International School of Management Patna

The International School of Management (ISM), Patna, has earned a name as one of India`s leading B-Schools offering professional courses.
It offers youngsters an opportunity to achieve a professional qualification accredited by the industry body for their chosen careers and get fast - tracked into their dream jobs.

Arya Vidyapith

Innovating today for a smarter tomorrow

Intro

When a top FinTech professional quits his high-paying job at a multinational company that too at his career peak to give positive direction to hundreds of youth in a small town, the end result is worth emulating. Under the leadership of its Executive Director Ranjeet Kumar, Arya Vidyapith, Motihari, is moving fast towards ensuring access of world class education for everyone

Blurb

“Arya Vidyapith, Motihari, is taking care of futuristic education now to have employable youth of the future in 5-10 years. Parents were surprised when we introduced Artificial Intelligence (AI). They didn’t appreciate it, because they were not aware of it. But I continued my efforts and after AI, I also introduced Robotics, Entrepreneurship and Japanese as the third language in class 6-8.

-- Ranjeet Kumar

 “I wanted them to know about the future, at least the market demand in the next few years. Parents must realise what will be the scenario when their children will come out of the school, so that they work on their children’s education.

-- Ranjeet Kumar

Main Story

The contemporary school systems in Bihar need to change in order for the children to survive in a globalised world. They have been using blackboards while schools in other parts of the world are using smart classrooms that provide interactive lessons with a wide range of multimedia options. Rote learning is still the preferential way of teaching in most parts of the state while modern schools are focusing on experiential learning. Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics and Entrepreneurship are subjects of the future while parents in Bihar refuse to think beyond the traditional curriculum.

The prevailing socio-economic conditions pose mounting challenges, but changes can be made. It needs strong will power and visionary leadership. One classic example is the Arya Vidyapith, Motihari.

The school with a legacy of over four decades is undergoing significant changes under the leadership of its Executive Director Ranjeet Kumar.

The school is equipped with modern facilities that promote active and experiential learning. It has well-equipped classrooms, a library, a large computer lab, a Mathematics lab and three science labs, along with sports facilities and a playground. The school also has a dedicated robotics lab where students can explore the world of coding and robotics. The students study Japanese as a third language and Entrepreneurship education helps them develop a range of skills and competencies that are valuable in both their personal and professional lives.

Arya Vidyapith was established in 1984 by Dr S P Singh, an eminent homeopathic physician. However, it didn’t get much attention as Dr S P Singh was busy establishing and managing a homeopathic medical college in Motihari. The school’s growth started in 2003 when Dr S P Singh’s elder son Prakash Arun took charge of the school, which was running up to primary level till then. He upgraded it to middle school. Soon it was raised to secondary and senior secondary level. The school was affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi, up to Class X in 2012. The affiliation was further extended up to Class XII in 2014. The school suffered an immense setback when Prakash Arun passed away suddenly.

To save the legacy, school chairman Dr S P Singh asked his son-in-law Ranjeet Kumar to take charge of the institution. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIMC), Kumar was working as Asst. Vice-President at American Express, the multinational financial services corporation.

For him it was an opportunity and challenge, both. It offered him an opportunity to give back to the society in terms of guiding the future generations to scale greater heights in academic life and professional career, a cause he was passionate about. However, it was a challenge to put his vision into practice due to the socio-economic conditions in Motihari.

Making sudden changes was not possible. He set a timeline to put the school in the forefront by 2025. The pandemic caused by Covid-19 came as a boon. Several teaching and non-teaching staff as well as students left the school during the pandemic that helped him make a fresh start to turn it into a modern institution.

Holistic development

Ranjeet Kumar said that education does not mean good results in board exams only. A school is the place for holistic development of students. To achieve it, he wanted to make grassroots change. For this, he needed support from parents as well. But he realised that there was a communication gap between parents and the school. He spent some time understanding the parents’ inclination and what was being offered by the school. Later, he also realised that there was a gap between the parents’ awareness and the global trend.

“I wanted them to know about the future, at least the market demand in the next few years. Parents must realise what will be the scenario when their children will come out of the school, so that they work on their children’s education,” he said.

Soon he realised that the facilities he wanted to offer at the school needed high cost. “Motihari is a Tier 3 city where per capita income is very less. So the changes I wanted to make at this school were difficult due to high cost. I wanted to bring in practice whatever I have seen at schools in metro cities or outside India,” said Kumar.

“So my first priority was to bring down the expenditure. I worked on cost optimisation. I started to make gradual changes, because the target was to make it among the top schools in Bihar by 2025.”

Future-ready

Ranjeet Kumar said that the pandemic caused by Covid-19 and the subsequent lock down came as a boon for the school. It offered him an opportunity to make the school future-ready. He focussed on technology adoption.

First, he got the entire campus Wi-Fi enabled with a high speed internet connection to allow teachers to access the internet no-matter wherever they are, making it easier to hold online classes from the classrooms. They carried seven periods daily along with a short break after each class.

“Instead of taking services from locally available networks, I got in touch with Microsoft International. We got the Microsoft School 5 million licences that we can use for the next 50 years easily. That too at a very affordable price,” he said.

“I connected with good youtubers who wanted to create educational content. I asked them to develop content as per the books prescribed for our students of Class 1-5. This way we got the content for free, they got their content viral. It was a win-win situation for both of us,” he added.

Now, the school is tech-wise much ahead.

In his quest to make the Arya Vidyapith compete with any metro city schools in academics and personality development, he started attending webinars, and now seminars, to get connected with the facilitators as well as attendees to learn about new technologies, programmes and practices.

Being an alumnus of IIM Calcutta, he also got help from the IIMC alumni group of educators.

“I have realised that our syllabus is outdated. It’s not going to meet the future demand. I also tell parents to have an introduction to the future of education and job market demand. Parents should also know what is going to come in the next 5-10 years, so that they do not remain alien,” said Kumar.

Talking about the future of school education and how Arya Vidyapith is taking care of futuristic education now to have employable youth of the future in 5-10 years, Kumar said that he has introduced Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and foreign language Japanese.

“I was wondering if no school in Bihar was teaching AI, despite the fact that the CBSE had introduced it in 2018-19. So I introduced it from the session 2023-24. I wanted to introduce it much earlier, but it was a challenge to find a good teacher for AI. I introduced it with a gut feeling that when you make a good start, good people join you.”

He pointed out that getting a good teacher for AI was not the only challenge. He paid equal attention while selecting teachers for other subjects as well. Today about 90 per cent of the teachers are from other states. The school has six engineers who are teaching Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Robotics and AI.

“Parents were surprised when we introduced AI. They didn’t appreciate it, because they were not aware of it. But I continued my efforts and after AI, I also introduced Robotics, Entrepreneurship and Japanese language.”

Arya Vidyapith is perhaps the only school in Bihar to have Japanese as the third language in class 6-8. Usually French and German are taught in metro cities.

“Japanese or any other foreign language can’t be the primary skill, it will be only a secondary skill, a supportive skill.”

Ranjeet Kumar himself teaches Japanese. “I have studied Japanese and have spent a few years in Japan. I have introduced it because I know the importance of Japanese giving a boost to professional careers. But educational material is not easily available. I have written to The Japan Foundation – an arm of Japan Govt  Culture Promotion and they have agreed to send some educational films for now.”

Another unique aspect of the school is teaching Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship classes are also conducted by Ranjeet Kumar.

This extraordinary step has made a significant impact on the students. Learning a new subject from someone who was highly successful in his professional career has given a major boost to the children’s confidence. They are encouraged to experiment, follow a new path and achieve greater heights in their professional life.

Ranjeet Kumar’s efforts have made an impact. “Recently, when a media team visited our school, one of the girl students replied that she doesn’t want to do a regular job. She is planning to have her own startup and work on metaverse. Her dream is to launch her own metaverse wedding platform and make youngsters attend the wedding ceremony of their parents, which is possible through metaverse,” said Kumar.

Personalised Counseling

Ranjeet Kumar also offers career counseling to students of class 8 onwards. He also uses this opportunity to identify the intelligence of individual students and provides them personalised counseling.

There is a brilliant girl student who wanted to pursue a career in Chartered Accountancy. She is the daughter of a rickshaw-puller and spending on her higher education is virtually impossible.

“I called her parents and advised them to let her pursue her dreams. She wanted to pursue a career in Chartered Accountancy. But I advised her to look for a degree from IIM. Prepare for the five year Integrated Programme in Management (IPM) offered by various IIMs. Agreed, it is not easy to meet the IIM’s fee structure, but there are banks ready to give education loans if anyone cracks for the admission in IIMs. Hope she will have a fulfilling career,” he added.

Focus on Sports

I have been focussing on sports because I believe that sports make you mentally fit more than physically fit. That is very important. It helps you overcome failure in life. Several researches have shown that losing games is important for children because it teaches them to show empathy and cope with the experience of losing. Sports help them learn that losing and winning is a part of the game. It eventually prepares them for bigger challenges in life.

In recent times, suicide rate in students has increased substantially. A major reason is that they are cut off from sports and worldly life in their efforts to crack entrance tests to various top institutions. They were habitual of winning in the school where they had to compete with a limited number of students. When they step out of the school and face stiff challenges from hundreds of thousands of students from across India they fail to overcome it.

“For girls, especially adolescent girls, khokho is a wonderful game. I started it at school and later popularised it outside as well. Recently our school’s boys team won the district level championship, and the girls team stood second. Fencing is another game our students are doing very well. Recently a boy and a girl participated in a national level championship and won a gold medal.”

Experiential Learning

Site-seeing and Excursions are other important extracurricular activities conducted by the school. But these excursions are not just picnic trips for the students. These trips form a part of experiential learning. Before conducting a site visit, a teacher visits the site and looks for various aspects of learning. During visits they are told to take notes, during the returning journey the teacher conducts a quiz. It is fun learning.

“We are going from rote learning to experiential learning. Field trips are an important source.”

Parents do not know that every child is gifted and every child has eight multiple intelligences, out of which one is up with two supportive intelligences. Good teachers know that and they keep looking for the strong side of every student.

“Our students have been selected to participate in the Sand Rover competition organised by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur for students wherever Robotics is being taught. We are the only ones from Bihar. Whether the students win a prize or not, their participation in such a big competition itself is an achievement.”

“Now, I can say that we can compete with any school in academics and personality development,” he concluded.

***

Laurels

2016: Students won accolades at the 18^th Junior State Fencing Championship

2022: National School Award 2022 for Educational Excellence

2022: Icons of Asia’s Edupreneur Director of the Year Award to Ranjeet Kumar

2023: International School Award 2023 for School with Most Qualifying Faculty to Executive Director of the school Ranjeet Kumar

2023: Govt of India’s Department of Science & Technology presented Inspire Award to Grade 8^th student Kriti Kumari for her science project

2024: Rajesh Kumar, Ankit Kumar and Adarsh Pankaj won Bronze Medal while representing Bihar in Under-14 National Fencing Championship organised by the School Games Federation of India (SGFI)

2024: Ex-student Shivam Kumar won Bronze Medal in Under-19 National Fencing Championship.

**

Awadhoot Academy

Towards creating a peaceful world

Intro

Awadhoot Academy, Munger, serves the humanity by training its students with the knowledge, skills, and critical thinking abilities, so that they grow to become intellectually sound and morally strong skilled people to excel in any situation, anywhere in the world

Blurb

“The school has committed faculty members who have come from accomplished backgrounds with vast experience. The school serves proper and systematic education to the learners through an English medium environment, and focuses on all round development of students for their future by providing smart class, computer, spoken English training, music & dance, dramas, sports and games, cultural activities, educational trip, excursion and multilingual facilities.

 -- Satish Chandra Singh

“Three decades ago, when the school was set up, the local community’s expectations were different from the expectations they have today. We have also tried to meet their expectations throughout the 30 year journey. The challenging atmosphere, competitive environment and the career guidance provided by Awadhoot Academy to its students today, make the students intellectually competent, morally sound and character-wise strong and upright.

 -- Sharda Singh

Main Story

Everyone is born in this world with a purpose. Attainment of that purpose brings peace. But this is not easy. Lord Buddha left his palace in search of peace. Mahavira abandoned all worldly possessions and left home in pursuit of peace. Ashoka left his worldly ambition to find peace. The quest for peace continues even in the modern era.

A classic example is Satish Chandra Singh, Founder of the Awadhoot Academy, Munger.

Towards the end of the 20^th century, this young man with a post graduation degree from the prestigious Patna University left home – not in search of a fulfilling job, but in search of peace. Wandering, he reached the ashram of Awadhoot Bhagwan Ram, who emerged as a modern-day saint from the sacred tradition of the Awadhoot Siddhas of Kashi (Varanasi), Uttar Pradesh. Impressed with his persona and inspired by the atmosphere there, he decided to live there. After some time, Baba Awadhoot Bhagwan Ram advised him to return to the world he came from and serve humanity by training individuals with the knowledge, skills, and critical thinking abilities.

Satish Chandra Singh left the ashram and returned to Patna. For a few years he worked with a few prominent educational institutions. But soon he got disillusioned by the immense commercialisation of the education system. During a visit to his ancestral place, Munger, Satish Chandra Singh realised the scope of setting up a school of his dream in his hometown and spread education in its true sense. And find peace in the process. In the meantime, he got diksha from Baba Sambhav Ram, a disciple of Baba Awadhoot Bhagwan Ram.

He set up a school in a rented apartment in Munger and started classes on 18^th April, 1994, with five students. It was a small initiative but supported by eminent citizens of Munger. Retired principal of Netarhat Vidyalaya Dr Ramdev Tripathi, JRS College Principal Dr Ram Prakash and Kashinath Pandey attended the inaugural function. It gave him courage and publicity to the school.

Spiritual Power

Satish said that since its inception this school is inspired, animated and characterised by the charismatic spirit of Awadhoot Bhagwan Ram and is devoted to inculcate in every individual the spirit of simplicity, humility and core human values through yoga-based education.

He said, “The school seeks to mould each of its students along the lines of the dreams of Baba Awadhoot Bhagwan Ram had seen for his disciples. Everyone is born for a purpose. He is alive to execute a divine agenda. This understanding is foundational and fundamental to making one’s life count. The purpose of life is peace…. This is one of the greatest lessons life has ever taught me.”

“Spirituality varies from person to person. However, it is essentially the practice of finding peace and purpose in life. Do what makes you feel at peace in your days. It`s all about living your life moment to moment. Spreading education through this school gave me peace. It was not possible without active support from my wife Sharda Singh,” he said.

Sharda Singh, an alumnus of the eminent Patna Women’s College, Patna, from where she did post graduation in Political Science, took the responsibility of Principal of the school. She played the dual responsibility of administrator and teacher both very well.

With the husband-wife duo’s firm conviction and support from the local people, the school enrollment increased by leaps and bounds. To accommodate the increasing number of students, the school got shifted to a bigger premise in 1998. At the same time, the academic facilities were also extended up to Class 8.

With the passage of time, a plot of land was purchased for the school and construction of a dedicated school building started. In 2009, the school was shifted to its own building.

“Whatever we earned, we kept investing in the school. From purchase of land to construction of the building to furnish it with modern infrastructure, our focus remained on the school’s growth. Slowly, we extended the school up to class 10^th and applied to the CBSE, New Delhi, for affiliation, which was granted in 2013. The affiliation was extended up to +2 level in 2021,” he said.

To maintain proper focus on the tiny-tots, they have set up a nursery school in a separate campus, close to the academy. Named Kangaroo Care, the playschool delivers the early years foundation stage education to children from Pre- Nursery to UKG. The purpose-built campus also has a lush green outdoor garden and play area.

The Hallmark

Satish Chandra Singh said that he never felt challenged as running the academy was a mission for him. The only challenge he faced was in getting qualified teachers.

“We had to recruit unskilled teachers and train them to meet the standard we wanted to maintain. We were fortunate that they stayed with the school for a longer period. With their knowledge and dedication they became a hallmark of the academy. Several of them remained associated till retirement,” he added.

Not just the students, Satish took good care of the school’s teaching and non-teaching staff as well. To ensure their growth with the school, he introduced a proper salary structure with the facilities of EPFO as well. He believed that everyone associated with the school is a member of the Awadhoot family and taking care of their welfare is his responsibility.

“The school’s real asset is the people associated with it. Without their dedicated efforts, the school couldn’t have achieved the towering success it has accomplished since its inception. All teaching as well as non-teaching staff remained associated with the mission of the school. If they were not close to the mission, it was not possible to translate my vision,” he said.

The school has an uncompromising commitment. It aims to achieve remarkable results from all students. The school has a vision to provide character and value-based education to young minds and a dynamic learning environment. It supports every student who strives for excellence through active learning and education.

He said, "The school`s motto is ‘Enlighten thy soul and strive to spread It.’ Every Awadhoot student is expected to manifest a behaviour truly inspired by this ideal, as sincere students and noble citizens.”

Holistic Development

The school is aimed at providing children with a career-oriented education, which is student–centric and intensive, so that they grow to become intellectually sound and morally strong skilled people to excel in any situation, anywhere in the world.

“We take our responsibilities towards the students, towards the cause of knowledge, and towards society, very seriously. For students, it is not just an institution of learning but a place where their characters and values are shaped. The school has the necessary infrastructure for this purpose including well-maintained classrooms, a well-stocked library, modern scientific laboratories, computer lab and facilities for indoor and outdoor games,” he said. 

Infrastructure

The academy has laid stress on developing comprehension, analytical powers, and the honing of one’s creative and critical abilities. The library acts as a great stimulating agent, offering articles, data, and anecdotes on topics as diverse as possible. It is an absolute paradise for book-lovers. From important sample papers of the board exams to delightful one-act plays, browsing through books in any corner of the library is an experience, both enlightening and pleasurable. The ambience of the library has an innate ability to motivate youngsters to learn and broaden their perspective.

“Stocked with several thousand books, the library caters to every subject, be it history, social studies, science, literature, psychology, sociology or economics. In many ways the library makes the students realise where their interest and skills lie. It has encouraged them to dream and work tirelessly and has taught them that learning is not just limited to mechanical classroom teaching methods but it can also be a real fun,” he added.

The Mathematics Lab has an attractive and modern design and is equipped with numerous modern tools and techniques to help students learn the application of what they study. The objective of the lab is to expose students to the world of modern Mathematics and make the subject more interesting and fun!

The school has separate labs for Physics, Chemistry and Biology. A well-equipped, efficient and spacious Physics lab is accessible to all students from classes IX to XII. The students, under the guidance of their Physics teacher and the lab assistants, perform a range of experiments to grab a better understanding of their lessons.

A properly ventilated Chemistry lab provides for all the needs of the various students of classes IX to XII, where they can perform a variety of experiments in groups of maximum 35 students. The lab is equipped with a storage room, well-stocked with chemicals, apparatus and a number of charts required for different classes are present, and under the expert supervision of the lab assistant and the Chemistry.

An efficient Biology lab with a number of specimens according to different phylum, permanent slides, three-dimensional models, charts and reagent shelves are present in the school. The students can perform the corresponding experiments under the knowledgeable guidance of the Biology teacher and the lab assistant, and make their theoretical lessons all the more fruitful with hands-on experiments.

Every day, a number of Awadhoot Academy students can be seen marching their way to the IT lab to keep them abreast with the latest technology. In this well-developed and fully-equipped lab, the students find a place to apply their theoretical knowledge to the actual technical know-how. To enhance the experience of the marvelous virtual world, the school has skilled and knowledgeable teachers who with their expertise lead the students through this complex yet splendid world.

The school also has a Science Club. The aim of the club is to create active interest in scientific learning and scientific attitude in which students are encouraged to participate in science symposium, essay competitions, quizzes, poster-making and model-making on scientific subjects.

Portico, an open stage, is the nerve centre of Awadhoot Academy, Munger. All assemblies, special ceremonies, such as prize distributions, farewell, Children’s Day, Saraswati Puja celebration and other such events are held there. Built in a rectangular style, it can seat around 2000 people and the rectangular stage can easily accommodate 20 to 50 children during a performance.

Shaping the Future

Sharda Singh said that most of the schools appear to be the same with claims to top faculty, best facilities and commitment to diversity. In true sense, there is a scarcity of good schools. Awadhoot Academy was evolved with the objective of shaping the future of the students with unparalleled zeal and devotion.

The potential wealth of a nation lies in its natural resources. In a developing nation like ours, the main task is to tap these latent sources to channelise energy released in a constructive manner. One of the greatest sources of untapped potential is its children.

“Three decades ago, when the school was set up, the local community’s expectations were different from the expectations they have today. We have also tried to meet their expectations throughout the 30 year journey. The challenging atmosphere, competitive environment and the career guidance provided by Awadhoot Academy to its students today, make the students intellectually competent, morally sound and character wise strong and upright,” said Sharda Singh.

-Ends-

Bijendra Public School

Bringing academic excellence to the fore

Intro

In a short span of time, the Bijendra Public School, Purnia, has earned a name by providing unique learning environment to nurture the child intellectually, spiritually, socially and  physically through a core curriculum and enrichment classes

Blurb

“Academics have always been the forte and hallmark of this institution. The well trained, dedicated and professionally updated educators ensure the holistic development of every child under their care. The rigorous academic schedule, experiential learning, stress-free school atmosphere and encouraging educators motivate the learners to put in their best efforts and excel in academic results, bringing laurels to the school, their parents and the society at large.

 -- Bhanu Bhaskar

“Bijendra Narayan Choudhary, an eminent resident of Village Parora in Purnia district, was one visionary who understood that it is crucial to promote equal educational opportunities and empower women to become agents of change in society. He didn’t just advocate it, but practised it as well. He used to run a school in his village Parora, located about 15 kilometres away from Purnia town.

-- Bhanu Bhaskar

Main story

India has witnessed several movements advocating women`s education and empowerment. These movements were also supported by eminent social reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Pandita Ramabai, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Savitribai Phule, Anne Besant, and Mahatma Gandhi. They played significant roles in advocating for women`s education and empowering them. But these national movements failed to have any significant impact on women’s condition in Bihar. Even in independent India, several successive governments’ strong commitment to universal education failed to make a mark. It was efforts made by people from Bihar that contributed to the growth and progress of women`s education in the state.

Bijendra Narayan Choudhary, an eminent resident of Village Parora in Purnia district, was one visionary who understood that it is crucial to promote equal educational opportunities and empower women to become agents of change in society. He didn’t just advocate it, but practised it as well. He used to run a school in his village Parora, located about 15 kilometres away from Purnia town.

Bhanu Bhaskar, grandson of late Bijendra Narayan Choudhary, said, “My grandfather was much ahead of his time. Not just women’s education, he was a strong advocate of women’s empowerment as well. In a society where father-in-law and daughter-in-law barely sit together, he used to discuss socio-political issues with my mother. During one such discussion he had shared his vision to establish a school to promote girl education. After his death, my mother shared his wish with my father, Krishna Murari Choudhary. He immediately agreed to fulfil the dream. This school is the fulfillment of that dream.”

In 1998, Krishna Murari Choudhary formed a society and planned to set up a school in the memory of his beloved father, late Bijendra Narayan Choudhary, to fulfill his aspiration of providing the best education at an affordable expense for the people. The plan to start the school got delayed for two years due to his illness.

The school was named Bijendra Public School and became operational in 2001. Bhanu Bhaskar, son of Krishna Murari Choudhary, was assigned to look after the affairs of the school as its Managing Director.

Bhanu Bhaskar said that the initial plan was to open the school for girls only, as per the wish of his grandfather late Bijendra Narayan Choudhary. However, considering the requirements of the society they opened the gates to girls and boys both.

