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Ed Leader – Shikha Banerjee, Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Kanpur

Education is an integral part of a child’s upbringing. We, at Curious Times, have made it our aim to ensure that we also play an active role in imparting the right knowledge to all the Curious children. As such, we also try to ensure that we are always in touch with the leaders in education today and learning from them. After all, it is important to learn from the best.

So, today, we present to you a one-on-one conversation with Ms. Shikha Banerjee. She is the Principal of Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Kanpur. The school works with a vision to provide excellence in academics while empowering students with the necessary life skills that transform them to be happy, productive and innovative citizens of tomorrow.

Also watch the one-on-one conversation of Ms. Shikha Banerjee with Deepti Beri, Director at Curious Times at the end of this article.

When did you decide to step into the world of education? What motivated you to become an Educator? Being an educationist was a dream I had, right from my school days. Some of my excellent teachers left an everlasting impression on my life and made me respect this fraternity all along. As I grew up, I realized and understood the need for educators in society at the national as well as at the global level. I was more and more convinced that if I had to give back something to society, I had to be an educator.

Share some of the challenges you have faced in your career journey. How did you convert those challenges into the pillars of success? Some of the rigidity that I observed in parents’ mindsets posed the greatest challenges to me at every step. These challenges I faced included, gender-biased notions around the upbringing of sons and daughters, as well as subject and stream choice being imposed on students. There were also instances of a lack of flexibility towards allowing children to choose unconventional career options and so on.

What are the changes have you observed over the years in the field of education? Are you happy with these changes? The field of education is evolving at a great pace and thankfully, towards a better tomorrow. Some changes that I feel are very positive are, the inclusion of Information Technology in the teaching-learning process, a holistic approach towards the grooming of students, various skill-based teaching pedagogy and integrated learning. All these are enriching the curriculum and benefit students a lot.

What changes would you like to see in the field of Education? What role can the various stakeholders like the government, teachers, students and parents play in this? The changes that we see in the education sector is heartening but this is just the beginning. We still have a long way to go. For each stakeholder, be it the students themselves, the teachers, the parents, the Management or the government, a lot of flexibility is required. We are the citizens of the world and working in a synchronised manner is essential. Adaptability to change and also, being the agents of change is essential. A total participative approach in collaboration with one another can take us towards the desired destination.

Share your message with the aspiring teachers and leaders of tomorrow. Be the change you want to see in the world around you. If you are not willing to do it for yourself, no one will do it for you. You have immense potential. Look within you and you will see that nothing is impossible. Love your students and put in your best with complete honesty. Nothing can be a substitute for honest effort.

Share your message for your and Curious Times students. Awake, arise and wait not till you reach your goal but be careful not to be compassionless while you work for yourself. Be a team player, be empathetic, be sensitive towards social issues and the environment. Just remember, “Giving back to the world more than the world has given you is success”. Be truly educated and not just qualified. Your emotional quotient should be much higher than your intelligence quotient. Be the reason for the smile in someone’s life.

Shikha Banerjee, Principal

Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Kanpur

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