L V Sehgal
Principal, Bal Bharati Public School, GRH Marg

EducationWorld in conversation with LV Sehgal, principal of the top-ranked coeducational K-12 Bal Bharati Public School, GRH Marg, New Delhi.

What initiatives did your school take to cope with the Covid-prompted shift to online education?

Our school made a comfortable switch to online teaching within a week of campus shutdown in April 2020. For K-V students, we leveraged Microsoft Teams and the CRISP digital platforms to initiate scholastic and co-scholastic online learning modules. Google Meet was used from class VI onward and thereby helped us to facilitate. We used Google Meet from class VI onward and thereby facilitated uninterrupted holistic learning for all.

Our digital initiatives that successfully resulted in the creation of home learning hubs for each of our students, had begun with training workshops for teachers for effective online curriculum transaction. Class WhatsApp groups that we routinely create at the commencement of each academic session, were optimized for effective school – parent interactions. Dedicated grade-appropriate timetables were prepared, ensuring adequate breaks in-between classes to avoid prolonged screen exposure. Endeavouring to ensure a holistic learning experience, we also incorporated library, sports and co-curricular activities in the online classes. Periodically, assessments were conducted online, followed by virtual parent-teacher meetings to keep parents informed about the progress of their ward/s, and overall school’s activities.

Was specialized training offered to introduce teachers to the latest online teaching-learning pedagogies? Please elaborate.

IT – based pedagogy, using smart boards, including flipped learning, was already being practiced in Bal Bharati. Our teachers routinely used the ‘Connected Classrooms’ digital platform to create study material, modules, videos besides PowerPoint presentations, well before the pandemic. The school was also a subscriber to G Suite, and user-ids were already being used by the staff and students.

After our school switched to online classes, we organised in-house training for teachers in new age technologies usage including Google Classroom/ Microsoft Teams. Workshops were also conducted to upskill educators with appropriate digital tools usage, including features like chat box, jamboard etc. Our teachers were also familiarised with other creative tools such as Canva, Book creator, Kahoot, Google Padlet, Mentimeter etc. Moreover, various capacity building workshops organised by CBSE, NCERT, DIKSHA, Google, Microsoft were also attended by teachers for their professional development.

What measures did the school take to ensure mental well-being of students and prepare them for in-person learning?

Ensuring mental well-being of our students during and post-Covid, has been a priority at Bal Bharati. Our empathetic teachers connected with the students on a regular basis, beyond academics as well. Creating awareness about covid-19, they reinforced covid-appropriate behaviour, narrated inspiring stories, posted motivational and uplifting videos in the WA groups to keep the learners’ morale high, throughout. We also organised mental health workshops, values education classes and kept the students engaged in varied invigorating activities. Care was also taken to conduct remedial and special classes for students as per need.

Tell us about the most distinguishing features of your school.

Ours is the first school to be established in 1944 under the aegis of the Child Education Society (Regd.) that presently, manages 27 educational institutions pan India. Consistently ranking high amongst the topmost CBSE schools of India, the school supports inclusivity in education, and focusses on holistic, quality education for all learners. Additionally, the school’s multidisciplinary approach, focus on experiential, activity-based learning, and skills-based education accompanied with a positive outlook contribute to its overall eminence.

Besides promoting academic excellence, emphasis on co-curricular activities and sports is a hallmark at Bal Bharati. Equipped with world-class sports and co-curricular education infrastructure and dedicated national/state-level coaches/trainers, our school is a proponent of physical fitness and overall well-being of its students.

What is the mission statement of your school?

Our school consistently works towards inspiring students to achieve the highest standards of intellectual, social, emotional and moral development, through a multi-faceted approach to education. In our safe, supportive and joyous learning environment, we endeavour to nurture disciplined, confident, resilient, and caring individuals who are future-ready and lifelong learners.

Following our school motto, Hanso Nayaatu Naha Pragyam, it is our prayer that guided by pure and wise swan (hanso), revered as a symbol of enlightenment, each Bal Bharatian embarks on a new journey to new horizons, each day.