“It is a school created with a vision to provide equal opportunity for all strata of society and offering quality education for the community in Purnia and its neighbourhood,” he said.

The school situated in the green and natural surroundings of Purnia, epitomises the joy of learning. It aspires towards creating a just and humane society where dignity of every human being is respected, where unjust social structures are challenged, where the cultural heritage of non-violence, religious harmony and national integration are upheld and where the poor and marginalised are specially taken care of.

When the school started functioning in 2001, there were about 50 students in classes ranging from Nursery to Grade V. One new class was added every subsequent year. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi, granted affiliation till grade 10 in 2006. It was further upgraded up to +2 level in 2008. The school is also recognised for its quality management and is accredited ISO 9001:2008 certificate which is another unique feat for any school in this area.

“My father passed away on 20^th August 2003 after a brief illness. So we were disturbed in 2003-2004. That’s why the CBSE affiliation was also delayed,” he said.

The hallmark

Academics have always been the forte and hallmark of this institution. The well trained, dedicated and professionally updated educators ensure the holistic development of every child under their care. The rigorous academic schedule, experiential learning, stress-free school atmosphere and encouraging educators motivate the learners to put in their best efforts and excel in academic results, bringing laurels to the school, their parents and the society at large.

“Our faculty is quite strong. We have a pool of teachers who can prepare the entire batch to face the challenges of the new era. We have a mix of faculty. Some of them were teaching at colleges before joining our school. They help students clear the concept. While, several others were earlier teaching at prominent coaching institutes to prepare students for competitive exams. Thus they help students prepare themselves for competitive exams,” he added.

As a result several students have cleared NEET and JEE and have been enrolled in many prestigious professional institutions in India. Many are serving in different walks of life, giving back to the society what they gained from the school.  Some of the students who have recently cracked NEET, one of the toughest entrance examinations in the country, are Bhavya Mishra, Shailaja Bharati and Swarnil Priyam.

“When we talk about future challenges, we don’t talk only about medical and engineering entrance tests. There is a huge world beyond that. We give equal importance to Humanities. We have got very good faculty members to teach arts subjects to our students. Similarly for the Commerce stream also, we have accomplished teachers,” he added.

He pointed out that a pool of teachers remain available at the campus to help students clear any doubts in academics, they don’t need to wait till next class to ask it from the teacher. It was the teachers’ dedicated efforts that the students performed extremely well in board examinations.

Bobby Prashant, a student of the school topped in Bihar and Jharkhand and got 4^th rank all over India in CBSE Grade X exam 2020. She scored 99.2% marks. She continued her studies at Bijendra Public School and topped in Grade XII examination 2022 with 94.2%. In 2017, another student Archi Kumari scored 96.6% marks in Grade XII examination conducted by the CBSE. She stood first in Purnia district and got second rank in Bihar.

“While recruiting teachers, we always maintained a mix from local and outside Bihar to suit the needs of the school. Selection of teachers was not very difficult. A number of good teachers from Purnia and nearby places were already working in other cities. When we contacted them, they loved to join our school as it allowed them to live with their families. They also got a chance to give back to the society they belonged to,” said Bhanu Bhaskar.

Kinaesthetic learning

Kinaesthetic learning is the predominant learning style of the majority of students, as against visual and auditory learning. Keeping this in mind, students are involved in lab activities in primary and middle school.

The tiny tots, following the path of Montessori, learn through self-directed activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play. Age appropriate play way method is an integral part of the academic transaction for this age group. The highly trained teachers handle them amicably in a safe and secure environment leading to their holistic development. 

Al and Robotics have brought about revolutionary changes among the tech-savvy students of the modern era. As such, these are incorporated in the curriculum to keep them abreast of the ever-changing tech-world.

For language development, the school holds compulsory language lab sessions, teaches one foreign language, and provides regular tutorials by specialists, compulsory campus language days and Oratory clubs. Such dedicated activities help inculcate brilliance in education, mastery in languages, ensures reinforcement of talents and develops physical soberness.

Skill development has also been our priority as it enables students to be independent and self-sufficient. This in turn will help our nation to be as developed as envisioned by our leaders.

Bhanu Bhaskar said, “We wish to provide several other facilities at the school to prepare students to perform well not just in studies but in sports and games as well. But, the socio-economic strata we serve here are focused on job-oriented education. The people’s mindset has remained the same where curricular activities remain supreme. Still, children don’t study at home if they don’t get homework. It is kind of a pressure on children. Parents complain about it, too. There is no culture of studying at home in advance so that they understand the subject matter better in the classroom.”

“Accepting change is very difficult. Even if we try to provide all the co-curricular and extra-curricular programmes being practiced at schools in metro cities, it won’t be accepted. We keep talking about smart classrooms, but children are habitual of the blackboard learning. We can’t make sudden changes,” he added.

Holistic development

Despite such social conditions, the importance of co-curricular activities in school education and its necessity for a holistic development of a student’s personality is well established. Co-curricular activities like music, dance, drawing, painting, debates, elocutions, yoga and taekwondo form an integral part of the learning process in the school.

“The school is focussed on holistic education. It is compulsory to participate in sports & games, and fine arts. Regular sessions are conducted on applied arts. Adventure activities are also organised periodically. To organise regular extracurricular activities, the school has been divided into four houses, namely Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram and Priyam. Inter-house competitions are held every Saturday,” he said.

To achieve the students overall development, the school organises a number of co-curricular as well as extra-curricular activities. Saturdays are reserved for such activities. Sports week, quizzes, poster-making, debate, science exhibition, writing competitions, music and dances, art contests. We organise one activity every Saturday to prepare the students and to fulfil the modern era demands.

Muskan, a quiz wizard, had the great honour of sitting opposite the legendary Amitabh Bachchan in Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) in 2012.

Academic excellence

Dr Krishnan CC, principal of the school, said that the school has got a name for its academic results. His team will continue to focus on maintaining it.

To maintain the academic excellence and encouraging results in various exams, the teachers analyse each child’s performance and write down names of the slow learners after each exam. They have a lesson diary, where they write names of the weak learners after every exam who need extra attention. They plan accordingly to improve the child’s performance.

“This exercise also helps realise whether the child has a problem in reading, or writing, or understanding the subject matter. Accordingly, the child is trained and given individual attention so that the child improves by the next exam,” he said.

At present about 1500 students are enrolled at the school. The number has been kept limited deliberately. The number had reached 3000, but we realised the need to reduce the number to focus on the students’ proper education and training.

“We could maintain the limited number because the school is not a business venture for us. We want to focus on students` overall development. Whatever profit is earned every year is invested in the school’s development,” concluded Bhanu Bhaskar.

***

Box

Milestones

1998: Krishna Murari Choudhary formed a society and planned to set up a school in the memory of his beloved father, late Bijendra Narayan Choudhary.

2001: The school became operational with about 50 students and classes ranging from Nursery to Grade V.

2006: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi, granted affiliation till grade 10.

2008. The CBSE further upgraded the school affiliation up to +2 level.

2008: The school got recognised for its quality management and is accredited ISO 9001:2008 certificate.

2017: School student Archi Kumari scored 96.6% marks in Grade XII examination conducted by the CBSE. She stood first in Purnia district and got second rank in Bihar.

2020: Another student Bobby Prashant topped in Bihar and Jharkhand and got 4^th rank all over India in CBSE Grade X exam 2020. She scored 99.2% marks.

***

Central Public School

Transforming Lives through Quality Education

Intro

Right education can lift people from poverty, improve their health issues, financial crisis, ultimately it can change their lives. Established with this noble thought, the Central Public School, Chapra, has become an institute of eminence

Blurb

People get fascinated by the school’s multi-story building with over 100 classrooms, all equipped with modern facilities, a rich library, science laboratories as well as the AI and Robotics Lab. Constructing a huge building was never the mission, building the next generation of leaders was and remain our sole aim: Dr. Harendra Singh

My sons and daughters also completed their schooling at the Central Public School, Chapra. I wanted to set a precedent. I wanted people to believe in my mission that I will give education to every student as good as I wish for my children: Dr. Harendra Singh

Main story

In the words of the late President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, “Almost half of the population of the world lives in rural regions and mostly in a state of poverty. Such inequalities in human development have been one of the primary reasons for unrest and in some parts of the world, even violence.”

Dr Harendra Singh, a Chapra-based educationist and an ardent admirer of Dr Kalam, agreed with his observation in letter and spirit. He says that a close look at the scenario in Bihar will reflect that almost 80% of the poor live in rural areas. Thus, significant efforts must be made for revival and progress of the rural area.

“Transformational change in rural areas is only possible by linking education to such areas. In a world based on science and technology, it is education that determines the level of prosperity, welfare and security of the people,” he said.

It was the same ethos that guided him to make a humble beginning by establishing the Central Public School in Chapra in 1994. In the three decades since inception, it has become an institute of eminence in the district.

Today, the school has multi-storey buildings with over 100 classrooms all equipped with modern facilities. The school has state-of-the-art smart classrooms for students, laboratories for science subjects, dedicated laboratory for Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics and 3D Printing, besides a rich library. All these facilities cater to a whopping number of over 2,500 students of Nursery to Grade 12.

“I had realised very early in my life that the upliftment of socio-economic status and development of rural areas is possible only through education. Thus, as soon as I completed my higher education, I returned home and established this school,” he said.

Born and brought up in a remote village of Bihar, Dr Harendra Singh went to Raniganj in West Bengal for school education. After passing matriculation in 1982, he came to Patna for higher studies. He earned a graduation degree, followed by completing Post Graduation and MBA in 1988.

This opened the doors to unlimited opportunities. Soon, he got a prestigious job. But he failed to focus on it and realised that his expertise needed to nurture the next generation in his hometown.

Challenges ahead

However, it was not an easy task. When he shared his wish with parents and the well-wishers, there was a big no from everyone.  However, his father was a bit sympathetic. He discussed this with his senior colleagues and asked them to convince the young man to continue with the job which could help him move up the financial and social ladder.  

But, those efforts remained futile. On the contrary, Harendra Singh convinced them with his vision and mission.

But, much bigger challenges were waiting for him as he had to start the project from the scratch without any political or financial backing.

Recalling the initial days, he said, “There were very few people who had confidence in my abilities. My friend Murari Singh, who is currently serving the school as its Principal, was one of them. When I asked him to help me in my endeavour, he joined me whole-heartedly. Among others who supported us in this journey without any selfish motives were the school’s first principal Meena Singh who oversaw the academic activities and PC Sharma, who set up the base for co-curricular activities in the school.”

“Together we prepared the foundation of an institution that will continue to serve the upcoming generations,” he expressed confidence.

Fruits of success

The humble beginning made with a firm determination started showing results very soon. The school made a steady success. It inspired the founders to acquire a plot of land for the school on the outskirts of Chapra and construct its own building. The school shifted to its own campus in 2003.

“Twenty years ago, this area was not so populated. It used to get completely cut off during monsoon. We had to build a makeshift bridge to connect the school to the city,” Murari Singh, principal, said.

The inaugural function was attended by minister Udit Rai, seasoned politician Prabhunath Singh and District Magistrate Baidyanath Mishra. Impressed by our vision and mission, Prabhunath Singh strongly supported us in the early days. He also helped in development of this area. This encouraged others in the city and neighbourhood to come forward and extend a helping hand for the sake of their future generations.

Today, people get fascinated by the school’s multistory building with over 100 classrooms, all equipped with modern facilities, a rich library, science laboratories as well as the AI, Robotics and 3D Lab.

“Constructing a huge building was never the mission, building the next generation of leaders was and remain our sole aim. We continue to do that. Construction of the classrooms and equip it with all modern facilities are necessities to obtain the kind of results we always long for,” he said.

While the management was aware of the importance of lab, library and classrooms, they never ignored the human resources. Harendra Singh said that teaching and learning was never limited to classrooms built of brick-and-mortar, but human resource was always needed.

Thus the management paid special attention to the manpower. Teachers are encouraged to experiment, evolve, and implement newer and better teaching practices, hence making them more responsible and better involved. Further, they undergo different kinds of training conducted by veterans of education sector that nurtures them further.

“We maintain the best policy to retain our teaching and non-teaching staff. The average retention rate is 15 years,” he added.

It was impact of their continued efforts that the school started getting outstanding results in Grade 10 and Grade 12 examinations conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi.  Most of the students score 90 per cent and above marks in both the examinations, most of the times its students bring laurels to their alma mater by clinching the top ranks in the district every year.

It was result of this phenomenal way of teaching and training that its students felt free to carve a niche for themselves in whatever field they chose to venture into.

Today, there are hundreds of qualified doctors, engineers, banking professionals and administrative officers, while thousands of them chose other fields to make a career including music and acting.

Among the notable alumni were two exceptional students Vikas Kumar Singh and Shweta Singh, son and daughter of the founder chairman. While his son cracked CAT and studied MBA at a prestigious institute, his daughter has become a doctor. Whereas Ashwini Parmar, son of current principal Murari Singh, has also completed his management education from a prestigious college and serving  the school as HR head.

“I wanted to set a precedent. I wanted people to believe in my mission that I will give education to their children as good as I wish for my son and daughter,” he said.

Distinguishing factors

What made the school outstanding were not just the curricular activities.

“Since we believe in holistic development of every child, co-curricular activities are given equal importance. But above all, it is our training to maintain ethics and values as well as our endeavor to instill love for the motherland and mother nature,” he added.

Today, socio-cultural events in town remain incomplete without participation of its students.

The school has an excellent band of Bharat Scouts and Guides. The school band got an invitation to perform at the Bharat Scouts and Guides National Jamboori in Haridwar. President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was scheduled to attend the event.

“It was a great occasion. A band of 18 students participated in the event. All 18 students were honoured by the President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, one of whom was my son Vikas Singh, who is now managing the school,” recalled Dr Harendra Singh.

Similarly, the students got another honour when a team of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) came to Chapra as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and the school’s students joined them. The officers were so impressed that they mentioned it to the higher officials.

“Consequently, they invited us to attend the 52nd Establishment Day of SSB at Ranikhet, Almora, Uttarakhand. But another surprise was waiting. They honoured me as Chief Guest. The IG of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Shyam Singh Shekhawat also decorated me with the Om Parvat Award,” he reminisced.

Students from the school have been regularly participating in the National Children Science Congress also. Several of them have also won Gold Medal for their projects. In 2022, the team went to Hyderabad and brought Gold Medal. Similarly, the student went to Khelo India and won gold medal in Kabaddi there as well. 

Dr Vikas Kumar Singh, the school Manager and Admin Head, said that it is a matter of great pride and satisfaction that the Government of India’s NITI Ayog selected this school to set up the Atal Tinkering Lab. This is yet another proof of the school’s outstanding status.

The aim of this initiative is to foster learning and creativity within young minds. This has provided a growing state of the art platform for the students and teachers to learn and apply the latest of technologies including Artificial Intelligence, Game Design and Development, 3D Design, Astronomy, Digital Creativity Skills.

“The Lab provides tinkering spaces to children to hone their innovative ideas and creativity. This is a great platform for students to utilise indigenous, state-of-the-art made-in-India software for 3D modeling/slicing to use 3D Printing,” he said.

CSR activities

Every year 51 girl students get free admission at the school, for which the management has created a separate fund.

It has been noticed that in case of financial constraint, parents stop girl child’s education. Some time, if there are two students or three from one family and the parents don’t have enough money to pay fees for all of them, they stop girl’s education.

“The National Girl Child Day is celebrated in India every year on Jan.24. On this occasion, we conduct a scholarship test to select them,” said Dr Vikas Kumar Singh.

"We have also noticed that on certain occasions when a family loses the earning member, they withdraw their wards from the school. We have come across several such cases after the pandemic caused by the Covid-19. In such cases, we support the family as much as we can do by giving discounts. If they can’t afford even the discounted fee, we put them into weaker section and provide full education for free,” he added.

Future Plans

Founder Chairman Dr Harendra Singh said that he was quite satisfied with whatever he could achieve ever since this school was established. However, he is not ready to take a back seat and enjoy the laurels earned during the past three decades. He is looking for new avenues to work on.

In this regard, he has recently started a new school, Dr Harendra Central Public School, Kalyanpur, Chapra. A paramedical institute has been set up to provide youth an opportunity to plan their career in the field of Nursing. The group has been running an ITI too.

He is all set to surprise one and all once he is 60 years old. He says, he will start from zero.

“I will be 60-year-old by the end of 2024. Usually, it is an age of retirement. People not only retire from job but take retirements from social activities as well. But I am waiting for the day, At the age of 60, I will start from zero. I want to prove that age is just a number. You should have positive energy and positive outlook towards life and mission to give back to the society,” he concluded.

***

Box

Milestone

1994: The Central Public School, Chapra, was established.

2003: The school shifted to its own campus.

2007: CBSE New Delhi granted affiliation to the school.

2007: BPS Industrial Training Institute (ITI) established in Chapra.

2018: CPS Institute of Paramedical and Nursing established.

2019: A new school, Dr Harendra Central Public School, was established in Kalyanpur, Saran.

2020: Robotics Lab and 3D Printing introduced in the Central Public School, Chapra.

***

Box

Laurels

2005: The school’s 18 students received President Award by President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam at Bharat Scouts and Guides National Jamboori, Haridwar

2008: Rashtriya Shiksha Ratan Award to chairman Dr Harendra Singh by Ex Election Commissioner of India GVG Krishnamurthy and Governor of Assam Bhishm Narayan Singh for Individual Contribution for Economic and Social Development at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi

2013: School Skilling Award at Global Conference Skilling Award by CBSE, New Delhi

2015: Physics Olympiad Award by National Physics Olympiad at Dr. Homi Jahangir Bhabha Institute, Mumbai.

2015: Om Parvat Award by IG of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) to chairman Dr Harendra Singh.

2015: Best School Award

2017: Best Teacher Award by Private School & Children Welfare Association, Awarded By Dr. Ashok Chaudhari, Education Minister of Bihar

2017: Best School in Bihar For Quality Education, Awarded By Dr. Ashok Chaudhari, Education Minister of Bihar

2017: Pride of India Award by Global Achievers Foundation

Award presented by Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand K. Dabbaransi, Princess I. La orgue from France & Ambassador of India Dr. V.B. Soni

2018: Best School in Bihar 2017 at the International Excellence Award presented by film actress Shilpa Shetti.

2018: Dr Harendra Singh received the Honorary Doctorate in the Field of Education by Balls Bridge University of Iran, presented by Ambassador of Iran to India Gallamansh Ansari at the convocation held at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

***

Don Bosco High School

Embracing  Technology  for  Future  Readiness

Introduction

Don Bosco High School in Siwan stands out as one of the top five progressive schools in Bihar, characterised by a unique pedagogical approach and a dedicated emphasis on contemporary sports and holistic development. The school holds accreditation from the British Council and is at the forefront of incorporating technology into its educational practices

 Blurb

We adhere to a hands-on learning approach, dedicated to nurturing and refining the inherent talents of children. Our commitment is centred on establishing a harmonious connection between spiritual, social, cognitive, and physical growth and development for each learner.

-- Dr. Koshy Vaidyan

Don Bosco High School in Siwan proudly stands as the preeminent educational institution, distinguished by the incorporation of cutting-edge technology and innovative academic solutions. Our commitment to excellence is reinforced by comprehensive Capacity Building Programmes and workshops designed to cultivate STEM skills. Our curriculum places a strong emphasis on real-world problem-solving, fostering creativity, encouraging critical analysis, promoting teamwork, instilling independent thinking, inspiring initiative, enhancing communication, and fostering digital literacy.

-- Thomas Koshy

 Main  Story

‘Turn adversity into an opportunity and the sky`s the limit.’

An illustrative instance of overcoming adversity and seizing opportunity unfolds in the narrative of Don Bosco High School, Siwan. In the late 1980s, Dr. Koshy Vaidyan, the school`s founder, sought to secure a quality education for his son. A brief exploration revealed the absence of a commendable educational institution in Siwan offering contemporary education. Visits to schools in the capital city, Patna, underscored the formidable challenges posed by stringent admission procedures in those institutions. Faced with limited options, he opted for one of the top boarding schools for his son.

This experience heightened his awareness of the challenges encountered by the majority in Siwan and its neighbouring regions. Consequently, he resolved to establish a school in Siwan, aiming to bring quality education to the doorstep of the local community.

In 1990, he founded the Don Bosco High School, Siwan.

Reflecting on the past, Dr. Koshy Vaidyan expressed that every parent aspires to enrol their children in a prestigious institution that offers top-notch education, outstanding facilities, a strong commitment to academic excellence, and a diverse array of extracurricular activities. Furthermore, exposure to various cultures and languages is recognised to broaden a child’s perspective and equip them for an increasingly globalised society. However, achieving this in 1980s Bihar posed considerable challenges, as gaining admission to a reputable private school was often perceived as a stroke of luck or a privilege reserved for those residing in the capital city of Patna. Parents in small towns of Bihar seldom considered such options due to the rigorous admission procedures, coupled with emotional and financial considerations.

Initially perceived as a substantial setback, the founding of the school ultimately unfolded as a remarkable opportunity for Dr. Koshy Vaidyan. His visionary leadership catapulted the institution to a prominent position in society, establishing him as one of the most influential education leaders in Bihar. What began as a narrative of adversity evolved into a platform for Koshy to undertake larger and more impactful endeavours.

Presently, Don Bosco High School, Siwan, stands proudly among the Top 5 Progressive Schools in Bihar, distinguished by a unique pedagogical approach and a specialised focus on modern sports and holistic development. The state-of-the-art campus is equipped with diverse sports facilities, including lawn tennis, table tennis, skating, boxing, and cricket, prioritizing the physical and mental well-being of the students. Accredited by the British Council, the school also leads the way in incorporating advanced technology into its educational practices.

Reflecting on the challenging journey, Dr. Koshy Vaidyan acknowledged the initial difficulties, with some early supporters departing due to the substantial operational costs. The school`s early years, housed in rented premises, posed logistical challenges, impacting stability and reducing enrollment. Despite these hurdles, Dr. Vaidyan emphasised the importance of confidence, creativity, and determination in overcoming challenges and finding positive outcomes.

With over three decades of history, rooted in Indian values and culture, Don Bosco High School stands as a cornerstone of education in Siwan. Dr. Vaidyan highlighted the school`s hands-on learning approach, aiming to foster and refine the innate talents of students while emphasising the interconnected growth of the spiritual, social, cognitive, and physical dimensions.

Elaborating on the guiding principles, Dr. Vaidyan emphasised the school`s commitment to instilling a scientific approach to problem-solving, promoting literacy, enhancing self-awareness and decision- making abilities, nurturing creativity and interpersonal skills, strengthening knowledge related to livelihood skills, and fostering effective communication for building assertive relationships.

Dr. Vaidyan underscored the transformative impact of education on Bihar`s culture, noting the realisation that investing in creative education significantly enriches society. The school takes pride in producing numerous professionals, including doctors, engineers, administrative officers, and executives in reputed multinational corporations.

With a rich legacy of over 30 years, the school boasts a global alumni base that often revisits to cherish memories and contributes to the institution`s continued success. The alumni actively engage with current students, offering guidance for future planning. Dr. Vaidyan acknowledged the alumni`s valuable role in the school`s growth and emphasised the importance of occasional gatherings to foster a sense of community and shared experiences.

 Tech-empowered  education

Dr. Koshy Vaidyan’s efforts to shape up the next generation by providing them top quality education got a shot in the arm when his son Thomas Koshy, left a lucrative career while working with a reputed MNC to carry on the legacy of his father.

