures and processes because you can’t actually run a chain if you don’t have that and there are continuous regular audits and so whatever is being done in this robust training which happens and closed monitoring of the schools. So, everything is catered for and taken care of.

If anybody is opting for a franchisee of a Preschool what should be kept in mind like top key pointers for selecting a brand?

It is about who’s running, what is the credibility of the organization, what is their pedagogy, what is their approach and what is their connect with the parents. Its credibility would be based on the experience of the parents or whatever anecdotal evidences are there plus the pedagogy would define how the child is actually being exposed to learning because that is very critical like what we had been hearing that it has to be social emotional experiential all that.

How do you place immersive learning in the Preschool segment?

It is all immersive you cannot have learning which is not immersive, the child has to be immersed in learning and the learning has to be orchestrated where the child experiences learning because you can’t teach a child he has to learn. So, it is very constructivist at that particular stage also child will learn if he is interested, he is curious, he’s engaged so that process of making, ensuring these three conditions are met is through immersive learning, so it cannot be any other way.

From an educator point of view, what should be the criteria of selecting a teacher for Preschool?

Teacher is a passion her connect in fact we were also figuring out with our HR in case we could actually, figure out what is the EQ component because it is all energy. See, content comes later what you require is a true love, care, passion and the Zeal to keep learning.

We have all gathered at “New Normal Education Leadership Summit and Awards”, what does the word New Normal for you stands?

New Normal is one is the traditional definition because we’ve gone through the VUCA period so this is like practically a new normal otherwise also I think what somebody said that every day is a new normal we are evolving at a very fast pace so I think it will continue, it is going to be the only constant.

Recently we have celebrated our one year of existence and it’s been the first anniversary of ArdorComm Media, any message and good wishes you want to share with us?

All the best and congratulations. I was there at the last time also and I’ve seen that passion, energy and the commitment in the team and you’ve been able to gather all the thought leaders. Please continue doing this because these are forums which give each other that confidence and the moral support because this education community has to move together and there has to be partnership.