Celebrating Inspiring Women in the Field of Education on International Women’s Day
The central role of women in society, throughout history, has ensured the stability, progress and long-term development of nations. The world is incomplete without women. They are natural creators, who share a sense of completeness that the world consistently longs for.
India has a plethora of inspiring women right from the pre-independence period. Women are highly capable of logically and creatively shaping society.
Understanding the background of India is vital. The mindset of the society has largely been patriarchal, and despite times evolving, certain notions and stereotypes pertaining to gender differences are still prevalent. Also, the fact that India is a developing nation indicates that it has its grassroots problems. Thus, simple comforts and basic rights have been a far-fetched goal for women in the country. Education has been a distant dream for many women.
However, despite being oppressed and condemned, many notable women in India have proven their worth across various fields, breaking stereotypes of the “ideal women” defined by society that are limited to carrying out household chores and bringing up their kids.
Narrowing it down to the education sector, India has witnessed so many women who have proven to be true leaders and game changers in the field of education, by never ceasing to set new benchmarks in their attempts to bring about improvements in the system. Recognizing the major roadblocks stopping the evolution of India’s Education System, they have been constantly committed to playing their part to ensure that quality education is delivered to the future leaders of our nation.
Today, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, we’re taking an in-depth dig into the lives of some of the wonderful women who have made it big in the education sector with their exemplary contributions and immense dedication.
Dr Manimekalai Mohan
Founder & Managing Trustee
SSVM Institutions
An innovator and entrepreneur with more than 20 years in educational leadership, Dr Manimekalai Mohan has experienced all aspects of academic formation, operation, finance, and management. She is a visionary leader with profound education in research and analytics, an effective communicator and motivator who identifies and influences resources in teammates to reach organizational goals, and a relentless optimist who believes there is no failure, only feedback. She has dedicated her life to education and philanthropy. Through her work, she became a voice and pillar of support for women educators.
Spreading knowledge and serving the needy had always been Dr Mohan’s passion in life, and when she got married and moved to Sirumugai, Mettupalayam, Coimbatore, she was motivated by her neighbour women to start her entrepreneurial journey as an educator. She considers herself lucky to have worked with those women who shared her vision, and together they built a great team to initiate SSVM to help children access quality education. Her love for spreading knowledge and the need for the rural milieu fuelled her desire to begin her first playschool in 1998. As the Founder and the Managing Trustee, she sets the vision, mission, value system, culture, and strategic direction of SSVM Institutions.
Dr. Vidya Sravanthi
Director Principal
Reqelford International School
Dr. Sravanthi started her teaching career at Little flower Boys Junior College and thereafter moved on to St. Francis College for Women, Hyderabad. She was granted a UGC fellowship and pursued her dream of achieving Doctorate in English literature. In the year 2002 she had to resign from the position of Lecturer in English to take up her second passion of empowering women in entrepreneurship, when she joined Asmitha, (an NBFC, regulated by the RBI) that works towards women upliftment and empowerment, that was founded by her husband, Dr. M. Uday Kumar. This took her to work in fourteen states throughout India where women issues in financial upliftment and social awareness were the center of her work. Capacity building workshops and skill development training of women in remote villages of India were taken up through Asmita.
Dr. Sravanthi and her husband together founded several educational institutions. In order to meet the current educational demands, Reqelford International School was founded in 2012. Dr. Sravanthi always had a deep desire to nurture young minds with good values and great academics. She is actively involved in social upliftment programs in spite of all her engagements in schools and colleges. She is also a nominated member on the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) as a co-option member, by the Government of Telangana. She is a member of the Minorities Commission, Govt of Telangana. As Director Principal of Reqelford International School, Hyderabad, and founder of several other educational institutions, Dr. Shravanthi leads by example inspiring and encouraging students and teachers alike to be their best and build positive relationships. Her vast educational experiences have afforded her the opportunity to collaborate and join forces with a diverse group of individuals and like-minded educationists to meet the common goal of augmenting student achievement and well-being. Her educational philosophy is based on her uncompromising and unflinching belief that all students can learn, given a positive and open learning environment, formidable and knowledgeable leadership, a committed, focused and a vibrant educational team, an encouraging community, and a supportive parent body.
