The room was buzzing with quality discussion on education, as participants of the Mentors' Meet for school principals, organised by The Hindu NIE on Friday, attended it with a sense of responsibility and purpose.
The keynote address by Dileep Ranjekar, Chief Executive Officer, AzimPremji Foundation, on ‘Leadership in building a nation through quality education', they said, was invaluable, informative and educative.
At the interactive session, moderated by V. Jayanth, Senior Associate Editor, The Hindu , the ‘leaders' and ‘emerging leaders' shared their thoughts on the topic and enthusiastically posed questions to the speaker.
RTE and leadership
Wg. Cdr. K.R. Dwarakanath (retd.), administrator, Sri Jnanakshi Vidyaniketan, was of the opinion that the enactment of the Right to Education (RTE) may not ensure quality education in spite of enlightened educational leadership.
Agreeing that it was controversial, Mr. Ranjekar said the social aspect of education must not just remain on paper as education was a powerful instrument towards ensuring a better standard of life. He believed the enactment of the RTE would remove the obstacles faced by vulnerable groups in accessing education.
No escaping formulae
“Does retrieval knowledge have any importance in today's education?” asked Premalatha S., coordinator at St. Claret School, Jalahalli. Mr. Ranjekar replied that information in structured form, such as tables and formulae, was always necessary.
Responses to the event
Here are some comments from participants:
Indira Williams, principal, Baldwin Girls' High School: “Principals are leaders in the business of education and leaders must influence growth. Therefore, in the words of the speaker, leaders (principals) must have an enormous sense of possibility. The challenge before us is to build processes, within the given socio-economic framework ridden with disparities, complexities and constraints, to help children realise their potential.
“With due respect to the gathering of principals, their ‘claim to fame' was under the scanner. How well we are professionally equipped to offer strong leadership in building the nation through quality education, is something to think about.”
Manila Carvalho, principal, Delhi Public School (Bangalore East): “The speaker has echoed what many schools today are following in making learning experiential. We, as educators have a golden opportunity to imbibe such learning by reorganising our teaching methodologies. Such an approach will ensure that children are prepared to be socially and environmentally responsible.”
‘Insightful'
Robina Farooq, principal, Prasiddhi School: The address was an eye-opener. The elements of leadership as projected by him opened up vistas of enlightened thoughts and gave us an insight into developing an institution and its leader. [Going] a little in-depth into each point discussed by the speaker would have gone a long way. Being socially and environmentally responsible was a point which touched me the most as it is close to my heart. Working beyond business is the mantra that every leader should live by.”
G. Thangadurai, director, Presidency Group: “Principals are self-made leaders. They make their team members better. They build highly cohesive teams who work closely to achieve their goal. Hence, I do not feel that they need to be trained to become leaders.”
Princess Franklyn, principal, St. John's High School: “The experience and expertise expected of principals are vital in improving the quality of education.”
Karthiayani Bhatt, vice-principal, Sri Vani Education Centre: “The session was very informative. Invite more speakers, so that we get to hear the views of great personalities.”
S.B. Maheshwaraiah, correspondent, RashtrotthanaVidya Kendra: “I got useful tips. We must develop leadership skills to deal effectively with various issues.”
Fr. Gerald Furtado, principal, St. Joseph's Indian PU College: “Very thought-provoking session. The various components of socio-economic issues pertaining to education and the present significance of education in the context of education as a fundamental right were very well highlighted by the speaker.”
Mariamma S. Mathew, principal, The Oxford Senior Secondary School (CBSE): “Principals alone cannot ensure quality in education. Teachers and parents too have a huge role. Education is primarily the responsibility of all stakeholders.”
R.K. Prahlada Rao, principal, MES Kishora Kendra: “ The Hindu 's continuous effort in educating school leaders and teachers is highly laudable. This learning will be passed on to the younger generation.”
