The Efficacious Schools of the Year, 2022 5-min

India

Vol. 05 | Issue 01 | 2022

www.theknowledgereview.com

Driving Change

Impact of Education

on Society

Efficacious

The

Schools

of the Year 2022

Candor

International School

Raising Students to be Global Citizens

EDITOR’S NOTE

ACKNOWLEDGING

THE ETHOS

OF INDIAN

EDUCATION

India shares a magnificent history of knowledge in

its cumulative evolution as a country. Be it the

ancient philosophical wisdom, the literary

geniuses, the bio-medical inventions, or crudely

critical fundamental mathematics, and history has

multiple accounts of India's contribution to the present

progression of education. Although the history of

education in India can be traced down to centuries,

with the ancient scriptures, the Gurukul system and

the universities dating as early between 600 BC to 500

AD, the country also fell into the hands of foreign

invaders that drained down its riches and exploiting its

people with utter governing negligence.

Under foreign rule, education was only accessible to a

very small class of privileged individuals and was

never regulated as a fundamental right within the

Indian Population. As India released itself from the

clutches of foreign rule in 1947, it had a long journey

in front of it with a tumultuous onus of reinstating its

age-old glory in education.

In 2009, the Indian parliament passed a landmark act

for 'Right to Education', which ensures free and

compulsory education from the age of 6 to 14, which,

in turn, stimulated a humongous rise in the access to

quality education for all.

Today after 75 years of independence, the Indian

education system is one of the largest in the worldcatering

to over 250 million students, with over a

million schools (private and government). As the sun

rises on the horizon of a hopeful future for Indian

education, the stakeholders behold a significant key in

expanding access to quality education and revamping

the efficacy of the educational pedagogy.

With this edition of 'The Efficacious Schools of the

Year, 2022', The Knowledge Review takes a moment

to cherish the heroic schools in the country that have

been progressing steadily to transform education in

India.

Prepare for an indulging read! T R

Vrushal Zatey

Vrushal Ravindra Zatey

vrushal.zatey@insightssuccess.com

Driving Change

Impact of Education

on Society

Articles

20 36

Tech in Ed

Edtech: Transforming

Indian Education Kinetically

08

Candor


Raising Students to

be Global Citizens

Cover

Story

24

16

Billimoria High School

A Legacy that Inspires!

Neuron Labs School

Learning by Doing

C

o

n

32

40

Ramagya School

Enabling Students to Arise, Awake, and

Attain their Goals with E ciency

St. John’s High School

Exploring and Embedding

Overall Social and Academic

Development of Students

t

e

n

t

44

Unique Public School

Giving Wings Gen-Y with Quality

Education and Holistic Development

s

People behind this edition

MAY, 2022

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The

Efficacious

Schools

of the Year 2022

Name of the Institution

URL

Brief

Billimoria High School

billimoriahighschool.com

Aditi Education Society’s Billimoria High School was

founded in 1908 by the Late Mr. Nowroji Billimoria.

Sitting atop the Sahayadri Hills in the peaceful town

of Panchgani, this century old heritage institute is the

proud alma mater of many a successful alumni.

Candor


candorschool.edu.in

Candor International School offers an international

education that prepares students for an ever-smaller

world.

Harsha International

Public School

hips.ac.in

Harsha International Public School was formed by a

getogether of a group professionals in different elds to

expose a noble cause of providing quality education.

Meru International

School

meruinternationalschool.com

Meru International Schol aims to build a society of likeminded

individuals who possess a progressive mindset

along with values that bring about positive change in the

world.

Neuron Labs

neuronlabs.org

Neuron Labs School was established to provide a quality

educational experience to children. The philosophy is to

preserve and nurture the innate intellectual curiosity and

tremendous joy of learning with which children begin life.

Pinewoods International

School & Junior College

pinewoodsinternational.com

Pinewoods International High School & Junior College is

a co-educational residential institution run by Mahatma

Laxmanji Arya Educational Public Charitable Trust in

Panchgani.

Ramagya School

ramagyaschool.com

Ramagya school, an amalgamation of knowledge and

values, afliated to CBSE & CIE, spread in 3 acres of

land, located in the heart of Noida , Sector – 50,within a

span of 10+ years has emerged as one of the top 10

senior secondary school in Delhi- NCR for academics and

co-curricular excellence.

St. John’s High

School

stjohnschandigarh.com

St. John’s High School is a Christian Minority

Educational Institution run by the CCB in India which is

registered under the Society Registration act of 1860.

Steps International-

Primary School

steps.sd

STEPS is a leading educational institution committed to

prepare children and youth for being multi-lingual,

competent professionals and leaders to the society, who

see for themselves and their communities, lives of

limitless potential.

Unique Public

School

upsooty.com

Unique Public School is a Residential and a Coeducational

school situated at Ooty with a tradition of

providing quality education to all . It is an autonomous

institution run under the aegis of trust MOISO (MEMBERS

OF INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OOTY).

International

School

Raising Students to

be Global Citizens

Candor International

School offers an international

education curriculum

that prepares students for an

ever-smaller world.

The environment children grow

Tup in largely defines the entire

path ahead of them. In a highly

competitive world and in a developing

country like India, parents have a

gargantuan task in front of them to

choose the right school for their

children. A lot of thought, spadework

and weighing of pros and cons go into

providing the right education and the

right facilities for their children since

parents will stop at nothing while

preparing them for a secure future.

Young minds deserve an environment

that helps them in learning the allimportant

life skills. With curiosity

growing in the budding minds, it is

important for children to satisfy their

thirst for academic excellence,

creativity, and collaborative learning.

Finding the right fit for anything can be

quite tricky. However, search or look

closely around yourself. You will find

the perfect place for your children to

hone their skills and excel in

academics with innovative teaching

At Candor,

we emphasise

skill-based learning,

cognitive thinking,

ethical behaviour,

moral integrity, experiential

learning, leadership and

individuality.

Dr. Suresh

Reddy

Founder,

Candor

International

School

methods and, importantly a happy

space for them to grow.

Candor International School is one

such school that has dedicated itself to

providing a secure and safe future for

children. The school has adopted an

international syllabus and curriculum

to prepare the children for a better

future and shine in whatever they

choose to do.

Setting the Cradle in Motion

Bangalore, the heart of the IT industry

The Efficacious Schools of the Year 2022

in India and being at the focal point for

international companies all across the

world, provides children with the ideal

environment to grow while

maintaining the international standards

that have become the need of the hour.

Identifying this unique niche

requirement of the education space,

Dr. Suresh Reddy founded the Candor

International School in August 2011.

The school homes 25 acres of campus

in one of the prime areas in Bangalore

between Bannerghatta and Electronics

City. Its prime location provides easy

access to the popular residential areas

and connects well with the city while

maintaining a calm and suitable

environment for student grooming and

growth.

Mission - Preparing for Life

Being one of the best international

schools in Bangalore, India, the

Candor International School has

dedicated itself to preparing students

for life. For accomplishing this

mission, the school has gathered a

team of dedicated and spirited learners,

making the school a community that

nurtures every child to develop into a

knowledgeable, confident, caring, and

responsible global citizen.

Vision – Guiding Lamp for the

Country and the World

Candor International School aims to be

a guiding lamp for budding minds. The

school aims to be the catalyst that

triggers positive change for national

and international students, taking

responsibility for grooming students to

become global citizens. With this

value-added approach, the school

strives to develop students who will

protect the environment while

reserving ethical and moral values in

the ever-changing social, economic,

environmental, and political shift

paradigm.

Core Values

Ÿ Love of learning through lifelong

enquiry

Ÿ Respect for diversity of people,

faith, culture, and ideas

Ÿ Concern for the community at all

levels

Ÿ Integrity of thought, speech, and

action

Ÿ Openness to adopting the best

models

Ÿ Transparency of standards and

practices

A Complete Campus

Candor School campus is located at a

prime location in Bangalore, spread

over 25 acres, that includes a 6-acre

organic farm to respect and honour

farming, the primary occupation in

India. The school has an

Administrative, Kindergarten, Primary,

Middle, and Secondary block that

enables the school to communicate

effectively and maintain the smooth

functioning of day-to-day affairs.

Being an international campus, Candor

School is also a WiFi-enabled campus,

and its unique design is what makes

the campus a complete one. For

students who wish to study and live on

the campus, the school provides

boarding with top of the line facilities

for boys and girls above ten years of

age.

