Educationist in sync with her parent’s vision and legacy

Neha Saini

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 6

When Dr Kirat Sandhu Cheema took over as the director of Springdales Educational Society in 2009 following her parent’s sudden demise, the then 24-year-old dentistry graduate knew she had some big shoes to fill. Dr Shivinder Singh Sandhu and Dr Manveen Sandhu were known as pioneers in the field of education, social welfare and fostering cultural ties between India and Pakistan through their NGO, Punarjyot. And now, their vision and legacy lives on through their children Dr Kirat Sandhu Cheema and Sahiljit Sandhu.

Speaking to Amritsar Tribune is Dr Kirat Sandhu Cheema, sharing her views on the changing concept of education, her goals and moving beyond the confines of class to reach to the masses.

Did you have any apprehensions when you took over as the director of Springdales?

“I did not have any apprehensions per say, when I took over my parent’s legacy, as me and my brother Sahiljit, were always deeply involved with the institution’s working. We studied in Springdales and were involved with the community and cultural activities as well. But it was overwhelming as our lives took a 360-degree turn and the fact that my parents were not there with us anymore was hard to accept.

What kept you motivated through the initial difficult time after your parent’s sudden demise?

My motivation still comes from my parent’s vision and body of work. One thing that kept me going was the constant thought that I cannot let the legacy of two generations go waste. Since I was the elder one, and Sahiljit was pursuing his studies in the US, I had to take on the responsibility head on.

Eight years on, has Punarjyot expanded its community outreach programmes?

Punarjyot works on a lot of projects in the field of creating awareness against female foeticide, environment concerns and promoting culture and heritage through student-centric activities. We organise the ‘Maa Boli’ festival, specifically promoting Punjabi literature, art forms and traditions, inviting schools across Punjab to participate every year. We also have ensured student engagement through theatre and multi-media tools of learning. Every year, we plant almost 1,000 saplings through our students.

What is your concept of quality education?

We believe in a holistic learning experience and equal right of quality education. My brother Sahiljit has been working to inculcate technology into education in a balanced manner. We have introduced alternative tools and education and activity-based learning techniques over the years. We also keep aside a huge amount from our institutional earnings to provide free education to the underprivileged children.

‘Saanjh’, Amritsar-Lahore peace festival, is one of the most prominent endeavours of Springdale Education Society. Amid the growing tension between India and Pakistan, where does its future stand?

Since the past 11 years, we have continuously held ‘Saanjh’, despite political and other limitations. We believe that the two countries share one soul, unfortunately they are two entities today. ‘Saanjh’ was a brainchild of my parents and Faizaan Peerzada. The idea behind it is that music is a universal language and a common binder. This year’s edition of ‘Saanjh’ was held at Pul Mooran, which is situated right on the border and it’s a historically significant place. It was a huge landmark for us as the message we want to put across comes clear, to connect people from both sides through shared culture and heritage. And we will continue our efforts.

The conflict between private schools and parents’ association regarding unfair practices and incessant fee hikes has raised questions over the functioning of private educational institutions. What are your thoughts on the subject?

Springdales has managed to create a strong network of parent-management-student. We are completely considerate towards the parents’ demands and expectations. We work in a way so that students, management and parents remain in sync with each other. Before every new session, we hold a meeting between the management and the parents’ association to seek approval for fee hike. And our fee structure commensurate with the facilities we provide to the child.