- Blog By
Ms. Tamilarasi Dhamodharan
Academic Director – Cambridge International
The Indian Public School
May 14, 2020 | In Blog 
We are often confronted with questions like – What are the expectations from a child while finishing school? What do we mean when we say we need to prepare kids for life? Is asking a child what they want to become in life a good question? For all these confrontations, we cannot miss visualizing a crossroad.
Should the school focus on academic disciplines? Exams? Sports? Skills? Values? Research? Technology? Culture? History? Ethics? Or all of it? How?
The journey of a student is one that is wonderful and challenging at the same time. The mixed feeling comes from the fact that every student must prepare for uncertainties! It is the same mixed feeling with every education provider like us. Uncertainties are worrisome at the outset, but that is why the school shares major responsibility to empower every child to approach them gracefully, and that is the very same force driving this world to explode with creations and innovations like never before.
At TIPS, we envision this in every process and practice to bring on a school climate conducive and accessible for every student, so they are not pressured to learn; instead they love to learn. This fosters achievements ranging from an individual level to national and global levels. The aim of education includes learning to brave uncertainties and preparing to approach life with the skills to thrive that are acquired at school.
Happy schooling!
It is interesting to see our TIPS leadership and academic team discussing why happy schooling is needed and how that environment could support every child equally. This discussion also includes the thought processing to define the scope of web and technologies in teaching and learning. An undeniable perspective is the need for social interaction-based learning and creative engagements. This will invariably equip a child with moral intelligence, culture and wisdom needed to navigate the world without fear.
Our latest debate on whether kids should be given assignments that cannot be googled has brought about new thoughts and reasoning for and against googling for information. It has helped us to critically think how information-handling skill is also important as part of research skills. It is very difficult to conclude what skills are needed and to define the scope of academic assignments. It is everything and all of it! Maybe new ones too, and that would mean school and beyond school. Thanks to all advancements and technologies that cater to these needs in real-time! Just that we should be mindfully embracing technology and not become slaves to it!
At this juncture, it is worth mentioning how COVID-19 humbled the so far known advancements globally and yet humanity is waging a war against it. So, it is obvious we have a lot of work everywhere waiting to be explored by our students for a brighter and better world!
Create and innovate!
At schools, in general, a constant focus is on how to answer questions – not a bad direction though.
But consider this – if we also drive students to focus on arriving at big questions that can be pursued for a new approach or new findings – can that be the baby step for inspiration in the direction of research? After all, the information around us – now called shared knowledge – available on the web, books and other resources is possible because of big questions from curious minds. Why not we inspire ourselves and young minds to create new knowledge and innovate for a better world? We at TIPS strive to live up to this critical expectation – preparing students to create new knowledge and to innovate.
Evolving education!
தொட்டனைத் தூறும் மணற்கேணி மாந்தர்க்குக்
கற்றனைத் தூறும் அறிவு. (பொருட்பால் 396)
Ever wondered “the more we learn, the better the knowledge and wisdom flow” conveyed 2000 years back in a couplet version? Still applicable now in many aspects! And we believe in that very firmly.
We look at harmonious and holistic development ensuring every child learns to learn and they continue to love learning lifelong.
To be driven by students is the evolving direction towards a constructive learning environment. We ensure this environment at TIPS with classroom and even school practices to engage students to think and to resolve problems through and beyond academic assignments. If they develop the confidence to approach situations and problems, nothing can come in their way!
On many occasions, we call for shared responsibility with parents to work together in this critical mission to educate a child. To watch every child thriving to be an independent learner and a responsible citizen is a celebration of our partnership. Hence, we ask every TIPSIAN to experience the family way of learning together and supporting each other.
Every day, we look forward to giving more and experiencing the joy of learning from every child. We are committed to collaborate with children to cater to their learning levels and needs. The Indian Public School will continue to go beyond glories and laurels to constantly work towards supporting every child to achieve greater heights in their own pathways.
This is our way of happy schooling and educating children!