Thomas Koshy, with expertise in Emotional Intelligence, Multiple Intelligence, Kindness in School and Optimising school operation through technology, joined the school in 2012.

He made several value additions to maintain the school’s elite position. Thanks to his vision, this small- town school successfully overcame the challenges by harnessing the power of technology and implementing a process-based approach. It has positioned itself as a leading institution prepared for the future in terms of infrastructure, academics, operations, and co-scholastic endeavours.

Thomas has also been conducting a series of workshops to further enhance students’ skills. Among the most popular workshops are ‘Don’t be a Nerd!’ -- a comprehensive workshop on Emotional Intelligence for children, ‘Who am I’ - a Multiple Intelligence workshop for children to identify their skill set and learning style for better performance in school. ‘Being a Value Based School’ is a workshop for school management and teachers to creatively implement values, empathy and compassion in school.

He said that just like other CBSE-affiliated schools, Don Bosco High School, Siwan, also follows the syllabus and the curriculum provided by the NCERT, but with a difference.

“Some of the features of the curriculum adopted are a very structured syllabus by utilising the standard prescribed NCERT textbooks from Grade 6 to 8. We have also formed an academic partnership with major companies for curriculum management and execution. The curriculum of the secondary classes focuses on the seven learning areas -- English, Mathematics, Science and Technology, Health and PE, Visual and performing arts,” he said.

Elaborating, he said that the school has partnered with companies with expertise in curriculum to execute its academic programme in compliance with the NEP standards in school. The programme will benefit students and teachers in enormous ways. The programme is a high-end blended learning academic solution and will benefit students to learn at home with minimal assistance. The mobile app enables teachers to send homework, assessments and also to track the progress of each student. The programme is also equipped with Art integrated Learning and 360 Degree Assessment Report mapped to NEP Framework.

“Don Bosco High School is the best school in Siwan with the latest technology and academic solution implemented to be the frontrunner. This is further strengthened by the Capacity Building Programmes organised frequently at the school. A series of workshops are organised to develop STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) skills. The activities are focused on real-world problem-solving skills, creativity, critical analysis, teamwork, independent thinking, initiative, communication, and digital literacy,” added Thomas.

Activity-based learning

In a recent STEM activity workshop at school, children became inventors with a noble purpose. They designed and crafted robotic hands with a mission to assist disabled individuals. Through creative problem-solving and teamwork, young minds explored the realms of engineering and technology. The workshop not only honed their STEM skills but also instilled empathy and a sense of social responsibility. These young innovators left with not just robotic hands, but also hearts full of compassion and a brighter vision for a more inclusive world.

Another engaging STEM activity workshop took students on an exciting journey through the Indian subcontinent. They delved into the diverse cultures, geography, and states of this vibrant region. But the highlight was the creation of a special light board that helps identify the correct capital for each state. Through hands-on learning and creative problem-solving, these young minds not only gained a deeper understanding of their country but also developed a useful tool to aid in geographical knowledge. It was an enlightening experience that combined technology, geography, and fun in one enlightening package.

Another exciting STEM activity workshop took students on a journey to unravel the mysteries of telescopes. Through hands-on exploration, they learned how lenses and mirrors come together to capture the wonders of the universe. From constructing their own simple telescopes to observing celestial objects, this engaging workshop ignited their curiosity and fostered a deeper appreciation for the cosmos. It was an educational adventure that left students stargazing with newfound understanding and awe.

Recalling the experience during the Covid-19 pandemic and the massive lockdown, Thomas Koshy said that schools were ordered to find ways for carrying out the methods of imparting education without physical involvement in the class.

He said, “We have never compromised the teaching of our students as our motto is learning with excellence as a part of the school’s impeccable feature. Even during the lockdown, we took the learning@home concept a step farther by enhancing the virtual modes of teaching through Google Classroom, Google Meet, Google Forms, Audio-video live sessions, Mindmaps Quiz and interactions, besides Online worksheets.”

Holistic Development

Thomas pointed out that the various houses within school encourage intra-school competition and active participation of each student. These houses are named after various scientists -- Newton, Edison, Nobel and Einstein -- in order to build curiosity and awareness in children. The house-related planning is done in advance for the entire year and shared through a co-scholastic calendar with students. Each house is also given a week-wise responsibility matrix mentioned in school academic planner based on which they perform their duty.

The school has a number of student-initiated groups -- Life Club, Socio Eco Club, Art & Craft Club, Music & Dance Club -- to help each other satisfy their creative zeal and to identify their innate talent.

Life Club is for those who love to act, write or work backstage, like facing the masses, debating and love personal grooming. This student-initiated group is for those who love perfection. Possible activities include competing in a one-act festival, youth parliament and other performance opportunities around school and in the area and working backstage at an Overture Centre performance.

The Socio-Eco Club seeks to create ways for each person to make a positive difference. Activities include recycling within the school and outings on Saturday mornings, where groups of students and faculty either plant vegetation or pick up trash at various parks and beaches.

Love and craze for foot tapping and music in children is what gave rise to the Music and Dance Club. The students look for perfecting their passion for dancing and music of all genres right here in this club. Similarly, students who love to make things out of nothing or to beautify existing artifacts into a shiny masterpiece get together in the Art & Craft Club to learn more in crafting. The little fingers that love using the paintbrush to paint imaginations also get together in this club to polish their skills.

The members of the Student Action Committee (SAC) strive to improve the Bosco community and the world beyond the campus through school activities and service projects. It is open to all school students and they meet with an action plan on Saturdays.

 Social Responsibility

Dr. Koshy Vaidyan pointed out that the management understands its social responsibility and extends various scholarship schemes, so that children from every strata of society can realise their dream of studying in this prestigious institution. The various scholarly schemes target meritorious students, national achievers, wards of defence personnel and girl child, besides children from the less fortunate strata of the society.

“We aspire to equip our students with skills that will help them excel in life and prepare for their greater role of shaping the Indian Millennium tomorrow,” he added.

-Ends-

 Bo x

Laurels

Affiliated to the CBSE, New Delhi, up to 10+2, the Don Bosco High School, Siwan, has numerous feathers in the cap in terms of achievement.

The school has been rated as a 5 Star Category School in the CEDx education conference held in Gurgaon, where the award was handed over by CBSE Secretary Anurag Tripathi and many other dignitaries.

2006: Excellence in Education by Indian Economic Development and Research Association, New Delhi

2018: Top 5 Promising Schools in Bihar by GTF Leadership Summit and Awards at New Delhi

2018: Most Promising School by International United Education Fraternity at New Delhi

2020: International Dimension in Schools 2020-23 by British Council

2020: Most Progressive School by CED Foundation at New Delhi

2023: The Future Ready School by Radio City in Dubai

GS Residential School

Building a Sustainable, Secure, Superior Future

Intro 

It is said that changemakers dare to dream of a world positively different from the one they are living in. The GS Residential School, Sasaram, is a living example of bringing that dream to reality

Blurb

My father always maintained that rich kids can go to any corner of the world to study, not the son of a peasant. Thus our school should serve modern education at a modest fee that remains affordable to one and all. We charge only the mandatory fees. If you have a look at our fee structure, you won’t find any hidden charges.

-- Mithlesh Kumar Singh

There are parents who wish to send their wards to good residential schools, if available in nearby locations, for their proper grooming, apart from offering curricular, co- curricular, cultural and sports facilities. Thus we are planning to convert this facility into a fully residential school. Proper grooming of every child under our 24x7 guidance will be more satisfying for us as well.

-- Mithlesh Kumar Singh

Main Story

Having a dream to see people around you grow with you is quite common. In fact, this is a dream that every noble soul would love to nurture. You may find a person espousing such wishes next door. Now, imagine a scenario where someone actually sacrifices his glorious career with the incessant opportunity of scaling new heights to realise this dream… Sounds alien? Must be. If not, you might feel as if this was a situation lifted from a Bollywood movie where the protagonist does all kinds of unbelievable acts to entertain the audience.

The larger-than-life image portrayed by a hero on the silver screen gives people hope that someone will also come to them and will do everything possible to transform their lives. The possibility of witnessing something like this in real life is so remote that even if you come across something similar happening in your neighbourhood, you don’t believe it at once.

A visit to the GS Residential School, Sasaram, a historical town in Bihar, will make you believe that dedicated efforts of an individual can actually bring significant changes to people’s lives as this small town school is transforming children into global citizens ready to carve a niche for themselves.

Late Lalan Prasad Singh, a prominent member of the society, had a dream of setting up a school to give good quality education through new technology with a view to bring about a balanced and harmonious development of the future citizens of the country.

Once his sons, Brajesh Kumar Singh and Mithlesh Kumar Singh, completed their studies and started earning laurels in their chosen fields, he started exploring ways to realise the dream to offer modern education to other children in the neighbourhood as well.

He got support from his friend and a renowned educationist SN Sharma, who promised to guide him in setting up the basic infrastructure and develop a strong academic programme to nurture the students’ personality on progressive lines.

Soon, support started pouring in from other quarters as well.

But he had bigger plans. To achieve it, he wanted to rope in his youngest son Mithlesh Kumar Singh, who was then working in a senior managerial position with a prominent multinational company, and was posted in New Delhi. Perhaps, Lalan Prasad Singh wanted to use Mithlesh’s expertise and the exposure he had got while working with the multinational workforce to prepare the next generation of Sasaram for their future and empower social transformation through them.

Soon, he selected a plot spread over 12 acres of land in a prominent location to construct the school building, fixed the date for the foundation stone laying ceremony, informed Mithlesh about his decision and asked him to be present on the occasion.

Recalling, Mithlesh said, “I was surprised by this sudden decision, but this was his style of working. Once he had made the decision and asked me to join him in this dream project, I had no option but to say … yes.”

“I was then working as a Deputy Manager with the UHG (UnitedHealth Group), a US-based MNC, which was a Fortune 7 company. I was associated with an important project, for which I was scheduled to travel to the US for six months. I requested him to allow me complete the project or to give me some time so that I could apply for leave and hand over the project to my colleagues. But he didn’t agree to postpone the ceremony.”

The foundation stone of the school was laid on the fixed date. Naturally, Mithlesh could not attend the ceremony.

As soon as his leave was approved, he left for home. But destiny had other plans.

“It was a night-long train journey from New Delhi to Sasaram. It was past midnight, when I got a call from home… my father had passed away…” said Mithlesh.

He had a lump in his throat as he talked more about the sudden demise of his father. In fact, he was so overcome with emotion that he stopped speaking. But his silence was enough to express how desperate he was.

“That was the turning point in my life,” he said.

Now the sole aim of Mithlesh’s life was to realise the dream nurtured by his father late Lalan Prasad Singh. His brother Brajesh Kumar Singh extended full support.

Mithlesh Kumar Singh returned to New Delhi only to submit his resignation. When he shared his decision, his bosses, colleagues remained stunned in disbelief. Even bigger shock came when he revealed that he was resigning not just from that eminent organisation but saying goodbye to professional life forever.

“No one was ready to believe. In fact, no one could have imagined even in his dream to leave such a glorious job at the peak of his career. I was working with a Fortune 7 company in a senior position. I was selected for the annual performance award, the ‘Service Hero’, just a few months ago. I was scheduled to go to Texas the next month and had the option to settle down in the US,” said Mithlesh.

“But, it was all meaningless to me. Now, I had a dream, nothing could have taken it away. I returned home after about a month to realise that dream,” he added.

The Changemaker

As it is said, ‘Changemakers dare to dream of a world positively different than the one they are living in’, Mithlesh was determined to change the world around him.

Soon, both the brothers sat together to plan the project from scratch. Brajesh, who is also an artist, designed the building. They sold some ancestral property to raise funds for the school building. Soon construction started keeping in mind all the facilities of a modern school that also meet the criteria set by the CBSE, New Delhi. Initially, two floors of the building were constructed. Soon, it was equipped with all the facilities needed.

Registration opened for admission in various classes – Nursery to Grade 8 in December 2014. Academic activities started from the session 2015-2016 with a significant number of 250 students.

Chairman of the school Brajesh Kumar Singh and Mithlesh Kumar Singh, who now serves as Director of the school, were elated by the overwhelming response from the society.

“It gave a boost to our confidence as this school was never a business project for us. It was a medium to bring changes to the lives of our students. We kept that in mind at every stage,” said Mithlesh.

“My father always maintained that rich kids may go to any corner of the world to study, not the son of a peasant. Thus our school should serve modern education at a modest fee that remains affordable to one and all. It doesn’t mean that it is a charitable service. We charge only the mandatory fees like tuition fee, transport fee and the hostel fee. If you have a look at our fee structure, you won’t find any hidden charges,” he added.

The challenges

The challenging phase began when they decided to recruit teachers. After initial search in Sasaram and the neighbouring districts, they realised the need of travelling to other states to hire talented teachers who are professionally committed too.

“With some good reference, our first stop was Darjeeling, where we got the principal and vice-principal for the school. Together, we decided to recruit teachers from other states as well. A major part of our academic faculty is composed of people from West Bengal, North East states and Nepal,” said Mithlesh.

Impressed by the excellent infrastructure and academic facilities of the school, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi, awarded affiliation in 2016.

Despite soaring demand, the school is open to admit only about 250-300 new students every year, to ensure that the existing students receive all the facilities. Admission in Grade 1-9 is granted on the basis of performance in written tests, while oral interviews are conducted for admission in Nursery and KG classes.

“We are happy with the limited number of students, but serious parents,” he said.

“Though children are very talented, not many parents are committed towards the educational performance of their wards. It is quite challenging to convince parents to focus on their children’s talent,” he lamented.

Explaining, Mithlesh said that maintaining students’ academic performance is a challenge due to lack of interest from parents. They want their children to study at a reputed CBSE-affiliated school with good academic and extra-curricular facilities, but they don’t take interest in providing them with a proper atmosphere at home.

Parents’ support is crucial for the constant success of a child. Unfortunately, the majority of them are not serious about fulfilling their responsibilities, which is not just limited to paying the school fee on time. They need to spend quality time with children, take interest in their academic and co-curricular activities and inspire them to perform well in sports too.

“We have been trying hard to convince them. Changes are seen, but it will take time to bring noticeable changes,” he said.

The Edge

The GS Residential School recognises that schooling is about each individual child and not about the system. Therefore, it has designed various learning activities to ensure that the children are absorbed in the subjects and are excited about their schooling experience.

Mithlesh said that the focus on overall growth and learning is what sets them apart. “Our primary goal is to develop the students to face the highs and lows of life ahead while retaining the values and ideals that they grow with. We prepare the students for a brighter tomorrow in terms of education, intellect as well as personal growth.”

“We also understand that education is more than mere learning from the textbook. It is about the holistic development of the children – mind, body and spirit. Thus the school runs a plethora of activities organised by various clubs including Health & Wellness Club, Eco Club and Heritage Club,” he said.

The school also has a proper cricket academy and professional Karate trainer. The management is planning to add Scouts & Guides, NCC, shooting range, horse riding and swimming pool soon.

Real World Engagement

The school follows an innovative teaching design that guides children towards engaging in the real world, exploring and figuring out for oneself, thus learning through themes, projects, apprenticeships -- rather than rote learning from textbooks.

The school has also adopted a tailor-made curriculum that is aligned with the CBSE guidelines and incorporates traditional subjects, life-skills, adventure, sports and arts -- both fine arts & performing arts -- to support the all-around development of the child.

Another important aspect is the school’s ‘student appreciation system’ that allows teachers to understand and assess each child`s strengths, interpreting children`s portfolios through periodic observations and concept specific rubrics instead of relying on traditional exams alone.

“Our teachers love to teach children and are capable of inspirational leadership. The school is connected to parents, the local community and the world at large to ensure that the children are in tune with the world around them from a very young age,” he added.

Vision for the Future

Mithlesh said that the school focuses on the community leadership system that includes all stakeholders and the environment and connects children to them through parenting workshops, parent-teacher association, Student Parliament and Environment Development projects.

Despite their continuous efforts, they have not achieved much success in convincing parents to give a proper atmosphere at home for the students’ overall development. Merely 20 per cent of parents have understood the necessities of their involvement in their wards’ development.

Mithlesh said that the kind of development in a student’s personality he would like to see can be achieved only if he/she stays at the school and utilises the proper atmosphere 24x7. This may lead towards converting it into a fully residential school.

At present, the hostel has the facilities to accommodate 100 students and it is fully occupied. It has children from various neighbouring areas in the radius of about 100km including Ara, Buxar, Kaimur, Aurangabad in Bihar as well as from Chandauli and Gazipur in UP.

Mithlesh said that he has been receiving overwhelming response from parents for hostel facilities, but unable to cater to them. He has realised that there are parents who wish to send their wards to good residential schools, if available in nearby locations, for their proper grooming, apart from offering curricular, co- curricular, cultural and sports facilities.

“Thus we are planning to convert this facility into a fully residential school which may cater to a limited number of 500-600 students. Proper grooming of every child under our 24x7 guidance will be more satisfying for us as well,” he said.

-Ends-

Gyan Jyoti Awasiya Vidyalaya

Tech-enabled learning crucial for students

Intro

“Gyan Jyoti Awasiya Vidyalaya, Ara, was among the first few schools to introduce Maths Lab, Robotics and 3D Printing. It helped the students clear the concepts. Several of its alumni, who have studied engineering, express gratitude to their alma mater for introducing them to these facilities so early in life, which ultimately helped them during their higher studies”

Blurb

Since the very first day we were focused on experiential learning, experimental learning, holistic development… this concept has hogged the limelight only after introduction of the New Education Policy: Ceipi Jain

Main story

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”

This centuries-old famous and most often quoted quote on education continues to inspire educators even in the 21st century to transform lives of their students. The students too remain ever grateful to their alma maters for this learning which helps them scale new heights in life.

Gyan Jyoti Awasiya Vidyalaya, the eminent school in Ara, Bhojpur, is the true manifestation of what various philosophers have taught for several centuries – “actual learning requires that you do those things.”

Ceipi Jain, Co-Founder and Principal of the school, said that the idea to start this school germinated two decades ago when she started looking for a good school in Ara which could offer activity-based learning to her children, but failed to find one. However, it was becoming a norm in other cities.

“I love to read. Read anything meaningful. This habit has helped me keep pace with the global trends and realise the demand of the days to come. As the famous adage goes, ‘The more that you read, the more things you will know,’ I realised soon that the city needs a school that can prepare children to meet the next-generation challenges,” she recalled.

Ceipi Jain discussed her plan to give the city its first modern school with her husband Aditya Bijay Jain, who was then running a hi-tech computer education centre, Lakhotia Computer Centre (LCC), to provide quality computer and information technology education to youth in Ara and the neighbouring areas.

Ceipi Jain’s vision to provide a robust, vibrant and holistic school education that will engender excellence in every sphere of human endeavour, immediately convinced her husband Aditya Bijay Jain.

In December 2005, the husband-wife duo launched the school in a rented apartment in the heart of the city (South Ramna Road, Near Maharaja College, Ara). It was the first school in Ara ready to impart education with the help of audio-visual medium and a lot of other facilities.

Among the unique offerings introduced since the beginning was the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation, the school-based system of evaluation commonly known as CCE, which was later introduced by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) New Delhi, in the affiliated schools.

“This was a new concept for the parents which surprised them. Initially not many people were ready to send their wards to our school, thinking it was unnecessary. But we were confident and started the school as per our plan. Although, we launched the school for students of pre-Nursery to Standard 2, there were only eight students when we conducted the first assembly,” recalled Ceipi Jain.

The school also introduced the concept of providing lunch to its students to train them the table manners and to inculcate healthy food habits. Parents were quite concerned about their wards’ skipping lunch in schools and throwing tantrums when it came to have healthy food habit.

Aditya Bijay Jain, Co-Founder and Director of the Gyan Jyoti Awasiya Vidyalaya, Ara, said that one of the major challenges faced by them in the early days was procuring audio-visual material to teach students in elementary classes.

“We overcame this by developing audio-visual teaching materials on our own. The faculty members at the LCC extended a helping hand and prepared audio-visual material based on the printed material available for each class,” he recalled.

“The next challenge was to find out teachers who could use audio-visual materials. Since we were introducing a new concept, it was a difficult task. Once again, we sought help from the faculty members of the LCC, who came forward to train our teachers.”

Making a difference

But it was not only the modern technologies that the school focused upon. It simultaneously introduced the students to their rich and diversified culture and trained them in fine arts as well. To ensure overall development of the students they were also trained in acting, dancing and singing. To showcase their talent to the world, the school organised various festivals and cultural activities with full participation of the students. It helped them on various levels – to overcome stage fright and to identify their hidden talent as well.

“Since the very first day we were focused on experiential learning, experimental learning, holistic development… this concept has hogged the limelight only after introduction of the New Education Policy (NEP),” she said.

Soon, remarkable development of the students got noticed by one and all. The parents started appreciating the school management for the unique approach to education. It also changed other people’s perception towards new ways of teaching with the help of audio-visual medium.

It took some time to win people’s trust. But within two-three years, the school started getting overwhelming response. Soon, the management realised that the rented apartment was not enough to cater to the growing demand.

Eye on future

Keeping an eye on the future requirement, the school management realised the need to shift to a larger campus, which was not available within the city. Thus, in 2009, a plot of land was purchased along the Ara-Buxar highway. Soon the management started constructing the dedicated school building which also fulfilled the norms set by the CBSE, New Delhi. In 2012, the school was shifted to the new campus.

“It was a big challenge to purchase such a big plot of land and construct a building that not only meets the CBSE norms but should also be big enough to cater to the growing demand in decades to come,” said Ceipi Jain.

Construction of the school building was completed within three years and the management started planning to move to the new campus. But another challenge was awaiting – parents were not ready to send their wards to a location which was a bit far from the city. However, this challenge was also over once the parents experienced the extra-ordinary infrastructure of the school and the management promised them to provide intelligent transport system.

Major milestones

In 2012 itself, the school got CBSE affiliation for Class 10th examination.

“There were only five students in the first batch that appeared for grade 10th examination conducted by the CBSE, New Delhi, in 2015. But we were thrilled to see the results as each one of them had secured A1 Grade,” recalled Ceipi Jain.

The thrill got doubled when Principal Ceipi Jain and all the teachers received appreciation letter from the then HRD Minister of India Smriti Zubin Irani commending their immense efforts to produce such brilliant students.

The year 2016 was another major milestone in the history of the Gyan Jyoti Awasiya Vidyalaya when the school management decided to introduce Ara to another set of ground-breaking technology. The school became first in the district to introduce a number of innovative laboratories including Maths Lab, Language Lab, Robotics Lab, and the 3D Printing Lab.

In addition to the Computer lab connected to the Internet and Composite Lab of science subjects, the students were also provided with the Science hands-on activity kit. It helped students to complete their projects individually. Each student, from Grade 1 onwards, completes 12-15 projects every year.

“We were among the first few schools in the North Zone to provide these facilities. It helped our students clear the concept. Several of our alumni, who have studied engineering, express their gratitude for introducing them to Maths Lab, Robotics and 3D Printing so early in life, which ultimately helped them during their higher studies,” she said.

The school’s innovative approach also helped its students earn laurels in various national competitions. One of the major achievements was participation in a Robotics competition organised by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), New Delhi, where the school students competed with the 1^st and 2^nd year engineering students of the IIT-Delhi and won appreciation for their innovative projects. Later, a banner with photos of the participating students was put-up at the IIT-Kanpur in appreciation of their talent.

The Covid-19 pandemic and sudden lockdown in the country posed one of the biggest challenges to educational institutions across India. But the school successfully managed to start the academic session as per the plan, albeit online.