Dr.Ujwala Jagdale
Chairman
Marigold International School
Dr. Ujwala Jagdale is the Chairman of Marigold International School, Mysore road, and is also the Managing Director of Marigold Hospital. She has done her MD in Physiology and Post-Graduation Diploma in Hospital Administration. She is a State and National award winner in Rifle shooting and an excellent Pianist. She has written many poems in English which have been published.
Dr. Ujwala’s passion for quality education to children drove her to build one of the best CBSE schools in South Bangalore. It is spread over 10 acres with state-of-the-art facilities and excellent sports infrastructure.
Dr. Ujwala Jagdale firmly believes in the motto – GROW. EXCEL. LEAD.
Ms. Swetha Manthena
Managing Director
Samashti International School
With a dream to contribute towards society, Ms. Swetha Manthena developed a vision to provide holistic education to children. She has succeeded in translating her vision into reality with Samashti International School, one of the best CBSE schools in India with branches at Hyderabad and Coimbatore. The school has been providing holistic education- Panchmukhi Shiksha, leading to intellectual objectivity, physical fitness, spiritual consciousness, moral responsibility and emotional balance in all its students.
Ms. Manthena -a charming and humane person with a clear vision, determination and focus and a penchant for paying attention to every small detail- has ensured the best of infrastructure and facilities at both Hyderabad and Coimbatore campuses and quality education to all. She ensured that every one of her staff including drivers and ayammas were taken care of even during the pandemic induced lockdown. When some communities were flooded due to heavy rains, she did not think twice about opening the school gates to welcome the families in trouble. Her compassion led to the establishment of a scholarship scheme in the name of her Grandfather- Padmasri Dr. BVS Raju, for needy and deserving students.
Ms. Swetha Mathena continues to be a beacon of hope in the education sector.
Dr. Arthi K. Ganesh
Pro-Chancellor (Academics)
Vels Institute of Science, Technology and Advanced Studies
Dr. Arthi K. Ganeshis a multifaceted personality with a vision to create an effective and unique environment for learners at various levels. She is the Pro-Chancellor (Academics) of Vels Institute of Science, Technology and Advanced Studies (VISTAS), Chennai and also the Managing Trustee of Vels Group of Institutions and Vels Vidyashram Group of Schools. She oversees the function of more than 43 educational institutions that offer programmes from Pre-KG to Ph.D. for over 36,000 students with 6000 staff members.
Dr. Arthi’s brain child is the establishment of the Junior College at Cambridge, London and Kindle Kids International School, Singapore. She has implemented Smart Classrooms and ICT Enabled Classroom for all her educational institutions, and has also initiated links with Deccan Chronicle to bring out the monthly newsletter “VELSDARPAN” through Papyrus Club. Dr. Arthi organizes VELS FILM CRAFT for the benefit of VISCOM students. She provides a platform for International Universities to conduct University Fair for the students to explore various career options under one roof. To bring out the students’ hidden talents, she hosts VELS NAKSHATRA – Inter University Cultural Event every year.
She has been bestowed with the prestigious APJ ABDUL KALAM AWARD by the Tamil Nadu Private School Association, BEST WOMEN ACHEVIER AWARD from THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LIONS CLUBS2021, Vocational Excellence Award from Rotary Club of Chennai and the INTERNATIONAL AWARD by the BRITISH COUNCIL, Chennai.
Ms. Preeti Bhandary
Director
Learning Edge India Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru
Ms. Preeti Bhandary is a visionary, veteran educationist and an entrepreneur who has done extensive work in the field of pre-schools and Early Childhood Education and Care. It is her persistence and hard work that have made Little Elly one of the best preschool chains in India. Little Elly has over 130 centers all over India and also has overseas footprints in Seattle (USA) & Kathmandu (Nepal).
As the Curriculum Director, Ms. Preeti Bhandary diverts all her energy into building a learning environment where every child is happy. The same idea permeates the Glentree Academy K-12CBSE schools as well. Her views on working with young minds are progressive and dynamic.
