Interview with Ms. Rajni Rikhye Head of Samsidh MLZS-Ecity



Interview Questions
           
E City has been under your wing since its inception. How would you describe your journey so far?

I've been a part of the MLZS E City family since July 2015 and so far it’s been a great personal experience.
I’ve enjoyed each and every moment of my time here mentoring, teaching and learning - all at the same time.
Every day, I look forward to meeting and seeing the smiling faces of the children.
The unmatched enthusiasm and strong conviction of the teachers is contagious.
The constant support provided by the non-teaching staff is heartwarming.
Finally, the parents’ unstinting support is what makes the teaching–learning journey very special and immensely rewarding.         

What were some of the challenges that you had to deal with when you joined and how did you meet them?

The school s still in its early stages of operation, which brings with it its own set of challenges.
Addressing parent’s apprehension about the quality of education was our main concern as every parent wants the formative years of the child to be well taken care of.
Building upon the initial basic structure with our enthusiasm and hard work was a great challenge. But, we can say we are proud of our scholastic and co-scholastic accomplishments so far.
However, we are aware that we have to further strengthen our reputation as givers of quality education and lifeskills.

How do you ensure that Samsidh's vision of ‘preparing children for Future’ trickles down to the teachers?

To implement the Samsidh Vision it is important to make sure our teachers:

understand the importance of doing the right kind of groundwork that will pay handsomely in the future.
understand why it is important to mentor and guide the students to be free thinkers and make them express their views on a given subject fearlessly and objectively.
understand that it is equally important to make the student good human beings who are unafraid to be leaders and model citizens in the society.
believe in the core values that Samsidh stands for - empathy, integrity, and humility -  and we at E City focus on.

How do you plan to take E City to greater heights in the coming years?

ECity is a part of a time-tested and a credible management team ‘Samsidh Group of Schools’ which is led passionately by its chairman, who has a clear vision of inculcating a strong value system in the next generation.
The group is unique in its approach to education. It focuses on the overall growth of the student.
The school is committed to its ideals and core values which will help us to scale greater heights in the years to come.
The school follows Activity Based Methodology (ABM) which enhances the overall growth of the child.
Most importantly, our school recognises the role of the teachers in shaping the future of the students. We always look for the best talent.
We also believe in creating an environment which promotes real learning and builds meaningful relationships between teachers and students.

Describe a typical day at the school.

We look forward to coming to school as it’s become a home away from home.
We welcome the new day by exchanging pleasantries with parents and children and seeing the beaming parents and smiling children is a great way to start the day .
A series of brainstorming sessions with other teachers over a hot cup of coffee kick-starts the day. It’s an amusing experience to listen to the hustle and bustle in the corridor as the children settle down after the assembly and circle time session.
It is a wonderful experience to witness how effortlessly the teachers and the students are able to connect and how every child is able to be an integral part of the learning.
On special occasions, the children participate in various activities and learn by experience.
The day ends on a sweet note and we are already looking forward to meeting again the next day!

How do you stay abreast of the changing educational scenarios and yet stay relevant to the present as well as the future of the students?

We realise that it’s a fast changing world and the field of education is growing exponentially.
New research and thinking are being carried out all over the world which will shape the way we impart education.
We take part in various educational seminars and keep up-to-date with latest developments and technology.
We also impart in-house training to teachers about new developments in the field of education.
An exchange of ideas between experienced and new teachers is also encouraged so that everyone benefits and there are no gaps in the teaching methodology.
We hold a detailed in-house discussion about the ways to implement changes that are relevant to our current system.
At each stage, care is taken to see that we remain relevant in the current scenario but are able to adapt to future changes at a moment’s notice.
For us students’ interest is top priority and we make sure there’s no cause for misinformation and confusion about curriculum and examinations.

How often do you train the teachers?

Teacher training is an integral part of our developmental programs as we understand that the key role they play in the development of the child.
We conduct both in-house and external workshops for the teachers on a regular basis.
Our teachers attend seminars organised by the British Council and similar organisations in order to stay abreast of the latest changes in the field of education and learn about their effective implementation.
The Zee Education has mandated it for the teachers to have a hundred hours of workshop spread over one academic session.

What according to you is the most factor in the teaching and skill development methodology at Samsidh?

I find the concept of child being the focus of attention and not only the parents as the most important factor.
To elaborate, while many schools focus on only the satisfaction of the parents rather than the development of the child, we are passionate about the growth of the student and take great pains to orient the parent’s expectation with the child’s capability.
We focus on the teacher-student connect and the way students are taught. I think it’s our approach to education is what makes it an enjoyable experience for the students.

What is the way ahead for E City?

The future looks very promising as our approach to education is unique and based on a solid foundation of unique methodology, compliance to standards and a focus on complete development of the child. Consider the following factors:

We have a strong scholastic and co-scholastic capability and a strong value based foundation laid by the Samsidh Group.
Our approach to education is ‘What’s right for the child’ as we recognise every child is different and gifted in their own individual way.
We realize that children thrive when they are given undivided and personal attention.
Our curriculum enables our students to acquire life skills to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life.
We are in-line with new trends in learning. Our unique approach to education and our compliance with CBSE standards ensures our students can tackle any competitive exams conducted by CBSE. They also stand a greater chance of acceptance by universities.
Finally, we believe education is not just about acquiring skills and knowledge. As important is to be guided by a set of core values that are non-negotiable.

At Mount Litera, we believe that being human is more important. Our motto is ‘If we do not value our values, we shall have no value.'