“The online classes helped students keep up with their studies during the lockdown. But we are facing two major challenges – the students’ writing capability has deteriorated significantly and disciplinary issues as students were living in their comfort zone. But with collective effort we were able to control it significantly,” said Ceipi Jain.

For overall development of its students, the school has also introduced swimming pool and train students for professional competition. Besides, its students also represent the school at various state and national level competitions in swimming, table tennis, chess, basketball, volleyball, kabaddi. Several of them have been enrolled for coaching by professional cricketers as well. The school has recently started training in skating as well.

To inculcate social responsibility, the school frequently organises various activities including health camp, cleanliness activities, road safety awareness, environment awareness and the Karuna club.

Future project

After registering momentous success with the Gyan Jyoti Awasiya Vidyalaya, Aditya Bijay Jain has embarked on another ambitious journey – offering youth in Ara and neighbouring districts to continue their higher studies locally.

With this vision, he has established a management college in Ara which offers various courses in the field of management and computer applications including MBA, BBA and BCA. The Jinvani Management College was inaugurated by the Union Minister for Power, New & Renewable Energy Raj Kumar Singh in November 2022.

Founder Chairman Aditya Bijay Jain said, “Today’s education providers must realise the widening gap between real life challenges, the job market requirements and what mass schooling currently offers, especially in small towns and tier three cities. They must focus on bridging this gap. Parents should also need to take time out and deliberate seriously what they want for their children’s education.”

Approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the college is affiliated to the Aryabhatta Knowledge University, Patna. Currently, it offers BCA, BBA and MBA degree courses. The management has plans to develop it into a university by the year 2030.

“In our continued efforts to maintain this institution’s reputation, we are ably supported by our sons Arihant Bijay Jain and Siddha Bijay Jain as well as by our daughter Jinvani Jain. We are confident of their leadership capabilities that will take the Gyan Jyoti Awasiya Vidyalaya and the Jinvani Management College to new heights,” concluded Aditya Bijay Jain.

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Laurels

Immense efforts of Aditya Bijay Jain and Ceipi Jain have won the school laurels at various levels.

• Former President of India Ram Nath Kovind had visited the school during his stint as Governor of Bihar. He was so impressed with the students’ performance that after becoming President of India, he invited the school management and a group of its students to Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi twice – in 2018 and again in 2019.

• Principal Ceipi Jain, who led the students’ delegation, said it was great recognition.

• In the year 2015, when the school’s first batch appeared for Grade 10 examination conducted by the CBSE, New Delhi, it registered 100 percent success and each student had earned A1 Grade.

• Principal Ceipi Jain and all the teachers had received appreciation letter from the then HRD Minister of India Smriti Zubin Irani commending their immense efforts in producing such brilliant students.

• Aditya Bijay Jain, Director of the Gyan Jyoti Awasiya Vidyalaya, was awarded honorary doctorate for his immense effort in the field of education in rural area by Ballsbridge University at the special convocation held in New Delhi on August 24, 2018.

• Principal Ceipi Jain was awarded an honorary doctorate for her efforts in academic management by Theophany University on July 16, 2023.

• Gyan Jyoti Awasiya Vidyalaya, Ara, won the Best School with Holistic Learning Award 2023 at the 9^th International School Award, held in Bangkok.

• Ceipi Jain was also honoured at the 9^th International School Award, held in Bangkok.

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Milestones

2005: School started in a rented apartment in Ara

2009: Construction started for school’s dedicated building

2012: School shifted to the new campus

2012: The school got CBSE-affiliation

2015: First batch of students appeared for Grade 10 examinations conducted by the CBSE, New Delhi. School registered 100 per cent result, each student secured A1 Grade.

2016: Maths Lab, Language Lab, Robotics Lab, and 3D Printing Lab set up at the school.

2018-19: Students visited Rashtrapati Bhavan on the invitation of President of India Ram Nath Kovind

2023: Won the Best School with Holistic Learning Award 2023 at the 9^th International School Award, held in Bangkok.

-Ends-

Hellens School Sitamarhi

Hellens School, Sitamarhi, perceives each of its students as free men and women of the pluralistic society, who contribute towards a more integrated, rational, egalitarian and caring society.

Holy Mission High School

Pioneering a new model of education

Intro

The focus on bringing out the unique capabilities of each student, promoting critical thinking rather than rote learning and encouragement to scientific temperament has made the Holy Mission High School, Samastipur, the most sought-after institution in the region

Blurb

We are planning to establish at least ten schools in Samastipur and the neighbouring areas. Our schools will continue to focus on bringing out the unique capabilities of each student. We are also planning to use our expertise and set up equally good institutions for higher education, which may develop into a full-fledged university.

-- Dharmansh Ranjan

We wish to provide every facility in Samastipur that has made Kota the capital of competitive exams. Creation of a Kota-like centre in Bihar is the need of the hour. There are thousands of students who are left behind because they are unable to afford staying away from home, both emotionally and financially.

-- Amrit Ranjan

Main Story

The 1980s was an era when the region in the north of Bihar was suffering from the lack of all developmental amenities – be it road, power or education. Extreme economic backwardness had compelled many children of this region to drop out from schools. Even intelligent students of the region used to suffer as many of them could not afford to go to other cities for modern education.

This challenging scenario compelled a meritorious son of the soil to forgo his dream of becoming a civil servant and return to his homeland to establish a good English-medium school in the north Bihar town of Samastipur.

That son of the soil was none other than the Late Rati Ranjan Prasad, who established the Holy Mission High School, Samastipur’s most prominent public school, in 1987.

Recalling the scenario, Rati Ranjan Prasad’s wife Bibha Devi said that he had left home in late 1970s for Patna in pursuit of higher education. After completing graduation, he did Post-Graduation in Social Science. Later, he also earned a B.Ed. degree. This paved the way to start a career as an academician. Simultaneously, he was also preparing for the civil services competitions.

In the late 1980s, when he came home for his marriage and stayed there for a longer period, he realised the lack of education system and how children were facing numerous challenges, including unequal access to education, outdated curricula and equal opportunity for all boys and girls. Poor quality education was leading to poor learning outcomes, ultimately pushing children out of the education system and leaving them vulnerable to child labour.

Moved by the plight of the people, he discussed the situation with his friends and relatives. They suggested that he stay back and use his expertise to bring the next generation out of this darkness. He couldn’t ignore their request and decided to start an educational institution that would meet the people’s expectation.

With lack of resources at hand, he decided to take one step at a time. He started the first English-medium school in Samastipur in a rented flat with limited classes – from Prep to Grade 2.

Bibha Devi, who was just-married to Rati Ranjan Prasad, stood shoulder to shoulder with her husband.

Slowly and steadily the school became popular with the masses and within two years the management decided to shift the school to a bigger building to give better facilities to its students and to cater to the growing demand of expansion.

It was the result of Rati Ranjan Prasad’s relentless efforts that within a span of eleven years, the school got its own building equipped with all necessary facilities and CBSE affiliation till Grade 12 in 1998.

The Challenges

As the school rose to a monumental height, surprising one and all, came the biggest tragedy in 2000. Rati Ranjan Prasad, who pursued the goals with passion, suffered a massive heart attack and passed away, leaving behind his wife, their three sons, a daughter and a rich legacy…

It was not easy for the institution or for the family to overcome the challenges that followed.

Although shattered by her husband’s sudden demise, Bibha Devi stood strong and took up the command of the school.

However, the journey ahead was a tough task. Several senior members of the team couldn’t accept the leadership of a woman and took decisions independently. Their decisions brought several setbacks to the school. Consequently, it started losing students and qualified academic staff. The major blow to the school came when the CBSE, New Delhi, withdrew the affiliation for Grade 12 in the year 2010.

But she never gave up and continued with her mission.

In 2011, she was joined by her eldest son Dharmansh Ranjan. His arrival filled her with renewed energy. Together, they worked hard to bring every segment of the institution to a systematic level. It was their persistent endeavour that the CBSE, New Delhi, restored the affiliation in 2013.

Today, it has a sprawling campus spread over several acres of land with full-fledged facilities. The school is equipped with all modern facilities including science and computer labs to take care of training procedures and a rich library.  The school also has its own transportation services to cater the needs of students.

The school has adequate facilities for recreation and a playground with the sports material for the students. Both indoor as well as outdoor sport facilities are available.

The school has its huge residential campus with a hostel for students under watchful eyes of the school management as the residential complex also includes accommodation for the directors of the school too.

The Mission Continues

Bibha Devi, who is serving as Director of the school, was glad to mention that her sons are taking the school to greater heights while continuing with the same ethos.

Dharmansh Ranjan is currently leading the school as Managing Director. He said that the institute was established with the objective to provide quality education facilities at an affordable fee to the needy and poor masses of Samastipur and the nearby areas. It is flourishing with the same ideology, even under the leadership of the second generation of the family.

He said that the prime commitment of the school is to develop educational principles and practices which are best-suited to the needs of the local students. The curriculum is constantly reviewed by the school’s faculty members and the required changes in the curriculum are brought about in order to evolve a pattern which is the most suitable for the students’ needs and conditions fully abiding by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi. The students get sufficient impetus for high quality of education from highly competent faculty at each level.

Future Plans

Speaking about future planning, Dharmansh Ranjan said that the priority will be to stop migration of students from Samastipur and neighbouring districts due to lack of facilities for higher education. He is seriously planning to start new institutions in Samastipur to achieve it.

“Every year, hundreds of young students from the neighbourhood go to Patna, New Delhi or Kota in Rajasthan with dreams in their eyes. Some of them prepare for the medical entrance exam NEET, others eye admission in prestigious engineering colleges like IITs and NITs. Those who do not want to pursue a career in medical or engineering, go to New Delhi and Patna to prepare for the civil services competitions,” he said.

Amrit Ranjan, second son of late Rati Ranjan Prasad, is now serving as School Principal. He said that anyone from Samastipur or any other locality in the neighourhood, who wishes to secure a seat in a medical or engineering college, or to become successful in the civil services examinations, has to leave home.

“We wish to provide every facility in Samastipur that has made Kota the capital of competitive exams. Creation of a Kota like centre in Bihar is the need of the hour. There are thousands of students who are left behind because they are unable to afford staying away from home and families, both emotionally and financially,” he added.

Most of the students, as young as 14 and 15, leave their homes and families behind and go to Patna, Delhi or Kota. While for some, it is a matter of a year or so, for the rest, it is several years of attempts and breaks. The schedule of these students is so packed that they don’t get a balanced life – they don’t get enough time to make friends or have real conversations with family.

“If we provide those facilities here, it will certainly encourage more students from the region to achieve greater heights in personal and professional life,” he added.

Amrit Ranjan expressed hope that the National Education Policy (NEP) will slow the migration of young students who leave home after Grade 10 board exams. Now, students will need to study from Grade 9-12 at the same school.

Explaining, he said that the new 5+3+3+4 school curriculum with 12 years of schooling and 3 years of pre-schooling will put emphasis on foundational literacy and numeracy. No rigid separation between academic streams and extracurricular streams in schools will open doors for new opportunities for students.

The National Education Policy aims at transforming India into a vibrant knowledge society and global knowledge superpower through broad-based, flexible, multidisciplinary education suited to 21st-century needs. The policy aims for universalisation of education from pre-school to secondary level school education. It will bring millions of out of school children back into the mainstream.

Dharmansh Ranjan said that this will bring another opportunity for growth of good schools imparting quality education. Thus he is planning to establish at least ten schools in Samastipur and the neighbouring areas in near future.

He said, “We have already purchased a plot of land for our new school. It will be named after my father – Late Rati Ranjan Prasad Holy Mission High School.”

In line with the founder’s policy, the new school will also be focused on bringing out the unique capabilities of each student, promoting critical thinking rather than rote learning, focusing on learning instead of studying and encouragement to scientific temperament.

However, good schooling alone won’t be enough for the children to make a successful career.

“Thus we are also planning to use our expertise in the field of education and set up equally good institutions for higher education, which may develop into a full-fledged university,” concluded Dharmansh Ranjan.

-Ends-

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Unparalleled legacy of an educationist

Rati Ranjan Prasad: Man of courage, conviction and dedication

The flowering of Holy Mission High School, Samastipur, owes to the indomitable courage, conviction and selfless dedication of its founder late Rati Ranjan Prasad.

Born in a simple family based in Warisnagar of Samastipur district, a remote flood-prone area of Bihar in 1959, Rati Ranjan Prasad was a brilliant child. While having primary education in the village, he won admiration from one and all. Due to the lack of a good high school in the village, he moved to Samastipur for further studies. With sheer determination, he performed well in school examinations.

In 1978, he passed the Intermediate of Science (Grade 12) exam with flying colours.

Encouraged by the outstanding performance, he moved to Patna for higher studies. After completing Post-Graduation in Social Science, he also earned a B.Ed. degree. This paved the way to start a career as an academician. He joined a prominent school in the state capital as a faculty member. At the same time, he also started preparation for civil services and other competitive examinations.

In 1986, Rati Ranjan Prasad returned home and got married to Bibha Devi. As he stayed there for a longer period and interacted with people in the neighbourhood, he realised the need of a good school in his native place so that the fertile land of Samastipur could produce many more people of high calibre.

When he shared the wish with his newly-wed wife, she gave her consent immediately.

He left his dream to join civil services to fulfill the more important dream of setting up the first English school of Samastipur to educate the coming generations. Soon, he also got support from the society and a number of learned people joined his team.

In the beginning of 1987, he founded the Holy Mission High School in Samastipur. Initially, the classes started in a small rented apartment. With his sheer determination and dedication, the school enrollment increased by leaps and bounds. Within two years, he moved the school to a bigger building in Kashipur, Samastipur.

Elated by the overwhelming response, he purchased a plot of land in 1993 to construct the school building as per the norms set by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi. The construction was completed within three years. Soon it was equipped with all modern facilities.

In 1996, the school was shifted to its current location.

In 1997, the school got affiliated to the CBSE, New Delhi, for Grade 10 examination.

In 1998, the CBSE, New Delhi, granted affiliation to the school for Grade 12 examinations as well.

It was the result of Rati Ranjan Prasad’s relentless efforts. For eleven years, he pursued the goals with passion, worked ceaselessly, tirelessly and persistently and refused to be bogged down by hardships or short-term failure. It was time now to relax and enjoy the fruit of success, but destiny had other plans.

In 2000, he suffered a heart attack and passed away, leaving behind his wife, their three sons, a daughter and a rich legacy…

His legacy continues to drive people from all cultures and all walks of life to seek success through education.

***

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Milestones

1987: The school started in a small rented apartment in Samastipur.

1989: The school moved to a bigger building in Kashipur, Samastipur.

1993: A plot of land was purchased to construct the school building.

1996: The school was shifted to its new location.

1997: The school got CBSE Affiliation up to Grade 10.

1998:  The school got CBSE Affiliation till Grade 12.

***

Jeevan Deep Public School

Illuminating the path to a brighter future

Intro

Since its inception three decades ago, Jeevan Deep Public School, Nawada, has been nurturing its students to be global citizens and agents of social change committed to humanistic values and democratic traditions

Blurb

Globalisation demands a new dimension to our approach to education. We therefore focus on globally relevant education rooted strongly in our culture and values and impart skills that would develop mental agility in every individual. Thus they can confidently interact and work in diverse environs or situations.

-- Dr Eklavya Bhagat

Our teachers are carefully selected for excellent aptitude, true inclination and experience teaching young children. They are encouraged to experiment and they take delight in creating more effective ways to explore and share knowledge. Thus their teaching comes alive. Every effort is made to go beyond mere rote learning.

-- Dr Eklavya Bhagat

Main story

Bihar is considered the most prolific state to produce competent youngsters who successfully crack the country’s toughest competitive exams, be it to secure a job in the coveted Indian Administrative Services, or to obtain a seat in the country’s top medical and engineering colleges. Their achievements continue to bewilder one and all year after year because even a cursory look at the education quality index of India would reflect that Bihar lags much behind several states and union territories. Credit goes to visionaries who rightly anticipated today’s scenario several decades ago and decided to make efforts in their individual capacity to change the future of the state. One such visionary was Dr Basuki Prasad Bhagat popularly known as Dr B P Bhagat in Nawada district of Bihar.

Like every other parent, Dr B P Bhagat and his wife Dr (Mrs) Urmila Bhagat also wanted their child to be well-educated. But in the absence of advanced facilities, they wondered how their child would get the best education in a well-disciplined manner for him to have a bright future. They planned to enroll their child in a reputed boarding school of Dehradoon or Mussoorie. Before sending him to a boarding school, they were quite anxious and concerned and had many questions. They were also concerned that their child would have to live apart from them. They visited various boarding schools that could shape their child’s personality and inculcate good manners in him. After a long tour through Delhi, Mussoorie and Deoghar, they realised how difficult it would be for both of them. The situation was compelling and another realisation dawned. They realised that this was not just a matter of concern for them alone, there were plenty of other parents who were not able to send their children to a boarding school faraway... both for financial as well as emotional reasons.

The Vision 

Dr B P Bhagat, a visionary, always looked for ways to serve the society. He found this as an ideal opportunity to establish a quality school equipped with all modern facilities. This would help prepare children in Nawada and neghbouring districts for 21st century challenges, leadership and the global job market.

He was ably supported by his wife Dr (Mrs) Urmila Bhagat, a reputed obsetritician and gynaecologist. They acquired a plot of land to build the school and started searching for an academician who could steer them to complete this challenging job. With the help of some well-wishers, they zeroed in on R D Singh, who was then serving as HOD in Sainik School, Tilaiya. A strict disciplinarian bred in army culture, he was about to retire in a few months. He agreed to join Dr B P Bhagat in this great social cause post-retirement. The coming together of two visionary souls brought to life Jeevan Deep Public School, Nawada.

Dr Eklavya Bhagat, who is currently leading the school as Executive Director, said, “My father (Dr B P Bhagat) was a very famous and reputed eye surgeon. He performed more than one lakh surgeries for free extending help to patients from economically marginalised sections. He is still fondly remembered for his selfless dedication and unwavering commitment to improving the lives of others even in challenging conditions. Initially he focused in the areas around his ancestral place in Belhar, Banka. Later he shifted his base to Nawada; he focused on the neighbouring towns and villages spread in the radius of 50-60 km of Nawada. The decision to set up this school was just an extension of his continued effort to improve the quality of life for communities in need.”

Speaking about the school, Dr Eklavya Bhagat said that his father was a man of action. For him, making a decision was a process that takes time carefully weighing options. Once decided, he would act and not keep waiting for just the right time. He would act fast and wait for the long-term results to follow.

“He had made the decision to establish this school in 1992. Soon he acquired a plot of land in an ideal location and started the construction of the building. As soon as the boundary of the campus was erected to ensure the safety of the students and the ground floor of the proposed building was ready, he opened the gates. The school became operational in May 1993,” he said. “The academic activities started with about 35 students in classes ranging from KG to Grade 5. One class was added every subsequent year.”

“Initially, the number of students was very less as no marketing campaign was carried out. That was a deliberate decision because this was not a business venture to earn profit. The school was established with the conviction to serve the people who were suffering due to lack of a good English-medium school. A careful pre-launch survey was carried out to gauge the mood of the masses and accordingly. The survey result had given a boost to the founders’ confidence,” said Dr Eklavya.

Vision to Reality

The life-long experience of R D Singh, the founding principal, played a key role in setting up the academic activities. He introduced the House System, motto, logo and emblem to the school. This was something completely alien to most people in Nawada. He brought a sense of army discipline that was hitherto unknown and that has been a rock solid base of the school since.

As it was a tough task to obtain the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi, affiliation back in the 1990s, he designed and implemented academic framework and co-curricular activities that met the standards of the board. Later, Dr B P Bhagat went to New Delhi and met the then CBSE chairman, Chaman Lal, with all requisites and applied for affiliation. The board affiliated the school up to Grade 10 in 1997. The first batch of students appeared for Grade 10 examinations in 1999. In 2000, the affiliation was extended up to Grade 12 and the first batch appeared for the Grade 12 exams conducted by the board in 2001. All students passed the exams with flying colours.

“Bringing a revolutionary change in the society is never easy. People accept it only when they witness positive results. Similarly, setting up a school radically different from the ones already running in the society was also challenging. The founders were very well aware of this fact. But they were also convinced that a school of this kind and stature was needed to uplift the society. Thus they continued to run the school despite the fact that it remained a loss-making venture for many years,” he said.

Dr Eklavya, who studied at the same school and was one of the few students of the first batch that passed out from the school, said there were teachers from different states. He fondly remembers Yugul Kishor from Uttar Pradesh, PK Rowther from Kerala and Abhijit Bose from West Bengal among many others.

“It was difficult to bring teachers to Nawada. They were offered high pay along with well-furnished accommodation and other perks. But, more than the financial gains, what inspired them to join the school was the founders’ vision and commitment for the school. Both, my father and R D Singh, were legends; whoever came in their contact was deeply influenced by their aura,” he added.

Moving with the Times

It has now been more than 30 years since the school was established. And with the passage of time several policies have needed modification to meet society’s demand. Initially it was planned to charge a one year tuition fee in advance so that students are not at all affected by monetary concerns. But, it had to be changed as not all parents were capable of paying the full fee in advance. Recently, the school started accepting fee monthly.

Similarly, the school had to change the ‘no bag policy’ where students were not supposed to carry bags home. But, parents were not very receptive to the idea.

“An idea is fantastic but until and unless it has a mass appeal, it will not flourish. Thus we had to dilute some ideal policies to a certain extent. But we have not compromised with our core, the main ideals,” he said.

Despite challenges, the school has been making steady growth enabling students to scale new heights in their career. During the past three decades, its alumni have become IAS officers, doctors, engineers, architects, chartered accountants, lawyers, army officers, administrative services officers, bank officers, entrepreneurs among many others. Many have settled abroad in the US, UK, Australia, Japan.

“Credit for the success goes to the core values instilled by the founding fathers. They are the true lighthouse. They are still guiding us to tread new and difficult paths carving a niche for ourselves,” he added.

Dr Eklavya Bhagat, who joined the school in 2017, continues to lead the school in line with the vision of the founding fathers, which is aimed at preparing global citizens and agents of social change committed to human values and democratic traditions rooted in our culture.

He said that the quality of teaching and strong student-teacher relationship form the foundation of the school’s highly scholastic programme. They are dynamic, relaxed and enthusiastic with the ability to create a friendly atmosphere in which the child can express himself and learn. They encourage the development of each child by providing security and warmth, emphasising self-discipline more than authority and encouragement rather than punishment.

“Our teachers are carefully selected for excellent aptitude, true inclination and experience teaching young children. They are encouraged to experiment and they take delight in creating more effective ways to explore and share knowledge. Thus their teaching comes alive. Every effort is made to go beyond mere rote learning. Our teachers’ love for teaching has resulted in a dynamic, challenging, interesting and excitement-filled atmosphere,” he added.

Community Engagement

Speaking about preparing students as global citizens, he said, “Globalisation is a fact. It is said that what you teach in the classroom becomes the mindset of the person when he grows up and that turns into his political approach later on. We go a step further and take children to field visits where they are exposed to and come face to face with, the realities of life. We organise educational tours, community outreach programme, awareness programme, nukkad natak and inter-house competitions to expand the horizons of our students. We keep expanding the programmes to include contemporary issues.”

The Community Outreach Programmes organised in different localities are designed with the aim of creating mass awareness on relevant social issues such as Dowry System and Child Marriage, Clean India Green India, Stop Alcoholism, Tree Plantation and Ban Plastic, Save Nature. These programmes are skillfully planned and executed under the guidance of teachers to give the kids maximum experience and simultaneously send a positive message to society.

