The 4th Edition of the School Innovation Summit was organised on Saturday, with the participation of more than 150 schools from Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
The inaugural session was presided over by Col Dinesh Singh Tanwer – Commanding Officer, Kovai Terriers, Dr Manimekalai Mohan – Founder & Trustee, SSVM Institutions, Coimbatore, Dr Anusha Ravi – CEO, Park Group of Institutions and EC Member, AICSMA (CBSE Schools Management Association), Swathi Agarwal – Founder & CEO, Prosper Theories and Cofounder, RIAM Sports Arena and Siddharth Jain – Director & CIO, Diverse Ed Media.
Guest Dr Mohit Gambhir, Innovation Director, Ministry of Education, GOI, in his virtual inaugural address, emphasized the complexity and intricacies existing in the higher education of the Indian system. Inculcating talent is a need but channelizing those talents is where real education begins. “Exploring horizons is to be induced within the students as each one is unique in some aspect,” he added. The concept of diverse learning is an integral part of the learning process, which most of them fail to visualize.
Moving further, Col Dinesh Singh Tanwer focused on the notion of turning potentials into actions. Addressing the hindrances in the educational system, he specified on few significant areas of improvisation. The first was the insufficient pay scale for educationalists or teaching fraternities. The next was the long working hours for the staff and the students. But he did add a disclaimer to it that these adaptations do not apply to a common sphere and vary with geographic and other factors. The lack of human values among the students and their emotional quotient is a matter of concern for the current generation. Significantly, he requested the education managers to work with empathy. Every government officer who is on a constant run faces inconvenience in admitting their child to a school due to the denial of admission in the academic intervals. It is an example of how most schools ought to rethink their admission methods.
Presenting more insights, Dr Manimekalai Mohan signified the intense role of parents in building up a child. Though teachers play a vital part, parents become the initial role models wherein their actions always impact their children. Hence their responsibility in moulding a child’s thought and inducing their behavioural conduct rely on them.
Following this, Dr Anusha Ravi discussed the developmental progression of the country on the global term. She remarked on the scope of creative thinking and its demand in improvising global lifestyle. The need for psychological support for a child is essential in the present generation. Bridging the communication gap between the children and their social circle shall resolve most obstacles. She commented on the need to value traditional skills and carry the legacies replaced by technology. Most ancient techniques are shunned and a few replaced with modernity have lost their essence. Hence the new education needs to focus on bringing value to those worth taking.
The thrust of the summit is to create awareness amongst the school and discuss the topics of utmost concern to the schools today.
The speakers highlighted on:
● Integration of Innovative Technology & Teaching Pedagogy in the New Age School Education Ecosystem
● Paradigm Shift in Education – Moving towards Liberal Education as a Foundation for Holistic Development
● In light of Competency & Outcome Based Education (CBE and OBE) being the focus, how to leverage Career Assessments, Counseling and Guidance
Reported by Anushka Juliet
