“A well educated and productive population is crucial for the country’s vision of becoming a vibrant and knowledge based economy,”reads the quote by Sunhw Lee in today’s #indianexpress paper. Agreed #humancapital is the key to developing the future, an article well documented by Dilip Thakore in EducationWorld India’s recent magazine. Which brings to the emergence of what the private-sector calls #eminenceschools and public-sector is calling as #exemplarschools.
‘Exemplar schools’ will lead the way for the 1800 odd is the road map. Challenge, as with every policy is in the execution and the worry again is that is there enough of #teachereducation, #teachertraining and #schoolsudits to ensure this does not become another grab the headlines kind of situation, and funds deployed dont reach that child who is in dire need? Sad reality is that many States continue to be in lockdown mode and not because of the new variant .
Being the optimist that I am, I welcome loan deployment but shouldn’t the budget that gets declared every year not consciously factor in increasing its mere 6 percent number?
If we truly are to build the future of this great nation, #privateschools will play a major role and encouraging more experienced professionals to set up quality and well governed #schools needs to become a more policy decision with amendments in our largely misinterpreted current #laws.
Hmmm …. And then there is talk of ‘complete K-12 online schooling’ for all students willing to avail of this. Really? Does that mean reduced fee, and schools devoid of #physicaltime? Or then promises made to parents about #tutoring kids to get them ready for entrance exams only as has been widely advertised. And learning then only for #exams??
Variants in the education world in #india?
We cannot have a generic view of the world of education in India is something I have been saying, and every family finds their happiness through these models available (it is matter of their own family situation, aspirations, cost of fees etc). However cleary not at the cost of a child’s learning. The kind that #drabdulkalam saheb spoke of. And that must include #play. Think closely #educators and #parents when you consider the ‘new educational variants’ as I like to call them before you blindly endorse them.
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Fatema Agarkar, Founder and Chairperson , Agarkar Centre of Excellence (ACE)
Veteran of 3 educational start-ups , now Founder of the Agarkar Centre of Excellence, Fatema’s passion for teaching-learning and children defines the different roles she has crafted in 20 years – as an edupreneur, educator and mentor.
Fatema who is a State and University topper as part of the prestigious Mumbai based Sydenham College of Commerce & Economics, holds a degree of Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Birmingham (UK), apart from her B.ED and ECCE degrees amassed when she decided education was her calling. Having kick-started her career in the corporate world and working with premier organizations like Commerzbank, Times of India and Egon Zehnder International, she always had an inner urge to bring about an enhancement in the sphere of education..
As an educationist and life-long learner, she has come a long way to intertwine modern methods of learning, teaching and customizing education as per the student’s intellectual requisites thus eradicating stress that stems from the education system. She has been sedulous in making comprehensive alterations in the education field in India. Being a risk-taker, Fatema has been focusing on the generation of innovative educational modules and her in-depth academic know-how, nothing but truly defines her ceaseless passion. Her name is synonymous with successful education models of the country and she is adjudged as Education World’s top 50 Educators in the year 2020. Adding more feathers to her hat, she has also been the recipient of several prestigious awards for her outstanding contribution to the field of education in the years 2013 and 2015.
Fatema has been awarded by Giants Group for her outstanding contribution to the field of education in 2012, the Young Achiever’s Award in the year 2017, Singapore based, Best of Asia’s, ‘Enterprising Educator in the year 2018 and as an entrepreneur ‘Best Edupreneur 2019 and Best Leadership’ by Progressive Academic Excellence India (Maharashtra 2019) and one of the 10th finest inspirational educators in 2019 by TKR, India . Her name is synonymous with successful education models of the country and she is adjudged as Education World’s top 50 Educators in the year 2020. Adding more feathers to her hat With close to 2 decades of experience in education, Fatema is the recipient of several honours including the Indian Achiever’s Award 2021. In July 2023, Fatema was also awarded the ‘Mumbai’s top Women Leader’ award by the CMO Asia National Awards’ (10th edition). Fatema is also a Jury Member for Cambridge School Recognition Awards 2025.
Having being associated with leading high school brands like DRS International, Hyderabad, NSS Hill Spring International, Mumbai, The Gera School, Goa, D Y Patil High School, Talegaon (Pune), SVM, Ratnagiri by the Gadre family, The Excellere World School, Gurgaon, JBCN International Schools, Mumbai, Fatema has now close to 40 pre-schools and high schools that she has set up from the grassroot level including a school for special needs’.
Fatema is on the Advisory Board of several Trusts including EduTech India, Wockhardft Foundation as well as a jury member, Education World Awards, a platform that recognizes the efforts of educators pan India. Fatema is also the Vice President for Early Childhood Association (ECA) and the Mumbai Territory Head for Association for Primary Education & Research (APER) in India. Fatema has been appointed as the global ambassador of the Commonwealth Entrepreneurs Club. . Fatema is on the advisory board of the All-India Gaming Federation (AIGF) and currently appointed as the National Council Member for Financial Literacy & Management by WICCI. Given her access to parents and her ability to provide age appropriate strategies to enable them to make more informed choices, Fatema’s passion remains counselling in the hope that effective parenting will enable children to benefit the most.
Fatema is also the special advisor of the Child Chapter Association (CCA), a non-governmental organisation registered as a Section 8. company under the Companies Act, 2013 whose mission is to spread awareness and eliminate child abuse, including child sexual abuse. Her role as a special advisor of CCA includes providing advice and guidance for their special outreach programs for Schools and teachers that tap into the child psyche and help them raise their voice against abuse. Fatema also played an instrumental role in the development of the CCA comic books and characters for their global campaign for child abuse awareness and prevention.
Currently, Fatema is the Advisor & Mentor to Finland International School, Race Course and on course to start her own school in 2026. As a TedX speaker, and a avid blogger, Fatema is passionate about sharing her knowledge amassed and inspiring stakeholders be it teachers, parents or students.
Her vision includes set up up of Soup Kitchens, Foster Homes and a community centre for the elderly under the Agarkar Foundation in time.
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