Education Stalwarts 2021|Dr. Suminder Singh Founder & Managing Director of International Delhi Public School |Leaders in Education
Dr. Suminder Singh Founder & Managing Director of International Delhi Public School, one of the top Leaders of Education is with EducationToday sharing his experience.
I started my career in the year 1998, as a school administrator in Delhi Public School Jammu, where I had joined as the transport /administration/operation manager.
I established four schools- DPS Jammu, DPS Leh, DPS Katra, and DPS Udhampur. I faced a lot of problems in my career at this time, but I successfully managed to establish my own school in 2017, which is the International Delhi Public School (IDPS), Jammu. I worked on it right from scratch, which included working on the infrastructure and the construction of the buildings. I looked into every single aspect of the school, and it was functional in just seven months. The first batch of my school was in 2018. I’m currently running my ninth school in Jammu. My new venture that is expected to be running by the 1st of April, 2021, is the Lotus Valley Universal School in Jammu.
I have been largely motivated by my parents, as well as my students through the course of my journey as an educator. The one message I’d like to give to the upcoming professionals in the field of education is that if you wish to embark on your journey as an educator, you need to primarily focus on your goal towards your contribution to the society. Never make money your focus as it is secondary; money will eventually come to you if you’re doing well, so you don’t need to worry about it. If you’re doing something that it beneficial to the society, the aim of it should stay in your mind. At the end of the day, it is important to think of what you have given back to the society that you have been raised in.
Every venture that one decides to embark on comes with a host of obstacles. When I started my own school, I faced a lot of problems. A lot of people were against the idea of me starting International Delhi Public School as the name gave rise to a lot of confusion regarding whether it is a part of Delhi Public School or not. There were some who even tried their best to stop the school from coming into existence. But despite these hurdles, the school was established and even though I did not expect it to come together and progress so quickly, it all happened successfully. Within the span of just a year, I established more schools and they are all flourishing today. My future plan is to open the franchise of International Delhi Public School all over the country.
The year 2020 was one that brought drastic changes into the education sector. The process of learning was required to be digitalized all of a sudden, with absolutely no prior warning given to the staff or the students. The Covid-19 pandemic was thus an eye opener for my schools. We have realized that the future is completely unpredictable and if such a thing occurs again, we have to be fully prepared for it. Even when things get back to normal and schools reopen for physical classes, it is imperative for us to be geared up to deliver online education in a parallel manner, so as to not hamper the studies of the students. Thus, there needs to be a certain level of preparation to keep both the students as well as the staff ready for such unprecedented situations.
Talking about my pillars of support through the course of my journey, Mr. Ashok Pandey has been my mentor and idol since the very beginning of my career. I have done everything under his guidance and have learnt a lot from him. He is the one person who has greatly inspired me to enter the field of education. It was him who asked me the question of what I am giving back to society, which is what led me to becoming an educator. He started off his journey as a teacher and is now extremely successful, and has reached a level where no one can compete with him. He is now the director of Ahlcon International School, Delhi.
As I always emphasize on the importance of contributing towards the well-being of the society, I would like to mention that I have dedicated a large part of my life to philanthropy. I leave no stone unturned when it comes to putting my foot forward for offering my help to mankind. I always participate in programs that strive towards the betterment of humanity, such as green plantation, blood donation drives, and much more.
The mission of my life is to impart knowledge and I am working towards this by providing free education to children coming from unprivileged backgrounds, and spreading awareness on autism in association with the Abraham Lincoln Shiksha Society.
I have been conferred with the Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa) in the specialized area of education with all the rights and privileges appearing thereto, issued by the Commonwealth Vocational University at Makaunga, Hahake, Tongatapu, Kingdom of Tonga, in the year 2019. Some of my other accomplishments include being nominated as the President of district Jammu of State Jammu & Kashmir Private Schools and Children Welfare Association, being elected as President of Abraham Lincoln Education Trust, as well as the President of Rope Skipping Association of J&K. I was awarded Super Achiever 2018 3rd Edition, Delhi for my excellence in the Educational Sector by Mission News. Under my guidance, the International Delhi Public School, Jammu has been awarded as India’s Top CBSE School-Parameter Wise, and Best Upcoming CBSE School in India School Merit Awards 2019-2020, presented by Education Today. The school has also received the Certificate of Commitment from Central Vigilance Commission for adopting the Integrity Pledge and being committed to uphold highest standards of integrity and good governance, as well as following ethical practices while conducting its activities.
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