Candor School campus consists of

classrooms, a play and sports area,

labs, libraries, music studios,

dormitories, and a cafeteria. The

school's infrastructure is curated and

designed carefully to make it studentfriendly

and age-appropriate.

Academic Programmes

The school offers a complete

international program for its students,

with Cambridge and IB being the

academic curricula provided. Keeping

the need for special attention to the

students in mind, the school has a 1:6

Teacher-Student Ratio to give special

attention to students' development.

Primary School (Pre-K – Grade 5):

Candor International School offers its

students International Baccalaureate

Primary Years Programme (IB-PYP).

Middle School (Grade 6-10): The

curriculum for middle school is drawn

under the Cambridge Syllabus. The

Cambridge Lower Secondary Syllabus

is followed from Grade 6 to 8, whereas

for Grade 9 and 10, the syllabus

followed is IGCSE (International

General Certificate of Secondary

Education).

High School (Grade 11&12): The IB

or International Baccalaureate Diploma

Programme and The Cambridge CAIE

AS and A levels are offered by the

Candor International School.

A Visionary Leader

The Candor International School is the

brainchild of Dr. Suresh Reddy, who

is the Founder and Chairperson of

the school. Being an entrepreneur of a

leading IT company in the United

States and serving as a Director of the

Small and Medium Enterprise

Consortium, Dr. Suresh Reddy felt the

need to provide quality international

education facilities to young Indian

students. He believes that the younger

generation needs to be groomed in an

internationally recognised education

system for the development of

community and environmental

activism.

Dr. Suresh Reddy, an environmental

activist, has been recognised by the

Keisei University in South Korea to

create an environment-friendly green

school in 2017 and received an

st

honorary degree in 21 Century

Building from the same university.

A Well-Balanced Educational

Approach

The vast syllabus of students has made

it difficult to focus on the holistic

development of students. There is not a

single syllabus in the world that only

focuses on theoretical knowledge.

Even science has proved to us from

time to time that things can be

theoretically possible but might be

very difficult to achieve in practice.

Candor International School has

crafted the academic ecosystem from a

well-curated syllabus in such a way

that allows the students and teachers to

find a perfect balance between theory

and practical. The school has achieved

that by engaging students in various

activities based on real-life challenges

and practical application of theoretical

knowledge. One such initiative started

at Candor International School is CAS

– Creativity, Action, Service. The

initiative encourages students to

develop skills like critical thinking and

hone their creative talents.

The school has understood the

importance of arts and other activities

that allows student to balance their

academic challenges. Today, with

students' and teachers' collective

efforts, the school has become a centre

for Trinity Music, a certification exam

that offers a performance-only

alternative for various musicians. The

school is also the official test centre for

ACT exams, and over 15 exam slots

with flexible timings are arranged

according to the convenience of

students.

Candor International School received

offers from 250+ Universities with

over $10 million in scholarships, and

in addition to that, the school receives

100% placement every year and

continues to do the same.

Career Guidance and Counselling

Being a part of the international

curriculum, the school understands the

next all-important step for students in

choosing their college. Therefore, the

school grooms and prepares its

students to recognise the students'

potential and the fields that they can

explore and have an excellent career

in. The graduating students go through

the College and Career Guidance

Counsellor, who holds their hands in

their search for colleges and

universities both in India and abroad.

We are a community

of dedicated and spirited

learners, and we believe that

every child can be nurtured to

develop into a knowledgeable,

caring, confident and

responsible global citizen.

The counsellor appointed by the school

is a resource person who caters to the

students' niche space, needs, and

requirements to help them with the

complete process of admission to

further studies - from college selection,

admission, and funding processes as

applicable.

Bridge U Platform: The school

provides students with an Avant

browser and application tool that helps

them navigate their interests and shows

results for best-fit universities. This

unique platform helps them in the

college counselling process by sending

the transcripts, and other necessary

documents to various universities and

colleges the student apply for.

University Fairs: Candor

International School is a globally

recognised school, and over top

of the line, 100 universities

from all over the world visit

the school to help students

in their higher studies.

During the University

Fairs at Candor

International, the

students get to

experience course modules, explore

scholarships, enhance the application

process, etc., first-hand.

Counsellors: the school has appointed

qualified Personal Counsellors who are

trained and experienced in handling

various issues such as environment and

student mental health, and the

counsellor is responsible for

identifying the problem and providing

solutions. This is a student-oriented

program where students get a chance to

hone their skills academically, socially,

and emotionally.

A Home Away from Home

Growth lies beyond comfort, and for

most youngsters, their comfort zone is

often their home. For students' overall

development and extensive growth, the

school provides boarding facilities for

students from Grade 5, and it has a

boarding capacity of around 200

students. Along with that, the school

also gives a choice to students choose

between regular full-time boarding or

weekly boarding, where a student can

go to their parents for the weekends.

With excellent hostel rooms and a

special wing for dining, the school

provides students with a home away

from home with special rooms for

entertainment purposes. In the

academic year 2019-20, Education

Today magazine ranked Candor

International School at No. 7 under

India's Top 20 Day-Cum-Boarding

Schools.

The school recognises the importance

of sports in students' life, and special

training sessions for boarding students

are arranged. Along with a 6-acre

organic farm that the school takes pride

in, it provides various sports facilities

for its students. The sports facilities

include a Synthetic Basketball court,

Tennis Courts, Football fields, Cricket

Pitch, half-size Olympic swimming

pool, Archery arena, skating arena,

Athletic track, and gymnasium. The

facilities for indoor games like Throw

Ball, Snooker, Air Hockey, Foosball,

Carrom, Chess, Table Tennis tables,

and play stations are immensely

popular among the boarders.

ALS Program

Special Educational Needs program,

which provides exceptional support to

the needs of gifted students, and this

program is a part of the school's

Additional Learning Support. The

school hires special educator who has a

deep understanding of the student's

unique learning needs, and they leave

no stone unturned to enrich their

learning experience.

Achievements & Awards

• Candor International School has received multiple awards for

its leadership in International Education, facilities, safety, and

green infrastructure.

• Ranked #5 in India's Top 10 International Schools (2015)

• Ranked #1 in Leadership Management Quality (2015)

• Ranked #1 in Infrastructure Provision (2015)

• Ranked twice among the top three in Bengaluru's Top

International Day Schools (2015 and 2017)

• Most Influential Brand in Education Award (2015-16)

• Ranked #1 in Safety and Hygiene (2016)

• Ranked among Bengaluru's top five International Day-Cum-

Boarding Schools (2017-18)

• Ranked #5 Top International School in Bengaluru and #6 Top

Residential School in Bengaluru (2018)

• Forbes Great Indian Schools (2018-19)

• India's Most Trusted International Residential School in the

South Zone Region (2019-20)

• Awarded by 'Brainfeed' for the innovative approach in grooming

young learners with skills for life. For being one of the top

international schools, having the best infrastructure and

technology, providing a healthy and serene atmosphere to

ensure the happiness quotient index for the overall

development in all children (2019-20)

• Excellence in Tech-Connect and Sports Infrastructure (2019-20)

• Outstanding Commitment and Exceptional Efforts in Promoting

Curricular Education

• Ranked twice among the top three in Bengaluru's Top

International Day Schools (2015 and 2017)

• Most Influential Brand in Education Award (2015-16)

• Candor International School ranked India's #9, Karnataka's #5,

and Bengaluru's #5 International Day-cum-Boarding in the

'EducationWorld India School Rankings 2020-21'

• Candor International School is ranked No.7 in India, No.2 in

Karnataka & Ranked No.2 in Bengaluru. Category- 'India`s Top

20 International Schools' in a survey conducted by education

Today

• #4 in India | #1 in Karnataka & Bengaluru for Excellence In

Blended Learning in the EducationWorld Grand Jury India

School Rankings 2021-22.

• India's No. 1 for Academic Reputation ( Education Today

2020-21 )

• #5 in India | #2 in Karnataka & Bengaluru | Category- 'India's

Top 20 Day-Cum-Boarding Schools' in a survey conducted by

education Today

“

“

BILLIMORIA

A Legacy that Inspires!

Education!

E

a magic recipe that

sprinkles knowledge,

inculcates social discipline,

and invigorates children with wisdom,

has always been in the global spotlight.

Understanding the significance of

education in social development,

Billimoria High School has sprouted

the seeds of intellectual development

while ushering in an era of childcentric

education trend.

Spearheading this revolution is Ms.

Aditi Goradia. As the Managing

Director of the School, she leaves no

stone unturned to revamp the 113 years

of school legacy and is the guiding

light of the global education world.

