IIM trained principals share feedback on education reforms

A group of government school principals, who recently returned from IIM-Lucknow, after being trained under, have outlined various ways of improving the education system of the city.

A group of government school principals, who recently returned from IIM-Lucknow, after being trained under, have outlined various ways of improving the education system of the city.

Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia asked principals to be ‘critical’ while giving their feedback about ways to improve teaching methods in schools. (Sonu Mehta/HT file photo)

The group, consisting 60 principals, were sponsored for the training program at IIM-Lucknow as part of the Delhi government’s teachers’ training initiative.

The principals, who participated in a feedback meeting with deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and officials from the directorate of education on Thursday, underlined conducting regular meetings with parents to sensitize them about women safety and making subject committees to focus on teaching as two important plans to improve the education system of the Capital.

“We need to know whatever the teachers learnt after their training programme. We will communicate the feedback to IIM-Lucknow and to teams from IIM-Ahmedabad and Cambridge University who will be in Delhi soon to hold more training sessions,” said Sisodia. He encouraged principals to “be critical” while giving their feedback.

He also asked principals to tell about the “concrete steps” they have taken in their schools, motivated by the programme.

“Mothers of girl students will be called for meeting at regular intervals for interaction with us. We will try to educate them about issues around women safety,” said Sarita Batra, principal of girls senior secondary school BC Block, Sultanpuri.

Another principal said that her school would focus on key performance indicators and improve them. “We are trying to put to use whatever we learnt during our training. I will conduct subject committee meetings to improve academics and focus on performance indicators,” said Kavita Rana, principal Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, Vasant Vihar.

Another principal said that her school will focus on creative ways of teaching, including encouraging students to read more books and teach using story telling.

The government, which has dedicated this year to focus on teachers’ training, will also be sending principals to Cambridge University for training exercise next.

Recently the Delhi government allocated `10,690 crore — 22.9% of the total budget outlay for 2016-17 — to the education sector by focusing on training programmes and physical infrastructure. The government also allocated `102 crore for international training of principals and teachers in the budget.