Shweta Parihar
Principal
With the shift, the search for innovation in education has intensified with more emphasis on application than theory. One such school is Gajera Global School in Surat which is at the forefront of promoting application based learning for a holistic development of learners. Apart of the Gajera Trust, the school focuses on building a sustainable society of creative young innovators, empowered with meaningful opportunities to thrive and flourish, enhancing each life by spreading One Happiness. CEO Insights engages an exclusive interview with Shweta Parihar-Principal at GGS, to delve more into the workings of the institute and her strategies.
Brief us about your educational and professional background. Also, explain your current role at Gajera Global School, how are you leveraging the best of these elements across your school’s operations?
I am a Postgraduate in English Literature with an M.Ed. degree. I am also a qualified special educator with 18 years of qualitative experience in the field of education. I have a rich experience in the entire gamut of school administration, curriculum planning, teacher training, and developing student-centric environments. I have always wanted my learners to be life-long learners and as the Principal, I have been able to take steps towards that end as it has given me the freedom to work with my ideas. I see to it that learning is always effective, fun, and enjoyable to learners.
How has your school’s journey been so far and what challenges have you encountered during this journey?
Changing people’s emphasis on marks and scores in the examination has been my biggest challenge. In the competition for better grades, knowledge loses out, leaving learners ill-equipped to fight the real battles of life. To me, education is enlightenment and enlightenment cannot be lopsided. We need a holistic development of the child who will be able to tackle any challenge life has to offer.
The use of information technology in education also has been a challenge, particularly during the lockdown when the only mode of imparting education was the Internet. Reorienting parents has been tricky, to say the least. I must say that everyone coped up quite commendably considering the fact that the change was overnight.
Where is Gajera Global School positioned in the current education sector of India and how are you leveraging the best of emerging education opportunities for the growth of the establishment?
Our focus is quality, not quantity. We see ourselves as one of the best spaces for emerging education as per the new NEP. We believe we can carve out a niche by having ourselves established as a green campus.
By green campus, I mean nature integrated learning where learners will have more interactions with nature and learn from it instead of limiting ourselves to learning from books. We have initiated this new concept because nature is the big book of life and nothing can replace it when it comes to teaching and learning.
Give us some insights into the admission process and various academic courses that you offer at your school along with the career and college guidance that you provide to your students.
For admission, we have a meeting with the applicant and his/her family followed by a session with the school counsellor. We do this to make sure that the learner’s and the school’s goals are in alignment with each other. An entrance test is given to assess the applicant’s native aptitude. For career counselling, we have an in-house child counsellor who helps learners find their innate talents and skill sets. Moreover, before board exams, we invite qualified career counsellors to guide our learners to find their calling.
Tell us the most effective methodology & technologies used
Changing people’s emphasis on marks and scores in the examination has been my biggest challenge. In the competition for better grades, knowledge loses out, leaving learners ill-equipped to fight the real battles of life. To me, education is enlightenment and enlightenment cannot be lopsided. We need a holistic development of the child who will be able to tackle any challenge life has to offer.
The use of information technology in education also has been a challenge, particularly during the lockdown when the only mode of imparting education was the Internet. Reorienting parents has been tricky, to say the least. I must say that everyone coped up quite commendably considering the fact that the change was overnight.
Where is Gajera Global School positioned in the current education sector of India and how are you leveraging the best of emerging education opportunities for the growth of the establishment?
Our focus is quality, not quantity. We see ourselves as one of the best spaces for emerging education as per the new NEP. We believe we can carve out a niche by having ourselves established as a green campus.
By green campus, I mean nature integrated learning where learners will have more interactions with nature and learn from it instead of limiting ourselves to learning from books. We have initiated this new concept because nature is the big book of life and nothing can replace it when it comes to teaching and learning.
Give us some insights into the admission process and various academic courses that you offer at your school along with the career and college guidance that you provide to your students.
For admission, we have a meeting with the applicant and his/her family followed by a session with the school counsellor. We do this to make sure that the learner’s and the school’s goals are in alignment with each other. An entrance test is given to assess the applicant’s native aptitude. For career counselling, we have an in-house child counsellor who helps learners find their innate talents and skill sets. Moreover, before board exams, we invite qualified career counsellors to guide our learners to find their calling.
Tell us the most effective methodology & technologies used
in your school to ensure better learning experiences for your students?
Holistic education that develops all the four aspects of a learner’s personality -mental, intellectual, physical, and spiritual -is our prime concern. We emphasize independent learning through creativity and innovative thinking. Instead of providing answers, we create curiosity, prompting them to question. Additionally, Learners are assigned projects through which they master the skills learned in the classroom.
Project work gives them as close an experience as hands-on training. For example, when learners are asked to make a website, they learn coding, designing, content writing, and presentation skills. This one project integrates multiple skills leading to integrated learning. Nature-integrated learning is another aspect we have integrated into our curriculum. It is not an elective but an integral part of our curriculum. We offer our learners a judicious blend of spiritual education and technical expertise through regular Geetarecitals and coding for STEM.
GGS strives to implant inquisitiveness, we make our learners THINK which leads them to ASK and consequently RISE to the occasion, which is the MOTTO of our school. We offer our learners a judicious blend of spiritual education and technical expertise through regular Geetarecitals and coding for STEM.
The Principal’s Note (Mrs. Shweta Parihar):
GGS strives to implant inquisitiveness, we make our learners THINK which leads them to ASK and consequently RISE to the occasion, which is the MOTTO of our school.
Situated in the heart of the city, our school is equipped with all the necessary infrastructure to facilitate twenty-first century learning. Given are the playground, the science labs, and the STEM labs. The real estate we own can house more than 1200 learners.
Following are some of the highlights:
• Sunita’s Makerspace
• 3D Robotics
• Sensory Room
• Performing Arts Studios
• Math lab
• Horticulture zone
• Food Laboratory
• STEM lab
• Cafeteria
•16 clubs where learners hone their skills
Holistic education that develops all the four aspects of a learner’s personality -mental, intellectual, physical, and spiritual -is our prime concern. We emphasize independent learning through creativity and innovative thinking. Instead of providing answers, we create curiosity, prompting them to question. Additionally, Learners are assigned projects through which they master the skills learned in the classroom.
Project work gives them as close an experience as hands-on training. For example, when learners are asked to make a website, they learn coding, designing, content writing, and presentation skills. This one project integrates multiple skills leading to integrated learning. Nature-integrated learning is another aspect we have integrated into our curriculum. It is not an elective but an integral part of our curriculum. We offer our learners a judicious blend of spiritual education and technical expertise through regular Geetarecitals and coding for STEM.
GGS strives to implant inquisitiveness, we make our learners THINK which leads them to ASK and consequently RISE to the occasion, which is the MOTTO of our school. We offer our learners a judicious blend of spiritual education and technical expertise through regular Geetarecitals and coding for STEM.
The Principal’s Note (Mrs. Shweta Parihar):
GGS strives to implant inquisitiveness, we make our learners THINK which leads them to ASK and consequently RISE to the occasion, which is the MOTTO of our school.
Situated in the heart of the city, our school is equipped with all the necessary infrastructure to facilitate twenty-first century learning. Given are the playground, the science labs, and the STEM labs. The real estate we own can house more than 1200 learners.
Following are some of the highlights:
• Sunita’s Makerspace
• 3D Robotics
• Sensory Room
• Performing Arts Studios
• Math lab
• Horticulture zone
• Food Laboratory
• STEM lab
• Cafeteria
•16 clubs where learners hone their skills