Future Schools – What will they look like? 50 Effective Principals

Ms. Anupama Ramachandra, Principal of Delhi Public School Electronic City, Bangalore

Futuristic education is not only about classrooms, teachers, resources, and technology. It is all about the learning experiences created in the absence of them.

Ms. Anupama Ramachandra

While the pandemic ushered in unprecedented times with unimaginable challenges, it has opened doors of the imaginative mind to the untapped possibilities, opportunities, and potentials, especially in the field of education. When the world quietly drifted to virtual platforms, educators brought forth their best to adapt themselves to be facilitators instead of owners of the curriculum. Supported by the fact that we were able to complete a whole academic year including the board examinations’ result tabulation, it has provided wind beneath the wings for a futuristic way of schooling in the coming days. Although some may choose to profess that we are heading towards artificial intelligence taking over the system completely, I prefer to believe that the contribution of people, especially the teachers will never lose lustre. Many aspects of school functioning like classes on unforeseen holidays, staff meetings, additional remedial classes, assessments, etc. can be shifted beyond school hours through the online mediums, but, the joy of corridor conversations, comraderies on the school grounds, social skills being put to test in the school cafeteria, sense of discipline experienced in the morning assembly, taking care of the juniors on the bus ride, the excitement of missing a class or two on the pretext for the upcoming annual day shall and should continue. The pandemic has accelerated the reality of students being able to access quality, customized learning remotely, thus promising considerable equity in education. NEP 2020 has given clear directions to create a flexible, child-friendly, inclusive, integrated and safe schooling experience for the students, and future schools will have no choice other than to participate in this revolution of creating empowering spaces for the teacher and the student. The way I foresee it, technology will become an inevitable companion in schools but the human element will forever remain to be at the centre of all school endeavours.