Scouting the globe to know the

efficient schools that made a mark in

the education space, we crossed paths

with Ms. Aditi and learned more about

the inspiring story of the school.

Let's dive into Billimoria's inspiring

story!

History and the Present

The Billimoria school, Owned and

managed by the Goradia Family, was

historically founded in 1908 by the

Late Mr. Nowroji Billimoria. Sitting

atop the Sahayadri Hills in the

peaceful town of Panchgani, this

century-old heritage institute is the

proud alma mater of many successful

alumni. From Governors to writers,

Corporate CEO's to DJs; from actors

to Army Personnel, BHS has raised a

diverse group of world citizens for

the past 113 years!

While enlightening us about the

school's innate methodology, Ms.

Goradia asserts, "Our school's

pedagogy is simple: keep things

child-centric. For us, it is essential to

16 | MAY 2022

| www.theknowledgereview.com


value every individual who learns with

us. To encourage their individuality

and independent thoughts. To raise

healthy, confident global citizens." The

school acknowledges the changing

dynamics of education the world over,

and is aware that children aspire to

careers with their outright passion. The

management believes that it is no more

about the doctor-engineer-lawyer triad

but beyond imagination and that the

youth of today can make a successful

career in any field. They can carve a

niche for themselves doing what they

love.

BHS strives for the children to realise

their potential by providing a

wholesome environment that facilitates

all-round growth. The carefully curated

curriculum is about much more than

just academics. Learning at BHS

includes a progressive Life Enrichment

Program, which gives children a

chance to explore a variety of activities

in creative arts, specialised sports,

information technology, and other life

skills. According to Ms. Goradia, this

active approach encourages selfexpression,

which is ably supported by

a passionate and proficient team

coming together.

A Leader that Binds the Past and

Weaves the Future

With intentions to overhaul the

monotony in the education system and

revamping the legacy of the Billimoria

High School, Ms. Aditi Goradia

graduated from the University of Texas

at Austin with a degree in

Anthropology and Asian Studies along

with a certification from the UTeach

program at the College of Education

(UT Austin). An Alumna of Billimoria

High School herself, she has been a

youth athlete specialising in track &

field and basketball.

While revisiting her intentions and

methodology for advancement

in education, she asserts, "Schools

across the globe must center

themselves around the needs of the

children, share ideas, and grow

collectively." As she began her journey

as a leader of the esteemed Billimoria

High School, the school has stepped

into the new, progressive age of

experiential learning. She believes that

learning is constant and universal, and

it must always be a joyful process. She

encourages collaboration, respect, and

openness among the team and students

at Billimoria High School.

Ms. Aditi Goradia's ceaseless, constant

efforts and contribution to the

education space have been

acknowledged the world over. Below

are some awards and accolades that she

has received:

Ÿ Most Promising Influential Leader

of 2019 -Silicon India Magazine

Ÿ Top Women Entrepreneurship

Award in Education - World

Education Summit 2019.

17 | MAY 2022 | www.theknowledgereview.com

“

“

Ÿ Education Evangelist of India -

Great Place to Study (Forbes India)

Ÿ Outstanding School Education

Leader (Top 20 Women Educators

Award) - ASMA Academia

She has also been a Panel Speaker at

various Educational Conferences,

including India Didac, World

Education Summit, School Leadership

Summit, APAC, and the Brainfeed

Education Summit.

State-of-the-art Infrastructure at

Billimoria

Billimoria High School sets a

benchmark for residential schools in

the country. With its 17-acre heritage

campus, the British Era black stone

Academic Buildings, the campus

boasts sports fields and multiple cocurricular

facilities.

Living Spaces: The airy dormitories

provide the students with a sacred

space where dorm mates become

siblings. Together, triumphs are

celebrated, and jokes are shared. Under

the supervision of loving dorm parents,

it is a home away from home. Here, the

children gain the life skills to become

responsible, caring young men and

women. And it is here that they make

friends for life.

Audio-Visual Labs- The school

supports alternative learning resources

and believes in imparting holistic

learning. Teachers personally

create/curate digital lessons to enhance

the learning experience of the children.

Laboratories- Apart from advanced

Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Math

labs, the school's computer lab is

equipped with the latest systems,

highly protected with firewalls,

uninterrupted wi-fi connectivity, and

powerful multimedia devices.

Library- One of the most expansive in

the region, the school Library is a

sanctuary of wisdom. It is spacious and

airy - a place where children learn to

love and respect the significance of

words on paper.

Sports and Fitness- At BHS, sport is an

integral part of the curriculum. The

school has ample space, multiple


grounds, and excellent sports

infrastructure. Students are given

exposure to a variety of sports before

being encouraged to pursue the specific

sports of their choice.

Performing and Creative Arts- The

school believes that art provides the

perfect avenue for self-expression. Art

inculcates confidence and self-love.

With this in mind, the school has

incorporated an extensive Performing

and Creative Arts program that stays in

effect throughout the year.

Character and Intent of Billimoria

High School

While speaking about the school's

Character and Intent in extending its

capabilities to ensure quality education

through the years, Ms. Aditi explains,

"Every child is different. Every child is

unique."

Billimoria extends support to every

child to help them realise their

potential by providing a wholesome

environment that facilitates all-around

growth. The carefully curated

curriculum hones learning in a

progressive curriculum, which gives

children a chance to explore concepts

with the help of various activities such

as creative arts, specialised sports,

information technology, and other life

skills. The school provides a nurturing

space to encourage self-expression

supported by a passionate and

proficient student-centric team.

Advanced Learning Modules

Billimoria High School recognises and

enacts significant skills such as

independence, self-confidence,

compassion, and empathy. The

management quotes, "Being a

residential school, Billimoria High

School offers experiences of life that

are beyond academics lessons." The

school prioritises preparing students

for the world while simultaneously

discovering their individual strengths

and abilities. The school's Life

Enrichment Program is one such

initiative that plays a crucial role in

helping students tap into their special

interests and unique skill sets.

The school strives to create healthy

future leaders by imparting strong

values of ethics, courage, compassion,

and proactivity. While speaking about

leadership, Ms. Aditi says, "Successful

leadership is the result of positive

intent combined with hard work,

openness, and collaboration. A

position of leadership provides

authority. A good leader will ensure

that the responsibility and liability of

the position are prioritised above

recognition and power."

The Billimoria High School has a

comprehensive Leadership program

wherein they consolidate the spirit of

true leadership.

Ÿ The School Leadership Forum of

Captains & Prefects

Ÿ The Debating Society

Ÿ The School Magazine and

Journalism Club

Ÿ The Interact Society (A Student

Panel of Rotary International)

Ÿ The Culture & Communications

Team

The school has been affiliated with the

Central Board of Secondary Education

(CBSE), Delhi, for the last three

decades, and the team firmly believes

in the Integrated Learning Outcome

Based Curriculum, which is

encouraged by the Board and NEP

2020.

Little Things, Big Difference

Billimoria High School provides a

well-developed nutrition plan that

ensures optimum physical growth with

a perfect blend of nutrition and flavour.

Ms. Aditi believes that food experience

directly correlates to learning, for the

brain and the body needs positive

sustenance to function well. She says,

"Let mealtimes be positive experiences

because food tastes better when it is

shared with family. Our children

experience family as they share the

table with their teachers."

Furthermore, when a student is injured

or feels unwell, the Infirmary is where

they go for some rest and recuperation.

The school has a 24-hour on-call

Doctor who visits daily and resident

nurses who care for the little ones just

as a mother would. In case of major

injuries or emergencies, nearby

medical facilities and specialists are

available whenever required.


Driving Change

Education

Impact of

on Society

T

The formation of society has given the acceleration to

the human race for development. Placing themselves

in the context of a healthy lifestyle and making it an

integral part of the system, education has been placed as the

bridge between building a sustainable society.

Looking from a broader perspective, education is often seen

as a phase of a person's life. Formal education is extremely

important for a person's growth. Still, keeping the

perspective on society, education is used as a tool that will

help the system build a generation that would define the

future.



The impact of education on a person's

life is huge, it builds their character

and personality, opens the door to

employment opportunities, etc.

Keeping the perspective of society in

mind, the impact of education goes

way deeper than the bracket of growth.

Let's explore in detail the impact of

education on society:

Builds the Base of Democracy

"Government of the people, by the

people, for the people, shall not perish

from the Earth."

- Abraham Lincoln

The system around the world is based

on this quote given to the world by

Abraham Lincoln. However, to

develop a system of the people, by the

people, and for the people, something

has to connect with the people. This

bracket of filling the space of

connectivity is filled by education.

