Education has always been the most important aspect of one’s life. The discussion around the quality of higher education in India has been gaining momentum, which emphasized skills development, digitization, and employability of the education process. With the same view and vision, PRATHAM, a renowned name in the education sector has always restructured and re-engineered ways to develop and impart knowledge to its students with aplomb, has initiated a program “EDUCATION LEADERS CONFLUENCE-2020” where a series of talks and discussions will be conducted to hear out the experts discuss various issues and opportunities available in the education sector.
Education Leaders Confluence (ELC) is a platform to bring thought leadership to the fore for the future of Indian education systems. Today, the inaugural session of the event “The Principal Round Table” was successfully conducted by PRATHAM where the experts discussed the most important topic of the hour as far as India is concerned and that is “Future of Blended Learning in Indian Schools”
The live session was conducted swiftly by Mr. Saurabh Nanda, an international educator, who carries a vast experience in student counseling and mentoring. The discussion was graced by a set of eminent panelists who with their immense knowledge and knowhow made this session a fruitful and enriching event. The panelists were:
Mrs Vanita Sehgal, Executive Director, The Delhi Public School Society, HRDC
Mrs Vandana Chawla, Principal, New Era Public School
Mr T. Premkumar, Principal, Indian Educational School Kuwait
The rate at which technology is growing will always outpace what is part of the education curriculum. We have to constantly improve and learn to narrow this gap between what is taught and what is the need of the hour. The sudden change during the COVID-19 has made us realize that the situation is here to stay and only the dynamic will prevail and sail it through. Mrs. Vandana Chawla says "In every challenge there is an opportunity. Online teaching during COVID times has taught us that."
If the world is moving to a different medium, the necessity of the older can also not be fully negated. The world requires a blend. Mrs. Vanita Sehgal says "The blend of the traditional and the modern will equip our students to take on new challenges and conquer the world!" Therefore, it is of utmost importance we should understand and strike out a balance between the two which safeguards the interest of the children and allows being future-ready.
Learning is continuous no matter what is the source. A person should be able to learn and unlearn to become better and reach the pinnacle of success. PRATHAM is in parity with Mr. T Premkumar when he says "Blended Learning has enabled me to understand that the whole world is your classroom and that the learning doesn't stop at the school or university." PRATHAM during this pandemic has conducted its classes in the online format without compromising the quality and information. The sessions were interactive and the faculty at PRATHAM revamped the entire structure from an offline mode to online mode seamlessly. The everyday learning and imparting made the experience for the faculty also much rewarding as much as it was for the students.
The learning process in India is changing. It is making headway in digitizing the learning process, and it is not only in India but also the world over where we can see such changes being incorporated. India has a history of face-to-face learning; the concept of shifting to a different medium is not easy. The gap is widening. This is a major concern and many points were elaborated on and discussed in this prolonged session. Mr. Saurabh Nanda says "Blended Learning in India is not just the blend of the electronic and face-to-face classroom settings but also the blending of the roles of parents, teachers, and schools."
The session was attended by many people online encouraging us to bring many such informative events for all of you in the future. You can watch the session on Youtube by clicking on the link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JYkIiblips
For further details on the on-going confluence please visit
https://www.prathamonline.com/ELC/home/