The ISF team is extremely happy to introduce the new ISF Principal Amit Singh.  Amit will replace Eswarji who joined ISF in 2007 and successfully launched and ran our operations in both schools for two years.  During a 3-day visit to Rajugela a few months ago, Amit said: “I found the methodology very compelling especially given the challenges in rural areas. I come from the same state, in a village not too far from Rajugela and always wanted to give back, which is why I wanted to join ISF as the Principal.” Everyone at ISF is convinced that Amit’s passion, hard work and experience in education will be instrumental going forward.  He has taught commerce in 3 schools (the Jain International School, the Virendra Swaroop Education Centre, and the Avadhpuri Branch in Kanpur). Given his bachelor degree in Law and Commerce, Amit will help ISF manage its operations and external relationships as the organization grow.  The responsibilities of the Principal are important, especially with two schools. But Amit is very excited. He gets along well with the rest of the school team. “When I arrived, I didn’t want to impose my views or my way of doing things on the team of teachers. So I observed the existing processes, and identified potential areas for improvement”.  Every morning, Amit meets with his team of teachers before school starts to provide a quick introduction to the day.  The team reconvenes at 2:30pm after the school day ends, to discuss any problems teachers may have encountered with the teaching and learning process during the day.  The session is followed by an English training session because teachers are not yet bilingual. There is a growing demand from parents to incorporate English training in the curriculum, so English lessons have already started.

This year, Amit will focus on two broad areas: (i) the breath and depth of the curriculum, and (ii) student enrollment. He is currently planning a trip to Rishi Valley, an institution that has 25 years of experience in implementing the multigrade classroom methodology, to refine the curriculum while designing learning activities that are relevant for children living in rural communities.  As for student enrollment, Amit is tackling the problem at the root: “my aim is to convince all parents that education is crucial, and to address any concerns that prevent children from attending school. The potato harvesting period is coming up soon, so I go out and talk to parents about the importance of sending their children to school even if they have missed few days or weeks”. Our individual ladder of learning allows students to restart at the same point when they return. Amit’s goal is to double the number of students attending school by the next school year.