Education is not about the transfer of

information, but one of its core factors

also consists of equipping an

individual to make a decision. This

power of making a decision that would

decide the future is given to the

common people through education.

People learn history, behaviour

patterns, etc., with a collaboration on

all this; education is used as a tool that

helps society build the base of

democracy.

Reducing Poverty

Statistically, more than 9.2 % of the

people in the world live in poverty.

Though the privileged class often

ignore these millions of people, the

government have taken initiatives to

improve the condition of society.

Education not only helps the people to

be specialised in one thing and also

teaches them how to make a living.

Education has been an effective factor

in the rapid development of European

th

th

countries in the 18 and 19 centuries.

Helping many declining arcs showing

countries to jump back from poverty.

This is the impact education has on the

uplifting of society.

Gateway to Fundamental Rights

After the second world war, every

individual in the world was given

rights on the basis of humanity.

Though many countries brought these

rights into action, spreading awareness

about these rights is difficult.

Education plays a crucial role in

making the process easier and making

every generation aware of these rights.

Fundamental rights like the right to

live, freedom of speech and

expression, freedom of thoughts, etc.,

are some of the many. Education over

the years has become a gateway to

spreading awareness about

fundamental rights.

Improving Social Lifestyle

People can now satisfy their cultural

requirements with a better awareness

of the industrialised world and a higher

living standard. Going to the theatre,

exhibitions, or concerts is enjoyable

and enriches one's social life. Indeed,

life is about more than just surviving,

and education allows for a higher

standard of living, more interpersonal

understanding, and personal fulfilment

through school, employment, and

extracurricular activities.

th

Modern life in the 20 century is all

about lifestyle, and education is the

reason behind it. With continuous

improvement in making life easier and

better, people are ready to satisfy all

their needs and develop in this context.

Attaining Geopolitical Stability

To make a society geopolitically stable,

education is required. Terrorists could

exploit free education to radicalise

individuals if there isn't a proper

educational system available to

everyone. In other words, one of

education's most powerful effects on

society is geopolitical stability.

When there is no formal education, the

conflicts within a society increase.

Though most of the ideologies revolve

around the idea of freedom, if

education is not perceived, then

violence and crime are the tools used.

With education, people get aware of

their right to raise their voices and

know the importance of a stable

situation that puts society on the right

track of growth.

Hope for the Future

One of the most profound benefits

education has on a community is

giving individuals hope that they may

improve their situation in life. "Let us

consider of education as the means of

developing our greatest skills," urged

John F. Kennedy, "because in every

one of us there is a private hope and

ambition that, if realised, may be

converted into benefit for everyone

and greater strength for our nation."

JFK's statements regarding America

are applicable to all societies on the

planet.


"

T

Tell me, and I forget, teach me,

and I may remember, involve

me, and I learn."

― Benjamin Franklin

Holding true to this quote from a

distinguished polymath, Neuron Labs

School, realises and enacts teaching

with a fresh perspective, and

predominantly through its dynamic

philosophy of 'Learning by Doing'.

The Knowledge Review proudly shares

the story of the school and its

impeccable operations, as perceived

through its visionary Co-Founder,

Mrs. Lakshmi Santosh.

Vision

To empower every

learner with all the skills

that she/he may need by

kindling the natural

instinct to learn and

achieve.


Lakshmi Santosh

Co-Founder

Neuron Labs School

Passion and

Inception of a

Trailblazing School

Neuron Labs School began

its ambitious journey in the year

2010 starting off as a sought after

Preschool / Play School catering to

children in the Nursery, Lower KG &

Upper KG sections. Since then Neuron

Labs School has grown step by step

over the years to become one of the

best and most popular CBSE affiliated

schools in the vicinity. Currently it has

branches in Tingre Nagar and Dhanori,

areas which is in Pune, Maharashtra.

Neuron Labs School was established

with an outright motto of 'Learning By

Doing'. Mrs. Lakshmi Santosh explains

the driving force of the institute as she

points out, "When it comes to

traditional education, a lot of focus is

put on retention and repetition of

information. This causes students to

simply use rote-learning as a

mechanism to pass exams and forget

information as time goes by. In the

pyramid of education, knowledge

forms the base of the pyramid; hence

there is a major emphasis given to it.

However, above that, there is

Comprehension and Application, which

are rarely focused on. Neuron Labs

School prioritises skill development

along with the deep understanding of

concepts."

According to Mrs. Lakshmi, many of

the concepts taught in traditional

education do not have much practical

application in the real world and are

not implementable. Also, many of the

skills required in the real world, like

research, communication, and

presentation, are missing in traditional

education. Neuron Labs School

acknowledges this niche and focuses

on skill development, preparing

students for the real world. The school

assigns students various projects,

making them do various presentations

to improve their listening,

communication, and presentation

skills. Mrs. Lakshmi asserts, "We

believe that when students use

practical examples of concepts and are

involved in projects themselves, they

figure out the root of the concept and

learn it forever."

The school believes that the concept of

The Learning Pyramid validates this

fact which shows that the retention of

students from just listening to a lecture

is far lower than the practical

involvement by the student using

'Learning By Doing'. The school also

believes in the co-integration of

various subjects together, providing a

holistic learning experience for the

students.

Mrs. Lakshmi gives an example by

mentioning a methodology initiated

at the school, "For instance, we had



asked students to survey members of

their society to see a correlation of

diet and weight, which was a subject

taught to them in science class. They

then plotted the data they had gathered

and made it into a graph which was

taught to them in math class. By asking

the students to speak to other people, it

helped them overcome any shyness or

fear of talking to strangers and

developed their communication skills."

Driving Force of Neuron Labs

Co-Founder of Neuron Labs School,

Mrs. Lakshi Santosh, is a seasoned

educator with a burning passion for

advancements in education. She has

contributed to setting up IB

(International Baccalaureate ) schools

and has interacted with many national

and international students.

In her early years as an educator, Mrs.

Lakshmi was influenced by the

Montessori way of teaching younger

children, which involved the use of

physical objects to introduce math and

counting concepts to younger children.

She then began to develop a wholistic

curriculum for students of all age

groups, which inculcates the 'Learning

by Doing' philosophy. She believes that

co-curricular activities are an integral

part of this philosophy and are also a

part of the curriculum.

Learning by Doing

Neuron Labs School includes

two mental and two

physical activities,

from which

students can

choose according to their preference.

Robotics is one such activity that helps

students develop engineering,

programming, mathematical,

mechanical, and science skills at a

young age. While performing arts or

dance is used as a medium of

expression to create an impact on the

audience. It also improves their

mobility, flexibility, and body coordination

and is a form of exercise.

Apart from other such activities, the

school also conducts Abacus and

Speed Writing to sharpen students with

mental math, speed, and hand-eye

co-ordination. While the school also

teaches Karate, which develops

strength, flexibility, and mobility.

On Par With Changing Times

While speaking about how the school

overcame challenges presented post

COVID-19 pandemic, she asserts,

"Schools all over the world have had to

transition from a physical model of

education to an online one, and this

was met with a lot of scepticism and

fear as no one was prepared for this

change. Neuron Labs School was quick

to adapt with excellent use of

technology, providing good quality

teaching through the online medium

and making students, parents, and staff

embrace this new era of education."

The pandemic brought a lot of global

economic problems, which impacted

lots of people. The school proactively

issued refunds to any parents who

couldn't/ didn't want to continue and



When students have

the skills and

experience, the

possibilities are

endless.

provided parents who continued

with fee relief. Despite the

enormous economic drain the

school had to face, it went

ahead with this decision,

keeping in mind the pandemic's

financial crisis caused to various

people. Neuron Labs School

was one of the few schools to

take such a decision and has been

appreciated by all as a solid stance

in the fight against covid.

Mision

Our purpose is to make a

positive difference in every

learner in our Universe by

building an environment

conducive for learning with

an unwavering attitude that

never gives up.

Advanced Offerings and

Methodology

As soon as the school understood that

lockdowns would be imposed for long

durations of time and that opening the

physical school would be unlikely in

the academic year, the focus shifted to

providing the best platform for

education online, which came in the

form of the

Office 365

platform. One of

the features of the

Office 365 platform is

Microsoft Teams. With

Microsoft Teams, students could join

live online classes from their

mobiles/laptops. Since the sessions

were conducted live, students were

able to interact with the teachers and

could ask questions or get their doubts

solved. Teachers were also able to

share either pre-made ppts or videos

during the live classes to engage the

student's attention and further increase

the quality of the live classes. If any

student missed any class or wanted to

revise a course previously taken, they

were easily able to do so with

Microsoft Stream.

