The most coveted “NATIONAL AWARD TO TEACHERS – 2013” was conferred on Dr.D.K. Pandey, Principal of N.C. Jindal Public School, Punjabi Bagh (W), New Delhi- 110026 by Hon’ble President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, on the auspicious occasion of Teachers’ Day i.e. 5th September, 2014 at Vigyan Bhawan, Delhi, in recognition of his constant endeavour and outstanding contribution in the field of education.
Innovative, Compassionate, Respected and a Visionary are the highlights of Mr. Pandey’s long career in the field of education. He is currently Group Advisor to Kamal Vandana & Trinity Group of Educational Institutions, Delhi doing what he has believed in throughout his life “Children are born with innate capacities and potentials. They need to be encouraged with the instruments of motivation and guidance.” Below is an excerpt from an exclusive interview with Mr. Dilip Kumar Pandey, Former Principal, N C Jindal Public School, Delhi.
Indi Times (Indi): Do you want your students to be studious in academic career or you want to make them better human being or both?
D K Pandey (DKP): Making better human beings is the motto of any educational institution. We believe that children are born with innate capacities and potentials that need to be encouraged with the instruments of motivation and guidance. Our dedicated team of facilitators, the teaching fraternity and the whole ambience provide a conducive environment for learning scholastic and co-scholastic aspects, wherein the intellect is sharpened, imagination is kindled, dreams are nurtured and destinies are shaped. They are enlightened with the refining fires of discipline and duty, service and sacrifice; they emerge as a strong individual to face the challenges of the community as well groomed citizens.
Indi: What is the education you are catering to students to make him a good human being as well as excel in his career?
DKP: We endeavour to develop in each student the following:
- Good health and physical fitness enabling the student to be energetic.
- Appreciation for ethical, cultural and patriotic values as a world citizen.
- Understanding and appreciation of cultural, scientific, technical, economic and political ideas and practices with respect to globalization and technological achievement in the world.
- Mastery of the skills of communication and learning.
- The ability to think clearly, logically and independently.
Indi: What is specific about your school that other schools don’t have?
DKP: We believe in high thinking and simple living. And this is being seen anywhere and everywhere when you go around in the campus. We believe in simplicity but we are modest, we are latest and strive for the best.
Indi: What are the initiatives you are taking for co-curricular activities?
DKP: Especially for co-curricular we have in house facilities. The entire student community is distributed into houses. There are different competitions amongst the houses. The various activities are Vocal music, Instrument music, Home Skills, Craft, Sculpture, Computer Science, Dance, Drawing and Painting.
Indi: New and small centers are coming up with new and innovative ideas. As an educationist what are the new initiatives you are taking to excel?
DKP: Most important Technology is to be used by teachers and students alike. We have to adopt the latest technology available professionally and we have to empower teachers with different capacity building programmes. We arrange orientation courses at regular interval for our teachers. They exercise the outcome of the workshop in the real classroom scenarios. We are confident that when we enter into 2023 our teachers will be better geared technologically as per the day’s requirement.
Indi: New initiates taken by western school – no school for ages 3 to 6. Do you support it?
DKP: No schooling does not mean no learning. They want to transform the form of education for a child before they enter the wall of the schools. To implement this you need to have the equipment and technology with you. You need to have the environment with you. They have lot of parameters available to them. In absence of those parameters in India, schooling becomes very much relevant in Indian context and scenario considering socio-economic-political nature of the country.
Indi: Any plans for better future of your institutions?
DKP: We continuously keep monitoring our progress. Result should not be sole criteria for measuring the excellence of the institution. We are working on introducing international dimension to the curriculum. We believe networking and collaboration will be the order of the day and we are striving in this direction.
