Imparting humanity through education

In an era where education is seen no more than a medium to score marks and schools as money-spinners, very few schools still swear by the established principle that education is not just about gaining knowledge but also understanding about one’s societal responsibilities.

To this genre belongs Sister Nivedita School (SNS) located in Hyderabad’s bustling locality, Ameerpet. They endeavour to churn out students who are ready for the worldly challenges. "Give me 100 youth so that I can build a strong India," remarked Swami Vivekananda.

This is the dictum that SNS believes and aims to produce on a day to day basis. “At our school we make sure that our children celebrate all the festivals and observe all national and international days as they generate a sense of tolerance and blissful togetherness,” says Jayanthi Venkataraman, Principal of the premier place of learning.

“Education teaches what and how humans can be, to be more precise; education teaches how humane human beings can become,” she says. Talking about the importance of confidence and all-round development of children, Jayanthi says, “A confident individual is a successful individual and school plays a major role in imbibing that spirit.”
“School and teachers should help the students to develop a sense of curiosity and the willing to get answers to their questions, which is the step in the process of learning,” she points out.

Reacting to the torture and pain students go through in the name of IIT and other entrance examination preparation from Class V itself Jayanthi feels that students should not be rushed into doing things. “It is good to be well prepared for the future but not at the cost of enjoying a zestful childhood”, she adds.

Jayanthi says, “There are many parents who urge me to start IIT and other competitive exam coaching at our school, but I clearly refuse such sentiments. The added pressure is not good for their mental health.”

“If a student has a good understanding of the subjects he is studying, he will surely fare well in all the entrance exams he appears at a later date/ Over-crowding the child’s brain with more than what he takes will stress him out. Unfortunately these days parents are more interested in training them for competitive exams from a very young age”, she rues.

By:Vaishnavi Girish