In addition to the live classes, teachers

at the school made pre-recorded videos

and ppts of the syllabus topics to

provide additional information and

strengthen the concepts taught in the

live classes. These videos were

uploaded to OneDrive to provide full

access to the students.

Students could be tested on the various

syllabus topics or given homework in

the Assignments Section, gauging the


student's understanding of each and

every topic, and providing them with

practice when given as homework, or

test them and push them to the next

level in their educational journey. At

Neuron Labs School, all FA and SA

examinations for 2020-21 were

conducted seamlessly with the

Assignments feature.

With the Office 365 ID provided to

students, they were also offered Office

365 Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.

Students at the school were able to use

these tools for various projects,

assignments, and notes throughout the

year, greatly increasing their computer

literacy and making them comfortable

using these software.

With online learning, the Neuron Labs

School had an opportunity to do some

unique activities which were difficult

to execute in a physical medium.

'Impressions and Interactions' was one

such initiative undertaken by the

school. Various people from different

professions came to talk to students

about their jobs, their importance, and

the challenges they face in them. This

exposed students to varied industry

experiences and inspired many of them

to think of different career paths like

art, dentistry, yoga, etc.

Heading to a Hopeful Future

While speaking about the school's

outlook for the future, Mrs. Lakshmi

says, "We believe the future of this

country lies in the hands of our

children. With the 'Learning by Doing'

philosophy, we will continue to strive

for advancements in teaching. By

providing the student's a good

education, making them develop skills,

creating good human beings and great

leaders of the future. The sky is the

limit for our future Neuronites!"


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Off. No. 22, Rainbow Plaza, Shivar Chowk,

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Phone - India: +91 7410079881/ 82/ 83/ 84/ 85

Ramagya School

Enabling Students to Arise, Awake, and

Attain their Goals with Efficiency

We educate

students not just in

mind but also in

morals.

I

In today's competitive age, it is

essential that every student learns

different concepts thoroughly.

This would help them to enhance their

skills, which would, in turn, transform

them into able-bodied professionals.

Accordingly, they intend to pursue

their education in efficacious schools,

which would nurture them, educate

them thoroughly, and prepare them for

the stiff competition of the professional

world.

Here, the leading institutions such as

Ramagya School come to their aid.

The school trains the students

thoroughly so that they can build a

bright future for themselves, while

making a positive impact on the

society and different industries.

Within a span of 15 years of its

existence, Ramagya School has proved

its mettle as an institute having the

right amalgamation of knowledge and

values for academics, escalation for cocurricular

excellence, and attainment

of brilliance in sports. It has been voted

by TOI survey as one of the top 4

senior secondary schools in NCR and

is also listed amongst the 30 great

Indian schools by Forbes India

magazine.



Ramagya School, affiliated with CBSE,

is located in the heart of Noida, Sector

– 50, within a sprawling campus area

of more than 3 acres. The school's

enviable scholastic and co-scholastic

attainments are attributed to an eclectic

mix of faculty having more than 15

years of academic teaching experience.

As part of the management policies,

teachers are regularly attending

international and national seminars and

conferences thus broadening their

horizons of academic excellence both

on national as well as international

platforms.

Ramagya at a Glance

There are many salient features that

which make Ramagya School the most

sought-after place to pursue education.

They are as follows:

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

CORE (Curriculum of Ramagyian

Eminence) – Early Childhood

Curriculum based on Australian

and Finland teaching pedagogy

Student-centric and adaptive

teaching pedagogy based on CBSE

curriculum

Pedagogy facilitating flexi and

blended learning

‘No child left behind policy’

through differential learning with

an ideal teacher-student ratio

Ÿ REFLECTION CORNER –

Regulates actions, reactions and

behaviour of students to promote

social and emotional learning;

helps in recalling and reinforcing

the basic concepts

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Continuous Professional

Development by Quality Education

Asia

Enhancing analytically and

preparing the students for the future

competitive exam through NSTSE,

IMO, NSO, IEO, SOF, ASSET and

ACER

Well qualified, trained, experienced

and UCLA certified teachers

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Environmental sensitisation

through TERI

SPIC MACAY for Development of

Creative skills – Dance, Music &

Theatre

Inspirational talks by the best TED

speakers from across the globe

Up to 100% Scholarship for

meritorious students

Think of a number – Abacus and

Vedic Math, enriching the retention

power

PBP (Psychological Boost

Program) – Promoting positive

mental health practices, counseling

parent-student-school

Sangeet 4 All – Music education

program that instils a strong

foundation and a lifelong love for

classical Indian music

Raz Plus ‘Read program’ for

language development

Litwits! Reading Program – The school

reading program that develops

linguistic skills through relevant and

informative books and digital books,

teacher support, and community

engagement activity to improve the

education of students and encourage

reading both inside and outside of

school.

Elaborate Curriculum

The curriculum followed at Ramagya

can boast of its global lineage with

wide-ranging core subjects, students,

and teacher’s exchange programme for

global exposure. It has an ideal

student-teacher ratio of 25:1. Ramagya

is one of the trendsetting schools in

India due to its contemporary teaching

pedagogies which incorporate best

practices of:

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Maria Montessori

Howard Gardner's multiple

intelligence

Montessori Learning Corridors

Reflective Corners

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Word Wall

Open doors

Customised ‘flexi-learn technology’

at the secondary and senior

secondary level

Upholding Learning and

Collaboration

Ramagya School's mission is to

establish a world-class centre of

learning by delivering an educational

experience that engages students

intellectually, creatively, physically,

spiritually, and socially to transcend all

barriers and work in unison to bring

about a positive change in society.

The school has changed the pedagogy

into practicum to continually improve

the educational experience of learners.

It has transformed classrooms into

learning workshops and promotes

co-teaching practices. Blended learning

is implemented - innovative strategies

and modern learning technologies that

help integrate cognitive and social

skills with content knowledge as well

as increase student participation in the

learning environment in order to

promote skills.

We offer an

international platform

with a technology,

modern pedagogy,

culture, and

innovation.


We believe in

collaboration and

collective approach

for better academic

outcomes.

The management believes that

collaboration and a collective approach

are the need of the hour. Hence, the

school provides its students with

various opportunities to engage in

activities like projects, problems,

design, and research-based learning.

This allows students to contribute

different degrees of prior knowledge,

abilities, and aptitudes. Moreover, they

feel inspired and take up more

challenges in the learning process.

A Compassionate Leader

The personality responsible for the

tremendous success of Ramagya

School is its Principal Ms. Aparna

Magee, She is a highly accomplished

and dedicated educationist with

experience spanning over 28 years.

Recently, she has been honoured with

the Principal of the year award by

Global Gurus and Chinmay

Foundation. Ms. Aparna is a proud

recipient of the 'Distinguished Teacher

Award – SAMMAAN 2018' conferred

by the Rotary Club of Capital City

New Delhi for her exemplary

commitment and contribution to the

teaching profession and her research

topics of several National Academic

Interests.

She has also been honoured with the

'Certificate of Excellence – Leaders

Award 2018' by Education Today and

'Certificate of Appreciation 2018' by

Academic Heights Public School for

making a difference in the field of

education and society through her

leadership, hard work and contribution.

Ms. Aparna has worked in various

capacities as Director, Principal,

Academic Advisor, Administrator,

Master Trainer in Convents and

reputed Schools across India.

Accomplishments in Abundance

Ramagya School is known for its

dedication to nurturing the students

and providing them with the best

educational and career development

opportunities. Owing to its dedication

and innovative efforts, it has been

decorated with many laurels.

Shaping Student’s Future

The management at Ramagya School

believes that the true sign of learning is

not knowledge but imagination. Each

child is unique; hence the school

focuses on the holistic development of

the students. Students are taught life

skills to meet the challenges of

everyday life in a healthy, acceptable,

and responsible way. They are taught

core subjects for a strong foundation.

Additionally, their competence is also

developed in problem-solving, decision

making, and many more skills. "Marks

are not our only criterion to judge

students. Our curriculum sensitizes

students towards global problems like

stress, scarcity of food, rise in crimes,

depression, terrorism, and their

solutions," expresses the management.

Students are taught the 6 Ps: Plan,

Practice, Perform, Patience, Presence

of Mind, and Positive Thinking. They

are advised to avoid one P: Panic.

