Building good schools prerequisites

In my over 30-year career as an education writer, school coach and consultant, I have come across many people who say they own a tract of land and would like to build a school. But is land ownership the prime consideration for setting up a school? Others say ‘we are promoting a township and must set up a school’. And of course, real estate developers believe that running a school is great business! However, to my mind it’s important to understand the purpose of a school before setting out to build a bricks and mortar institution. A school is an institution designed for teaching students/pupils under the direction of teachers. Most countries have a formal school system, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through several stages of schooling. The names of these stages vary by country, but generally they are primary schools for young children, and secondary and high schools for teenagers after they have completed elementary education. Later, they go on to college and university. The term ‘education’ encompasses a whole gamut of experiential learning which is provided by teachers in classrooms and often, in spaces beyond. It is the quality of the learning experience, how it is designed and delivered that differentiates a good from ordinary school. There are three important functions of the educational process in the classroom, apart from mere learning. They are: to develop the problem-solving and creative capabilities of children and to arouse their curiosity and inquisitive spirit. Therefore, before beginning work on constructing a school, promoters need to ask themselves whether they have made arrangements for their schools to offer teaching-learning systems that encourage the development of these capabilities of students. Whether driven by the spirit of enlightened self-interest or philanthropy, education entrepreneurs (aka edupreneurs) need to be fully aware of the purposes of education before setting out to build schools. It is imperative for them to understand that they will be moulding the lives of young children. When a potter starts his work with clay, his mind and body have to be in unison and as he strives to build a work of art for utility he also has to invest empathy, care and devotion into the process. A great potter doesn’t make pots because there is mud with properties of quality clay, or merely to earn a livelihood. The potter’s labour of love is what creates a masterpiece. Likewise, all artists have canvases to paint. However, only the fully committed can combine the emotions and skills required to paint enduring works of art. The advice of Gulab Ramchandani, the famous headmaster of The Doon School, Dehradun and later an education consultant, was always: “Once you start to work on a school project, you will need to forget all other work in your life, pour your heart and soul into this very project and only then, will you build an institution which offers quality education.” Ramchandani invariably advised aspiring edupreneurs against promoting a school as a business enterprise. He…