When and why did you decide to take up education as your career?

My story is a bit offbeat. I was working for an advertising agency. But after my marriage, I moved to northern state and I did not have the opportunity to continue as an advertising professional. Reluctantly, I took up teaching career, but that was the most important and wise decision of my life. I immersed myself so good that I thought that was the missing dot of my life. To match with the demand of education sector, I continued to take up the necessary degrees, trainings and other professional developmental activities. Being in this domain, it has changed the view of life my life and I am ever grateful to the Almighty that he landed me at the right place.

As an educationalist, you are touching many human lives directly. Do you think educational institutions can play a significant role in overall development of students by encouraging them to take up co-curricular interests like Music, Art, Dance or Sports?

I completely agree that school is the ‘Melting Pot’. It is a hub to bring in various creative activities under one roof. Schooling offers one to identify their innate potentials as well as it is a platform to hone the skills in the area of one’s interest. It is a hotspot, as it provides opportunity to exhibit the talent, improves social skills, communication skills and many more. It is an amalgamation of all sorts of creative, mental, physical and emotional activities.

What are some of the most important initiatives related to co-curricular that you have taken in the institutions you have served?

I firmly believe that India should retain its tradition and culture and at the same time, should embrace the best practices from around the world. At our school, we have international teaching standards and all the co-curricular activities are interwoven with curricular activities. For kindergarten, we plan, colour recognition, family connection, caring for environment, introducing History through activities. For Primary, field trips, and also activities which enable them to understand present social and demographical structures. Vanamahotsava, Nutrition Day, Enriching Folk culture, Joy of Giving, Club activities, Flower Decoration and many more. As a Principal, I love to see that the teachers and children go back a smile on their face along with the incremental growth every day, in all the spheres.

In the days when most people measure success only by academic score, how would you convey to the parents of your students that co-curricular education is not something to be looked down upon?

I feel academic topics should be converted in to co-curricular activities. For example, Nutrition is one the topics that children of grade V study. To give enriching experience, on the Nutrition Day, we conducted Cooking without Fire for Boys and Girls. On this day, they not only took interest in cooking, but also followed the parameters like wearing headcap, cooking with clean hands with trimmed nails, wearing apron and kept a recipe slip where nutritional value was mentioned. This has taught them about health, nutrition and hygiene. Instead of telling them what to do and what not to do, we make them to do positive things and ingrain positive aspects of life, in spite of, hurdles and constraints. It is very common to advise students to plant trees to get pure oxygen. Lecturing method is not sufficient. Hands on experience will enhance their interest as well as the concepts become deep-rooted. On Vanamahotsava Day, we made them to plant vegetables in the ‘vegetable patch’ They enjoy seeing the plants growing every day bit by bit. I am eager to see their expression on the harvesting day.

If you were to suggest one major change in perspective of co-curricular education, what would that be?

It should not be done for the sake of doing. We need to ask ourselves, why have we planned this activity? How are my students will be benefitted by this activity? Is there any real- life experience or it is just theoretical? All the activities should affect their living style for their betterment. To illustrate this, I would like to connect one activity we took up on Vanamahotsava Day, that is inauguration of vertical garden. It is a dream to have garden in the urban cities, due to space constraint. But with the entrant of vertical garden, everyone can have fresh air in their surroundings. This is the need of the hour which students should learn. There is no doubt, if the activities are planned and if it is explained to the students as well as to the parents, they will be active participants. I am blessed to have parents who cooperate in all the activities we organise.

Please let us know about some key achievements of your institution and/or your student(s) in MADS at national/international level?

Not applicable as it is a new institution with 32 students. It is our first year.

What are your personal interests in Music, Art, Dance or Sports and how do you continue to pursue them?

Basically, I am a creative person. I enjoy all genre of music and dance. I compose songs and also did choreography for the dance when I was a teacher. As far as art is concerned, I have done my Fashion Designing and sketching is my area of interest. I encourage sports in school though I am not a sportsperson.