The school educates students not just

in mind but also in morals. The

management believes that in today's


N o t a b l e

A c h i e v e m e n t s

• Ranked Top 5 the Best School in Noida By Class Fever

• Ranked Top 20 CBSE schools in Uttar Pradesh by Times

Education icons

world where corruption, violence, and

unrest have become so prevalent, the

schools have an added responsibility to

ensure that value education as a subject is

taken seriously. It should be included in

the curriculum to produce not just

educated but also responsible citizens

with insightful minds who believe in

giving back to the society.

The management states, "Our educators

approach the teaching-learning process to

address the whole ambit of

education-skills acquisition, cognitive

development, capacity building, character

formation, mental and emotional wellbeing

along with spiritual orientation."

Prominent Collaborations

Ramagya School has tie-ups with various

institutions such as Univariety, The

Princeton Review, The Chopras, and

Studies Overseas Global. This provides

umpteen opportunities to students through

access to free academic counselling and

offers innovative and interesting programs

which help them in choosing the best

career for themselves.

• Ranked Top 10 in school (2017) by Education world

• Ranked No.1 in India under the top CBSE school – parameter

wise for 'Individual' Attention to Students' in a survey

conducted by educationtoday.co

• Awarded for extraordinary contribution in education -

Conferred by CM (UP) Mr. Yogi Adityanath and Chairman of Zee

News, Ms. Subhash Chandra.

• Awarded as the 'Reformers of Indian Education' by India Today

Conclave.

• Awarded as 'Best Quality Education School in North India' by

India's Education Excellence Awards

• Awarded in Global Collaborative Learning by Think Unique

Leadership Awards 2018 - Education and Skill India Summit

2018

• Awarded as 'Best School in category of Excellence in Inclusive

Education' by IUEF

• Awarded as 'Icon of Indigenous Excellence' by Economic Times

2018



Tech in Ed

Edtech

Transforming

Indian

Education Kinetically

HHumans

have made massive changes by transforming

the world from the stone age to the technological

era. Primitive human used to stay in jungles and

hunt animals for their survival. But, as time changed, they

learned about farming and cattle raising for their survival.

Today, humans have learned more innovative and advanced

technology to do the same activities and live a luxurious

lifestyle.

Humans educate themselves and their newer generation to

adopt and make more technological changes for the ease life.

Education also plays an essential role in human development.

Without education, humans couldn't have made such

significant changes in the world. Education is the key to

every creation and innovation.

In the modern scenario of education, many advanced

resources are introduced every now and then. The Edtech

companies such as BYJUS, Vedantu, Unacademy and many

more organizations made education more accessible for the

students.

The education sector is in the hearts of the Indian People.

However, the field is a bit unusual for the aspirants,


especially from the K-12 level. On this

level, the person buying the services is

not the same person to use their

services, which means the parents are

the service buyers and the children are

the users. Which also means that the

organization is catering their services

to these two groups, and it might be

having different demands from the

education sector.

Factors of Growing Indian

Education Sector and EdTech

companies

India has massive potential in

education sector, and many

entrepreneurs are grabbing the

opportunities and making education

more accessible for the students. Even

the Indian government is encouraging

aspirants who can develop the

education sector, and organizations like

BYJUS, Vedantu, and many more to

meet all the needs of the students

through various digital learning

experiences.

India is in the top three countries

globally after China and USA to get

the utmost venture capitals funding in

the Ed-tech sector. Similarly, we will

discuss the few factors that are helping

the Indian education sector to upscale

the quality of their education.

Increase in the Number of Schools

and Edtech Start-ups

Have you observed that many schools,

colleges, and universities have

established in India in the recent past?

Since the education sector started using

artificial intelligence and online

learning in the schools, many aspirants

are coming up with new ideas in the

Indian market and making learning

easy and exciting.

Apart from schools, colleges, and

universities, more than 6950 Edtech

start-ups are operating in the country,

according to the Tracxn, which is a

platform to track the start-ups and

companies. These organizations

leverage the technology to offer

intelligent classroom solutions,

collaborative platforms, learning

management systems, and video

graphics for the students.

Online Education is Cost-Effective

Online education has been a trendier

thing worldwide since Covid-19 has hit

the world. Many institutions provide

online distance learning; for instance,

international institutes conduct online

lectures and deliver online content to

international students.

The course fees for the term have been

reduced in digital education because

colleges and Edtech companies

conduct online classes without using

the school property.

Government Initiatives to promote

E-learning

The Indian government is also

promoting the E-learning concept to

develop the country's education sector.

They are also making various policies

such as SWAYAM Programme and

DIKSHA to encourage the new

initiatives in the industry. SWAYAM is

a programme designed to meet the

three primary principles of education

policy, i.e., Quality, Equity, and

Access.

Whereas DIKSHA (Digital

Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing)

is an initiative of the NCERT (National

Council for Education Research and

Training) and Ministry of Education. It

is a national platform for school

education that can be accessible to

students and teachers across the nation.

It also supports more than 18

languages and different curricula of

NCERT, CBSE, and SCERTs all over

India.

The Indian government motivates the

higher educational institutes to adopt

online education methods and ensures

that the sessions should not be

interrupted.

Increasing the Internet Userbase

Since the pandemic hit the world, there

has been a significant increase in

internet users. As per 2021 reports,

there were 624 million active internet

users in India, which has increased to

658 million in 2022.

The figure encourages the young

entrepreneurs to come up with more

solutions and establish start-ups in the

Edtech sector. Many aspirants have

started providing online tuition for

school students and online classes for

the competitive exam aspirants.

Due to technological advancement,

there are ample opportunities for

students to learn new aspects and

entrepreneurs and business icons to

start their ventures in the sector.

Wrapping Up

The education sector has been

expanding vastly, given to public

gathering restrictions since the

pandemic had hit the world.

Due to this scenario, students started

facing many difficulties while learning;

as we know, the home can't be the

effective place for learning.

Accordingly, the education sector is

adopting AI systems and

technologically advanced learning

systems, which help students gather

more transparent information about the

concepts and visual graphics in their

minds. Every school and the Ed-tech

companies focus on providing the best

quality education to their students.


St. John’s High School

Exploring and Embedding Overall Social

and Academic Development of Students

E

Every popular city in India has a

few schools that have a special

place in the hearts of both

students and parents for the

effectiveness it provides in the overall

development of the youngsters. Those

schools are often not new but have

been established a long time ago. Since

their inception, such schools have been

making constant progress in their

academic eco-system and other

facilities that they provide.

One such school located in

Chandigarh; the capital city of Punjab

is St. John’s High School. It was

established in 1959 by the Capital

Project, and the Christian Brothers

were invited to take charge of the

school. The school opened on

February 1, 1960, with its first batch

consisting of 41 students.

Today, St. John’s High School provides

more than just formal education from

Kinder Garten to Class 12. Before

switching to CBSE in 1993, the school

was affiliated with the Council for the

Indian School Certificate Examination.

The first batch to appear for the ISC

examinations was in December 1963.

Mrs Kavita Chatterjee Das took

charge of the school as Principal in

April 2007. Under her able guidance,

the school has improved its ranking

and made a place for itself among the

top schools in India. Under her

supervision, CCE was introduced, and

later the school went on to become a

Senior Secondary School. As of today,

the school is responsible for educating

over 2000 students at a time, which is a

huge achievement considering its first

batch had only 41 students in the year

1961.

The Perfect Infrastructure

The best part about St. John’s High

School’s infrastructure is that it is 100

% solar-energised. The school is spread

over an area of 30 acres with the

perfect infrastructure for the overall

growth of its students. The campus

houses three major academic buildings,

namely - the Junior Wing for Primary

students, the Middle Wind for Upper

Primary students and the Senior Wing

for High School students.

For students to get an actual laboratory

experience, the schools also built

various labs for Chemistry, Biology,



Physics, Computer, Mathematics. A

Special lab for Multi-Skill Foundation

Course and a Geology Museum is also

present to help students explore

different vocational fields. This

provides the young, growing minds

with a perfect space to grow and be

practically ready for the future, even

before pursuing higher education.

Apart from the classrooms and labs, St.

John’s High School has also provided

its students with excellent sports

facilities on its campus such as an

International Standard Skating rink,

Pistol Range, Science Park, Open

Gymnasium, Indoor Gymnasium,

Adventure Park, two Basketball

Courts, two Cricket Fields, three

Football Fields, Squash Courts, a

Hockey Field, two Lawn Tennis

Courts, a Volleyball court and a Kho-

Kho area for the overall growth of its

student.

