Manjot Dhillon
Founder, Mount Litera Zee School, Amritsar

Manjot Dhillon is founder-director of the Mount Litera Zee School, Amritsar (MLZS estb.2014). An alum of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Dhillon is also vice chairperson of the Amritsar chapter of FLO (FICCI Ladies Organisation) and a member of the Board of Studies, Guru Nanak Dev University. In the EW India School Rankings 2019-20, MLZS is ranked Amritsar’s #1 co-ed day school.

How has MLZS responded to the Covid-19 and national lockdown challenge?

MLZS has opened all windows of opportunity to ensure the academic progress of our 1,200 students is not disrupted. We started by training our teachers and students to prepare for the switch to online learning by familiarising them with new essential apps such as Zoom and Google Classroom. Online lessons are being streamed live supplemented with participation in webinars on career guidance and personality development.

What are the major challenges confronting Indian education in the Covid era?

The pandemic has deprived thousands of children of their fundamental right to school education. With government schools, especially in rural India, lacking even the most basic electricity and connectivity infrastructure, online learning as a solution is meaningless. It’s tragic that there’s persistent myopia and unwillingness among our political leaders to confront and address this reality.

Also read: Covid19 Challenge: Mount Litera Zee School, Amritsar online learning success

Several state governments have issued fees waiver/deferment circulars to private schools. Your comment?

Although deferment of school fees is a welcome relief to parents experiencing financial strain, time will testify that it will also severely damage private school education.

What are your Top 3 proposals for reforming K-12 education in India?

To revive and revitalise the education system, government should grant greater autonomy to private schools; overhaul teacher training institutions to produce teachers equipped to mentor 21st century learners, and revamp examination and assessment systems to measure children’s real learning.

What are your future plans for MLZS?

We are working on strengthening the technological immersion of our teachers and students; professional development of teachers and preparation of a comprehensive plan to make up for lost time when schools reopen.