'School Should Understand The Effectiveness Of New Technologies As Instructional Tools'

What are the key factors which define a good residential school?
1. The school should develop a distinctive and robust culture rooted in the school’s mission and values with a specially-designed curriculum beyond academics, devoted to developing the whole person—mind, body, and spirit.
2. Effective, enthusiastic, compassionate and visionary school leadership, which is open to new ideas and thinking about teaching and learning.
3. Good infrastructure and facilities that augment and facilitate learning, creativity, problem-solving and cater to the holistic development of the students.
4. The school should also understand the effectiveness of new technologies as operational and instructional tools to support a blended “high tech + high touch” future in support of the best possible learning experiences for students.
5. Good pastoral care, where the residential teachers act as the student’s mentor and guide in deep and meaningful ways.

How does being in a residential school change the overall personality of a child?
The child becomes self-reliant, independent, resourceful, disciplined and adaptable. The child has to fend for self and there is no one to pamper the child hence his/her personality changes for the better.

In your experience, does staying away from home have any impact on the child psychology and how does it change the behaviour of a child?
In my experience, if the parents explain the reasons and the logic to shift a child to the residential school the child takes it positively and is eager to adapt to the new environment at the earliest. So, parents should not make it out to be a threat every time the child misbehaves or does something which is offensive to their sensibilities.

What are the key factors which should be evaluated in deciding a residential school?
It depends on parents’ aspirations and the affordability. Secondly, they should be very sure of what they are looking for as few children have certain special traits and inborn talent, which can be honed in a particular school that has all the facilities and the faculty as per their expectations.
A huge debate is on the illegal use of drugs in schools, how do you ensure that the children are shielded from the influence of these in a residential school?

The school needs to have a strong culture of student counselling, value education, dialogue, open discussions, awareness programmes around substance abuse.

How do you engage parents in the lives of students for better bonding and respect for each other?
To create better bonding and mutual respect we invite parents on different occasions as per the activities and celebrations calendar of the school.

How has technology helped in overall engagement and education delivery in schools?
Technology is an integral component of the teaching and learning process today. Smart boards, e-library and the enormous resources both audio and video available on the Internet play a prominent role in classrooms.

What are the various challenges faced by principals in residential schools?
The biggest challenge for the principal in a residential school today is to maintain discipline, address behavioural issues, fulfill parental concerns, monitor pastoral care, keep a check on bullying, substance and sexual abuse. Handling diversities and bringing in all stakeholders under one umbrella is another
challenge.

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