With its global network of over 200 English medium, co-educational, secular schools providing education from Pre-Nursery to Class XII, the Delhi Public School Society has produced a long list of successful personalities. Society’s progressive approach and commitment towards excellence have helped the schools stand as citadels of learning and harbingers of quality, consciousness committed to developing young minds. Carrying forward the legacy of excellence in education, DPS RN Extension, located in Ghaziabad, rolls ahead as a progressive educational institution, keeping pace with the changing time and catering to contemporary society’s needs.
When the pandemic disrupted education worldwide, DPS RNE could quickly find solutions, as it has always been in the state of preparedness and has a contingency plan for any problem. “The pandemic had affected all in the education sector, but DPS RNE was the first among the few to start the online instruction on the very first day of the new academic session,” shares Pallavi Upadhyaya, Principal, DPS RNE Ghaziabad. When the doors of institutions were closed for regular classes, the instructions to students were switched to online mode. The teachers had to unlearn, relearn and upgrade their teaching techniques. Pallavi adds, “Our teachers had undergone technical training which involved teaching tools of conducting online classes. They were able to adapt to the new method with alacrity.”
DPS believes in the motto of ‘Service before Self’ and follows that philosophy. The school has already reduced the monthly fees and has offered 50 per cent off for siblings with zero admission fee. Even though the students were at home and in confinement during the lockdown and after, the school and the faculty were in constant touch with them. “We counselled our students regularly and monitored their academic progress closely. The online classes were made as enjoyable as possible, and the syllabus was completed with ease. The activities and assemblies which had been planned before lockdown were carried out in an exciting and unique manner,” explains Pallavi.
Education in the Post-Pandemic World
As the pandemic has catalyzed the evolution of teaching-learning methodologies, DPS RNE has decided to adopt a hybrid method of instructions. “This would help us to avoid loss of school days due to closure on the grounds of religious or climatic reasons as whenever needed we can switch on to the online mode of instructions. We have prepared our students to accept change and become strong enough to face adversities of any nature,” states Pallavi. The school also involves parents in preparing their children for various online cultural activities. Besides, DPS RNE arranges regular parenting and career workshops to keep them abreast of all the developments that are taking place in the educational sector.
At DPS RNE, a class has 25 students, with a student-teacher ratio is 20:1. The school identifies slow learners and arranges for special classes to clear the concept they have difficulty understanding. Pallavi claims, “We follow different methods such as research, debate, art integration and many more to explain a concept. The students are allowed to choose the method that interests them most. In short, we have migrated from pedagogical (teacher-led) to Heutagogical (student-centric) approach.” DPS RNE has a pool of trained teachers holding postgraduate degrees. The institute also encourages the teachers to attend various professional workshops suitable to their profile.
Finding Success in a Short Span
At DPS RNE, the students are encouraged to take part in various intra-school and interschool competitions. With support from teachers who act as mentors to achieve good results, students have brought accolades to school through their achievements and innovations. “Our students have made us proud by winning accolades in MUN conducted by other schools and have won the best school trophy. They have also won international event such as the World Scholars Cup, national debating events like Behes and IT related competitions known as INFINITUS,” shares Pallavi. DPS RNE students have also excelled in football, cricket, basketball, shooting, skating and swimming.
On the other side, despite being a young institution, DPS RNE has won many accolades and recognitions. The most recent one is the International Dimension in Schools, an accreditation given by the British Council on account of the school’s activities after being approved by the British Council. The school has also been awarded ‘Green Certificate’ by Green School Programme under the aegis of the Centre for Science and Environment. Now, the school’s focus is on preparing to bridge the learning gaps which had occurred due to the pandemic. “We are gearing up to hold each child’s hand to help him/her sail forward with positivity and new aspirations. We are dedicating this year to Waste Transformers and help the students to understand and appreciate the wealth of our natural resources and teach them to reuse, reduce, repurpose and recycle the resources available to us,” concludes Pallavi.
Pallavi Upadhyaya, Principal
A postgraduate in Zoology, Pallavi Upadhyaya has more than 20 years of experience in the teaching and administrative department. Prior to the Principal of DPS – Raj Nagar Extension, she has worked as the Principal, Delhi Public School, Civil Lines Aligarh from April 2013 to September 2014 and continued as the Principal, Delhi Public School, Aligarh from October 2014 till June 2017. She was also appointed as a Member of the Inspection Committee to a number of schools and was a City Coordinator to Conduct the UGC NET from 2015 to 2017.