Vinay Pande, Headmaster of lawrence School, Sanawar, speaks to MONIKA THAKUR about the institution’s legacy
lawrence School, Sanawar, is more than 100 years old. How has the journey beenIJ
It’s been amazing. The school, established in 1857, was meant for military training only. But after Independence, it was opened to Indian students and NRIs. Over time, it has become more or less Indian, but a lot of British traditions still prevail.
How has its objective changed over the yearsIJ
The objective is no more confined to defence training. The school focuses on overall development of students. Most institutes prepare students for IITs and IIMs but we prepare our students with a strong character and values. We build individuals who can take charge of their lives. We prepare them with basic life skills which are helpful later in life.
How is the second edition of Sanawar leadership Camp going onIJ
Most schools are churning out students as memory machines but we produce leaders. With that in mind, we’ve made Sanawar a medium that passes on leadership skills to students at a young age. We started this journey of The Sanawar leadership Camp (TSlC) last year. We have 20 participants who are 10-14 years of age. We have chosen this age group specifically because children in this age group are impressionable. These students are taught how to provide social service work in villages where they work with villagers who construct small roads, they attend sessions on personality development and communication skills. We teach them survival through treks.
How do such camps help studentsIJ What are the selection criteriaIJ
All activities done in the camp help children learn what they could never have learnt from books. After hours of hard work, when students bite into the first morsel of food, they get to know how important food is.
How are you taking Sanawar’s long legacy forwardIJ
We prepare a child for life beyond school. The camps are an integral part of the school’s curriculum. Sports are mandatory, extracurricular activities in terms of Drama, Art and Music are important and compulsory. People, who we are proud of, are the people who believe in what we at Sanawar believe. The first name that comes to mind when I talk about ‘legacy’ is Mr Arun Khetrapal, the youngest posthumous recipient of Param Vir Chakra. He was our student and within 3-4 years of passing out of the school, he laid down his life in the Indo-Pak war. We get to hear from his fellow soldiers, that he used to believe in the philosophy of “Never Give in”, which is the motto of our school. We are passing on the same kind of legacy to our present students. The NCC is an integral part of the syllabus. We are among the few schools in India that have Girl’s Boxing. We also have these oath sectarians’ who speak to our children. Ajit Bajaj, who recently climbed Mt. Everest with his daughter, is an alumnus. He recently delivered a speech for Sanawar students.
What is the school’s philosophy about how children learn the bestIJ
It is “Do Things Hands-On”. Hands-on experience helps imbibe relevant skills.
What is the teaching module likeIJ
We follow guidelines by the CBSE. We also have a tutorial system in which a group of 10-12 students is assigned to one teacher who is their tutor. The tutor’s responsibility is to keep a track of the child’s overall progress, which includes Health too.
What’s the criteria for admissionIJ
Regular admissions are primarily in Classes 5, 6 and 7. The admission is based on a written examination held in every November. The shortlisted students interact with us and it is on their performance that we select them.
What is the student-teacher ratio in the schoolIJ
We are about 1:10. We have 715 boarders and 70 teachers.
Any expansion plansIJ
We are not thinking of expanding geographically but we are doing a lot in terms of facilities. We are planning to get the ratio of the boys and girls studying in the school from 60:40 to 50:50. Since it is a co-educational school, the number of girls should be equal to boys. To implement that, we are increasing dormitory space for girls’ accommodation. Also, Shooting is coming up as a sport in the school.
How does the school encourage extra- curricular activitiesIJ
It is mandatory to take up a sport and practice it daily, barring Sunday. Students practice after class.
Where do pupils go on to from your schoolIJ
At the moment, a larger number of students have chosen to study in India. We have 15 per cent students on an average who prefer to study abroad. largely, in India, a lot of students go to universities like Narsee Munjee University and Christ College in Bangalore. Pune is another destination and Punjab University is also a popular option.
How do you help students with career knowledgeIJ
We have a dedicated counselor. We also have a tie-up with ICA, they have experienced people who, twice or thrice in a term, conduct group and solo sessions with students to talk about all the subjects and information needed by the students to prepare for their desired universities.
How does the lawrence School provide a strong military training to its studentsIJ
The NCC is compulsory Class IX upwards. One of the main attractions of our annual function is an NCC parade which surprises even Armymen. Our students who get into NDA tell us the routine they follow which we follow in school. Barring cricket, girls play all other sports. One of our girl students is serving in the Indian Naval Services.
Do you plan to launch any other education board in the schoolIJ
My efforts as a headmaster will be to get an International Board in Sanawar. This will not replace CBSE but run simultaneously. The proposal is with the governor. If things go well, the IB board will be functional by 2020.