“Through various activities conducted every Saturday in the school and in the hostel on every Sunday, the school has been making serious efforts for the past three decades to prepare students to take the social responsibility tomorrow,” he added.

The extensive Community Outreach Programme does not affect curricular and sports activities of the students, who have been registering excellence in academics and exhibiting their prowess in co- curricular activities as well. Recently, a District Level Boxing Competition was organised in the school and eight players of the school were selected to participate in the State Level Boxing Competition. Inter-House Badminton Competitions are also organised frequently where teams from Tagore House, Ashoka House and Eklavya House vie for the top honours. Similarly, the school organises Science Exhibitions, which inspire students to prove themselves as scientists by making unique and useful models. The school has been consistently selected year after year for state and national level Science Congress meets.

“Today’s children are growing in a more challenging and demanding environment. The rate of change in every sphere is quite rapid. Globalisation demands a new dimension to our approach to education. We therefore focus on globally relevant education rooted firmly in our culture and values and impart skills that develop mental agility in every individual. Thus they can confidently interact and work in diverse environs or situations,” concluded Dr Eklavya Bhagat.

-Ends-

Box

Milestones

1993: The school was established by Dr B P Bhagat and Dr (Mrs) Urmila Bhagat

1997: CBSE, New Delhi, awarded affiliation up to Grade 10.

1999: First batch of students appeared for Grade 10 examinations.

2000: CBSE affiliation was extended up to Grade 12.

2001: First batch of students appeared for Grade 12 examinations.

***

Jesus and Mary Academy

An incubator for talent and innovation

Intro:

She was a UGC scholar with a Ph.D. degree at the early age of 23. However, she decided to forego a lucrative career in research and academics to serve society. She founded the Jesus and Mary Academy in Darbhanga and has been nurturing future generations for the past three decades. Dr. Madhurima Sinha has become a living legend in her own right

Blurb:

“Education isn`t only collecting degrees, rather it is an instrument which shapes your character in a way that you are liked, loved, and respected by all. It makes the person respectful towards elders, loyal to their commitments, and objective in making decisions. Knowledge comes but wisdom lingers.

 -- Dr. Madhurima Sinha

“Work is not worship, it is satisfaction. Your work is not fulfilled until you get the satisfaction. That’s why I am involved in every aspect, from designing the curriculum to the selection of books and assigning the classes to particular teachers.

-- Dr. Madhurima Sinha

Main story:

People from Bihar are the backbone of Indian administrative machinery. They have been doing exceptionally well in the corporate world as well as in different areas of scientific research, medicine, and engineering. Credit goes to those selfless souls who truly cared about serving society and worked tirelessly to upgrade the lives of people around them. Whatever they decided to do, they did it for self-satisfaction… no matter whether they belonged to a princely state… or came from a family that had been producing top doctors for generations.

One classic example is the legendary educationist Dr. Madhurima Sinha, founder of the Jesus and Mary Academy, Darbhanga. A UGC scholar with a PhD degree and a visiting faculty member at eminent institutions all at the early age of 23, she had a glorious career ahead. But she decided to stay back in Darbhanga and serve society by nurturing the future generations of her hometown.

“I came from a socialist family. Father was a socialist as well as a very well-read man, and a top physician. Mother was also a doctor and a very well-educated lady. I also got married to a doctor from a very affluent family. But things were already embedded to work for the society because my father was like that. He did a lot for the city, for the place and never took any advantage from the government,” Dr. Madhurima Sinha.

Recalling early days, she said, “These things were embedded when I was growing up. After my marriage, I did the PhD. I was the first UGC scholar of the Lalit Narayan Mithila University (LNMU), Darbhanga.  It was through me that the open viva system started in PhD in LNMU, Darbhanga, by her guide Dr. S Pandey. My subject was also very different. 

“After I got married to a doctor, my husband and I also thought that I would get a lectureship. Since I was research-oriented, I was very happy. But then I thought that I would lose the vigor and the zeal of giving the best to society through education,” she said.

It was her husband who suggested her to open a school. So that those people in the immediate neighborhood will have a base. Her father also agreed to this idea and gave her a lot of encouragement.

“Without the emotional support of my father, my husband, and my family, I couldn’t have done this,” she said.

“I never wanted to take any monetary help from anyone – neither from my parents nor from my husband. They wanted to help me and made the offers as well but I wanted to see my worth. So I started spending from whatever pocket money I had saved. My daughter was also grown up by then and helped me in many of the deeds,” she added.

In 1993, she planned the school. The inception of Jesus & Mary Academy, Darbhanga, soon became a journey of dreams, determination, dedication, demonstrations, directions, discipline, dignity and creating a difference in education with immense innovative efforts.

The family had a building that was lying vacant. Madhurima Sinha started the school there in 1996, with an investment of Rs1600 saved from her pocket money. She also collected money from the market and repaid it. When she conducted the first class, there were only seven students. The first student was very poor, he studied for free as a service to society.

Even today, 25 percent of students study for free. Although it is under the RTE rule from the government, the school has not taken money from the government fund and will not take it it in the future. It is a service to society, she added.

Soon, she got the recognition for her work, admissions started pouring in. From seven students on day one, the number crossed the 1000 mark within six months. In 1997, she applied to the CBSE, New Delhi, for affiliation. Got the school affiliated in 1998. In between, she bought a plot of land, constructed the building to fulfill the requirements, and shifted the school to the present campus in the year 2000.

“When I got a chance to buy this plot of land, I was thrilled. But it was in the name of 363 people. My husband brought all of them on a single platform so I could get it registered in my name. The base goes to my husband, and my working style goes to my father,” she reminisced.

“Since then, I am just working, it gives me pleasure. Once you start thinking about the monetary benefits, you will not enjoy the work, you will not get the pleasure, nor will you get the desired outcome. There should be love, dedication, and gratitude to God who has given you this opportunity to do for the public,” she said.

Holistic education:

The daily assembly is the time she uses to interact with the students, and share her thoughts to inspire the students and teachers both to achieve the most important goal in life – finding the joy of education.

“The joy of education is not just sharing the information but transformation of an individual,” she said, adding that it is her constant endeavor to share whatever good she has learned in life, whether at school or at home.

Recalling the early days of her life, she said, “I got the primary education at St Joseph’s Convent, Patna. But my mother brought me to Darbhanga because she wanted me to learn the culture and to train me under her guidance. My mother was a doctor, but she was very much rooted to the culture. The training portion was very hectic. But she trained me very well.”

Leaving the eminent school in Patna, failed to hamper her education. In Darbhanga, she got a scholarship in school. She achieved 17^th rank all over Bihar in matric board examination. She got scholarships in I.Sc. and B.Sc. as well. Later, as she became a UGC scholar, she got a scholarship there as well.

The success:

Dr. Madhurima Sinha said there is always a lull till you decide. When you make a decision three is no tension.

“My principle is straight, if I work right, I will get the credit and positive result, if I fail to deliver, success will elude me too. This is perhaps the only school that asks parents to point out the negative aspects of our school, whether he has noticed or even heard it from someone, we will rectify it. Mistakes happen, but we fix them immediately.”

“The instant success I received was due to my teaching which was quite different. I have been a topper, I knew where the fault lies. So I selected teachers keeping that in mind. Teachers came from various parts of India, many were local, several others came from West Bengal and the south Indian states. I trained them further to meet the local requirements. Even for the playschool, I selected trained teachers. I worked hard, sometimes even for 18 hours a day,” she said.

Among other important initiatives she made to give the school a distinct identity was the Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CEC) for a holistic assessment of its students. Later on, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi, introduced it across India in 2009. Although the CBSE discontinued it in 2017, it is still in practice at this school, in addition to the CBSE guidelines.

“Work is not worship, it is satisfaction. Your work is not fulfilled until you get the satisfaction. That’s why I am involved in every aspect, from designing the curriculum to selection of books and assigning the classes to particular teachers,” she said.

In math, for a 2-1/2 hour test of the students, she gives about 45 small questions to solve. Even if they give two minutes to each question, they will have the habit of doing the math quickly. That is the reason, thousands of her students have cracked the toughest entrance tests for engineering colleges. These habits inculcated at an early age give confidence when they start a professional career in life.

“We want to give the best education, best curricular activities, not just make their personality but to make them true human beings. They must be sensitive towards society, they must be responsible towards their parents. if they do not realize this, this education is worthless.

“Education isn`t only about collecting degrees, rather it is an instrument which shapes your character in a way that you are liked, loved, and respected by all. It makes the person respectful towards elders, loyal to their commitments, and objective in making decisions. Knowledge comes but wisdom lingers,” concluded Dr. Madhurima Sinha

***

Dr. Madhurima Sinha’s dedicated efforts toward upliftment of the society through education has won her many accolades.

2002: Jewel of India Award by International Institute of Education & Management

2005: Rajiv Gandhi Rashtriya Ekta Samman, New Delhi

2014: HRD Minister Smriti Zubin Irani’s congratulatory note on students’ stellar performance in CBSE examinations.

2018: Certificate of Appreciation by CBSE, New Delhi, for the excellent performance as City Coordinator, Darbhanga

2018: 100 Highly Effective Principals of 2017 Award by AKS Education Awards

2018: Rising Personality of the Year by Rifacimento International

2020: She received a Doctorate in Education from the Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand.

2020: Bharat Gaurav Award for Best Education Performance by Global Achievers Foundation, presented in Thailand

Rajiv Gandhi Vidya Gold Award by the Indian Solidarity Council

Shiksha Samman Puraskar by All India Business & Community Foundation

She also received a bat signed by Rohit Sharma, who currently captains the India national cricket team.

***

Students of Jesus and Mary Academy, Darbhanga, have also won accolades on various national and international forums for their exemplary performances.

Lucky Kumari has been selected in boxing for the National School Games Federation of India. Now she will be playing in the National.

2019:  Students won various competitions including English essay-writing, Hindi essay-writing, painting, and dance, held as part of the “Bihar Ek Virsat” organized by Gramin Foundation at Patna.

2019: Students participated in the CBSE East Zone Badminton Championship 2019 at Allahabad, Khelgaon Public School.

2019:  The school won 1st Prize in State SGFI School Games under 14 (U-14).

2021: Lucky Kumari won the Gold medal in the International Boxing (Junior-Student) Competition at Indo-Nepal International Salvo Games, Pokhara, Nepal

The institution has got many more feathers in its cap thanks to the endeavors of its students.

Oriental Public School

A beacon of opportunity for the student community

Intro

Oriental Public School, Kishanganj, is a classic example of how certain individuals can bring the public school education within the reach of common people. Since its inception in 2002, the school has played a pivotal role in shaping the lives of thousands of students. Many of them have risen in life to occupy highest offices with honour, respect and status

Blurb

“Since its inception over two decades ago, the school has been constantly improving in terms of infrastructural facilities and educational practices to enable its students compete with children studying elsewhere. We are committed to work with the students so that best in their body, mind and spirit can be unfolded and they can graduate from the school with flying colours.

-- Saryu Mishra

“The school has earned a good reputation in the field of academics together with cultural and sporting events. The school offers a variety of learning opportunities through regular training in debates, music, dance, drama and sports. I am confident that students graduating from the school will play a vital role in the development of the community and the country.

 -- Ashutosh Kumar Jha

“The modern age needs to be sustained by a highly educated, internationally competent and mobile workforce. Therefore, education and training today are to be aligned. We are geared to meet these remarkable challenges. The changes are best represented in our school through the growth of knowledge and skills. This institution is best suited to those who seek internationally recognised quality education.

 -- Alok Kumar                                        

 Main story

Education plays a significant and remedial role in balancing the socio-economic fabric of the country. In recent times, the gap has grown between the job market eligibility requirement and the quality of educated persons produced by most of the primary and secondary schools in the country. This has given opportunity to private education providers to jump in to fill the gap. The entry of some of the players has made education so expensive that sometimes it seems to be out of reach of the common man.

But there are certain individuals who are committed to ensure that education is not getting out of reach of common man and that they will produce youth who will also meet the job market eligibility requirement standards.

Oriental Public School, Kishanganj, is a classic example of how certain individuals can bring the public school education within the reach of common people.

Founded by two renowned educationists, Saryu Mishra and Satya Narayan Jha, in 2002, the Oriental Public School has successfully distinguished itself in the field of education, culture, sports and other activities. The school, owned and run by the ‘Oriental Socio-Educational Trust,’ was set up to achieve excellence in both educational and other corresponding activities.

Saryu Mishra, Director of the school, said, “We aim at preserving and enhancing the highest standards of excellence. Students have been made sensitive towards the feeling of nationalism and communal harmony. The school is trendsetter in providing the best education through latest educational activities.”

“The school enjoys the pride and unique distinction of being an institution with rich history, traditions and proud achievements spanning over a period of two decades. Thousands of students have received their education at our school since 2002. Many of them have risen in life to occupy highest offices with honour, respect and status,” he added.

The beginning

Recalling the initial days, Saryu Mishra said that he decided to set up this school to ensure everyone’s access to quality education, as Kishanganj lagged behind in education as well as in the average household income.

“When I decided to set up this school, I was teaching biology to students of Class 9-12 at a local private school. I had dedicated myself to teach biology to students with utmost sincerity and inspire them to achieve success in life. Due to my earnestness towards my job, I earned immense respect from students, their parents and the local community. Their love and respect made me more concerned towards the students and the local community.”

“At one point of time I realised that the majority of the community’s children are not getting proper education as their household income was limited. This inspired me to establish a private school that would offer quality education which is accessible to everyone. My friend, Satya Narayan Jha, agreed with my views and joined me in this initiative,” he said.

It was the duo’s sincere efforts that the school got over 300 admissions within three months of its inception. As the saying goes… Well begun is half done… It encouraged them to continue the journey with full confidence. Every new academic year started with more laurels in terms of academic success that ultimately attracted even a bigger number of students to the school.

Saryu Mishra said, “The community’s support encouraged us to maintain the fee structure affordable to everyone so that it continues to serve the low-income community members in future as well. To make it a non-profitable organisation, we set up a trust, the ‘Oriental Socio-Educational Trust,’ and transferred the ownership to this trust. Now everyone associated with the school is a salaried employee of the trust, whether it is me as director of the school, or the principal, or any other teaching and non-teaching staff. Whatever profit is generated is invested in the school’s development.”

This move helped them develop the school infrastructure much faster. As soon as they saved enough money, a plot of land was purchased for the school, followed by the construction of the school`s building. As soon as the school got the necessary infrastructure including laboratories and library, he applied for affiliation from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi. The board granted the affiliation up to Grade 10 in 2013. The CBSE affiliation was upgraded up to +2 level in 2016.

“My friend Satya Narayan Jha, who accompanied me on this journey since day one, passed away on 1^st July, 2014. Suddenly it became very difficult for me to run the school alone. I asked my son, Alok Kumar, to join me. He was then working with a reputed IT company after completing B.Tech. But he resigned and joined the school as PRO in 2015. Satya Narayan Jha’s son Ashutosh Kumar Jha was still in college. After completing his studies, he joined the school as Academic Advisor. Together, they have energised the system, adding new infrastructure to further improve the school,” said Saryu Mishra.

Gen Next

The school’s success in such a short span of time is due to the hard work and dedication of the management, principal, teaching faculty, staff and active cooperation of the parents who believe in constant improvement and up-to-date teaching strategies.

The credit also goes to two young leaders -- Academic Advisor Ashutosh Kumar Jha and PRO of the school Alok Kumar -- who have been working day and night to provide the latest technological advancement as well as curricular, co-curricular and extracurricular activities to shape up the students’ personality.

Ashutosh Kumar Jha, Academic Advisor, said that children are the architects of the future. Their boundless energies need to be supervised and moulded in the right direction with the highest efforts ever made.

“I think this glorious task can be best executed by the teachers, who are at the helm steering the ship of the pupils’ destiny towards a commendable zenith. Besides imparting quality education, an empathetic approach is also our tradition. My heart fills with pride and immense pleasure when I see our students obtain quality education and become creative, innovative as well as the real citizens of the 21st century through the utmost skills,” he said.

Holistic Education

The classrooms are well organised with a healthy atmosphere and education methods. However, academic qualification alone does not make a person truly educated. The school encourages students to avail many opportunities available for overall development. The school frequently holds curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities like music and dance, dramatics, arts & craft, indoor and outdoor games, yoga, natural health training.

“The school has earned a good reputation in the field of academics together with cultural and sporting events. The school offers a variety of learning opportunities through regular training in debates, music, dance, drama and sports. I am confident that students graduating from the school will play a vital role in the development of the community and the country in near future,” he added.

Alok Kumar, PRO of the school, said that the modern age needs to be sustained by a highly educated, internationally competent and mobile workforce. Therefore, education and training today are to be aligned.

“We are geared to meet these remarkable challenges. The changes are best represented in our school through the growth of knowledge and skills. This institution is best suited to those who seek internationally recognised quality education. We assure uniqueness in every individual through nationally acclaimed faculty,” he said.

At Oriental Public School, each student is exposed to newer ways of learning, exploring and researching. The Computer Lab designed with the latest of personal computers, gadgets, printers etc help the students in dedicating time to technology and search for their information from the World Wide Web.

“This is the Internet era which is connecting millions of people to each other. For a holistic development of the child it is best to provide them access to the vast knowledge bank of the world for them to learn and progress. The Computer Lab is diligently planned, equipped and maintained to provide the students with latest technology, software versions and programmes to know the computer world better. This shall bring them closer to practical knowledge of Technological Science,” said Ashutosh Kumar Jha. 

The Hallmark

The school library is one of the hallmarks of the school. The library provides a wide variety of books and journals. It serves as the encyclopedia related to the prescribed text books and beyond. Its purpose is to inculcate reading and thinking habits amongst students. Popular works of fiction, classics, self help books, science & technology, periodicals, journals related to history, culture, and exploration along with selected local and national dailies are housed here. All articles in the library are carefully scanned and selected to ensure the appropriate development of the students.

All classes ranging from class VI onwards are provided with at least one library period per week. Students borrow books for a specific period. Leading dailies, magazines, handbooks, journals also form an integral part of the library. The rich collection of books, magazines, fictions, biographies, journals suits the taste of its readers, updating and keeping them in close contact with different vistas of life.

Every academic year, Student’s body is elected, comprising House Captains to represent the students and voice their concerns as well as manage school activities under the aegis of their respective House Masters and House Mistresses. Also, inter-house competitions are organised frequently to keep the feeling of competition alive so that students are motivated to take part in curricular activities. The houses are named after eminent personalities of India and each house propagates the values of the leader.  The various houses are Gandhi House, Bose House, Azad House and Nehru House.

“We have incorporated a Club System from classes I to X to allow our students to be self-motivated, eager, active participants and be exploratory learners. These clubs will focus on the overall skill-set development of the children and give them opportunities to explore their potential,” said Saryu Mishra.

Since its inception over two decades ago, the school has been constantly improving in terms of infrastructural facilities and educational practices to enable its students compete with students studying elsewhere. The teachers have the experience, qualifications, confidence and capacity to provide the students personal supervision, guidance and encouragement to enable them to put their best foot forward.

“We are committed to work with the students so that best in their body, mind and spirit can be unfolded and they can graduate from the school with flying colours,” concluded Saryu Mishra.

-Ends-

Pole Star School

Pole Star: The Guiding Light

Intro

Students from small towns like Madhubani face tough competition when they reach metro cities for higher education due to their weak language or reasoning skills. The school has been making serious efforts to prepare its students to meet such challenges. Introduction of various clubs including Science Club, Maths Club, Language Club, Social Studies Club, Computer Club, and Literary Club, has made Pole Star an outstanding institution

Blurb

One of the important factors that make our students true achievers is the facility of remedial classes. Remedial classes offer additional opportunities to students who lag behind in academics. Depending on their pace of learning, they are categorised into groups. Concerned subject teachers guide the students.

-- Kailash Bhardwaj

Practical experience and learning through activity form an important part of life at Pole Star. A highly productive learning support team provides advice and support to students from KG to Grade XII.

-- Kailash Bhardwaj

Main story

Mithilanchal has been one of the main centres of Vedic education and philosophy since ancient times. With the passage of time, the region went through several phases of transformation. Despite being a seat of learning, the region lagged behind in education due to political apathy in independent India. However, with the advent of the 21^st century, there was a new awakening and the region witnessed yet another phase of reform – introduction of English medium schools imparting modern education.

Madhubani, which fairly represents the centre of the territory once known as Mithila and has maintained a distinct individuality of its own, didn’t remain untouched. A few such schools were also established in the town. But this education system failed to provide equal opportunity to various strata of the society. It remained subservient to the privileged few.

Disappointed with the new system of educational institutions, a leading businessman Shakti Nath Jha decided to establish a parallel system that will provide quality education at affordable fees. Driven by this conviction, he established Pole Star, an English medium Day/Boarding Public School in Madhubani in 2003.

In this noble endeavour, Shakti Nath Jha was ably supported by his son Kailash Bhardwaj, who was bound to stay away from home throughout his educational journey. Due to lack of proper facilities of good schooling and higher education in Madhubani, he completed school education in Patna and Delhi, followed by higher education from Delhi University.

Currently serving as Director of the school, Kailash Bhardwaj said, “My father was a noble person who believed that equal educational opportunity is a fundamental aspect of a just and equitable society, as it provides all students with the chance to scale new heights irrespective of their financial capabilities.”

The Vision

Recalling the initial days, Bhardwaj said that his father was a visionary man. In 1999, he purchased a huge plot of land for the school so that it will continue to cater to the growing demand in the future. Soon, construction of the school building was started as per the standard norms. Great care was taken to ensure that every student is placed in a spacious and well-ventilated classroom.

“As soon as construction of a section of the planned building was completed, we started academic activities. It was November 2003, when we started academic activities with 20 children from Nursery to Grade 5 and kept adding one class every year. Similarly, we kept adding new classrooms and other facilities as and when required. Within a short span of time, Pole Star has become a centre of excellence in the field of education,” he added.

 As the first batch of students reached Grade 9^th, the school management applied to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi, for affiliation. The school got affiliation for Grade 10 examination in 2008, followed by affiliation for Grade 12 in 2013. First batch of students appeared for Grade 10 CBSE examination in 2010.

As the school remained focused on providing quality education, the management hired teachers and got them proper training.  “One of the major challenges was to find qualified teachers. Since our school remained focused on teaching in English medium, which is taught as the first language and is compulsory for all classes, it made the job even more challenging. Initially, we hired them locally and got them trained by the professionals. As the school started getting recognition, it also attracted teachers who hailed from Madhubani and the neighbouring areas but were working in metro cities like Delhi and Kolkata. Soon, many of them joined the school.

“We are fortunate to get well-qualified, competent and experienced teachers who are encouraged to upgrade their skills and update their knowledge through regular orientation programmes to improve the academic standards of the school. Apart from the annual mandatory training prescribed by the CBSE, we also keep organising training programmes frequently,” he added.

“The first decade was full of struggle, whether it was to appoint qualified teachers or to convince parents to send their wards to the school. Fee collection was another challenge as Madhubani is a small town and people’s paying capacity is very low,” he said.

Outstanding status

Speaking about the features that make Pole Star an outstanding institution, Bhardwaj said, “We offer a secure and green environment with outstanding facilities that are conducive to enriching learning experiences. The school promotes the development of social skills, a spirit of cooperation, and a sense of responsibility among the students.”

