IIM-Sirmaur begins leadership training for state school heads

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Sirmaur has commenced a five-day leadership training program for school heads from Himachal Pradesh, held in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. The initiative, inaugurated online by Samagra Shiksha Director Rajesh Sharma from Shimla, is part of a broader effort to improve educational standards in the state. The programme, which started on Monday, will train 52 school heads from Kinnaur, Lahaul Spiti, Chamba and Mandi districts in its first phase.

This leadership training is a key component of the Samagra Shiksha School Leadership Development Programme, aimed at enhancing the capabilities of school leaders in public leadership, time management, motivation, communication and stress management, among other topics. The training also covers resource allocation, inclusive learning and innovation in education. The objective is to empower school heads, who will then train other teachers across the state as master trainers. Sirmaur IIM Director, Prof Prafulla Agnihotri, expressed pride in the institute’s involvement in the initiative, noting that it is a significant contribution to improving the quality of education in Himachal Pradesh. He assured continued support for the state’s efforts to elevate educational standards.

Samagra Shiksha Director Rajesh Sharma highlighted the importance of the training, especially in light of Himachal Pradesh’s declining education rankings in recent national surveys. Himachal is currently ranked 18th in the Performance Grading Index (PGI) and 21st in the National Achievement Survey. Sharma emphasised that partnering with a prestigious institution like IIM to provide training for school leaders is a historic step that will contribute to raising the quality of education in the state. This initiative follows the announcement by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in the state budget to implement a school leadership development programme. In total, the Sirmaur IIM will train 200 school heads under this programme. The state government is committed to enhancing education through teacher training and exposure tours to prestigious institutions like IIM, with the ultimate goal of reversing the slide in educational performance.