Our day boarding model focuses on creating leaders of tomorrow : In Conversation With Pragyan School Principal Ruchika Sharma
Ashish Kedia
As part of our education series Ten News today spoke to principal of Pragyan School, Greater Noida Mrs.Ruchika Sharma. This series offers our viewers an opportunity to learn about thoughts and views of different renowned academician’s of the district.
Pragyan School provides quality education in a specialized day-boarding environment (Extended school hours upto 4 pm) with exceptional learning and sporting facilities. The humble and soft spoken Principal Ruchika Sharma has a rich experience of over two and half decades in to the field of academics and she is a firm believer of preparing her students for a life of leadership. The Principal Ruchika Sharma also follows an open door policy where any student or parent can directly approach here without any appointment to offer any advice or suggestion.
Below are the excerpts of the conversation that Ten News had with Ruchika Sharma, Principal, Pragyan School, Greater Noida.
What do you consider as the USP of your school and how is it different ?
As our school is a day boarding school so we work with extended hours from 8AM to 4PM and the concept is itself quite unique to Greater Noida. We believe that extended timings of our school give ample time to teachers to deal with every single child. Right from primary classes we put a lot of focus over personality building of the students and we also don’t have concept of homework in primary classes. Whatever assignments are given to students are completed during the evening hours in presence of teacher itself. Hence the kids don’t have to depend on any tuition for clearance of their doubts.
The other thing we primarily focus on is safety, security and emotional well being of the student. The other USP of ours is since its inception 15 years back, we have had less number of students in a section and we are still banking on it and have maximum of 25 students in a class. We maintain a very appropriate student teacher ratio for a better learning environment. Our students are doing wonders apart from academics’ also.
Talking specifically about 10th and 12th board results how was it in last few years?
Five years back our school gave the district topper and we had kept similar reputation of excelling in academics since ever and before. Many of the students have cleared IIT-JEE exam over the years, this year also one of our students got enrolled in IIT Delhi. Apart from this many of our students are perusing their further studies from abroad and many of them are in good colleges of Delhi University.
As students spend a lot of time in the campus what are co-curricular activities that are offered to them to ensure their all-round development?
We have more number of games period and we have different activities clubs which we offer to students from class 3rd onward . Student have choice to select a club which can be of sports, cooking, gardening, life skills, visual and performing arts. In junior section till 5th class we have a compulsory tennis period there are options of basketball class, skating class and football class among other sports activities. This year we had included ‘Krav Maga’ self defense classes compulsory from 3rd to 8th.
What kind of changes you have witnessed in the field of education in your career of over two decades?
Yes field of education has changed drastically. If we talk of 20 years back, times have changed from simple to complex as the society overall has evolved immensely. Now assignments are even shared over whatsapp by teachers, things are getting paper less, internet and digitization had enhanced the level of education up to different level. All this had also changed the role of teacher to a great extent. Earlier teachers were treated as gods whatever they teach, students agreed that and will remain confined to it and will not go beyond that but now students ask counter questions to them. So the teachers also need to evolve themselves with time. Hence moving in tune with the time we also have good learners in the school whether they are a student or a teacher.
How important are marks for a student and what kind of balances should a student or parent try to achieve in terms of academics and co-curricular?
The fact is that this is how our education system is, if one wants to get into a certain college they need to have 98% marks and until we have a major change in higher education system, things are going to remain same. Until we come up with something more stable, marks will be very important. But at the same time without soft skills even 98% is nothing. Here in my school we don’t have any marks system at all for initial classes and our teachers only provides grade and reviews the student personally by guiding them as to where they need to improve.
What according to you should a parent and child take care of while selecting a school?
A parent must be very realistic and have to think about why are we putting our kids in a certain school. They are putting there child to have some luxurious time for 6-7 hours or they want a school which would help the child in building his or her character. The children have a sharp brain and a warm and loving heart. If the school provides the child with a free, fair and open environment it helps them in becoming a confident citizen who remains positive and takes care of himself. The child should know to live his/her life without depression and anxiety but with positivity. They should be able to bring happiness and cheer around them which means school has lot more to offer than marks alone. If the student is willing to come to school and goes back happy and shares everything with their parents and excitingly talks about whatever happened in the school, I think that is the kind of school a parents need to look for.
