Two school educators, Dr Cyrus Vakil and Benaifer Kutar were termed "iconic leaders” who have successfully introduced information technology into the classroom. They were among 25 principals and heads of Bombay schools felicitated in an online function by Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at an online function on September 12, 2020. Parsiana checked with both awardees on how online classes have impacted teachers and students. Vakil has a master’s degree and a doctorate in cultural and economic history from Yale University. Recognized as a pioneer of the International Baccalaureate system of education in India, he has been heading Bombay International School (BIS) since 2016. Kutar is currently serving in her 11th year as principal of The J. B. Petit High School for Girls (JBP), after 25 years of association with her School in various teaching roles.
"Younger children, whose learning needs to be much more social and who cannot be expected to sit in front of screens for long periods have been most affected (by online schooling). With parents now returning to their jobs, it has become even harder,” stated Vakil. He likened the coronavirus pandemic to the economic crisis of 2009 that led to much-needed financial reforms. He believes that "a meaningful entry of information technology into education” was long overdue. "The most obvious effect is teachers becoming tech-savvy… Their students already were,” he quipped. Kutar agrees. Transitioning from the classroom to the cloud has "increased teacher confidence around technology and e-platforms… Teachers are discovering, experimenting, innovating and sharing what works and what doesn’t,” she stated. "Teaching through tech will continue beyond Covid-19 in many areas where it has proven effective,” Vakil stated.
From l: Benaifer Kutar, Dr Cyrus Vakil, Marazban Patrawala, Dr Hutoxi Aibara
Online schooling has led to "a welcome de-emphasizing of examinations which cannot be reliably conducted in home environments,” said the BIS principal. Schools saw that often students learnt better without exams hanging like a sword of Damocles over their head. "Assessment through take-home projects meaningfully entered Indian schools… Students, teachers and parents saw it work... And it was fun… It taught them useful skills which pen-and-paper exams do not. And they aren’t giving it up, whatever fossilized exam boards tell them,” he stated.
Education in times of Covid-19 has reminded us about the role of teachers as motivators, as catalysts, as interpreters, stated Vakil. "With the rise of tuition classes geared toward acing exams, teachers and teaching were being seen as increasingly redundant… Robots will never replace teachers any more than they will replace nurses, writers, or parents. They are what keeps education human.”
To Kutar too, the pandemic "is a stark reminder of the critical importance of school systems, not just as places of learning, but of socialization and mentorship, care and nurturing,” It has underscored the critical importance of the human teacher as central to effective teaching-learning, a pivotal force to build deeper understandings.
Current times have posed questions to educators like: "How can we ensure that students remain physically safe, emotionally healthy, and academically engaged? How do we support them through the anxieties of this year like the fear of contracting and spreading the virus, falling behind in academics, losing out on social interactions and missing out on extracurricular activities?” she stated.
The pandemic has "highlighted the digital divide; deep inequities not just in who has screens and bandwidth, but also who has the skills to self-direct their learning and work independently,” stated the JBP principal.
Looking ahead, Kutar said that when things brighten up, "although there may well be gaps in content knowledge and skills, I will be content knowing that our students are more resilient to the challenges of adversity, that they understand that life can sometimes be uncertain and unpredictable, but have the skills, inner grit and resolve to navigate and cope when things don’t turn out quite as expected.”
The awards were instituted by the Innovative Schools Union, headed by educator and former sheriff Dr Indu Shahani.
Teacher of 25 years’ standing at Sir Cowasji Jehangir Navsari Zarthoshti Madressa High School, Marazban Patrawala was awarded, along with six other teachers, the title of Best Teacher in Gujarat state in September this year. While he teaches mainly English, Patrawala is also associated with cultural, sports and National Cadet Corps activities, he noted in an email to Parsiana. During the tenure of his service, more than 150 students trained after school hours, got themselves enrolled at various cadres in the police and army, he stated. Under his mentorship, more than 300 students represented the School at the national level in various sports, added Navsari-based WZO (World Zoroastrian Organisation) Trust Funds trustee Aspi Ambapardiwala. Patrawala has trained School students to deliver victorious performances in the "Khel Mahakumbh,” a sports event organized by the state government, he noted.
Principal at Sadhana Education Society’s Malti Dalal High School in Santa Cruz, Dr Hutoxi Aibara was recognized with the Acharya Chanakya Shikshavid Samman 2020 (award for educationists) on August 29, 2020. The award, instituted by Fun2Learn, a company dedicated to make learning fun for children, was given for "creating sustainable difference, outstanding contribution and quantum of work in the field of education in the Covid-19 pandemic,” she told Parsiana on November 5. Around 700 principals were awarded all over India. Aibara’s previous engagements include principalships at Gyan Kendra Secondary School and Junior College, and Girton High School.