Principal Speak: Equipping learners with critical thinking, communication, creativity, collaboration

What are the key achievements of your school in the past year that you would like to highlight?

Him Academy Public School achieved remarkable success in the past year, upholding a legacy of excellence. Key achievements include a perfect 100 per cent pass rate in classes X and XII board exams, triumphs in JEE Mains and NEET and stellar performances in sports at the state, national and international level. One student of the school got selected for Asian Sports Yoga Championship, Singapore. The school has also been designated as a Skill Hub school under the Prime Minister Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0, launched by the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

How are the ‘lessons’ of Covid time online teaching being incorporated in the normal offline mode now?

Well, adoption of e-learning platforms during Covid period has certainly influenced the thought process of teachers, parents and students. After the pandemic, things have changed. We are now a technology-enabled school. Digital literacy is a prerequisite for all teachers in our school. We’ve replaced all traditional green boards in our school with interactive panels. Teachers are now comfortable using technology, creating digital lesson plans, and making best use of digital content while teaching.

What is the teacher-taught ratio in your school?

The teacher-to-student ratio in our school is 1:17, indicating that for every 17 students, there is one teacher.

NEP has set new goals for school education. How far have you progressed in its implementation?

For the successful implementation of the recommendations of NEP 2020, we have introduced some novel initiatives in order to make education more purposeful. A committee comprising of senior and experienced teachers has been constituted. Its primary role will be to understand NEP recommendations and develop an implementation framework. This committee will also be responsible for the training and orientation of teachers, non-teachers, students and parents for the new changes. The existing system of education is based on rote learning. NEP 2020 suggests replacing it by the exam pattern based on critical thinking and creativity. So, in addition to routine assessments, we have introduced multiple Competency Based Olympiads in an academic year for all students from Grade 3 onwards. The critical thinking questions included in these Olympiads deal with application of concepts to unfamiliar situations, case-based questions, assertion reason questions. Following NIPUN (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy) guidelines, we have introduced holistic report card and portfolios in our K-2 wing. Since there is no system of formal examination in foundational stage, our Holistic Progress Record Registers are helping teachers to continuously assess the achievement of learning outcomes by students in a hassle-free manner. With effect from next academic session, we are also incorporating parent feedback as an important item in the holistic progress card of each student. One salient feature of our newly developed student diary is that it provides opportunity to students to reflect on what they are learning and to self-assess how they are progressing academically and behaviourally which is also one of the recommendations of NEP 2020. It also attempts to measure daily screen time of students countersigned by parents. Educator’s Diary has been revised keeping in view the recommendations of National Education Policy 2020. One unique feature of this diary is that it provides opportunity to teachers to reflect and self-assess their performance against the expected professional standards. As a pilot activity we have introduced project-based learning for middle grade students using five steps of design thinking, namely empathise, define, ideate, prototype and test. It is an instructional approach designed to give students the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills through some engaging projects set around challenges and problems they may face in the real world.  Students are encouraged to feel the problem, formulate or define the problem and then ideate a solution.

Vocational education classes or skill building opportunities given to students?

As a skill hub school under PMKVY 4.0 scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship we are likely to introduce skill courses for our school students with effect from next academic session.

Any special handholding initiative for underachievers?

In our school, the students with Special Education Need (SEN) are provided with specific remedial help or advice. Students falling in the age group of 6 years to 14 years are provided remedial assistance in languages (English and Hindi) and mathematics through customised school clinic assignments which help to bridge the learning gaps. In addition to this, bright as well as underachiever students are assigned to individual teacher mentors who connect with the parents telephonically, at least three times in a year (in addition to routine PTMs) to advise parents for academic and behavioural aspects of their ward as well as take feedback from them for the same.

Your vision for your students

I dream to see our learners as successful individuals who are equipped with 4C’s of the 21st century skills, namely, Critical Thinking and problem solving, Communication, Creativity and Collaboration, in addition to being groomed into mature digital citizens.