An English, Hindi and Sanskrit alum of Agra University who served a long stint with The Doon School, Dehradun (1989-2005), Dr. Saraswat was the first CEO of the Sapkal Knowledge Hub and founder-principal of the Orchid International School, Nasik (Maharashtra). In April 2015, he was appointed principal of the CBSE-affiliated The Scindia School (estb. 1897), Gwalior, ranked the country’s #2 all-boys boarding school in the EW India School Rankings 2017-18.

Are you satisfied with the Union Budget 2018-19 allocation of Rs.85,010 crore for education? 

I am disappointed as this sector desperately needs higher investment. However, the real issues plaguing Indian education go beyond the budgets. The real hindrance is government policy. The government needs to liberalise its rules and regulations to attract private investment in education, and encourage promotion of private education institutions, particularly in rural areas.

How satisfied are you with the quality of exam boards’ syllabuses/curriculums and prescribed textbooks?

Ours is a CBSE school, and on the whole we are satisfied with both the curriculum and textbooks. However, there is room for improvement. For instance, content needs to be updated, language simplified and more pictorial representations used. The quality of engagement with children within and outside the classroom needs to be optimised by constantly refining the curriculum.

What are your suggestions for upgrading board syllabuses, curriculums and textbooks to produce students ready for the 21st century job market?

In the 21st century job market, employers want cognitively active employees, who possess an inclusive and liberal worldview and can co-create positive, harmonious workplace environments. 

Your Top 5 suggestions for reforming K-12 education?

• Focus on real learning outcomes rather than marks.

• Give teachers the freedom to tweak the syllabus as per students needs.

• Make primary school curriculums sports-centric and link academic content to team sport/real life events. Make adventure sports compulsory in senior school.

• Introduce curriculums based on new-age skills which promote productivity, employability and fiscal discipline.

• Promote ‘leadership through service’ within students through experiential community outreach programmes.