He pointed out that practical experience and learning through activity form an important part of life at the school. A highly productive learning support team provides advice and support to students from KG to Grade XII.

“Our primary focus is on imparting quality education, maintaining strict discipline and ensuring safety and security of the students. For this, we use technology extensively,” he said.

There are more than 150 CCTV cameras in the school that help it maintain proper surveillance in the campus. Buses are also fitted with cameras and GPS, helping the school monitor the transport system as the buses ply to areas as far as 15-18km. Similarly, the management uses mobile Apps to ensure seamless school-parents communication.

“Another important factor that makes our students outstanding is the facility of remedial classes. Remedial classes offer additional opportunities to students who lag behind in academics. Depending on their pace of learning, they are categorised into groups. Concerned subject teachers guide the students,” he said.

It was this innovative and collaborative effort that has made the school outstanding among all CBSE-affiliated schools in Madhubani and Supaul districts.

Pole Star Principal Dr Bharti Jha, who has been serving the school for over eleven years, has been appointed City Coordinator as well as District Training Coordinator by the CBSE for all 36 CBSE-affiliated schools in Madhubani and Supaul.

Culture connection

There are four Houses that help students inculcate a sense of responsibility, competition and healthy leadership. The house activities include karate, yoga, music, choir, dance and drama, sand craft, gardening, sports, skating, workshops, study trips related to lessons taught in Premchand House (Blue), Raman House (Green), Nirala House (Red) and Vivekananda House (Yellow).

“We named different houses after great people of India from various walks of life. One of the houses is named after great litterateur Premchand, another house is named after reputed Hindi poet Nirala, third house is named after scientist CV Raman and the fourth one is named after social reformer Vivekananda. The motive behind the naming is to keep our students in touch with the great achievements India has made over the centuries,” he said.

Bhardwaj said that there are highly-motivated physical education teachers and coaches for games and sports. For junior students, the school has various sources of recreation like a see-saw, and merry-go-round. Senior students have extensive playfields for cricket, football, hockey, volleyball, basketball, kho kho, badminton, lawn tennis and athletics.

“The objective of physical education is to teach students body awareness, coordination and orientation to different games, and overall exercises of the body through sports such as basketball, kho kho, yoga, drill, etc,’ he added.

Upgrading skills

The management has also realised that students from small towns like Madhubani face tough competitions when they reach metro cities for higher education due to their weak language or reasoning skills. Keeping in view these challenges, the school has been making serious efforts to prepare its students to meet such challenges by introducing various clubs including Science Club, Maths Club, Language Club, Social Studies Club, Computer Club, and Literary Club.

“The Language Club focuses on creative writing and communication skills which is one area where the initial draft, spelling and correct English are of secondary importance. The main aim is to help the child express his/her thoughts and write expressively. All the different concepts are covered in classes to enable the children to have a good command over oral and written expression. We give equal importance to the study of Hindi,” said Bhardwaj.

To further improve their skills, various competitions like debates, quiz, group discussions, news writing, making advertisements, preparing presentation, biography, story writing, art and craft, music and dance are held regularly.

Thanks to the rigorous practice at school under able guidance of the instructors, Pole Star students bring laurels to their alma-mater whenever they participate in various inter-school competitions.

The school celebrated outstanding achievement of its students Prabhat Kumar Mishra and Anubhav Prabhakar, when the duo stood Runner-up in the All India PCRA Quiz Competitions 2016-17.  To reach the final round of the national level competition, they had championed the quiz competition on district as well as state level.

“Similarly, Maths Club helps the students to cultivate and develop thinking and reasoning skills by using symmetrically graded textbooks, mental Maths, and worksheets,” added Bhardwaj.

Equal focus is given to Art and Craft, Computers, Environmental Studies and Science. From very early in life, students get the chance to learn the concepts of colour, texture, shape line, scale and proportion. Basic techniques like drawing, painting, printmaking, paper craft, collage making, model making with clay are used.

To make science and social studies interesting, the school has adopted an environmental approach and uses projects and field trips. Similarly, computer classes are aimed at training students to use computers quite naturally from an early age with a special programme package of games as well as language, maths and science.

“We have a well-equipped Computer Lab with a multimedia system. Computer education for every class plays an important role in enhancing the curriculum. The audio visuals are introduced in classrooms to enhance teaching using interactive demonstrations and make learning an experience. Similarly, the Social Science Lab has a variety of models and samples, like globe, solar system, rocks, and minerals to help students learn many more things by conducting experiments,” he explained.

Future Plans

The school, under the gifted leadership of Kailash Bhardwaj, is getting ready to meet the challenges posed by the New Education Policy (NEP).

This policy envisages that the extant 10+2 structure in school education will be modified with a new pedagogical and curricular restructuring of 5+3+3+4 covering ages 3-18. Currently, children in the age group of 3-6 are not covered in the 10+2 structure as Grade 1 begins at age 6. In the new 5+3+3+4 structure, a strong base of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) from age 3 is also included, which is aimed at promoting better overall learning, development, and well-being.

“The New Education Policy (NEP) is expected to stop migration after Grade 10. Focus will be on vocational courses. Tech-support will become more important for teachers. Currently there are 32 smart classrooms. All are equipped with new-age digital education solutions. Many more are to be added,” he said.

Dream project

Kailash Bhardwaj’s future plans also include his dream project – setting up another English medium school in Madhubani which will have many more facilities that he could not introduce at Pole Star due to lack of enough space.

“The new school will be located in Babu Barhi Block of Madhubani District. We selected that location because there is no English medium school in its 30km radius,” he said.

“We have already purchased a plot of land and planning to start construction of the school building soon. Our aim is to open the gates of the school in March 2025 for students of Nursery to Grade 5. The first academic session will be 2025-26,” he said confidently.

-Ends-

Box

Milestones

1998: Founder Late Shakti Nath Jha decided to establish a modern English medium school in Madhubani.

1999: He purchased a huge plot of land and started construction of a school building as per the standard norms.

2003: Academic activities started with a group of 20 children from Nursery to Grade 5.

2008:  The school got CBSE affiliation for Grade 10 examination.

2010: First batch of students appeared for Grade 10 CBSE examination.

2013: The school got CBSE affiliation for Grade 12 examination.

2017: Pole Star quiz team stood Runner-up in the All India PCRA Quiz Competition 2016-17.

2023: The school caters to over 1,400 students from Madhubani and adjoining areas, while 100 students are boarding in the hostel.

-Ends-

Sanskar Vidya School

Salute to a visionary educationist

Intro

Let’s celebrate the lifetime achievements of Suresh Kumar Gupta, who founded Vidya Niketan, the first private school in Daudnagar in 1979, with firm belief that poverty should not sentence children to a life of failure

Blurb

To find hope in the darkness, there is no better way than to light a candle. But one’s ability to light a candle in darkness hinges on his belief that he can build the future bright. We must find reasons to turn darkness into light.

 -- Suresh Kumar Gupta.

Whether students decide to make a career in medicine, engineering, space sciences or the financial world, they must get a solid foundation at the school to have a successful career later in life. We are leaving no stone unturned to achieve it.

-- Anand Prakash

Main story

Imagine the situation of a remote area of Bihar in 1970s… no electricity… no roads… households without regular income… Life in Daudnagar, a small town in Aurangabad district of Bihar, was not much different five decades ago. At a time when people face multiple crises like these, many of them would feel anxious, uncertain, lost in darkness. Can one imagine setting up a private school in such poverty-stricken conditions?

Perhaps yes.

In the face of hopelessness and discontent, a young visionary came forward in Daudnagar and decided to light a candle to guide children in his neighbourhood through that darkness to a safe and sane future. He believed that after every dark night, there is a bright morning. Nothing is permanent. Nothing lasts forever. Not even darkness.

The youth was none other than Suresh Kumar Gupta, one of the most respected educationists in Bihar and Chairman of the Vidya Niketan Group of Schools, Daudnagar.

Despite facing all kinds of adversities, he truly believed that the light of knowledge illuminates the ways of mankind and brings peace, prosperity and felicity for all. His heart must be full of light that would have given him a ray of hope that everything will be fine.

“To find hope in the darkness, there is no better way than to light a candle, one would suggest. But one’s ability to light a candle in darkness hinges on his belief that he can build the future bright. We must find reasons to turn darkness into light,” said Suresh Gupta.

It was this strong conviction that gave him strength to start a school, Vidya Niketan, Daudnagar, in 1979.  

“I had firm belief that poverty may hinder the educational process, but it cannot sentence children to a life of failure. I still believe that. This belief came from my own life experience,” he said. “There were eleven members in my family and my father was the only earning member. I started giving tuition while I was a student of Class 8 in the village’s government school to fund my studies. This practice continued even during my higher studies.”

He recalled, “By the time I completed my higher studies, I realised that every child is entitled to quality basic education. But a look at the government schools revealed that this goal was out of reach for many poor children. School attendance, especially for girls, was far from satisfactory, and many children used to drop out of school even before completing their primary education. Even those who attended school received an inadequate education. Thus I decided to give them an alternative.”

“Though, the school I established was not an ideal one in the beginning, I was confident that a solution to the problem of lack of education will come through this.”

In his efforts t o make Vidya Niketan distinct from government schools, he set an objective to impart knowledge and inculcate cultural values too.  He charged only Rs7 per month as tuition fee, but spent a significant portion back on students in the form of snacks during lunch and stationary to needy students. He adopted various innovative ways to win parents` confidence as well. One of the important practices was visiting students home to meet parents and learn their response towards the child’s performance. Consequently, the school strength grew from five students on day 1 to 150 within three months.

The Turning Point

In his quest to add a new dimension to teaching, he started attending various teacher training camps and conferences. During one such meeting of school heads held in Jaipur in 1982, he had a chance meeting with renowned child psychologist and education trainer Sushila Datteya. She shared some important tips to make learning interesting. Once implemented, it proved very useful.

In 1982, Vidya Niketan’s students participated in an inter-school cultural meet called Shishu Sangam held in Patna. They staged a play ‘Mir Kallu Ki Gawaahi’ for which they won third prize. They received the prize from the then Governor of Bihar AR Kidwai.

Despite all kinds of adversities, the school was going strong every day. Although the school was still in its infancy, this achievement made the school popular with the masses. Its students’ stage performance and the award from the Governor of Bihar gave Vidya Niketan a new identity.

But success never comes alone. One’s success makes many others feel uncomfortable. This came true in the success of Vidya Niketan as well when a disciplinary action against a teacher made all the teachers uncomfortable. They got so annoyed that all of them resigned altogether and established another school. Many in the society even considered it a conspiracy against the school’s rising stature within a short span of three years.

Recalling, Suresh Gupta said, “It was painful to see them leaving the school instead of becoming a part of its success story. It posed a great challenge as a school cannot run without teachers. I invited parents for an urgent meeting, explained the situation to them and requested them to support me in this challenging time and promised that they won’t regret having confidence in me. I am thankful they agreed.”

To make an immediate arrangement, he met the principal of the teachers’ training college in Daudnagar and requested him to send his students to teach at the school for some time. He agreed. This arrangement provided temporary solace.

Opportunity in Adversity

It is said that every challenge brings an opportunity. Suresh Kumar Gupta too decided to rise from the rubble and rebuild the school... bigger and better. The years of experience and hard work had made him aware of the needs of students and the high expectations of parents and the society.

To meet their expectations, he decided to recruit professionally trained teachers. He visited Sasaram and hosted a walk-in interview for teachers. He offered them a good salary, accommodation and other facilities. The arrival of a new lot of teachers marked another milestone and gave the school a new identity.  It proved to be a turning point in the history of the school and opened the gates of success.

As Vidya Niketan’s popularity grew by leaps and bounds, people from neighbouring areas started requesting to expand the transport facilities so that their wards also get a chance to study at the school. In 1985, the school got its first bus which increased the school strength manifold.

For the next few years, Suresh Gupta remained focused on strengthening the school with latest facilities and teaching aids besides training the teachers to deliver best results. At the same time, he continued visiting students’ homes that built his relations even stronger.

In 1992, on parents’ demand, he decided to add classes 8-10. Thus Vidya Niketan got upgraded to a high school. The first batch of students appeared for the matriculation (Grade 10) exam conducted by the Bihar School Examination Board, Patna, in 1994. Excellent results in the board examinations gave further boost to the school.

New Schools

Kidz World: After almost three decades of the foundation of Vidya Niketan, Suresh Gupta decided to make another initiative. He started a playschool for kids in 2007, aptly named it Kidz World. However, on parents’ demand and well wishers’ advice he turned it into an English medium primary school open to admit students of Nursery to Grade 5. Later, he extended the teaching facilities up to Grade 7.

Sanskar Vidya: Overwhelming response to Kidz World made the school management realise the need and scope of a full-fledged English medium high school affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi.  The new school was established in 2013 and named Sanskar Vidya. The CBSE awarded affiliation in 2015 for Grade 10 and for Grade 12 in 2017.

Kidz World (playschool): Suresh Gupta has the unique ability to change every adversity into an opportunity. This was proved right once again when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the education sector very hard. However, he saw this calamity as an opportunity to make another initiative – to start another playschool which will remain open for three hours only. The new school was also named Kidz World. This unique initiative was also welcomed by the residents of Daudnagar.  The school continues to serve kids in Nursery to KG classes.

Gen Next

The participation of the young generation has added a new dimension to the schools and the way education is imparted to children there. Suresh Kumar Gupta’s eldest son Anand Prakash joined as CEO of the Vidya Niketan Group of Schools, while his second son Vidya Sagar became the Deputy CEO.

Together they have been making efforts to make education more significant for the future. “Whether a student decides to make a career in medicine, engineering, space sciences or the financial world, he must get a solid foundation at the school to have a successful career later in life. We are leaving no stone unturned to achieve it,” said Anand Prakash.

He pointed out that the group has not neglected its social responsibilities. In line with CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), he has started ESR (Education Social Responsibility). As part of this initiative, more than 250 poor students are enrolled in various schools of the group and receive all facilities like other students for free.  On special occasions like Children’s Day, students are taken to the less fortunate people and distribute books and stationary. They keep organising cleanup campaigns and plantation drives as well.

Together, they have also developed the Vision 2035, which is focused at stopping migration from Daudnagar – be it for higher studies or for employment.

“To stop migration from Daudnagar, we are planning to develop it as an education hub offering KG to PG (Kindergarten to Post-Graduation) in this town. Establishing a deemed university in Daudnagar is also part of it. We are also planning to convince people to set up industries here so that youngsters do not need to migrate to earn a decent livelihood,” said Anand Prakash.

Suresh Kumar Gupta’s youngest son, Vinay Prakash, has earned an M.Tech degree from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Patna. But returned to Daudnagar and founded a start-up company in healthcare, Zonett Healthcare Private Limited. It offers online consultation to residents in this Tier 3 city to specialist doctors based in metro cities at a fraction of the actual cost borne by the patient if contacted directly.

“This company offers specialised medical facilities at minimum fees. To avail, one needs to get annual membership for Rs1,999 which entitles the person three free consultations per month, 36 consultations in a year, with a medical practitioner available in Daudnagar. According to the patient’s condition, that doctor will fix an appointment with a specialist doctor for online consultation. In addition, the members will also get discount coupons for medicines and other medical tests,” said Anand Prakash, adding that such startups will certainly create new job opportunities for the local youths.

***

Box

Milestones

1979: Vidya Niketan, first private school was established in Daudnagar.  

1982: Vidya Niketan students won an award from the then Governor of Bihar AR Kidwai.

1982: The school witnessed revolt from the teachers, all of them resigned altogether. It shook the foundation of the school, not the confidence of its founder.

1982: Suresh Kumar Gupta used this adversity as an opportunity to rebuild the school... bigger and better. He recruited a new set of teachers who gave the school a distinct identity.

1992: Vidya Niketan got upgraded to a high school.

1994: First batch of students appeared for the matriculation exam conducted by the Bihar School Examination Board, Patna.

2007: Kidz World, a play school was established for kids. It was expanded up to Grade 7 in subsequent years.

2013: Sanskar Vidya, an English medium high school affiliated to the CBSE, New Delhi, was founded.

2015:  Sanskar Vidya got CBSE affiliation up to Grade 10.

2017:  CBSE awarded affiliation up to +2 level to Sanskar Vidya.

2020: The group hosted the International Children’s Film Festival from Feb.7-9, 2020, screening 35 movies.

2022: Kidz World established to serve kids in Nursery to KG classes.

***

Box

Laurels

Suresh Kumar Gupta’s struggle to spread the light of education through the Vidya Niketan Group of Schools has been duly recognised by the society at various local, national and international forums. Some of the key achievements are:

2009: International Excellence in Education Award presented by former Union Minister for HRD Murali Manohar Joshi.

2010: Indian education Excellence Award presented by Union Minister Harish Rawat.

2015: Honoured with the Bihar Keshari Education Award.

2016: State Bank of India honoured on the occasion of Teachers Day.

 2019: Received the Indian Forum Education Award.

2023: Honoured with the Daudnagar Ratna Samman.

***

Shanti Mission Academy

Fostering a culture of peace through education

 Intro

Shanti Mission Academy, Saharsa, has carved a niche for itself by offering modern approaches to teaching that help students accomplish worldly goals along with the challenges of achieving peace

Blurb

We are committed to providing quality education to develop the personality of the future citizens of a dynamic and pulsating nation. We make a concrete effort towards the development of academic, sports, and other activities to make each of our students a wholesome entity.

-- Bibhuti Bhushan Jha

Despite the limitations faced by a small town institution, we have been continuing to impart quality education to our students, serving the vital needs of the region. Stellar performance of our students in the annual examinations conducted by the CBSE New Delhi is a testament. Our students have been securing the top positions in CBSE exams every year in the Kosi region.

-- Bibhuti Bhushan Jha

The practice of learning and scholarship in Bihar got a spark when people of eminence realised the forthcoming challenges of the 21st century and that children in the state are losing fast to the world. Thus, the last decade of the 20th century saw the emergence of new English-medium schools across Bihar to prepare the next generation to regain their lost place in education.

It opened new vistas for educators. Some of them took even greater leaps as they left the classroom to become entrepreneurs and launched their own institutions for greater freedom to serve the society.

One of them was Bibhuti Bhushan Jha, founder of the Shanti Mission Academy in Saharsa, who decided to retire from teaching and build his own educational institution to have a broader impact on education as a whole. He believed in himself, trusted his gut, and never allowed anyone to tell him that he can`t do something.

After spending a few years working as a high school teacher in Patna, he realised the power of education and decided to take a chance on his skills. He started the BPL Public School in Patna in 1995. Within a few short years, he turned it into a reputed institution offering modern education up to Class 12.

During a visit to Saharsa, his hometown, Jha realised the need of a good educational institution in his ancestral place that could continue to impact the education ecosystem in all ways.

“People in Saharsa had no idea about an English medium school’s impact on children. They had no vision of what a school affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi, could offer to its students. When I went there and discussed with people in Saharsa, they welcomed me with open arms.

Soon, he got a huge plot of land on lease to construct the school building as per the norms set by the CBSE, New Delhi.  Since his school in Patna was doing well, he dedicated his energy to establish the school in Saharsa. It filled the vacuum of a modern school offering a quality education. People gave full co-operation.

The Mission

The school was established with the aim to help students discover life`s purpose and prepare them to meet the challenges of life. To make it a lifelong mission, Jha adopted the name Shanti Mission from the weekly ‘Shanti Mission Prakriya’ a meditational practice that helps discover life`s purpose and experience more peace in life.  

Academic activities at the Shanti Mission Academy in Saharsa started in 2009. Usually, new schools start with limited academic activities serving students from Nursery to Class 5. But considering the need over there, the school admitted students from Nursery to Class 8. As the school was well-equipped, the CBSE, New Delhi, granted affiliation up to Class 10 in the year 2010. The affiliation was extended up to Class 12 in 2012. However, the first batch appeared for the Class 10^th examinations conducted by the CBSE in 2012 and the first batch appeared for the Class 12 examinations in 2014.

“Since it was the first private school in Saharsa, several people discouraged me and said that it was bound to fail because parents used to send their wards to government schools as they were getting benefitted from various schemes run by the government. On the contrary, I was about to open the first private school, where parents had to pay for their children’s education.  But there were several others who understood the worth of a quality school and encouraged me to go ahead,” he said.

Despite being the first English medium school in Saharsa, finding good teachers was not a challenge. Bibhuti Bhushan Jha said that when he started the school in Saharsa, a Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya and a Kendriya Vidyalaya were operational in town. Both the schools are affiliated to the CBSE, New Delhi, and run by the central government for talented students predominantly from rural areas in India, targeting gifted students as well as catering to the educational needs of children of transferable employees of the Government of India.

“Most of the teachers employed at the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya and the Kendriya Vidyalaya belonged to other states. While they were in the schools, their spouses were free. I invited them to join the Shanti Mission Academy. Existence of those two schools proved to be helpful,” he added.

It is a fact that students in the rural areas perform poorly in English compared to their urban counterparts. Thus special arrangements were made to prepare them to achieve a satisfactory level as soon as possible. The school had to resort to using transcription and translation methods. But it was a lengthy process. Later, the school adopted functional grammar. It helped a lot.

“We believe that our students deserve quality education in an environment which is structured, disciplined, challenging, stimulating and caring. We provide a challenging and stimulating environment to facilitate the intellectual, creative, social, emotional and personal development of our students,” said Bibhuti Bhushan Jha.

“We keep monitoring every student. Weak students are given special classes to make them equal to other students. Similarly, we also monitor bright students. We give them extra classes and prepare them to achieve success in extra-curricular and co-curricular activities as well. Those who wish to remain focused on studies and target stellar performance in exams, they are given special treatments to achieve the same.”

Holistic development

The school has taken several initiatives to ensure holistic development of the students. It implemented various proposals made by policymakers as part of the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020).

“Some of them are very promising. We have also implemented various steps suggested by the policymakers including upgradation of schools, initiative for proficiency in reading with understanding and numeracy, online education, as well as placement of digital infrastructure for knowledge sharing. New policy on weight of school bags with focus on reducing the weight of school bags has been discussed,” he said.

Besides the extraordinary academic facilities, the school won the parents’ confidence with all the facilities that were needed for a balanced, all round growth of the pupil`s personality and unfolding their hidden talents to the fullest capacity. The classrooms are equipped with a variety of visual and audio-visual teaching aids. The school also has well-furnished science laboratories, music and painting rooms, Art & Craft Section, Computer Lab with terminals connected to a server and a rich library that caters to the needs of students of all ages.

“Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the latest thing being introduced at school level. We are in touch with the people who not only set up the AI lab, but also provide good teachers, because just setting up the lab will not fetch good results. They have promised to extend full support. Hope we will get it operational by next academic year,” he added,

To ensure overall development of the students, the school also provides all sports facilities, outdoor as well as indoor including basketball, table tennis, and athletics. There are spacious play grounds for all modern sports. Swimming pool is the only thing missing that is due to lack of space.

“As students are doing well in physical education, the school is in the process of setting up a state of the art gym with all facilities,” said Jha.

Challenges

He pointed out that a major problem with the small town schools is to fulfill the basic curricular needs. The school had acquired a plot of land adjacent to the existing school campus to further extend the extracurricular facilities. But the school received a large number of new admission thus the plot of land was used to build extra classrooms to accommodate those students.

The school hosted Bal-Sansad (Child Parliament) twice, which gave students a chance to think about the future. It was loosely based on the internationally practiced format of Model United Nation (MUN) which engages hundreds of thousands of students each year, helping them to learn more about the principles of the UN and how it functions. Many of today’s leaders in law, government, business and the arts – including at the UN itself – participated in Model UN as students.

