Dipen Singh
Motivational Speaker, Trainer, Life Coach, and Mentor
In his spare time, he enjoys watching basketball, reading, and spending time with friends and family. "With the experience that I have gained after interacting with thousands of individuals, techniques, and knowledge that I have gathered from countless books, seminars, and discussions with experts, I am here to make a difference," adds Dipen Singh. In an exclusive interview with CEO insights, Dipen Singh enlightens us more about St. Edmund's School and his professional traits.
What was the major turning point in your life? Also, explain your current role at St. Edmund's School, how are you leveraging the best of these elements across your school’s operations?
When I went to the University of Glasgow for my higher education, I discovered how differently we should perceive education because, in India, education is largely seen in terms of certifications and degrees, but there is less emphasis on learning. Things I discovered later in life were that more than a degree or a certification, the experiences you have matter in your life. That, I believe, was a watershed moment in my life. At St. Edmund's, my position is mostly focused on how I can encourage children to think more, offer them more opportunities to come up with their ideas, and give them more chances to fail in life. Surprisingly, the system neither teaches nor encourages us to fail in life. However, if a person is at ease with failure, they are more likely to succeed in life. So coming up with new concepts is more of my responsibility.
Instead of building bosses and hierarchical structures, I aim to develop leaders.
What are the key aspects of your school? How are you leveraging the best of emerging education opportunities for the growth of the school?
I will divide this into two parts: practical and educational. To begin with the practical side, our school is for ordinary folks. We deliver high-quality education at a very reasonable cost. Compared to the type of results we produce, we have the most competitive fee structure in the city. And now for the most crucial thing, the educational aspect, we are a very forward-thinking school. Something we did last year will not necessarily be executed this year because systems and situations change every year. We are a highly progressive school in that regard; we are very open to change, and we also emphasize giving the students and staff freedom and flexibility. So, these two aspects, one practical, so that even the average person can afford high-quality education, and one educational, in which we accept change, which is exceedingly rare in the Indian educational system.
What has been the success mantra that constantly helps you arrive at positive outcomes?
Accepting failures is my success mantra. I feel that everyone should be willing to fail because if we aren't willing to fail, we won't be willing to take risks in our lives. Risk is calculated rather than as a gamble. If you pose a question in grade 3, 90 percent of the students will raise their hands and want to answer it. In grade 11, however, just one or two children will answer a question. It's not that only one or two students know the answer; many of them do, but most of them are afraid of being wrong. So, if a person can't take even a modest risk in a familiar environment like his/her classroom, how can they take major risks in life or achieve success? So my success credo is to always accept failure.
Describe the most effective methods and technology you've introduced at St. Edmund's School to improve your students' learning experiences.
We place a lot of emphasis on giving children problems to solve, and we are always amazed at how genius emerges when they are allowed the freedom to think and do things their way. We want to let the pupils figure out everything we do or teach in school first. Each child is unique, and it's fascinating to observe how they come up with their responses. So, instead of providing them solutions and then asking them questions, give them issue statements and then ask them questions.
What are the key aspects of your school? How are you leveraging the best of emerging education opportunities for the growth of the school?
I will divide this into two parts: practical and educational. To begin with the practical side, our school is for ordinary folks. We deliver high-quality education at a very reasonable cost. Compared to the type of results we produce, we have the most competitive fee structure in the city. And now for the most crucial thing, the educational aspect, we are a very forward-thinking school. Something we did last year will not necessarily be executed this year because systems and situations change every year. We are a highly progressive school in that regard; we are very open to change, and we also emphasize giving the students and staff freedom and flexibility. So, these two aspects, one practical, so that even the average person can afford high-quality education, and one educational, in which we accept change, which is exceedingly rare in the Indian educational system.
What has been the success mantra that constantly helps you arrive at positive outcomes?
