Self Improvement
School / University: DPS Rohini School
GH4/57 Paschim Vihar Paschim Vihar - Delhi - (India)
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Elite schools, grounded studentsAbhijit Patnaik, Hindustan TimesNew Delhi, September 07, 2012 Shriram School at Vasant Vihar. Photo: Vipin Kumar/Hindustan TimesOne must fight the natural urge to declare a ranking of schools in south-west Delhi as a clash of the titans. These schools are the gold standard, they set the benchmarks. For years, Delhi Public School, RK Puram and Modern School, Vasant Vihar, were the it schools (for very differentreasons, of course). In the last decade, Vasant Valley and The Shri Ram School, Vasant Vihar, have become the talk of town. According to the 2012 HT-C fore Top Schools survey, The Shri Ram School (TSRS) has lost its coveted number 1 rank to Vasant Valley school. TSRS has been a consistent Top Ten in previous surveys, and two years ago, it had finished top of the podium, albeit, by a nose (the 2011 survey did not carry number ranks, only a list of top ten schools). With the highest scores on the innovative teaching, individual attention to students and many other parameters, Vasant Valley has, for the first time, topped the overall charts.TSRS has jointly topped the extra-curricular activities parameter with Springdales, Dhaula Kuan. There are a few hat-tricks as well. DPS, RK Puram, which has built a reputation around its excellent academic performance, has scored one, by topping the academic rigour parameter. TSRS has scored another, by topping the competence of teachers category again this year (jointly with Vasant Valley).The competition between schools is a figment of our imagination, schools insist. We arent looking over our shoulder, said Arun Kapur, director, Vasant Valley. Schools may not be competing with each other, but are competing with ourselves, with what we are providing to the students, said Madhulika Sen, principal, Tagore International, Vasant Vihar. We believe in simple, steady and continuous growth, she said.Schools in this part of Delhi have long sent students to the best universities in India and abroad. What makes them so special? Our teachers are passionate about children. We invest a lot in training, answered Manika Sharma, principal, TSRS.Vasant Valley, apart from a continuously evolving and improving the curriculum, radically changes its approach every 5 years. We have a full staff meeting where we redesign every aspect of the school, so that if we use a certain methodology, everyone knows why its there. We have a curriculum for both students and teachers, said Kapur.Schools, given their limited options with expanding big physical infrastructure, are upgrading other things, both tangible and intangible. The biggest is the curriculum, the methodology used to teach, and the tools needed to impart this curriculum. The future of education in Delhi is in embracing technology, said Sen.Brand equityBased in affluent colonies such as Vasant Vihar and Anand Niketan, some schools here are accused of being elitist. How do they respond? Yes, the longevity of the school has created a certain brand equity. But our school is not there yet, most of our students come from Vasant Kunj, not Vasant Vihar or Anand Niketan. We have a lot of defence officers children, said Sen.Kapur agrees, but elaborates further. If elitism is defined as being the best in something, then we are guilty as charged. In our 22-year-old school, we have always had 1,200 students. We are not looking to expand this number we are not a corporate looking for 10% annual growth. The only thing we want to expand is our students minds, he said. Students in these schools couldnt have it any better. Our teachers are not so strict, we are allowed to have fun, said Kabir Oberai, a Class 5 student at TSRS.Information gathered from Internet from Click Here