Similarly the Bal Sansad (Child Parliament) was aimed at sharing first-hand knowledge to students about the Indian parliamentary system and its functions by creating accurate and authentic simulations, and encouraging the participants to take concrete action to support the goals set by the government.

Jha appreciated the initiative that recognised the value of the Indian parliament or the legislative assembly simulations and garnering support for cooperation. He lamented that this could not be continued because it needed larger cooperation and enough free time to prepare students for the related activities. It was difficult to continue because parents and students at small town schools remain focused on curricular activities and performances in various tests.

“Not all the policies can be implemented in schools based in the small towns. The policymakers must keep in mind the limitations of school managements in rural areas as well as the mindset of guardians who remain stuck to the old system. These have to be resolved,” said Jha.

Despite these limitations, the school has been continuing to impart quality education to its students, serving the vital needs of the locality. Stellar performance of its students in the annual examinations conducted by the CBSE, New Delhi, is a testament. Students of the Shanti Mission School, Saharsa, have been securing the top positions in the board examinations every year in the Kosi region.

“Going by our commitment to serve the region, we are now planning to establish a Nursing college in Saharsa. Establishing a medical college is planned in the next stage,” said Bibhuti Bhushan Jha.

***

Milestone

2009: Shanti Mission Academy was established in Saharsa with academic facilities from Nursery to Class 8.

2010: The CBSE New Delhi granted affiliation up to Class 10.

2012: The CBSE affiliation was extended up to Class 12.

2012: First batch appeared for the Class 10^th examinations.

2014: First batch appeared for the Class 12 examinations.

***

Achievements

1. 100 % result in Class 10^th and 12^th board exams
2. Winner Veergatha 2.0 (organised by CBSE).
3. Winner Pariksha Pe Charcha 2023 (organised by CBSE).
4. Winner district level yoga participation 2023.
5. Winner district level khel pratiyogita 2023.
6. Winner under-17 kabaddi 2023 (district cup tournament)
7. Various state championship medal in sports tournament
8. Winner under-14 kabaddi 2023 (district cup tournament)
9. Various students selected for national games, national quiz, science exhibition.
10. Lotan Kumar participated in state level Kushti 2021.
11. Aman Kumar Thakur selected for School Games Federation of India National Games 2023.

***

St. Joseph Public School

Raising Future Leaders with Value-Centric Education

Intro

St. Joseph Public School, Begusarai, has earned a name for itself as a value-based educational institution that places an emphasis on morals, integrity, character, spirituality and much more. It imparts the qualities of humility as well as strength to help students develop their personalities to effectively carry out their social, moral, and democratic responsibilities

Blurb

Nowadays, an incessant deterioration of real education, teacher`s dedication for the students and parent`s commitment towards their children can be seen all around. The St. Joseph Public School, Begusarai, came into existence to prevent this decline. At the school, we encourage a close partnership between the trinity of the learning process -- the child, the teacher and the parent.

-- Abhishek Kumar Singh

The perfect synergy between the crucial stakeholders of a child`s destiny and our commitment to the society shall certainly help the young mind, body and spirit to metamorphose into human beings laced with the knowledge and skills needed to hold on their own in the world.

-- Abhishek Kumar Singh

Main Story

Values education is inherent in the Indian civilisation, culture and traditions spanning over centuries. However, in the current social milieu, it is losing fast to the so-called modern culture. Thus it has become imperative for schools to inculcate in their students not just skills, but also values and attitudes that will help them live in harmony with themselves, with others and with nature.

It is sad to note that there are only a few institutions where values education is viewed as a core component of quality education, and the school heads make a conscious effort to provide such holistic education. They create sensitivity towards an environment of mutual trust and respect. They are intensely involved with upholding values of democracy, secularism, justice, equality and freedom.

St. Joseph Public School, Begusarai, is one of those few schools that were established with the vision to inculcate a sense of responsibility towards values and purity of thought in students. Since its inception in 2002, it has been encouraging community-feeling among students to develop a sense of justice and quality of tolerance as well as infusing the spirit of nationalism and love for the motherland in students through strong character-building.

Along with value-based education, the school has been providing the widest possible scope for academic and educational achievement to students. It has won accolades for nurturing and fostering the intellectual abilities of students and developing scientific and rational thinking in students.

These exceptional efforts have made the school a proud alma mater to many bureaucrats, technocrats, medicos, top executives and administrators, who have carved a niche for themselves during the past two decades.

Inspiration

School Chairman Abhishek Kumar Singh said that he observed an incessant deterioration of real education, teacher`s dedication  and parent`s commitment towards their children during his college days. After completing his school education from Begusarai, he moved to Patna for higher studies in 1993. He earned a post-graduation degree in Chemistry from the prestigious Patna University in 2000.

During his seven-year stay in Patna, Abhishek had a close look at the growing commercialisation of the education system which ultimately affected respect for the teachers. In his words, he witnessed the age-old ‘guru-shishya’ parampara collapsing. Saddened by this trend, he decided to dedicate his life to resurrect the values-based education as it was envisioned by his forefathers.

“After completing my university degree, I returned home and decided to start a school. I wanted to prevent this deterioration further. I realised that there should be a close partnership between the trinity of the learning process -- the child, the teacher and the parent,” he said.

He said that parents must realise that admission of a child in the school is not the end of the parent’s responsibility towards his/her ward. The child is at the school for about six hours only on school days. Thus parents must see what he does during the remaining hours of the day and during the holidays. Without their cooperation, the school may not ensure good education and proper development of the child.

Abhishek said, “I ensure that every teacher and parent realise that grooming a child is the biggest responsibility for all of us. We must realise that the child is the centre of our universe. There should be a perfect synergy between the crucial stakeholders – the parent must realise that he/she is a teacher at home as the teacher is a parent at the school.”

Challenges

The school was founded on Jan.20, 2002, from Nursery to Grade 5, with one student. The journey from one student in 2002-2003 to more than 4000 students in 2023-24 was not a cake walk. From a paltry beginning to a well-established school affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi, up to +2 levels and accredited by the British Council – the glorious journey was the result of Abhishek’s sincere efforts, lots of sacrifice and hard work.

“I was a single child of my parents. With an M.Sc. (Chemistry) degree from a prestigious university, I could have gone for research or joined some college as a faculty member. In fact, my parents and other members of the family were expecting the same. So, when I dropped the idea of establishing a school in Begusarai, it was outrightly rejected.”

“It was quite a natural reaction as I belonged to a zamindar (landlord) family. I was supposed to do something big. I was suggested to go abroad to pursue higher studies and join some research programme just like my maternal grandfather did. He studied at the University of California and earned a PhD as well. When I remained steadfast in my decision to establish a school, I was suggested to go back to Patna and do the same on a bigger scale.”

“When I refused to change my decision, I got support from my mother, but I was left to fend for myself.  Perhaps, they might have thought that I will not be able to sustain for long, because of the hard work it needs, or to check my conviction and dedication towards the cause,” he recalled.

With firm conviction and dedication towards the cause, he started the school in a small building with one student. It took around two years to convince his parents as well as parents of the school-going children in the neighbourhood to get their wards admitted to this school.  Consequently, the strength reached 300 students in 2004 which further grew to 500 in 2005.

“Encouraged by the increasing number of students and growing trust of parents, he applied to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi, for affiliation. The CBSE, New Delhi, granted affiliation up to Grade 10 in 2007 and extended it further up to Grade 12 in 2009.

Abhishek said that at his school values education is viewed as a core component of quality education. Thus teachers are constantly motivated to explore new methods and techniques in the classrooms and to make full use of resources and technology to reinforce the learning process.

“The school is dedicated to prepare conscious, disciplined and responsible citizens with a sense of integrity and honesty. The school believes in the worth and uniqueness of the individual and aims at fostering each individual`s potentialities and therefore provides varied opportunities for successful learning and growth. This journey begins in classrooms and goes much beyond its boundaries into the real world,” he added.

Facilities

The school has well-equipped Physics, Chemistry, Bio and Math labs. Respective subject demonstrators demonstrate experiments to students and make them do it. The school has a systematic offline library with more than ten thousand academic as well as reference books in it accessible to all students. Any student can take a book for seven days.

Principal Anita Talwar said that education is an ongoing process but the foundation of what one learns is laid down during his/her schooling. School shapes a child in the best form s/he can grow up into. Apart from the three Rs -- the three basic skills taught in schools: reading, writing and arithmetic (the Rs refer to Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic) -- a child learns academic and civic sense from school. It`s truly a nurturing period which should never be taken lightly by any stakeholders.

“The overall development of a child depends on how she is groomed during schooling and what roles different stakeholders -- parents, teachers, peers, families, community members and school play in nurturing the child,” she said.

She pointed out that the new National Education Policy (NEP) emphasises on mutual understanding and cooperation among all stakeholders for the best output and the school works in tune with the NEP guidelines to impart better education. It has opened new ground for students to train themselves in a variety of skills/techniques and learning which are beneficial from an individual`s professional as well as research point of view.

“The school focuses on imparting multi-disciplinary education to the students so that a holistic approach and output of learning can be realised. We teach children numeracy, literacy, everyday science and social studies through play-way methods and story-telling. We are committed to improve the quality and credibility of education and address the gaps without any ‘if’ or ‘but’,” said the principal.

“Academic, vocational and extra-curricular activities have been given equal footing with quality education. We have started Coding and Artificial Intelligence from std. VI onwards so that students can equip themselves with the challenges of the changing times, national and global demands, creative trends and values.”

“We try to mould every student into a consistent learner, good listener and understanding individual capable of leading in his/ her own respective field. To achieve this goal, we believe parenting should go hand in hand with the teaching and learning process which attracts much emphasis and difference in schooling,” she added.

Holistic Development

The school aims at holistic development of students. To ignite this spirit, the institution organises an array of extracurricular activities and encourages each student to participate. It helps nurture the students as well-balanced individuals having an impressive academic record and impeccable personality.

Abhishek Kumar Singh said, “We aim at nurturing saplings which could be fruitful to the society and nation. We conduct yoga and dhyaan practices under the supervision of a well-trained yoga teacher so that students can learn how to concentrate and realise the oneness of body, mind, spirit and universe.”

He pointed out that enough importance is given to sports activities as sports stimulate the physical and mental growth of a child. “A student who regularly plays sports develops better body strength and coordination with people around. It strengthens team spirit and offers opportunities to work with different sorts of people from different spheres of life, society and nationality. Our students play games and get the stamina to overcome obstacles and pave their way ahead under the guidance of capable sports teachers. They show their strength and skills on the field,” he added.

“Today`s education system is not just confined to academics but we also focus on imparting skills to students’ personality development, confidence building, communication skills and etiquettes. Cultural activities come into play in strengthening these aspects of personality,” he added.

Encouraging students to participate in cultural activities is one of the most effective ways to inculcate personality-related skills. These include activities like dancing, singing, sports, etc. It is firmly boosting up confidence, energising oneself and utilising time for proper recreation. The school offers abundant cultural enrichment activities such as Annual function, Inter-House Music & Dance Competition, Essay writing & Inter-House Debate Competition, Diya and Rangoli making Competition and Painting Competitions.

Future Plans

The distinct identity of St. Joseph Public School, Begusarai, made it popular with the masses. It was quite natural that parents from neighboring areas also requested Abhishek Kumar Singh to set up such quality schools in other areas as well.

Thus, in 2010, he set up the St. Joseph Secondary School in Balia, Begusarai, offering facilities to students from Nursery to Class X. Affiliation is under-process.

Another school was set up in Teghda in 2012, called St. Joseph Academy. This school is already affiliated till Grade 12.

“We have also applied to the DPS Society to grant us a franchise to set up a world-class institution like the Delhi Public School in Begusarai as well. There are only four DPS in Bihar and there is ample scope for such an institution in this part of the world,” he said.

He is also planning to establish a university in Begusarai. Apart from the regular graduate and post-graduate degree classes in various streams including science, arts and commerce, the university will also have teachers training college, nursing college, polytechnic college. Engineering and medical colleges will be added at a later stage.

“We have already applied in 2017 to the Bihar government for permission. Once the permission is granted, we will make all efforts to make it operational as soon as possible. Although ours will be a private university, it will serve students in this region well who have been demanding the government to establish a university in Begusarai,” he added.

A high-profile committee formed by the government has already submitted its report to the government. We are waiting for the government to issue the Letter of Intent (LoI) as soon as possible. After the issuance of LoI, we may start academic activities in temporary premises, for which we have already made the allocation. Within two years, we will have to construct a proper campus. The government might give a two years extension to complete it.

“We are confident to start the university by 2025,” concluded Abhishek.

***

LAURELS

2016: School Chairman Abhishek Kumar Singh and four children met the President of India Pranab Mukherjee on the occasion of Children`s Day 2016. The students also participated in Children`s Day programmes at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.

2016: The Confederation of Education Excellence Award 2016 presented to St Joseph School, Begusarai, for Innovative School Wide Programme. The award was given away by Manish Sisodiya, Deputy Chief Minister, Delhi.

2016: The school received the Performance Excellence Award for Overall Performance in Silverzone Olympiads 2015-2016, by the Silverzone Foundation, New Delhi.

2017: The Leadership Award for Excellence was presented to Abhishek Kumar Singh on April 22, 2017, at the “Education 2025: Students First” Education Conclave and Excellence Awards 2017, held in New Delhi, by the Confederation of Education Excellence.

2018: School Chairman Abhishek Kumar Singh was honoured by the Silverzone Foundation, New Delhi, for playing a vital role in every respect to enhance the competitive spirit of the students to perform well in the Silverzone Olympiads 2017-2018.

***

Milestones

2002: The school was established on Jan.20.

2007: The CBSE, New Delhi, granted affiliation up to Grade 10.

2009: The CBSE affiliation was extended further up to Grade 12.

2010: Started St. Joseph Secondary School, Balia, Begusarai.

2012: Another school was set up in Teghda called St. Joseph Academy.

2017: Applied to the Bihar government for permission to set up a private university in Begusarai.

***

St. Paul’s High School

Inspiring Young Minds Through STEM 

Intro

Established in 1989, St. Paul’s High School, Hajipur, remains unique as its R&D Department encourages scientific intrigue among the young children. It strives to provide a practical approach to learning through designing assignments, assessments, chapter upshots and various hands-on activities

Blurb

Constant value-addition has kept the school at the forefront. We focus on hiring excellent teachers, innovative teaching, advanced infrastructure and supportive technology. Similarly, we make all efforts to inculcate the core values of humanity in our students. Together, the policy has helped us create gems year after year.

-- V.K. Vicky

This playschool was aptly named Neev, as it was established to give a strong foundation to the students by providing the highest standard of early childhood education.

-- Indu Kumar

Main Story

“It’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”

This age-old proverb has inspired millions of people across the world to make a contribution to remove the darkness of illiteracy, poverty, discrimination, corruption… in their vicinity.

This adage left an indelible mark on an educated youth of the historic city of Vaishali too. It was the era of 1960s, when Vijay Kumar realised that people were going through abject poverty and facing discrimination due to their illiteracy. He decided to do whatever possible in his individual capacity to remove the darkness from life of the unlettered. With a mission to kindle the flame of education in every house, he made a humble beginning by imparting education to children in his neighbourhood. Despite numerous obstacles he continued with the mission and kept expanding the reach.

Vijay Kumar’s mission and conviction got stronger when he got married to Radha Kumar, who supported him with great enthusiasm.  Their eagerness and ardent interest in the pursuit of reaching out to maximum people, made them realise the need of a good school that could go beyond just teaching academics.

The dream came true in 1989, when the husband-wife duo established the St. Paul’s High School -- the first English medium school in Hajipur. Under the guidance of the visionary leader Radha Kumar, the school continued to prosper.

Today, it has become a group of schools offering students an option to study in a school affiliated with Bihar Board, CBSE or CICSE, besides getting a strong foundation at a play school. Together, the schools are helping thousands of children to excel in academics and acquire skills that will help them enhance the physical, artistic and emotional aspects of their life and survive in this competitive world.

V.K. Vicky, the illustrious son of the late Vijay Kumar and Radha Kumar, continues to lead the St. Paul`s High School, Hajipur, to fulfill the dreams of his parents.

The Journey

Recalling his association with the school, Vicky said that the journey started after completion of his studies. He had the choice of making a good career in the field of engineering as he had studied M.Tech.  But, true to the expression ‘like father, like son’, he too decided to do something for the development of his native place, which was not better than a village then.

“In line with my parents’ life-long mission, I also decided to do something for children in my native place. I realised the need to prepare our next generation to meet the challenges posed by life in the metro cities, where our youths are bound to migrate. Wherever I went, I heard people saying ‘he is from a rural background.’ I made up my mind to prepare the next generation to compete with other children. They should be confident and must be able to say, “Fine, I am from a rural background, but I am not less capable than the competitors from metro cities’,” he said.

He decided to provide them a platform that will prepare them for the future. As soon as he shared the vision with his mother, she agreed immediately to make a foray.  They decided to set up a new campus which will be affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi.

Soon, they started looking for an ideal location for the new campus of the school and ultimately decided to establish the new school in Izra, Hajipur. They purchased a plot of land and started construction of the school building as per the norms set by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi.

As soon as the campus was ready, the management applied for the CBSE-affiliation. As it fulfilled all the criteria, the CBSE granted the school affiliation till Grade 10 in 2002.

With parents’ repeated requests, especially parents of girl students, the school applied to the CBSE, New Delhi, to extend its affiliation up to Grade 12, which was granted in 2015.

“There was a long gap between the CBSE affiliation for Grade 10 and 12. That was because we wanted to strengthen the facilities provided to students from Nursery to Grade 10 before extending the academic activities up to Grade 12. As soon as the CBSE granted us affiliation in 2015, we started academic activities for Grade 12. Initially we started with science stream, followed by adding commerce streams the next year and humanities after a few years,” he said.

The school’s outstanding results in Grade 12 Commerce and Humanities streams have placed it among the top-ranked institutions at zonal and national level. The latest facility added to the school is a mega sports complex spread over a plot of 55,000 square feet.

Neev – The Foundation

In 2011, the school management realised that they were not doing justice to students by keeping kids and grown-up children in the same campus. Kids love to run around, keep shouting and recite in a high pitch voice.

It was decided to start a separate school for kids and give them a proper environment needed for their foundation. A play school was established in 2011 in a separate building and this campus was dedicated to students from Grade 1 and above.

The playschool was aptly named Neev (Hindi for foundation), as it was established with the aim to give a strong foundation to the students by providing the highest standard of early childhood education.

This colourful centre provides children all the tools and aids which foster their all round development. The place is equipped with innovative teaching aids ranging from puzzles, blocks, flash cards to hammer sets and beads. Music & dance classes, craft workshops and painting sessions are conducted in this beautifully set institution to nurture their talent.

Neev Director Indu Kumar said, “Several researches have shown that early years learning plays a crucial role in the development of a child. Thus, we conduct a wide range of activities to stimulate their mind and inculcate independent behaviour.”

St. Paul’s Academy

V.K. Vicky was convinced that innovation is must to keep one in the forefront. Thus they decided to offer something new to students in the form of Hajipur’s first school affiliated to The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE). Before launching the school, they did a survey. The result was not very encouraging as the majority of the people favoured a CBSE-affiliated school.

“But we had decided to make a new beginning thus we put up a canopy at the site for the proposed school for registration. We were surprised to witness an overwhelming response from the parents. Soon, about 800 students registered,” he recalled.

Encouraged by the overwhelming response we founded the St. Paul’s Academy, in 2017 in Meenapur, Hajipur. Academic activities started from Grade 1-8 from the session 2018-19.

The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) awarded affiliation in 2019 after a virtual inspection, due to the pandemic caused by Covid-19. The physical inspection was carried over after the pandemic got over. Currently the school has over 1500 students.

Winning Confidence

M.K. Vicky believes that a school is a part of the service industry. To remain at the forefront, one has to keep improving. That can be achieved only through innovation. Thus the school management keeps adding innovative ways to meet the expectation of the parents.

“Parents’ confidence keeps you on your toes. You have to maintain their trust. It is like any private sector organisation where you need to maintain that trust. Thus we are ready to listen to parents 24-hours a day,” he said.

Explaining, Vicky pointed out that unlike olden days when parents had to walk-in to the principal’s office to put up their complaints, today they have various channels to communicate with the school. They can get in touch with the school authorities through phone, SMS, WhatsApp or the school’s mobile App. The school’s liasoning team is always ready to listen to them and resolve the issue as soon as possible.

Usually schools assign one or two persons to take care of a parent`s grievances. At St. Paul’s group of schools, there is one in-charge for each floor of the school. He is called floor in-charge or class coordinator. His job is to maintain coordination between teachers, students and parents.

Every floor in-charge has been assigned eight classes and he is responsible for all 320 students as the school has a maximum of 40 students in a class. Their job includes taking attendance, meeting students, talking to them, listening to their complaints, if they are facing any difficulties to resolve it, to counsel them if needed.

“We motivate students to share their problems with the in-charge, before going to parents, because the in-charge has the expertise to resolve the school-related problems. Children’s complaints are minute, but it becomes a burden if ignored. Thus I have asked them to pen it down, and reach to the core of the problem,” he said.

Marching Ahead

St. Paul’s High School was the first CBSE-affiliated school in Vaishali district to introduce Humanities stream at Plus-2 level. Also, the school has the credit of being the first in the district to offer a fully digital school library, besides offering a highly advanced and well-equipped 3D Lab. The school stands out from other institutions because of its Mega sports complex spread over 55,000 square feet of land.

Vicky said constant value-addition has kept the school at the forefront. What differentiate one school from another are not just the academic results, but also the efforts to achieve academic excellence with holistic development.

He said, “For academic excellence, we focus on hiring excellent teachers, innovative teaching, advanced infrastructure and supportive technology. Similarly, we believe in the values and make all efforts to inculcate the core values of humanity in our students. Together, the policy has helped us create gems year after year.”

He said that the school takes the learning aspects of a student very seriously and in today`s world, science and technology plays an important role in day-to-day lives. Thus schools under the group have dedicated Science Lab equipped with the best equipment in the industry. From high quality test tubes and beakers, to the best in class microscopes and telescopes, are some of the instruments used to aid the children explore the different subjects in science such as physics and chemistry through experiments under the supervision of our highly qualified and experienced teachers.

However, what make it different are the additional facilities like 3D Science and Math lab that were introduced at the school eight years ago. The 3D Science and Math lab makes learning come alive, and helps students understand and relate to the abstract and tough concepts with ease. It facilitates an educator to bring about the best learning by combining concepts with real-life 3D simulations and visual representations. The third dimension of depth and distance makes things seem much more real than a picture. It leaves students in awe of the subject matter.

R&D

The school is also unique as it has a Research and Development Department (R&D), which is exclusively dedicated to encourage the scientific intrigue among the young minds. The R&D department strives to provide a practical approach to learning through designing assignments, assessments, chapter upshots and various hands on activities. The R& D team prepares different types of assessment on regular basis for vivid assessments throughout the year.

Vicky said, “We also encourage self-study and self-assessment. We keep telling students to study the subject matter at home in advance. If they go through the lesson once or twice, they will certainly learn about the subject matter to a certain extent. The entire concept will be clear in the classroom as the students have the option to ask the teacher to clear the doubt, if any. Just doing homework is not self-study. Similarly we have an online test facility for students of Grade 9-10, mainly for science and math.”

