Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Following the New Educational Policy (NEP), 2020, schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in Indore are now transforming school principals to pedagogical leaders. With the aim of developing India as a knowledge superpower of the world, CBSE schools in Indore are working to build competent educational leaders who can convert present teenagers into quality human capital of Indian youths to transform India through education.
It is expected that the adolescent and youth population in India may be about 238 million and 237 million, respectively, by 2030 and 219 million and 224 million, respectively, by 2050.
“Quality young population of any nation can be a boon and untrained population may turn out to be a bane, or disastrous,” CBSE resource person of Pedagogical Leadership for Principals and Master Trainers for CBSE schools Dr DC Sharma said. He added that, for a long time, it was being planned to provide quality education for quality capital human resource production by quality educators and capable educational leaders.
Why do we need transformation?
‘In India, education was misunderstood with a narrow element of just academic grades, excluding its crucial elements, such as life skills, intellect, values and attitude,’ Sharma said. He added that, no doubt, the present education system has produced leading experts and diversified talented professionals, but very few responsible leaders and awarded citizens. ‘In India, very few schools are known to produce star global leaders with their holistic approach of education in letter and spirit,’ Sharma said.
Although elements of holistic education were integral components in previous educational policies, they were not understood and explored appropriately due to a lack of priorities, myopic visions and inappropriate will of the leadership, he added.
CBSE’s pedagogical leadership framework
The Government of India; Anita, former chairperson, CBSE; professor Varghese, V-C of NIPEA; Dr Maihtili and her team; and officials of the CBSE, NCERT, SCERT and many more organisations have given birth to the idea of training school principals to become pedagogical leaders as agents of the 21st Century who can transform our education system through NEP, 2020.
A comprehensive book on ‘Pedagogical Leadership’ was developed by a team of dedicated educators. To scale up pedagogical leadership, 170 select principals from all over India went through five days of rigorous training through such tools as lectures, group discussions, presentations, seminars, workshops, case studies, projects, assignments, and filling in versatile questionnaires.
How is the transformation happening?
§ Select principals, including Sharma from Indore, are imparting training in close association with the respective Centres of Excellence. These resource person school principals are sharing responsibilities to train school principals in Concept of School Leadership in the Indian Context, its types, styles, impact on students’ learning and leadership for learning
§ It also prepares expertise to train Pedagogical Leadership Framework for Leading Learning and setting a direction for school improvement by creating a vision of schools, building a shared vision, selling SMART goals, developing personal vision and aligning personal values with the values of the education system
§ A school leader practises Pedagogical Leadership by engaging in the teachers’ professional development, initiating innovation in schools, leading the teaching and learning process, developing a learning culture and inclusive culture by becoming a ‘Self-Aware Leader’
What is expected of school principals now?
§ A competent pedagogical leader has to ensure students’ learning along with 360 degree aspects of students’ learning outcome with progress in all subjects commensurate with the age and grades of students, acquiring 21st Century skills, including personal, social and emotional development
§ A quality and competent pedagogical leader assures growth of a school by preparation of a customised pedagogical plan for leading learning
§ Pedagogical leaders are expected to be assessed by a comprehensive scale of educational rubrics of improvement, growth and development of educational institutions and stakeholders—including students, educators, administrative staff, parents and other functionaries concerned. A trained educational leadership will be a change agent to make India a global knowledge superpower, as a whole
§ How significant impact will this be on the learning process and learning outcome of various subjects of students…How effectively he uses his leadership skills and styles for uplift of all stakeholders, learning of students, teaching of teachers and parental contribution, as well.
Instructional leadership to transformation leadership
Instructional leadership normally focuses on classroom teaching and learning practices. Transformational leadership has a wide spectrum of influence, which is normally seen in true and a few elite public schools. Participative and demonstrative leadership transforms an organisation according to need. Demonstrative leadership at all levels can be a major tool of transformation of the education system.
‘Such type of mandatory training for all educators from schools, colleges, universities and research and development centres will play a pivotal role in developing overall national competency,’ Sharma said. He added that only competent educational leadership could transform children into quality human capital resources. A quality pedagogical leader of vision, mission and passion for educational excellence can meet the sustainable development goals (SDGs) commensurate with the national and global goals. Such leaders can decipher NEP, 2020, to regain India’s crown and glory of Vishwa Guru ‘Knowledge Super Power’.