She believes in community empowerment and sets a great example of women empowerment in the area of education. As a role model to the new entrepreneurs, she always takes her team along with her towards the path of development.
Dr. Sara George Muthoot
Director
St. George’s Education Society, New Delhi
With abundant wealth of knowledge and umpteen years of experience to her credit, Dr. Sara George Muthoot’s commitment in the field of education and social welfare for more than five decades has contributed substantially in giving shape to the nation’s education policies and reforms.
An epitome of grace, poise and simplicity, her personality is a harmonious blend of the traditional and the modern, laying a very high degree of emphasis on nurturing Indian values and ethos amongst our children. Her quintessential attributes make her a perfect role model to many aspiring career women, particularly in the field of education.
Dr. Sara George Muthoot has always been very daring, and has taken tough decisions alongside lending a compassionate ear to listen and heed to the needs of her children, parents and teachers. Her mission to educate and empower each child as her own is one that is priceless. Strong from the exterior yet so compassionate from within, she truly understands how each child is gifted with unique qualities. As an architect to the future generation, she believes that a good educator does not conform to a defined mould, but goes beyond it to empower students to become the people they are meant to be in the world.
Her journey as an achiever has been worth cherishing with many notable awards to her credit, which she humbly dedicates to her students who have been her constant source of encouragement. From a conventional system of education to the modern era, she has been mentoring various teams and building trust with continuous and long-term associations. To her, the realms of education have no boundaries for students even when they complete their formal education. The beauty of her ties lies in the fact that the alumni reach out to her in different ways to express gratitude in many forms. She simply smiles with a humble sense of achievement, and an even greater sense of contentment.
Mrs. Sarojini Rao
Principal
Indus International School, Bangalore
Mrs. Sarojini Rao has been instrumental in planning the curriculum and inter-curricular strategy, defining academic and non-academic objectives for the school, and in training teachers. She has played a pivotal role in formulating the Leadership Curriculum, Instructional supervision and Evaluation model for the school. With specialized knowledge of the Balanced Scorecard, she has implemented this in the schools and has set challenging and exacting benchmarks, which have contributed to the all-round success of Indus International School in delivering holistic education with academic rigour as the highest priority.
Under her leadership, inspired students are indeed set to take on the challenges ahead, as leaders of the future. Her emphasis on whole education (without compromising academic excellence and rigour) has been the highlight of her conviction and drive and has resulted in Indus being ranked the top International School in India for five successive years.
Mrs. Rao is a role model for the core values of the school; love, empathy, discipline and respect. This reflects in the students being sensitized to the needs of the less privileged in society and being armed to contribute through service. With her example, guidance, advice and ideas, the school’s Principal has built a strong team, and together they work to maintain standards that have brought recognition and acclamation. Teacher and student leaders are committed to excelling in many fields of endeavour. For themselves and the students, this translates to passion and purpose, service and spirituality, respect for diversity and global understanding.
Dr. Tristha Ramamurthy
Founder and Managing Director
Ekya Schools
Dr. Tristha Ramamurthy founded Ekya Schools to bring pedagogically sound, research-based learning experiences to India. Launching a new brand at the age of 25 was considered to be a risky move by everyone. Currently, Ekya Schools has 8000 students, and they have plans to open additional schools. With the help of an outstanding team, Dr. Tristha Ramamurthy has built a sustainable and replicable school system which can be scaled to serve tens of thousands of students. The expertise built includes an exceptional and unique in-house curriculum, documented procedures and processes for school operations, a replicable culture focused on innovation and excellence, and a reliable, professional development roadmap.
She was the first girl in her conservative extended family to attend college overseas, the youngest in her cohort at Stanford, and the youngest in most conferences she presented my research at during her undergraduate course. Dr. Tristha believes she is building her muscle for future challenging experiences and for roles that need an immeasurable amount of strength and integrity.
