After two years of the pandemic having paved the way towards newer possibilities and innovative dimensions in learning, and the NEP 2020 laying down several structural and functional changes and updates, the future of education looks as promising as ever before. Also, various eLearning trends have allowed institutions to overcome traditional barriers and explore new territories through eLearning. Teachers no longer are the sage on the stage, the modern K-12 era is now, of the learner, by the learner, and for the learner. It is learner-led and learner-focused. Thus, emphasizing one renowned K-12 education entity, which thrives on all these lines and progressing as a beacon of imparting both literary and co-curricular education to girls, Vidya Devi Jindal School (VDJS) is a leading residential school known for encouraging fearless intellectual curiosity.
Since 1984, the mission of Vidya Devi Jindal School has been to provide education that forms character, strengthens the mind, expands the intellect, and enables all its students to be self-reliant. Having won several awards, the School is unequivocally acknowledged as an educational lodestar that nurtures an environment wherein the girls under capable supervision grow into young leaders. “We strongly believe that quality education is the right of every child so while our teaching staff and infrastructure meet the highest standards of excellence, we ensure that the education we provide remains accessible to each aspirant from every stratum of society”, shares Ms. Shalini Mehrotra, the Principal of Vidya Devi Jindal School.
“Our pedagogical practices are thoroughly aligned with NEP 2020”, continued Ms. Shalini. Through a brief conversation with the principal, it also came out clearly that personalized attention is provided to all students of Vidya Devi Jindal School whether in need of remediation or enrichment. Also considering the importance of staying up-to-date in today’s world, the students are taught using the latest educational techniques, and by utilizing state of the art IT facilities, well-equipped labs, a learning resource center, and the opportunity to interact with the best minds from all across the world through video conferencing. Moreover, to ensure greater accountability amongst the students for their own academic growth, the school has constituted the Student Academic Council, which allows academia to be perceived through the eyes of the learner and makes the learning process truly democratic.
Preparing for life through real-education
Ensuring that all the students get a global educational experience while developing a greater understanding of other cultures, the girls at Vidya Devi Jindal School take part in regular Student Exchange programs. Educational excursions within the country and beyond are another effective practice to complement classroom learning. Additionally, understanding that academia integrated with sports and co-curricular activities is a recipe for preparing world-ready students, VDJS has a dedicated hobby club programme where 50+ activities catering to the interests and talents of each student are promoted on a large scale.
Continuing on this pursuit, VDJS provides a matrix of intra and inter-school sports activities, in turn, having earned a name for its international-class sporting facilities offering more than 15 sports. “Our girls have been winning laurels for us with some of them even representing at the International level”, added Ms. Shalini. Also, by looking after the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of all the girls, the pastoral team operates in loco parentis, offering emotional support through counseling programs and through association with the Brahma Kumaris.
The infrastructural amenities provided to the girls at VDJS are in-sync with the demands of today’s generation, meant to ensure comfort, effective functionality, security, and aesthetics. The School has top-of-the-line infrastructure both in terms of outlook and facilities. The building is architecturally appealing with an attractive facade, and meets all government established norms and the norms set by CBSE. Taking great pride in instilling ecological consciousness in the girls, the School has won the Green School Awards for several years in succession for its environment-friendly practices, through the Go Green program for promoting organic farming.
“While we empower our girls physically by giving them self-defense classes we also ensure that their ethical core is robust by incorporating the best elements from the ‘Universal Ethics Curriculum’ led by Dalai Lama”, stated the Prinicipal explaining to our readers about the actual ethos present at VDJS. The Principal also explained how the girls are motivated to attend workshops on mindfulness, positive psychology, and emotional intelligence, instilling a sense of responsibility towards society by partaking in community service programs.
Even during the pandemic, VDJS continued with all that was possible to keep students connected and engaged. With imagination, meticulous planning, and masterly execution, the School not only provided uninterrupted synchronous and asynchronous learning through the evolved online academic programme, but also ramped up the scale and reach of many of the popular activities. Teachers constantly revived their skills to match the objectives of education through distance learning. Supported by Microsoft teams, teachers carried out the academic curriculum inclusive of all the co-curricular activities, morning fitness programme, yoga, life skills classes to ensure students do not feel deprived of campus life.
Redefining educational excellence
Imbuing a thirst for knowledge in all and living up to the motto ‘Vidya Jyoti, Jeeva Jyoti’ meaning the light of knowledge is the light of life, VDJS is set in a pristine ambience of 47 acres, 150 km from New Delhi, where privacy and peace come together. VDJS is also a place where 24X7 personalized care is provided by the resident staff who offer a buffet of academic excellence, varied co-curricular activities, and best of sporting facilities that bridges the hush by venturing into a dynamic journey of success. At senior secondary level, the choices of 20-plus courses complemented with robust Career Counseling makes the students future-ready.
All in all, no girl at VDJS is left alone with her insecurities, be it personal or academic, as the School runs a robust wellness enhancement curriculum to strengthen the emotional resilience of the students. In addition to this, the school regularly organizes activity-based workshops to psych-educate all the students in order to equip them with better understanding of mental health conditions. VDJS also believes in the quick detection of problems, thereby, the School uses neuro art techniques to assess the basic mental well-being level of each student. “We also have a well-monitored mentor system in place to keep in check the emotional and behavioral challenges that the students might face on a regular basis and ensure that they receive the proper guidance to effectively deal with their daily hassles”, shared Ms. Shalini.
Ms. Shalini Mehrotra – Principal
Ms. Shalini hails from Kanpur but has traveled across the country, and spent most of her professional life in esteemed boarding schools of the country. She holds a Master’s degree in Physics with specialization in Electronics and a Master in Education with a major in Curriculum Development and Advance Techniques of Instructions. She has an illustrious career of over 27+ years, where most of it was spent as a passionate and caring teacher. She envisions seeing herself as a leader, creating an environment where the children can be active learners rather than passive observers in a teacher’s centric classroom. All in all, being associated with the most reputed boarding schools in the country, she feels empowered with a diverse and innovative approach as an academic leader, who is also a strong advocate of real education that lies way beyond textbooks.