Value-Based Vision and Mission

The school has embedded four core

values as its foundation, and those

values act as a stepping stone for the

school’s vision and mission. Also

known as the four cornerstones of St.

John’s, the school's core values are

Spirituality, Inclusion, Justice and

Advocacy, and Compassion.

The school is on a mission with a

vision task to bring out the best in

every individual, along with helping

them in recognising their dignity. The

school aims to form a community of

students, teachers, parents,

management, and other staff, living by

the precepts and teachings of Jesus

Christ.

Prioritising RTE- Right to

Education

St. John’s is relentlessly working

towards the holistic development of

children. It has created an environment

on its campus that stimulates and

encourages students to develop

important life skills like critical

thinking. The school has planned its

education policies based on the

National Education Policy introduced

in 2020. However, the school had

already embedded a majority of the

policies in its eco-system, like

Sustainable Development Goals, even

before the introduction of the NEP.

The school is generating a lot of

educational material for children to

enhance their Critical and Creative

Thinking and reasoning based skills in

the languages, Sciences and

Mathematics.

St. John’s High School believes in

providing education to every student.

That is why for the last 25 years, the

school has been actively incorporating

Indradhanush Children—children

under the Economically Disadvantaged

Group (EDG)—as equal shareholders

in the school, which allows them to

enjoy all the rights and privileges as a

member of St. John’s family.

The schools have also started a Foster

Parent Programme, a unique initiative

that helps establish a good rapport

between teachers and students. Under

this program, every teacher adopts

three EDG students as their children in

school and looks after their overall

performance.

An Ingenious Leader

"I see children as a blank canvas;

unique beings, ready to explore the

different facets of the world. I, as a

teacher, have merely mediated in the

learning process of my children as a

facilitator, and helped them to explore

the unbound potential hidden in each

one of them so that they are able to

St. John High School has

gained a prestigious status

not only because of its

education facilities but also

because of its extracurricular

and co-curricular

activities.

41 | MAY 2022

| www.theknowledgereview.com

St. John’s is

relentlessly working

towards the holistic

development of

children.

Mrs. Kavita

Chatterjee Das

Principal, St. John's

High School

paint the canvas of their lives

thoughtfully and ultimately reach a

level of self-actualization," says Mrs

Kavita Chatterjee Das.

Being the Principal of the school, she

is responsible for taking St. John’s

High School to new heights. Shedding

some light on her teaching style, she

says, "The purpose of my existence is

rooted in my spiritual journey of

teaching and learning. I believe a

teacher is a facilitator who nurtures

the talents and inherent skills of the

children by providing them with the

right kind of environment. I draw from

the educational philosophy of

Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath

Tagore."

Sowing the Seed of Values in

Budding Minds

St. John’s High School organises

activities like Unique May Day

Celebrations, Class Canteens, and

community involvement activities.

Every class from KG to 12th is

associated with one organisation that

helps in the growth of the community.

E.g. Class 1 will be associated with an

animal adoption program, whereas

Class 10 will collaborate with GRIID

(Government Rehabilitation Institute

for the Intelectually Disabled) and

Class 12 with the Transgender

community, to make society a better

place.

Apart from that, despite being an

all-boys school, St. John’s High School

was one of the first schools to support

the cause of girl children. In fact, the

theme when celebrating the school’s

golden jubilee was ‘Empower the Girl

Child’.

The school arranges activities

throughout the year like club activities,

Just Fair – a free fair organised for

special guests and students from

NGOs, A Fistful of Rice – donating

food for the needy, Sports Academies,

an Annual Athletic Meet, SJOBA

Debates, etc.

Once a Johnian, Always a Johnian

St. John High School prepares its

students for a bright future, and the

students’ relation with the school stays

intact even after they pass out from the

school. The school prepares its pupils

for the future by adding industry

experience to its curriculum. Special

guest lectures, field trips, mentoring

programs, internships, and vocational

training are arranged for the students

so that they can get real-time

experience to help them get an edge

over the competition in the future.

For the last 25 years (well before the

RTE was even conceived), the school

has been actively incorporating EDG

Children, as they are very much a part

of the school and are given every right

and privilege they deserve as members

of the St. John’s family.

Frontline Warriors in Educational

Sector During COVID-19 Pandemic

One of the most devastating effects of

COVID-19 was on the education space


across the world. The closing of

schools and colleges worldwide

restricted the development and growth

of young minds. However, St. John’s

High school courageously took up this

opportunity to grow and become

frontline warriors in the education

space. It ensured that even the EWS

children were able to join the Online

classes thanks to its alumni who gifted

the school with enough mobiles to

ensure that every child could attend

class online.

Launching various programs like

उ ान, जाग कता, आशीवाद, आनंद,

सं ह, that focused on spreading

awareness through various mediums,

providing rations to the needy and

helping people who had lost their jobs

during the pandemic with placements.

The school initiated a program with

teachers and students to spread

happiness by reaching out and taking

care of the senior citizens and others.

A Multi-Skill Foundation Course was

launched for children on online and

offline platforms, which focused on

developing essential life skills like

learning, carpentry, cooking, etc. On

the eve of Christmas, the students

donate food grains to the needy under

the traditional Johnians program, A Fist

Full of Rice.

Continuing the Miracle Saga

'2021 has been a year of never-ending

miracles,' said the principal, scanning

the year and looking forward to the

future of the school. 'An extraordinary

year with the steepest learning curve I

have ever seen! We leapfrogged from

reluctant traditionalists dragging our

feet, straight into a set of

professionally competent, digital avant

gardes' added Mrs Kavita Chatterjee

Das.

Being a teacher and principal, she

emphasised learning by saying, 'We

learnt that the human spirit is

indomitable and that we are better than

we think we are. We learnt that

"impossible" is just a word. And, most

of all, we learnt that compassion,

kindness, and sacrifice are written into

our very DNA'.

With these words, she focuses on

continuing the miracle saga that started

in 2021.

Notable Achievements

• 1st prize in SWACHH SCHOOL under SWACHH SURVEKSHAN 2022.

• Ranked among the top 10 overall national schools by KVSInfo.

• Solar School Award by the UT administration’s Technology Promotion Society (2021).

• TOP 3 Best CBSE schools in Chandigarh by the ThreeBestRated organisation (2021).

• Recognized and awarded as an Earth Day school, ONE of the six in the country by

earthday.org (2020-21).

• Ranked no. 1 in India by the Education World School Rankings in 2020.

• Award of Appreciation from the Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights for

the KINDNESS TREE for being a child-friendly initiative.

• St. John’s was declared the top school in India in the Boys Day school category by the

Education World Rankings 2020.

• Ranked 2nd in the country under the Boys Day School category by the EW India School

Rankings for three consecutive years (2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20).

• St. John's bagged the TOP School award (2nd in India, 1st in Punjab and Chandigarh)

presented by the Education World India School Rankings, 2019-20.

• St. John’s was awarded a Platinum rating under the School Health Accreditation Project

of the Education Department, Deptt. of Community Medicine and School of Public Health,

PGIMER Chandigarh.


UNI

UE

p u b l i c s c h o o l

Giving Wings Gen-Y with

Quality Education and

Holistic Development

E

Education! The word itself gives

us the liberty to imagine

something beautiful and

essential for the community's growth.

Being such a noble profession of

shaping the beautiful lives of people,

teachers are responsible for imbibing

the qualities that will help the younger

generation lead a fulfilling life.

The world is structured in a very

organised way. From the finances,

lifestyle to profession and creativity,

education sets the bedrock for

everything for the youth. As Dr. Ivan

Fitzwater, a prominent educator in his

poem narrates,

"…Several future presidents are

learning from me today-

So are the great writers of the next

decades,

And so are the so-called ordinary

people

Who make the decisions in a

democracy..."

It tells us the importance of education

and teacher in one's life.

Unlike the specialised education that

caters specific niche of the learning

curve in a student's life, the early

formal education is responsible for

developing important values like

punctuality, honesty, creativity,

kindness, independence, empathy,

trust, humour, and tolerance. These

values add meaning to life and bring

the required discipline that paves the

way for the holistic development of the

younger generation.

With a vision to imbibe these qualities

in the younger generation, Unique

Public School was incepted in 2016,

the hardwork of the Managemnet,

Principal, Staff and the Students took

the school to new heights and created a

strong foothold of quality education in

the Queen of Hills Ooty, The Nilgiris.