Accepting failures is my success mantra. I feel that everyone should be willing to fail because if we aren't willing to fail, we won't be willing to take risks in our lives. Risk is calculated rather than as a gamble. If you pose a question in grade 3, 90 percent of the students will raise their hands and want to answer it. In grade 11, however, just one or two children will answer a question. It's not that only one or two students know the answer; many of them do, but most of them are afraid of being wrong. So, if a person can't take even a modest risk in a familiar environment like his/her classroom, how can they take major risks in life or achieve success? So my success credo is to always accept failure.
Describe the most effective methods and technology you've introduced at St. Edmund's School to improve your students' learning experiences.
We place a lot of emphasis on giving children problems to solve, and we are always amazed at how genius emerges when they are allowed the freedom to think and do things their way. We want to let the pupils figure out everything we do or teach in school first. Each child is unique, and it's fascinating to observe how they come up with their responses. So, instead of providing them solutions and then asking them questions, give them issue statements and then ask them questions.
The second is that we've put a lot of emphasis on skill enhancement, and we've introduced exciting courses like sales and marketing, financial market introduction, communication, public speaking, data science, and artificial intelligence. We want the students to acquire the skills they will need in life, and these talents will not only help them in their careers but will also boost their confidence in life.
What are the goals that you wish to invest in and how do you plan to take them further?
I am a firm believer in skill development. You are selling something whether you are a scientist, a certified accountant, a businessman, a labourer, or whatever. If we consider the professional element of it, you are either selling a product, an idea, or a service. So why don't we teach sales to children when they spend 20-25 years of their early lives in school and don't learn anything about it, compared to the rest of their lives, where they do everything that is all about these skills.
So my future goal is to include these abilities into the school system to integrate these extremely important and neglected skills into our lives; I want to make these skills a part of the curriculum, not simply a hobby class. So, these talents will be ingrained in these children, and they will fare far better in their professional careers. Furthermore, I hope to instil spiritual and emotional quotients in the students, as this is something we do not educate our children about. The world's top politicians, CEOs, and leaders are extremely successful professionally and monetarily, yet many of them are not emotionally strong. So we want to train and prepare our children not just financially and professionally, but also emotionally and spiritually.
Dipen Singh, Motivational Speaker, Trainer, Life Coach, and Mentor
Dipen Singh is a very liberated and adaptable thinker who is receptive to ideas, feedback, and mistakes. He opposes the idea of formal education that only emphasizes the outcomes in terms of grades and percentages. He prefers skills over schooling and mass learning.
Hobbies:
• Working Out and Reading Books. Favorite Cuisine:
• Mughlai food , Rajasthani Cuisine and Pizza. Favorite Travel Destination:
• The Himalayas
What are the goals that you wish to invest in and how do you plan to take them further?
I am a firm believer in skill development. You are selling something whether you are a scientist, a certified accountant, a businessman, a labourer, or whatever. If we consider the professional element of it, you are either selling a product, an idea, or a service. So why don't we teach sales to children when they spend 20-25 years of their early lives in school and don't learn anything about it, compared to the rest of their lives, where they do everything that is all about these skills.
So my future goal is to include these abilities into the school system to integrate these extremely important and neglected skills into our lives; I want to make these skills a part of the curriculum, not simply a hobby class. So, these talents will be ingrained in these children, and they will fare far better in their professional careers. Furthermore, I hope to instil spiritual and emotional quotients in the students, as this is something we do not educate our children about. The world's top politicians, CEOs, and leaders are extremely successful professionally and monetarily, yet many of them are not emotionally strong. So we want to train and prepare our children not just financially and professionally, but also emotionally and spiritually.
Motivation doesn’t last, habits do
Dipen Singh, Motivational Speaker, Trainer, Life Coach, and Mentor
Dipen Singh is a very liberated and adaptable thinker who is receptive to ideas, feedback, and mistakes. He opposes the idea of formal education that only emphasizes the outcomes in terms of grades and percentages. He prefers skills over schooling and mass learning.
Hobbies:
• Working Out and Reading Books. Favorite Cuisine:
• Mughlai food , Rajasthani Cuisine and Pizza. Favorite Travel Destination:
• The Himalayas