Harish Doraiswamy

Vice president (direct delivery) schools vertical, Pearson India

Where would you place education on your list of national priorities?
I’m in full agreement with Nelson Mandela who said: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” 

How best to upgrade the education system in India?
We need to embrace technology in education to provide access, promote equity and infuse excellence. We also need to revamp the teacher education curriculum to make it more relevant for the 21st century.

Thinker/philosopher you admire the most.
Carol Dweck for her pioneering work on the growth mindset, an absolutely essential attribute for success.

Your favourite Nobel laureate 
Nelson Mandela for showing the world how to forgive and move ahead through equality and mutual respect.

Your leadership style 
I believe a good leader is an enabler, able to effectively build teams and allows people to bring their strengths on board. 

Your favourite book on education 
Leverage Leadership by Paul Bambrick-Santoyo.

For or against 25 percent reservation for underprivileged children in private schools?
I am all for it. But other aspects of the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act need more attention and thinking through.

Should education outlay be doubled by cutting defence expenditure?
In an ideal world, yes. However, the issue is not about size of  budgets as much as it is about effectiveness of deployment.

How satisfied are you with the growth of Pearson schools in India?
Like they say, one step today and a huge leap tomorrow. We are scaling up the ladder in the education space. It gives me great satisfaction that we are enabling a whole generation of students to learn, grow and transform. 

Pessimistic or optimistic about the future of education in India? 
Optimistic. As and when the focus shifts from inputs to outcomes, we will see the true transformational power of education.