Curriculum should be child-centred, in pace with times

St Peter’s Academy, managed by the Simla-Chandigarh Educational Society, is one of the most prestigious institutions in the royal city of Punjab. The school was founded in 1970 as a primary school. It progressed and got affiliated to the CBSE in 1986. Since then, there has been no looking back. In an interaction with The Tribune, Fr John Bosco, Principal of the school, speaks about the institution. 

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What are the latest changes that you have introduced in the school academics?

We have introduced the XSEED methodology to initiate a new approach to teaching and learning. This curriculum is designed to raise the level of learning in classrooms and build confidence in children. XSEED follows a multi-step experiential learning methodology where concepts are taught through hands on experimentation, followed by questioning, application and assessment. To keep pace with the developments in science and technology, our students are being trained by the National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT) with specific programmes designed for schoolchildren. These programmes educate them in diverse fields of information and technology, which also makes learning meaningful by relating every concept with real life.

How do you plan to bring changes in the educational set-up to make it more practical as is being followed by the school abroad?

In our curriculum, we lay a lot of stress on application-based learning. We follow the Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE), which is a system of school-based evaluation that covers all aspects of students’ development. A lot of emphasis is laid on personality development and practical knowledge.

Of late, smart schools are being talked about. Have you introduced it in your school?

We need to keep abreast of changing times. Smart tools will make our students smarter. We have introduced Teach Next, an optimal digital classroom solution that combines the best of new age technology, creative content and interactive tools. It helps to expand the imagination of students and enhance their understanding of concepts.

Have you taken any initiative to make your students aware of the menace of drugs?

Time and again, we counsel our students and make them aware of the harmful effects of drugs. The issue is touched on during the school assembly. Street plays are performed even by professionals to caution students against drug abuse.

Whether any special emphasis is being laid on sports to encourage participation of more students in games?

Children are encouraged to take up sports and take part in inter-school, zonal and district sports events. Summer camps are held at the school to hone their talent. We emphasise on hundred per cent participation in sports meets held in the school.

Is there any move to change the school curriculum to make it more profession-oriented?

We are already looking into it through the NIIT program introduced in our curriculum.

What is the USP of your school and areas you want to rework on?

We strive to provide holistic education to students. We have introduced an e-care system that acts as a communication tool between parents and teachers. The curriculum should be child centered and in pace with the changing times. Teachers should use the latest pedagogy. This will make teaching-learning process effective.

— Gagan K Teja