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"In all stages of life and also in various activities, I deem education as most important, considered from all angles. I feel that by creating the Maneckji Cooper Education Trust in the name of my dear father, I have done the right thing. Created with good intentions, may this Cooper Trust be a success for all times to come,” so wrote Jehangirji Maneckji Cooper on September 15, 1959.

Established that year by Jehangirji in memory of his father with just seven students, the Maneckji Cooper Education Trust School (MCETS) has created leaders, entrepreneurs, sportspersons, artistes, thinkers and visionaries for the last 65 years. The student enrolment in the co-ed School for 2023-24 was 1,732 according to the website maneckjicooperschool.org.

A new building is one of the highlights of their grand 65th year celebration. Chairman and managing trustee Firdose Vandrevala who has been instrumental in its execution noted, "The recently inaugurated state-of-the-art building is not the only visible change taking place. Our teachers are actively implementing the New Education Policy and the National Curriculum Framework to make our children future-ready. The focus is on critical and analytical thinking, experiential learning and collaborative working.”

Principal Persis Wadia remarked that it was touching to see their own students, who are now practicing mobeds (across agiaries and colonies), perform the jashan at the new building’s inauguration on October 20, 2024.

With abundant support forthcoming from the Tata Trusts and Tata Sons, the School’s partners in this venture, the revamping is planned in two phases. While phase one began in 2018, it suffered a setback because of Covid and multiple other issues. But they remained undeterred through it all. To get the children to their respective classes and have space or setting for educational purposes was of prime importance. The School ran in shifts through phase one, and will continue to do so until the second phase is completed. It is remarkable to note that not a single day was lost on account of the construction, stated Wadia. 

The second phase started recently and is expected to be completed in the next two to three years, she noted. This will result in the School having more classes, additonal recreational space, a mini auditorium, a performing arts room, a music room and an extended library, amongst other facilities.

The structure overlooks Juhu beach with most of the classes being sea facing. The scenic location is one of the most attractive aspects of the School.

 

Change is the only constant 

Initially MCETS followed the Cambridge Board curriculum but this changed. At present it follows the ICSE (Indian Certificate of Secondary Education) curriculum and has now applied for an ISC (Indian School Certificate) affiliation. 

Today there isn’t just a growing demand for schools, but for schools that are multi-board, says Wadia. There are a lot of schools using ICSE, IB (International Baccalaureate) and IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) syllabi simultaneously. 

Amy Billimoria, chief executive officer at MCETS states, "We have done a sort of self-reflection. We believe that we are an excellent School, with a beautiful legacy, but how do we reinvent ourselves further? We are seeking inspiration from other leading schools. Till now, we’ve been looking inwards, but it’s now time to look outwards. You cannot do what you did last year. You need to continue changing and keep thinking of new things.” 

With more than 25 years of experience as an academician and a journey of 20+ years at MCETS, Wadia tells us about some of the differences in the students and faculty back then and today. "Fortunately, as far as teachers go, we have an average teacher tenure of about 20 years. A lot of the teachers who have been with us still continue. MCETS has a highly grounded philosophy. We are a small, close-knit family. We like a small, homely environment where every teacher knows every student. It’s a wonderful feeling to see teachers teaching the children of their former students! 

 

"Today’s children, however, are more vocal,” Wadia says. "They question a lot, and that’s a good thing. They are inquisitive, curious, and in fact all these things are very much a part of the New Education Policy which encourages children to ask questions and not simply accept information in a laidback manner. We encourage that. Of course, along with it, comes a set of discipline issues and parental involvement. But, by and far, we are doing pretty fine.”

Students are given academic counseling at two stages, says the principal. The first one is in the eighth grade, when they have to select their subjects. This is vital, as at that time they have to choose about whether they want to take up math, science or economics. The second session happens in grade 10, to give them a perspective on whether they are moving in the right direction. 

The students passing out from the School usually enter various streams, such as State Board, ISC, CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education), or perhaps an integrated course. A few of them have gone in for IB as well. 

The School also supports students with mental health counseling and special educators, as and when required. 

Speaking about how the School plays a balancing act between achieving without overwhelming or pressurizing the students, Wadia says, "The School is trying to incorporate the New Education Policy that was introduced in 2020. A lot of it deals with making children global citizens. Keeping those things in mind, we are incorporating experiential learning. We are teaching them robotics and artificial intelligence (AI). We have smart boards in every classroom. So, basically, they have access to AI at their fingertips. At the end of the day, teaching has to be humane. If we do not incorporate a future readiness, then we are doing our children a big disservice. We need to keep in mind that they are going to be working with the best in the industry and we have to prepare them for the road ahead.”

The School is a minority, unaided institution, with the lowest fee strata (around Rs 1,20,000 for a year) in and around the area, despite offering state-of-the-art educational and recreational facilities, says Wadia.

Online vs offline

Social Media Titans, an in-house group of reporters and publishers, create media posts. Striking the right balance between going the digital and social media way and still picking up a physical book is a challenge. Wadia notes, "We plan to start activity clubs next year with resource people such as Raell Padamsee and Shiamak Davar thereby encouraging children to do what they love. We also have library periods, classes on moral values, general knowledge, life skills, critical thinking, value education, etc, which go beyond the textbooks. There is only so much that one can do as far as a subject is concerned, but these skills will prepare our children for their tomorrow.”

While the School is forward thinking, it also believes that the right amount of discipline is necessary. With Australia taking the lead in introducing the Online Safety Act 2021 that requires age-restricted social media platforms to take rational steps to prevent Australians under 16 years from having accounts on their platforms, Wadia believes such a policy "could be introduced in India as well. I don’t see any downside to it. And it’s not like you’re clamping down on it completely. You’re just ensuring that it’s not available for everyone all the time. That bit of control is needed. One requires some maturity to handle social media, and everybody doesn’t have it, especially considering that children are highly impressionable. Perhaps they think that everything they see is true. 

  now designated as school leaders

 "We don’t allow children to use phones in the classroom. Up to grade eight, they are not supposed to have phones at all. Parents of students studying in grades nine and 10 have requested us to permit their children to carry phones as they go for tuitions, etc which are beyond school hours, and the parents are thus concerned about their children’s safety. While we permit them to bring their phones, the devices are given to their respective class teachers in the morning. The teacher places the phones under lock and key. At the end of the day, when the children are about to disperse, the phones are returned to them. And if someone doesn’t surrender a phone, we confiscate it  and don’t return it till the end of the year.” 

Billimoria notes that at a recently held alumni meet two or three students from the very first batch remembered their school days clearly. The batch comprised seven boys. (The School’s website notes that 6,900 students have passed out to date.)

She adds, "Onwards, upwards, better, improved, even more — this is the constant mantra in the never-ending journey towards excellence that our School is committed to. So, whether it is infrastructure, facilities, offerings or methodology, the School is always committed to achieving more year after year!”