Mrs. Meera Isaacs
Dean
Cathedral School, Mumbai
Mrs. Meera Isaacs, Dean of the 160 year old Cathedral School is the driving force behind the transformation of this historic institution into a contemporary K-12 school. She has been associated with the School for the past 44 years and completed 25 years as Principal in September 2021. She is the first Lady Principal/Dean of this 160 year old institution. Mrs. Isaacs is the recipient of numerous awards. Her invaluable contribution, vision and dedication has acquired national and global reputation to the school. The Cathedral School’s mission has been to educate young minds to allow them to understand how to adapt to the changing world around them, become global citizens with a local vision, develop a sense of international mindedness, and ultimately learn how to cherish the individuality of man and the commonality of mankind.
Dr. Kavita Aggarwal
Director/Head of School
D.G. Khetan International School
Having been in the field of education for the last 40 years, Dr. Kavita Aggarwal has been the Principal/Director of Academics of leading national and international schools. She has specialized in setting up new schools affiliated with Cambridge International Examinations (CIE), Cambridge, UK, and CISCE curricula, and has been closely associated with the training and mentoring of teachers, including Vice-Principals, Principals and administrative staff.
Besides being associated with D.G. Khetan International School, she is also is the Chairperson of the ‘Members of International Schools Association’ (MISA), a prestigious organization of over 110 schools in the country affiliated to Cambridge. Dr. Kavita Aggarwal was also instrumental in initiating a school for hearing impaired children in Sanskardham Vidyalaya Campus, and devised a technique to integrate children with special needs (Hearing Impaired) into a normal stream. She initiated an E.C.C. Ed course for the pre-school teachers and a certificate course in learning difficulty for parents and teachers.
Mrs. Neera Singh
Principal
Rajmata Krishna Kumari Girls’ Public School, Jodhpur
Having taught for 30 years of her life, Mrs. Neera Singh has journeyed through the length and breadth of the country, and during her journey, she started to change her mind; politically correct answers were shunned, and she learnt to listen to her heart.
When she married and travelled away with her husband, an officer in the Indian Navy, Mrs. Singh was overwhelmed initially with the cornucopia of experiences that life as a Force Personnel’s wife offered, but she soon decided to pursue her love for teaching children. She was offered, as her first teaching experience PGT English at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Vishakapatnam, after which she worked at Green Fields School, New Delhi. She considers her five years at St. Columbus, New Delhi the most memorable in terms of not just learning the ropes but also because the precious lesson she had learnt as a child of “Serving, not being served”- was reinforced in her through the living testimonies of the Christian Brothers. She then joined Rajmata Krishna Kumari Girls’ Public School in 2002, on being offered the post of the Vice Principal. She was appointed as the Principal in 2008.
Dr. Susan Marthandan
Director
Hindustan College of Arts & Science, Kelambakkam
A dynamic hardworking young doctor with a passion and dedication to serve her patients with utmost sincerity, Dr. Susan Marthandan is the only daughter of late DR KCG Verghese. She was always inspired by his ideals and believed that education held a highly important place in the development of a well-rounded human being. After her MBBS at Ambedkar Medical College, Bangalore, she did her PG at Sri Ramachandra Medical College & RI, Chennai and was the University topper in her MS Ophthalmology in SRMC (DU). She was Senior Retina Consultant at Vasan Eye Care and then began Smart Vision and Diabetes Clinic in 2015 with many specialists working there.
She is a proud Rotarian and has been an active member doing a lot of service during the Covid period and is president of her club for 21-22. She has been serving as the Director of Hindustan College of Arts & Science, Kelambakkam since 2005, and has been responsible for building the institution into a much sought after Centre of Excellence with students from India and abroad. She is also on the Board of Management of Hindustan University, Chennai. Dr. Susan has guided the college the past 15 years and has been instrumental in making the campus Zero waste campus and in implementing Vermicomposting and Bio Methanation on campus. She is also the President of the Indo Australian Association since 2015 and has been instrumentalist increasing cultural ties with Australia.
The list of inspiring women in education is endless and will continue to grow. These educators have touched the lives of many through the course of their journey and will always serve as inspiration as they shape the future of education with their wonderful ideas and efforts.
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