A school’s Annual Day — Online on Zoom!
I wonder, if the good folks at Zoom ever imagine that the product would be used in a small village in Bihar, in this capacity!
A few days ago, I was the guest of honour at a school’s Annual day function, where Amit Chandra from the Center for Civil Societies was the Chief Guest. He spoke on the 4 C’s of the 21st century skills (Critical Thinking, Collaboration Creativity, Communication) and its importance.
In my opinion, the Annual Day function was a true manifestation of the 4 Cs. I was amazed at the collaboration that took place to make it a huge success.
Sri Ram International School is located in a small village, Mustafapur in the Vaishali District of Bihar. When I was invited to be the guest of honour, I was of course excited.
However the excited turned into anxiety when I got to know that the event was to be held online over Zoom!
Now, its okay for a meeting to happen and we are used to it. We are okay for a webinar, with a few speakers and rest as audience.
This was a completely new experience and at the end of it, I was stunned at the determination of the whole team to first envision it and then pull it off.
It also showed the inroads that a company like Zoom has made. I do not think they would have ever imagined that the product would be used in a small village in Bihar, in this capacity!
In my short interaction with the attendees of the event, I touched upon 5 different points. These are also slightly philosophical in nature and thus will be adopted in different capacities by different individuals.
Having a life of Purpose
If anything that the present times have made me firmly believe in, it is the notion of having a Life of Purpose. This is essential for every member of the organisation (the school in this case).
It is quite certain that the purpose would change from time to time, as we grow from being a student to a teacher to a parent to a school administrator. Moments like the one we are in today allows us to reflect on this Purpose of life. The onus lies on us to take the moments during the COVID19 times to understand what is our purpose to life and work towards that.
Collective Vision
The first and foremost place where one can look for their purpose is the society where we belong to and are a part of. We often talk about quality education not reaching the masses.
Taking this into account should be an integral part of the school’s responsibility. Moreover this vision has to be executed in a collective manner. By a collective we mean that everyone should contribute in their capacity (from teachers to students to parents to management to non-teaching staff). In the context of this school, the society that it is catering to becomes of utmost importance. Only by deeply understanding local we will be able to engage at a global level.
Sense of Possibility
One of the biggest takeaways of the event was the immense sense of possibility that the everyone had after it. This should be a fundamental thing to instil in a student, for it does wonders to their self confidence.
Not many would have had the full faith that the event could be pulled off so well, but it did. Every teacher who helped that child perform a song or a poem, or every parent who helped the child prepare for their dance, would be beaming with the sense of possibility. The simple mantra Yes, we can do it does wonders.
Reduced Boundaries
Around the world, people are talking about the notions of merging of the online and offline worlds. Never before has the world felt so connected.
Sitting across geographies, people from different backgrounds, academic interests and passion were able to join in the Annual Day. It is thus upon the school to understand and embrace this new paradigm of the online-offline amalgamated world.
Being a good human being
The last point I emphasised upon was that at the end we all need to become good human beings. There is always two ways to look at a crisis. One is to be completely for oneself and do nothing about it for others, aka a more selfish approach. The other is of course to provide help and assist wheever possible.
The challenge in India has been its diversity. So whether its in a class, or a school, or a society; there will always be a difference of opinions. What matters the most is how we embrace this and be better human beings not just for ourselves, but for others too.
I truly enjoyed the event, and witnessed something that I will cherish for a long time to tome. From initial thoughts of cancelling to pulling it with near perfect execution.
I congratulate the school on a great event and wish them the very best for the years to come.
