R.K. Ganeriwal

Far from the madding crowd, in the lush environs of Amingaon near Guwahati, the last of the brick and mortar is being laid for Sarala Birla Gyan Jyoti School. A co-educational English-medium higher secondary school affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the school is set to commence session for its primary section from April 2004. The concept was born at the initiative of the North Eastern Development and Finance Corporation Limited (NEDFi). It is a venture of Jayshree Tea & Industries Limited, a well-diversified conglomerate of the B.K. Birla Group, that enjoys countrywide renown for imparting quality education.

R.K. Ganeriwala, secretary, Jayshree Tea & Industries and Birla Vidya Vihar Trust, promises that the school will provide the “stepping stone to brilliant futures” while creating the ambience of an extended home. In a recent interview to Monideepa Choudhuri, Ganeriwala elucidated on the upcoming institution and how it will change the face of quality education here.

Excerpts:

Q What is your impression about the education scenario here?

A As far as my knowledge goes, there are not many educational institutions in the Northeast that concentrate on the all-round development of a child with the added advantage of an affordable education. In order to prepare students as mature performers for the future, quality learners have to be build up in the early stages. For this we need quality educational institutions at affordable costs.

Q What difference are you seeking to make with Sarala Birla Gyan Jyoti?

A It is an honour and privilege for the B.K. Birla Group to set up a school here. In today’s world, a student should be equipped with both academic excellence as well as knowledge of practical life. Sarala Birla Gyan Jyoti hopes to mould students into all-rounders.

The school will have modern infrastructure that will provide the best of academic, sports and other facilities in Assam.

The teacher-student ratio will be maintained at 1:25 in each class. Education will be based on an interactive level where teaching will be actively oriented and fun-based which will empower the students to grow continually as individuals.

Q Do you plan to incorporate modern teaching methods, like television for instance?

A Yes, definitely. Ours will perhaps be the only institution in Assam which will provide televisions in classrooms as a tool to aid learning. Lessons will be moulded according to classroom requirements. Continuous efforts will also be made by the teaching faculty to keep themselves updated with modern methods of teaching. Workshops and seminars will be undertaken from time to time to help teachers upgrade their level of knowledge.

Q Of late, the tuition culture has become the bane of quality education. Do you think your 1:25 teacher-student ratio can tackle it effectively?

A Since the teacher-student ratio in each class in our school will be 1:25, it is obvious that each teacher will be able to give personal attention to each child and help him/her progress. In case a particular child is a slow learner, the teacher can also devote special attention and improve matters. For students who are unable to cope well academically, project work and other methods for comprehension will be employed. Education will be more activity-oriented than theoretically-inclined. This itself will draw out a child from the difficulties which he/she might experience in the classroom.

Q How different do you plan to make the Birla school from the other new schools that have come up recently?

A We are operating a number of schools and educational institutions of high repute in various parts of the country. The schools set up by the group have carved a niche for themselves not only in the area they operate, but throughout the country. Even here, our aim will be to provide opportunities for the development of academic abilities of students and at the same time encourage them to become creative, innovative and imaginative. Sarala Birla Gyan Jyoti School has been designed to have spacious and airy classrooms supported by modern teaching aids to facilitate a scientific and planned education programme. The specialised facilities will include a large, well-stocked library, well-equipped laboratories for physics, chemistry, biology and bio-technology, specialised laboratories for geography, psychology, home science and mathematics and computer-aided learning programme along with computer education and audio-visual room among others.

Q What will be the mission statement of the school?

A We believe that childhood is the foundation of life. A child enters school for formal education and departs after realising his/her true potential and becoming a responsible citizen. Quest for knowledge thus begins in school. Our mission is to provide multiple opportunities for an integrated development of body and mind, to foster traditional Indian practices and values while cultivating a global outlook, to provide conceptual understanding of the curriculum, to inculcate social and community awareness so that the students grow up to be compassionate, patriotic citizens and to encourage students to acquire self-knowledge and venture on the path of self-realisation.

Q There is a lot of expectation from the Birla school. How would you fulfil them?

A The B.K. Birla Group has a long experience in education. This will surely give us an edge. The group has institutions all over India and each one of them is special in its own way. Our faculty will be one of the best. The learning environment will be conducive to the all-round growth of a child. Facilities will be modern and updated from time to time. A well-equipped laboratory, well-stocked library, wonderful blending of physical education along with art and culture shall be taken up and most importantly, a stress-free environment will be ensured. All this at an affordable price. To enable students to perform well there would be no formal examination till class II. Here the students would be graded by being observed at all levels, indoor/outdoors. Short educational trips will also be taken up from time to time. We plan to be on our toes and in with the times every moment.

Q Does the B.K. Birla Group plan to set up more such schools in the region?

A Right now, no. However, Sarala Birla Gyan Jyoti will be developed in phases to provide education to around 2,200 students in due course of time.