Systematic documentation, clear channels of communication, transparency in procedures and accountability of the staff for different matters pertaining to academics and administration – Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) in Anna Nagar now has a comprehensive system in place to ensure these.
The National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET) has accredited the institution, recognising its high quality in school governance.
The NABET is a constituent Board of the Quality Council of India, and certifies schools based on their compliance with the requirements as per the ‘Accreditation Standard for Quality School Governance'.
While T.I. Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Ambattur, has also received the accreditation, KV – Anna Nagar is one of the first government schools in Chennai to have completed the procedures for the accreditation and to have received the certification. Including these two, there are as many as 20 schools in India that have got the accreditation.
Periodic reviews
The certificate is valid from 2010 to 2014. The NABET will hold periodic reviews and conduct a re-assessment at the end of the period.
While quality checks or obtaining certification for compliance with high standards of quality is a common practice in industry, what could such accreditation mean to an educational institution?
“For a school like KV, it means evolving a set of very efficient procedures and putting them in place. The system enables smooth functioning irrespective of the presence of the school head or a particular teacher on a given day,” explains Lakshmi Ramakrishnan, principal, KV – Anna Nagar.
The school has been working towards meeting the requirements set by the NABET for the last couple of years.
“The standard set for us is very high and the accreditation procedure is very rigorous. It entailed tremendous amounts of hard work,” she adds.
Several aspects
The norms laid down by the NABET span several aspects of school governance, including academic excellence, health of students, infrastructure, safety in schools, ability to respond to natural calamities or emergencies, feedback mechanisms, transparency in admission procedures.
Pointing to the teachers' “phenomenal efforts” in documenting information, Ms. Ramakrishnan says the exercise has helped all of them work as a team and recognise their colleagues' potential and strengths.
“The procedure was very tedious, but the efforts are worth it. We find that having efficient systems in place helps us run the institution effectively. It also shows on our overall quality,” she observes.
It is the objective of achieving higher quality that is driving the KVs to go in for accreditation, according to N. R. Murali, assistant commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan - Chennai Region.
“The feedback has gone to our head quarters in Delhi. Depending on the directions we receive, more schools [KVs] in the region would be encouraged to go in for the accreditation,” he says.
According to Somit Shrivastav, Education Officer, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, New Delhi, 20 KVs were identified for the exercise. KVs in Anna Nagar, Chennai, IIT-Powai, Mumbai and R.K. Puram, New Delhi have completed the procedures.
Adding value
“Almost all the other schools are also on the verge of completion. This accreditation will add value to KVs and elevate their image.”
“The procedures are rigorous and any institution meeting our requirements will have high benchmarks for quality in governance,” says Anurag Rastogi, assistant director, NABET.