Another outstanding feature is the language lab. As per the directives of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and needs of the new era, the school has various scholastic and co-scholastic cells in order to instill practical and communicative skills among the students. Students are encouraged to enhance their skills by participating in debate, dramatics, group discussion, quiz competition, anchoring, news reading, news writing.

“Good communication skills are indispensable for the success of any profession. Language laboratories play a central role in the language learning process. The school has a state-of-art Language Lab with innovative tools to assist students with most appropriate pronunciation and boost their imagination skills in various languages including English, Hindi, Urdu and Sanskrit,” he added.

Future Plans

From 1996 to 2023, it has been a long journey for Vicky.  Now he wants his son, Vikalp Virani, to take this journey forward. 

Vikalp Virani has studied law. Currently, he is looking after the day-to-day affairs of the St. Paul’s High School, Izra, Hajipur, which is affiliated to the CBSE, New Delhi.

“He has not been given a free hand yet. He has to prove himself. He is too young now. He has time with him to learn the basics and get the exposure outside. He must make meaningful contributions for the betterment of the school. I am confident he will prove himself worthy of carrying out this glorious legacy,” said Vicky.

***

Milestones

1989:  St. Paul’s High School, Hajipur, was established.

2002: St. Paul’s High School’s news campus was established in Izra, Hajipur. It got the CBSE-affiliation till Grade 10.

2002: Academic activities started at the St. Paul’s High School, Izra, Hajipur.

2015: The CBSE, New Delhi, extended the school’s affiliation up to Grade 12.

2011: Neev, the playschool was established.

2017: St. Paul’s Academy, Meenapur, Hajipur, was established.

2018: Academic activities started from Grade 1-8 at St. Paul’s Academy, Meenapur, Hajipur.

2019: The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) awarded affiliation to St Paul’s Academy, Meenapur, Hajipur.

2019: Ranked 9^th Best Co-Ed Day School in Bihar by Education World India School Ranking 2019-20.

***

The Sadar Alam Memorial Secondary School

Reinventing education for the digital age

Intro

The glorious journey of the historic A.R. Academy, Bihar Sharif, started in 1983. By 2001, times changed and so did the contours of the illustrious institution. And thus, rising like the phoenix, came up a new institution - Sadar Alam Memorial Secondary School, which continues to scale new heights in the world of academics with stellar performances by the teachers and students, who have attained great places in their respective fields

Blurb

It’s a common phenomenon seen among parents going for a comparison over marks and grades with schools in state capitals and with those located in smaller towns. Even as the school imparts extensive and qualitative education, the lack of parental cooperation and their interest in the child`s day-to-day academic schedule continues to be a speedbreaker in most cases. Agreeably, where the new education policy adheres to the idea of not putting pressure on students, I am of the view that exertion for exemplary academic performance on students helps them to be seasoned at the grassroots level to carve a niche for themselves in the long run to success in life.

-- Rubina Nishat

Main Story

Nalanda was a great center of learning and knowledge in the world. Scholars from different countries used to visit Nalanda to study religion and philosophy. Established in the 5th century AD in Bihar, the world`s first residential university survived till 1197. The university went into oblivion only to appear again with its rediscovery in the 19th century.

However, the ruins of ancient Nalanda University continue to inspire many to reestablish the lost glory of the place. Former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam had mooted the idea of reviving the ancient Nalanda University in 2006. But, there was a young visionary who had made a serious effort much earlier to revive the love for learning in the residents of the neighboring areas, in an attempt to regain the lost glory.

Md. Khalid Alam Bhutto, a young resident of Bihar Sharif -- the administrative headquarters of Nalanda district of Bihar, always felt proud of being associated with this historic place but pained by the government`s apathy towards the educational scenario in the district.

One fine morning in 1983, he decided to establish a school to prepare the future generations as global citizens and proud flag-bearers of Nalanda. After a brief discussion with family and friends, he started a school in a corner of his house with three students and three teachers and named it A.R. Academy in honour of his grandfather who was a renowned teacher.

Recalling, School Director Md. Khalid Alam Bhutto said that he was the founder, principal, teacher, mentor, and promoter all in one. He used to visit door to door convincing parents to send their children to the school. Whenever a child bunked the school, he used to go home and bring the child on his bicycle.

Convinced by his dedicated efforts, soon people started sending their children to the academy. Every student was given individual attention which developed a close relationship between teachers and the students. This was good from an academic point of view as well.

Besides teaching the compulsory subjects, Khalid also added various activities useful for the all-round development of the students and made them capable of living healthily and usefully. The list included various co-curricular activities including music, dance, and drama, a cultural fair, a Science quiz, Math Olympiads, English language improvements through various activities including elocution contests, debates, extempore, and drama.

First year of its existence was crucial. But Khalid and his associates’ extraordinary efforts started to show good results. Soon, the A.R. Academy became the de-facto choice of the local community in Bihar Sharif.

The school maintained its stellar rise, added new classes every year, built new classrooms to accommodate increasing numbers of students, added new activities and appointed good teachers to keep improving academic performances. The students’ exceptional results in Board examinations further boosted its image.

The Calamity

The school remained the first choice of everyone till 2001, when a calamity struck the school. Due to some technical issues, the Bihar Board cancelled registration of more than 300 students of the school who were supposed to appear for the board examinations. It came as a shock to the school management and to parents as well. This brought a bad name to the school. All those students were withdrawn with immediate effect, and with them went their brothers, sisters or relatives.

Khalid was left heart-broken. Years of his selfless services were thrown to the dust. The school was on the verge of closing down.

In this crucial stage, his newly-married wife Rubina Nishat came to the forefront. She decided to make a start from scratch and regain the lost glory.

To give the school a new identity the husband-wife duo decided to run the school on the pattern set by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi, and adopted the name, Sadar Alam Memorial Secondary School, by which the high school was running.

A New Beginning

Rubina Nishat, who took charge as Principal, said that changing the board pattern and adopting a new name of the school was not enough. “People were not ready to trust us again,” she recalled.

In 2001, when they decided to adopt the CBSE-pattern, there were very few students in the senior classes. They focused on them. Gradually the number increased.

“The implementation of innovative ideas had made A.R. Academy the first choice of parents and we were convinced that only quality education and innovative methods of teaching will get us back to that position,” said Rubina.

“As soon as we decided to shift to the CBSE-pattern, we started making the changes to meet the CBSE demand. I have studied in a CBSE school, thus I was aware of the benefits of a school that follows the CBSE curriculum,” she added.

Recalling her association with the school, Rubina said that when she had joined the A.R. Academy, it was the best school in town. Every student used to score first division in the Board exams. Despite being connected to Bihar Board, it was in demand. The school used to refuse new admissions as it was running to full capacity. Even then, she had found abundant opportunities for improvements. She had felt the opportunity to enhance curricular and co- curricular activities, set up science labs, updated computer labs, to help students better understand the concepts.

“The decision to change gave me the opportunity to put all my experiences to practice. Our dedicated efforts didn’t go unnoticed. With the passage of time, the parents’ anger also subsided. The increasing number of students and parents’ trust gave us confidence. We decided to apply to the CBSE, New Delhi, for the school`s affiliation,” she said.

But every process was challenging. There was no Google or Godfather to guide them. They were not even aware that the CBSE had started receiving applications online, until they visited the board office to submit the application personally. Similarly, they were not even aware that a B.Ed degree was necessary to recruit teachers. They tried to bring teachers from outside Bihar, but it failed, no one was ready to stay here. Thus they hired teachers from the neighbouring areas and trained them.

Apart from the existing building, they acquired another plot of land spread over three acres for the new school building keeping in mind the CBSE norms.

“As it is said, doing is learning, we also learned the requirements necessary for  CBSE affiliation. We fulfilled their criteria and applied again. Finally, we got affiliation up to Grade 10th in 2008 and the affiliation for Grade 12th came in 2011,” she added.

Today, in a small district like Nalanda there are more than 45 CBSE affiliated schools. Many of them are branded ones that focus more on infrastructure.

“An outsider may compare our school with the new ones in the city and find out that the infrastructure of our school is not so modern, which is quite obvious. But, we have been offering all the facilities necessary for contemporary education. We never compromised on imparting quality education. Consequently, we produce successful students, who have been carrying the flag across the world.”

She stressed, “Time has changed, people’s mentality has changed. But we have firm belief that schools should be compared on the basis of imparting quality education, not just for its infrastructure.”

Apart from the scheduled term exams, the school conducts Unit tests and periodic tests according to the students’ inclination towards higher studies medical, engineering, civil services competitions frequently –  every month or every fortnight on the line of NEET/JEE tests and civil services examinations. They are suggested to keep them for posterity.

Challenges

Speaking about the challenges, Rubina said that she has been associated with the education system throughout her life, first as a student and later as teacher and administrator of a reputed school. Since she is also a keen observer, she has been noticing the changes educational institutions are going through.

She pointed out that there has been a sudden change in the attitude of students, parents and teachers. This is a recent phenomenon. It was not more than four-five years ago when parents used to send their wards to schools with the conviction that they will not just study from the textbooks but will also learn values from the teachers. Corporal punishment was not an alien thing in schools. The age-old ‘guru-shishya parampara’ was still in practice in the schools, degrees may vary.

But today, parents have a completely different thought. Similarly, teachers have also changed. There are lesser connections between teachers and their students. Parents, in general, think that they are paying for the education of their wards thus teachers should focus only on curricular and co-curricular activities. Bereft of the respect that they used to have throughout their career, they have also changed to suit the changing market demand. Thus, in most of the schools, teaching has also become a regular job where they are responsible to fulfill their duties during the school hours. This is quite unfortunate, but that is the reality.

It’s a common phenomenon seen among parents going for a comparative over marks and grades with schools in state capitals and with those located in smaller towns. Even as the school imparts extensive and qualitative education, the lack of parental cooperation and their interest in the child`s day-to-day academic schedule continues to be a speedbreaker in most cases.

“Agreeably, where the new education policy adheres to the idea of not putting pressure on students, I am of the view that exertion for exemplary academic performance on students helps them to be seasoned at the grassroot level in order to carve a niche for themselves in the long run to success in life,” she said.

The pandemic caused by Covid-19 and the lockdown that followed also affected children, their studies as well as their behaviour. The pandemic left a lasting impact on education, with deficits in learning at all stages facing backlogs, delays and complex issues.

She said, “The pandemic caused historic disruption to school education across the world. Schools located in small towns like Bihar Sharif were the most affected. Reduction in family income, limited access to digital resources, and the high cost of internet connectivity disrupted the academic life of the students. To mitigate loss of learning, we prepared the notes, got it scanned and sent to parents with a note that if the child is not able to attend online classes, he/she should study these notes.”

Proud Alumni

In the past four decades, the school has produced several brilliant students who made the school proud by achieving great heights in their career. Several of them became notable doctors, engineers, civil servants, bankers, many others decided to carve a niche for themselves in the field of film and music.

Rubina said, “For us every student deserves the same love and affection, but to inspire new students I can name a few of our proud alumni including famous doctors Dr M. Hayat, Dr Gyan Prakash, Dr Ghuncha Alam, Dr Dhananjay Goswami, filmmaker Sarfaraz Alam, Ahmad Khurshid, lawmaker Deepak Kumar.”

There was a student, Ameet Kumar, who got admitted in this school in Nursery and studied here till Grade 12. He successfully cracked the JEE Advanced and secured a seat in the prestigious IIT. After acquiring a B.Tech degree from IIT, he prepared for another most difficult competition, the UPSC and got selected as an IAS officer. “We felt proud to receive him as he visited his alma mater after such stellar accomplishments,” she said.

In 2011, when she went for Hajj, a former student was working as an officer at Jeddah Airport. Noticing the school name mentioned in the address line of the baggage tag, he met Rubina and introduced himself as a proud alumni of her school.

Same year, 2011, two of the school`s students got the President Awards. They went to Delhi, watched the Republic Day parade as well.

Social Service

In an attempt to fulfill his obligations towards the marginalised community of the society, Khalid started an evening school in 1997 to cater to the poor students. It continued till 2011. Children were taught for free by the same team of school teachers, whom he used to pay from his pocket. He used to give old books and stationery to the children as well. It gave good results. But with the RTE Act coming into force, it was discontinued and the students nominated by the government authorities were given admission in accordance with the 25 per cent reservation norms for the children of vulnerable sections.

“We follow the RTE norms strictly and maintain that 25 per cent students are from the marginalised communities. But the authorities should realise that just giving admission to a school is not enough. Because more than 60 per cent of those students do not follow school norms,” she said.

Elated by people’s response, Director Md. Khalid Alam Bhutto decided to diversify the services. Thus he has set up various other educational institutions. He started two teachers training colleges including Vikramaditya College of Education and the V. S. Group of Colleges in Khedu Bigha, Ekangar Road, Nalanda. He has also started the Rowshan Ara Motor Driving Training School, which is one of the two state-authorised motor driving schools in Nalanda. There is one more affiliated school with the same name. The Sadar Alam Memorial Secondary School at Mohanpur, Nalanda, is running successfully.

“I strongly wish to set up a medical college in Nalanda to fulfil the requirements of the region,” concluded Khalid.

Box

Milestone

1983: A.R. Academy, Bihar Sharif, started by Md. Khalid Alam Bhutto.

2001: Sadar Alam Memorial Secondary School, Bihar Sharif, was switched to CBSE.

2008: The CBSE granted affiliation till Grade 10th.

2011: School’s affiliation was upgraded up to +2 level by the CBSE, New Delhi.

2011: Two students of the school got the President Awards. They went to Delhi, watched the Republic Day parade as well.

***

The Scottish Public School

A journey of exponential growth  

Intro

The Scottish Public School, Katihar, is a classic example of how the troika of school, teachers and parents affects a child’s overall development and helps them excel in every sphere of life. Its extraordinary journey encompassing three decades proves its crucial role in shaping the future generation of Katihar

Blurb

“Our accomplishments over the past thirty years and our reputation as one of the top schools exemplify the success of our educational model – an international school with an Indian mind, an Indian heart and an Indian soul. All of these inspire us to continue to do our best, in preparing children for the 21st century.

– Dr. Avinash Kumar

“Our caring and committed teachers are our pillars of strength. They teach our children not just with their minds but with their hearts. They make learning enjoyable and rewarding, and inculcate in children the importance of sound values. Our excellent educational programmes are complemented by state-of-the-art facilities and resources, and our focus on sports and co-curricular opportunities facilitates children`s holistic education.

– Geet Avinash

 Main Story

Every city has a story to tell, and it tells its stories in a myriad of different ways. The residents of Katihar have their own story to tell. The story showcases the transformation of a remote town into a hub of knowledge through the journey of the Scottish Public School, Katihar. The school made a humble beginning in 1991 in a rented apartment in Katihar. Today it has become a group of senior secondary schools serving over 8,000 students.

This extraordinary journey showcases the untiring efforts of its founder Dr. Avinash Kumar. After completing his schooling at the famous Netarhat Vidyalaya, he went to Patna for higher education and earned a Masters degree from the prestigious Patna University. Later he went to the eminent Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and earned a PhD in Sociology.

Dr. Avinash Kumar was actively participating in social causes. It was his immense interest in serving the society that led him to start the first English school in Katihar. He founded the Scottish Public School in 1991 in a rented building with a few enthusiastic teachers full of vigour to impart quality education. Every teacher had the purpose to serve the society.

Geet Avinash, Director of Scottish Public School, Katihar, said, “The town was then struggling to grow with very few schools. When this school was set up in 1991, no one would have expected it to become such a big school with campuses in various corners of Katihar district as well as in the neighbouring district of Araria.”

He said, “Today, about 8,000 students study at five schools of the group. We are trying to help them grow in every possible manner. We are preparing them to become global leaders instead of helping just a few children to do well in their chosen fields. We are also fortunate that our students are taking their studies, sports all seriously.  They have been performing well in studies, sports in every possible manner and all round growth of the students.”

The school is preparing its students for global leadership in every field. They are trained not to constrain themselves to an extent where medical and engineering are considered the only path to success.

Geet said, “There are a wide range of courses to follow for a fulfilling career. And we are trying in every possible manner to help the students make an independent decision when the time comes and remain confident that they can excel in every field. To achieve this, we have equipped the school with the latest technology as well.”

“While only a few schools talk about AI and Robotics, we have set up two Robotics labs, teaching the students AI, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality ... whatever is required for modern day education,” he added.

Challenges

But it was not an easy journey. The school was started in a small rented apartment without any playground. There were times when other members in the family used to pitch in when a teacher was absent. Poor financial condition was another important aspect that posed some sort of challenges. A glance at the school campus reveals it as the entry to the campus is quite narrow but it has a sprawling campus behind the main building. That was because the land was purchased later on. The campus and buildings grew in different phases.

“Our focus remained on teachers and students. We always believed that teachers are the pillars. If we have good teachers, students will come. If we do not have good teachers, students will not come, no matter how big and modern the school building is,” he said.

The school started in 1991with limited classes -- Nursery to Grade 5. New classes were added every following year till it reached Grade 8. It was not upgraded further because students used to go to government schools for Grade 9^th and 10^th due to the board examinations. Till then, the CBSE-affiliated schools were only a few that too in the neigbouring districts Araria and Purnia.

“We had to wait till the scenario changed in favour of the CBSE-affiliated schools. We extended the facilities and got the Grade 10^th affiliation in 2004. First batch of about 70 students appeared for Grade 10 examination in 2004, all of them came out in flying colours, with most of the students scoring about 90 per cent. It gave a big boost to the school and the number increased substantially. For the next few years it continued till Grade 10.  

In 2010, the school got the affiliation for Grade 12. The six year gap was deliberate, as the management wanted to have proper set up, the required infrastructure and truly good teachers for the senior secondary classes. Since there was a lack of good teachers in Humanities in Katihar, the school limited its offering to Science and Commerce streams.

“Fortunately, everything went in the right direction. And we are here from a small rented apartment to this campus and with five independent schools,” he added.

Success stories

The school has many success stories to its credit. Recently, Shashank Sinha who studied from Grade 1-12 at the school cracked NEET 2023 and achieved AIR 4. He was a district topper in Grade 10th with 99 per cent and topped again in Grade 12th examination with 97.4 per cent.

There are many students who are working hard. Many of them cracked medical and engineering entrance tests successfully. Credit goes to teachers-students relations and their confidence in each other, their chemistry. The students have trust in the teachers that they will always guide them in the right direction and help them achieve what they desire. And the confidence of teachers on their students that they will follow whatever is taught by them.

Geet said that parents, teachers and school all three are important for a child’s overall development.

“We have provided whatever is necessary for a quality education -- fully equipped labs, a rich library and qualified teachers. We have complete trust in our teachers. They have the motivation to serve the students. The students have confidence that everyone around them is ready to help them achieve the best in their career. The guardian`s confidence matters as well. They must have confidence in the school,” he added.

He also pointed out that the guardian`s role is also important for a child’s overall growth. Giving quality time to them is a key factor. During PTMs, they are advised to give a certain amount of time to children every day. Otherwise it is not easy to achieve overall development of their wards. Their wards may lag behind in one or the other sphere of life.

Strength from Grade 10^th to 12^th goes down every year, because several students go to Kota, Delhi or Patna to prepare for competitive exams. This trend will change only when parents will realise and put their trust in good teachers available locally.

“We provide good teachers who guide the students to understand the subject matter. We tell them about the opportunities available here. We do career counseling and organise seminars for parents to tell them what is required for their wards’ actual development. We also invite psychologists to help them. We have counsellors who visit frequently. There are experienced teachers who also provide them with required guidance and emotional support,” he added.

Strength

Teachers are the great strength of this school. A good number of teachers have been associated for the past 10-12 years. The Principal and Vice Principal of the school have been with the school for the past 20-25 years. It gives confidence to parents as well. Even students feel safe with the same teachers.

Geet said, “Our caring and committed teachers are our pillars of strength. They teach our children not just with their minds but with their hearts. They make learning enjoyable and rewarding, and imbibe in children the importance of sound values. Our excellent educational programmes are complemented by state-of- the-art facilities and resources, and our focus on sports and co-curricular opportunities facilitates children`s holistic education.”

He pointed out that the school has also ensured to keep the curriculum updated with the constantly changing technology in education. We believe that a curriculum of excellence with a global dimension is central to the education of children to face the challenges of the 21st century with confidence and strength of character.

Holistic education

The school has formed various groups to promote extracurricular activities among students. Some of the groups are Health and Wellness Club, Nature Club, Literary Club and Science Club

Health and Wellness Club favourably influences the habits, attitude and knowledge relating to an individual and community. This club modifies the students’ behaviour towards the attainment of optimum health. It encourages students to maintain physical fitness which is an important component of wellness. 

The Nature Club aims at inculcating an appreciation of nature among students and encouraging them to participate in a variety of conservation initiatives. Its efforts include inviting leading environmentalists to the school to talk to students and sensitise them to the opportunities and challenges in addressing environmental issues, organising an annual tree planting day and participating in important nature-oriented programmes. Students also work on recycling waste and reduction of consumption on campus by recycling paper and providing support to the local rag-pickers of Barrackpore.

The objective of the Literary Club is to promote the literary seal amongst the students. The activities undertaken by the members of the club would encompass the promotion of student`s debate. Work closely with members of staff regarding the organisation of literary competitions and festivals, develop listening, speaking and writing skills, to learn to be a part of group discussions, extempore speech, debate etc. The school also hosts an English fiesta, a week-long literature festival every year.

The Science Club helps students to acquire basic knowledge of science. To develop a scientific way of learning, to develop awareness of and concern for scientific issues in personal , social , environmental and technological contexts. The students are taught the different concepts of science through interesting activities.

Expansion

The extraordinary performances of students of the Scottish Public School, Katihar, have made it popular across the district as well as in the neighbouring districts. A number of parents sent their wards to the hostel. But it was not possible for most of the parents. Soon, parents from various locations requested the management to open branches of the school in their neighbourhood.

Geet said that starting a new school was a great challenge. But the increasing public demand compelled us to start schools in various locations as it was difficult for students to travel 25-30 kilometres every day.

Today, the Scottish Public School has become a group of institutions running four schools in Katihar and one in Araria.

Second school of the group was established in Araria, with the same name -- Scottish Public School, Araria .This school is also affiliated by the CBSE up to +2 level. It is currently serving about 1300 students.

Third school, Scottish English School, was opened in Katihar town to serve students of the junior classes, from Nursery to Grade 4, as it was getting difficult for the young children to travel to the main campus.

Scottish Ideal School, Semapur, Katihar, became the fourth one which is serving about 800 students from Nursery to Grade 10. Fifth school of the group was established in Barsoi, Katihar, with the same name Scottish Public School.

The management is planning to open a new school in Manihari, Katihar, which is approx 25 kilometres away from the first school. Land has been acquired, construction will begin soon.

The management is also planning to start a new campus of the parent school in Katihar town which will serve students from Nursery to Grade 8. Academic activities at the new campus will begin in 2025.

“The decision to open new schools was part of our mission with which we started the first school in 1991. As the population is growing, opening new schools has become necessary. Our focus remains on good teachers and every student’s overall development. We do not go after numbers. We go after quality. We go after Truth, Service and Discipline. These words are the three pillars that have kept us standing tall for the past three decades and we will continue to follow it,” concluded Geet.

-Ends-

Box

Milestones

1991: Scottish Public School, Katihar, started in a rented apartment in Katihar.

2004: Extended the facilities up to Grade 10^th and got affiliated by the CBSE, New Delhi.

2004: First batch of about 70 students appeared for Grade 10 examination, all of them came out in flying colours.

2010: The school got affiliation up to Grade 12.

It was followed by three more schools in various parts of Katihar and one in Araria.