As schools made a conscious decision to lock down due to health concerns around Covid-19, the education industry is making a shift towards online learning platforms. These platforms not only enable educators and learners to connect over video-enabled remote classrooms but also provide a host of interactive and collaborative tools. 

These new learning methods have had their own problems initially until everyone got used to it. Many schools have performed effectively in making this shift and we at Thakur International School (Cambridge) are no exception. We had to review and reinvent our model within a short span of time. And, thanks to the support of the administration team, students, and parents we could do it successfully. 

Here’s what the process looked like at TIS Cambridge:

1. Students were provided with a timetable and a link to the relevant learning session via Google Classroom. 
2. The lectures were conducted through Hangouts Meet as each and every learner was provided with a registered TIS ID. 
3. And finally, the homework was assigned via Google Classroom. Teachers regularly apprised the parents, individually, of their child’s progress. 
4. Students were given homework regularly so that they could apply their knowledge to what they learnt through their online session every day. We felt it was a good way of making them responsible. Being one of the most prestigious schools in Borivali, we put forth questions that required their own thinking to find the solution.
5. The Pre-Primary section was assigned a different schedule to reduce screen time.

The Road Ahead!

The lockdown could not have been anticipated. But, in retrospect, this crisis has given us an opportunity to usher in a new era of learning, one that is based on the fundamental principles of our schooling — care, cultivate, and celebrate. During normal school hours, the child’s personal behaviour and habits would have been the concern of parents, and if the child is learning well, a concern of teachers; but not anymore. This distinction has blurred during the lockdown. Everyone is worried about the well-being of children. Therefore, any teaching-learning approach has to be imbued with concern and compassion. And we at Thakur International school did exactly that. The Union Human Resources and Development (HRD) Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank recently said that the government is offering a slew of educational applications and platforms for both school and higher education institutes. In addition to teachers, Nishank urged parents and students to make maximum use of online education to ensure that academic continuity is maintained.

Amidst these transitions, we are also proud to announce that our IGCSE results were declared recently with our top 5 scoring a near 90% and above. We will continue to inspire our children to fulfil their dreams and aim for the sky.

Major world events are often a turning tide for rapid innovation and change – a clear example is the rise of e-commerce post-SARS. We are yet to fully understand the impact of the shift towards online learning and its viability in the near future. However, we must try our best to explore and adapt to its full potential. As Winston Churchill once stated, “True genius resides in the capacity for evaluation of uncertain, hazardous, and conflicting information.” Learning will never stop at TIS and we welcome you to a bright and digitally progressive academic year 2020-21!