21st Century skills – These are skills to prepare and help a person survive and compete in the modern world of fast changing technology.

These skills are Critical thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, Communication, Information literacy, Media literacy, Technology literacy, Flexibility, Leadership, Initiative, Productivity, Social skills popularly grouped as 4Cs, IMT and FLIPS.

C.B.S.E is making all the efforts in promoting these skills by creating awareness among the teachers and students to bring out the best of learners by conducting various training programs, introducing reforms and policy guidelines, which are also implemented in the same spirit, by the affiliated schools.

Various changes have been introduced in the curriculum of various classes in order to provide an environment for complete learning.

A child learns a lot directly as well as indirectly when he/she actually attends school, mingling with other students, becoming friends (or not) with them, and coming in contact with his teachers and non-teaching staff.

Still, there's a gap in the actual learning that can help a child in living the life that is full of contentment and make him the greatest asset of the society.

The effect of activities and homework remain only temporary. A great role can be played by all the persons in contact with the learners specially their parents, in the required scope of student's learning. Minor changes in the mindset of different stakeholders and routine activities can help bring long run benefits in this regard.

If learning is not limited to books only, it is also not to be considered as limited to school only. Schools cannot function effectively in isolation. When students are given homework, most of them do it under pressure and do it just for the sake of doing it, that too depends on the subject, teacher, nature of work etc.

A child should not be expected to learn everything at once but only gradually, if given a conducive environment.

A child can learn more in informal way than in formal way e.g. a child takes so many pledges in school, like during Vigilance Awareness Week or before Diwali celebrations. But, if he happens to see an active example/examples of bribe, where both the parties can be seen enjoying the benefits or the elders bring crackers home and burst these and show off, the 'Effect of such Pledge’ is difficult to be seen.

There are a lot of activities and areas that must be included in the learning process to make him develop to be not only a good human being but an important element of the society. Major areas I could gather are:

  • Mental Health
  • Money Management
  • Time Management
  • Compassion and Empathy
  • Environmental Protection
  • Sustainable Living
  • Organic Farming
  • Healthy  Living
  • Conservation of Resources like water, electricity forests etc.
  • Taking care of elders

Asking a child to be strong won't be as effective as providing him a supportive attitude of the immediate concerned persons i.e. parents, siblings and teachers.

He should be prepared from the beginning to do the work, take decisions and responsibilities so as to help him handle ups and downs of life. Meditation is assuming major importance in this area. He should be made to believe strongly that 'Life is worth living'.

Compassion and empathy are important for a peaceful environment of a society, again be initiated at home only.

If we ponder carefully, all the remaining areas are interrelated.

Love for plants -->  care of plants --> love for nature --> environmental protection.

Love for nature--> love for birds and animals--> empathy.

Love for nature --> sustainable living--> economical use of resources --> conservation of resources.

Money management and Time management, will ultimately be the by products in this process.

Regarding money, he must learn that ‘Money is something but not everything’ and ‘Life can also be enjoyed without spending lavishly on unnecessary stuff’.

Confidence, which is the foundation of success in all the pursuits has its origin in the home only. The way of life becomes the part of learning process.

Above all, ‘The culture to work' should be respected and propagated. 'To work should be considered a ' fashion '. It must be seen as a means to live a dignified life.

Summing up, My Endeavour this year, would be to focus more on everything discussed above, work for the continuous improvement of this website and above all help my students to be the best.