MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A VERY-VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR AHEAD!
Dear Readers
The importance of education is not hidden from anyone of us and we all know that after our breath, it is the most important ingredient of our life. Education should be for all because an educated person can think clearly, critically analyse aspects and reach to dignified decisions for his/her mental or physical growth. However in the path of success, the villain, ‘anxiety’, at times disturbs us. This New Year, 2023, we should have ‘Practising Mindfulness,’ as the foremost resolution. Mindfulness is very important, hence before reading about NEP, let us know go down MRIS VIBES and understand what mindfulness is and how it can help us to achieve what we want in our lives!
References:
1. https://mris.edu.in/blog/minding-mindfulness-toddlers/
2. https://mris.edu.in/blog/the-meditating-medicine/
As we understand the importance of education, we also have to understand our education system and NEP 2020. MRIS VIBES is making serious efforts to bring forth the endeavours of Manav Rachna International Schools’ fraternity in this direction. Here is a quick glance on the same by Deepti Arora, Headmistress, Manav Rachna International School, Sector 51, Gurugram. ~ Editor
From the Author’s Desk
“Let knowledge grow from more to more.” Tennyson
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The world we see around us has advanced exponentially; but still is cringed with catastrophic tragedies. This urges us all to contemplate and crave for a learning model that is holistic in approach. The need of the hour is to groom our young learners in a way that they are equipped with academic knowledge with practical know-how and are prepared to face the challenges of life’s complexities.
Education in today’s era should encapsulate all the significant real-life skills that children need to equip themselves for an unpredictable tomorrow. Thus, the question is, how do we do justice to children of today? The solution is by providing a learning environment that sets the much-needed foundation for lifelong learners through developing real-life skills, including mental well-being and a maker’s mind-set so that they can excel and thrive in the future.
The success of any institution is determined by the impact it creates in the young minds-the minds that will one day grow to become the pioneers of this generation. To ignite fire of quest in the budding talents and to have a thirst for lifelong learners is a continual process to facilitate such inquisitive thought, is what NEP 2020 is all about.
With NEP 2020 already in flow states that the pursuit of knowledge (Gyana), wisdom (Pragya) and Truth (Satya) together are the highest goals in Indian thought, philosophy and Education. The policy aims to develop good human capable of becoming critical thinkers with scientific temper, creative imagination. It aims at empowering students with the zeal to overcome any obstacle in life. It aims to provide opportunities to get our students future leaders of our country.
NEP 2020 focuses on the National Research Foundation because innovation is one of the most crucial parts for a country to progress.
With the Motto to Educate, Enrich and Empower, MRIS has always been at the forefront of innovation in education, adapting to the new trends and technologies. With a child-centred approach as the core of the learning experience, education at MRIS is aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP2020).
As per NEP 2020, we at MRIS, give the highest priority to building strong foundations early in a child’s life and hence as educators, we are sure that this will have a great start to a child’s education.
Complying with the guidelines of NEP, the school has been focusing on harmonious and inclusive education, inculcating theoretical knowledge to learners and providing equal opportunities technology blended in education.
Right from the Early Years, MRIS, Curriculum is aligned with NEP 2020,and focuses on Futuristic Curriculum & Methodology to develop 21st– century skills in children. This is the need of the hour to prepare students to compete in the global world. MRIS pedagogy manifests itself through purposeful activities and experiences, which are an integral part of the futuristic, integrated, challenging, flexible, and comprehensive curriculum, taking into account all aspects of holistic development.
We focus on a play way method that gives a lot of activity-based learning exposures to children, and simultaneously we work on developing the skill sets that prepare them as lifelong learners.
The pedagogy of ECCE is quite flexible, multi-faceted, multi-level, play-based, activity-based, and inquiry-based learning-comprising of alphabets, languages, numbers, counting, colours, shapes, indoor and outdoor play, logical thinking, problem-solving, music, etc.
Experiential learning allows kids to engage in their preferred areas of interest and to work through problems as they would face in real-life situations. It also aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people geared to succeed.
Another aspect that the NEP 2020 talks about is integrated learning, wherein arts-integrated, sports-integrated pedagogies must be adopted. The focus is to shift to a more holistic approach wherein two or more subjects would be taught in an integrated manner.
Art-integrated education at MRIS is embedded in classroom transactions not only for creating joyful classrooms but also for imbibing the Indian ethos through the integration of Indian Arts and culture in the teaching and learning process, which strengthens the linkages between education and culture.
Everyone around and NEP talks about the skill sets. We need to have a curriculum that fosters creativity, imagination, and logical thinking, where children are ready to face challenges and reach to a conclusion-decision making, and collaboration. So, when we talk about all these skill sets, MRIS have always shone bright when it comes to demonstrating extraordinary capability in adopting new pedagogies to foster creative and critical thinking, collaborative and problem-solving skills. We have included ICT coding, Tinkering, Media and Design, and a lot in their curriculum. Today, we need to provide maximum opportunities to our students so that they practically learn and deliver.
To name a few pedagogies of NEP 2020:
Project-based learning, Flip learning classes, Storytelling & Show and Tell activities, Inquiry-based approach – It empowers students to take ownership of their learning so that it becomes a lifelong pursuit. Our curriculum differs markedly from the more rigid, or knowledge-based, approach to learning, connecting real-world situations to academics through UNSDG programs, Inter clan activities -It is one of the most significant benefits of this approach, pushing students to learn from trial and error and succeed on their interpretations and logical deductions. This equips them with techniques that will eventually be used later in their lives, Student-centric approach – Children take responsibility for making choices about what they will learn and explore. The teacher acts more as a partner to guide the child in their journey, Opportunities & Participation FS & S – Tinkering, Life skills, social media, Artificial Intelligence, ICT, UNSDG, Collaborative teaching, Peer Teaching, Rush Programs, Cooperative Learning, Application of the theory of multiple intelligences:
Students are exposed to a variety of experiences that engage or stimulate the different kinds of intelligence in them. I can proudly say here that Institutions like ours would not need to undergo a major change.
MRIS believe the words of the author Alvin Toffler, which states that the illiterate of the 21st Century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and re-learn. If students want to compete in this global society, they must be proficient communicators, creators, critical thinkers, collaborators, and Citizenship (global and local-the ‘5Cs’).
We at MRIS are scaling greater heights, and we continue relentlessly in our pursuit to strive for excellence at every step.
After all, we all are seeking to embellish the world pictured by Rabindranath Tagore-
“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high”.
Author: Deepti Arora, Headmistress, MRIS, Mayfield Gardens, Gurugram