Eminent Academicians Dream of

Creating a Unique School

Unique Public School is a residential

and co-educational school with a

tradition of providing quality education

to residents of Ooty. Being an

autonomous institution run under the

aegis of trust MOISO (Member of

International School Ooty), the school

holds eminent academicians in its

governing body that enriches the

learning experience at the school.

The school has established global

quality education standards rooted in

traditional values and culture, with a

perspective of holistic development.

Well qualified and dedicated Teachers

were the root for the success of

Unique. Their Commitment and love

for each and every students were

remarkable. Special programs to bridge

the Fast learners and slow bloomers

was a successful one which is a need of

the hour. Unique Public School also



Her sheer confidence in Demonstration

and Distributive Leadership has helped

students and teachers develop

interesting personalities. As a new

management committee, she had an

additional responsibility to create

brand awareness about the school and

enhance the declining education

quality. Special emphasis was given in

the quality of Education and in Extra

Curricular Activities to help children

develop an Holistic approach to face

the Global Challenges . Further , with

the use of Technologies and new

methodologies she maintained the

consistency which took the school to

new heights of laurels in Ooty.

has a unique campus with a beautiful

ambience, set amidst the beauty of

nature that adds to the enhancement of

education facilities at the school. The

school has a beautiful Football pitch,

Cricket Nets for practicing, Basketball

Court, Indoor Table Tennis Court,

Science laboratories, Maths Lab, smart

classrooms, and a homely residential

block for the residential students.

Visionary Mission of Going Beyond

Formal Education

Mission: The school is on a mission to

impart an education not restricted to

formal schooling only. The school aims

to empower an individual to be

achievers through experience. The

school inspires, educates, challenges,

and supports the students to reach their

highest learning and personal

development level.

Vision: To materialise the dreams of

blossoming minds of the young

generation with innate zeal for learning

and explore the joy of learning in a

holistic environment. Unique Public

School has envisaged a system that

aims at a multifaceted development of

the child's physical, emotional, mental,

and spiritual personality by nurturing

their unexplored potential and

encouraging liberty to be creative,

expressive, and free.

Wings that took UPS to New Heights

The person that is to be credited for

taking the school to new heights is the

Principal of Unique Public School,

Mrs. Gayathri Raman. She has a rich

experience of 23 years as an eminent

educator. Accumulating an incredible

team with the backing of the

Management committee Dr. K. R.

Rangaraj, Mr. R. Ravi Rao and Mr.

J. Nandeeshwaran, Mrs. Gayathri,

with her innovative and creative ideas,

has given wings to the school.

Understanding and catering to the

special needs of the school, it was her

dedication that boosted admissions in

the school. Under the guidance of the

eminent academicians and her

Leadership, the school has increased

immensely in its strength which went

up from 90 in 2016 to 640 students in

2022.

Due to her dedication, persistence, and

effective leadership, the school was

upgraded to Higher Secondary School

in 2018. Mrs. Gayathri Raman has also

introduced the idea of carnivals, which

was a great success to pull admissions.

Along with that, she has started various

initiatives to discipline the students.

Our endeavour is to

impart education that

goes beyond the

formal schooling and

empowers individuals

to be achievers in

their chosen fields

through experience.


UPS seeks to develop self-esteem

and pleasure in learning through a

stimulating, supportive and happy

environment that provides all members

with opportunities to achieve their

potential in the intellectual, physical,

moral and social domains.

Moreover, she also recognises the need

to understand safety for the younger

generation; that is why she has

introduced lessons to ensure safety at

the school, especially for girl children.

Moreover, she has won awards which

include the Best Teacher Award, Best

Principal Award, Best National Builder

Award in 2019, National Leadership

Award from School Stars in 2020, and

Best Principal Award in 2021 and

2022. Under her Guidance the school

has received National award for

promoting Co-Curricular activities in

2020, Best School Award for 100 %

results in Board Examination for

Consecutive 6 years, Best School of

the Year Award in 2022 from Asian

Education Awards.

Exploring the Joy of Learning

Unique Public School is really unique

because it adds that fun element to the

learning process that makes it joyous.

It also gives the students liberty to

explore learning through various

curricular and extra-curricular

activities. Emphasising of the learning

endeavour that encourages engagement

Mrs. Gayathri

Raman

Principal, Unique

Public School

at the school, Mrs. Gayathri says, "We

celebrate all the days without fail with

a concept, and this has not stopped for

nearly 6 years. As a part of our extracurricular

activities, we have Karate,

Yoga, singing, instrumental and Dance.

These Extra-curricular activities are

given to all free of cost within the fees.

All the students participate in all the

activities from Grade 1 to Grade 5,

and then in Grade 6, they take the

privilege of showing their interest in

what they are passionate about. Then

they are given special training

according to their interest."

"As a part of the Co-Curricular

activities, we have various clubs like

Go Green Club, Mothers Club, Adore

Club, Literary Club, Interact Club,

Sports Club, Abdul Kalam Club, and

Ramanujam Club. Students can choose

two clubs according to their interests

and participate in the events. As our

school is placed in a beautiful Place,

children can easily meagre with the

nature and happily participate in all

the events. We give special emphasis

on sports; we have a beautiful football

ground which is the talk of the town.

Our Cricket nets attract our students.

We do have a table tennis court and

basketball court. We do have good

district level players. All students in

our school know to play chess and

solve cubes. We don't restrict children

from playing; the chess boards are

available all time during the break and

lunch. This has attracted the students

where they don't spend time in other

activities," she adds.

Unique Public School's Unique

Values and Learning Objective

Unique Public School is a community

for effective teaching and learning;


they see to develop self-esteem and

derive pleasure in learning through a

stimulating, supportive and happy

environment. The school being set in

calm and scenic nature, the school

values grooming students in a happy

environment, which will help all the

school members reach their potential in

intellect, physique, morality, and social

domains.

Highlighting some of the major values

of the school, Mrs. Gayathri explains,

"UPS recognises the importance of

communication. We encourage and

support effective communication

between all members of the school

community. We use positive behaviour

management, model good behaviour,

use a reward system, use sanctions

sparingly, support each other and are

kind and polite."

Moreover, the school's main learning

objective is to give liberty to students

to explore the joy of learning.

Explaining some of the highlights of

the learning objective Mrs. Gayathri

says, "The Learning outcome is always

Child Centred on learning. We

personally believe that learning should

be fun and not a burden. We prioritise

strengthening the children in the basics

of all the subjects, communication

skills, interpersonal skills,

intrapersonal skills, and soft skills. We

feel that developing a child into a good

citizen is the first thing that should be

given priority. They should be ready to

face all the challenges that this world

gives them."

Adapting to Modern Technology

Modern technology was flourishing in

the education sector for a while when

the COVID-19 pandemic hit the

education sector hard. Though the need

of educating the younger generation

was held on high priority, the Unique

Public School effectively adapted to

modern technology to keep the process

ongoing. Moreover, the head of the

institute's experience with an online

company made the process

sophisticated and sorted for the school.

Explaining how the process digital

transition process evolved at the

school, Mrs. Gayathri explains, "We

initially started with the WhatsApp

classes and then slowly went on with

Zoom, Google Meet, Google

Classroom, and Microsoft Teams, but

in all these aspects, we were very

particular about the safety measures

for our students both physically and

mentally. Our sessions were worked

such that there were only 2 to 3

sessions and a break between the

sessions. The students were taught eye

exercises which they had to do after

each session. We made the parents to

participate in all the activities online

so that they took the responsibility of

monitoring the child."

"Once the session is over every day, we

informed the parents about taking the

phone, and we freeze the group so that

there is no need for the child to have

the mobile. In the evening, the teachers

would come for one hour to help with

the reviews and homework. We had

special counselling sessions for all the

children where they were briefed about

the safety measures to be followed

while using social media. They were

given numbers where they could

complain if they face any issues while

being online. This made them feel that

they had someone to safeguard them.

Soon the children adapted to our

system, and handling them online was

easy, and we did not face any big

issues as such. Now when the offline

classes have been started, we could see

a big change in both the students and

the teachers where they have bounced

back very strong technically," Mrs.

Gayathri adds.

Unique Plans Awaiting for the

Future

Envisioning the future of the school,

Mrs. Gayathri shares, "We personally

believe that from now for five years,

Unique will have its special place

among the students and the parents.

Unique will be Unique in shaping the

students and transforming them into

the right citizen with values who will,

in turn, contribute to society. Rather

than just making them get their

certificate, we will place ourselves as a

school imparting the skill-based

learning according to the interest of

each and every child."


The Efficacious Schools of the Year, 2022 5-min

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