‘In humility, we learn, in vanity we impress.’
I have always found it difficult to write, not because of the limitation of language or thought but because I have always felt that putting my name on a piece of work amounts to taking a position of advisor, preacher that seems arrogant and this to my mind erects a barrier to learning. Learning is easier said than imparted, especially when the mind, body and personality of the young learner is tender and under the mould.
It may be akin to a relationship between the potter and his clay. But we as educators should do well to remember that a taught is not mere a clay. There is a free will, which needs some direction, and that requires a whole lot of freedom for pupils to evolve their own thinking and personality. It is not just teaching that will bring about wholesome personalities in school education. Holistic development through education requires, obviously, a multi-dimensional, multi faceted and multi pronged all round positive and constructive approach.
At Sant Isher Singh Public School, a paradigm has been created that clearly sets apart leading to excellence and holistic development of the pupils. The pupils are set on a path to explore and understand their own true nature and their relationship with environment and society. This includes holistic integration of activities that lead to the development of social values and development of personality, where individuals are able to compete with their counterparts from anywhere around the globe. SISPS is not only an institution of learning, but also a platform that provides an individualized environment where a student is instructed on the simple techniques of setting goals, of motivating self and others, on dealing with adversity or elimination of self-defeating habits, of using time properly, on developing self-confidence, on generating enthusiasm and organizing various aspects of life and handling stress. I would like to mention here the pillars on which we stand, and which in some sense, also represent our core strength. First and foremost SISPS stands for free thinking.
We aspire to be known as a place where exploration of truth and knowledge is pursued honestly. Where young learners free themselves from the prejudices of their past life and develop ideas which help them shape their own minds even as they shape those of their peers. Second we stand for scholarships and learning. The members of our faculty who are selected and rewarded for these virtues and our students are best that any institution can have makes it easy for us to pursue these twin goals. Third SISPS stands for a value system which recognizes the important challenges our planet and society face today. These are of course, the multiple challenges of energy and food security, environment, and climate change and, in our part of world, the challenges of inequity, poverty and lack of access to basic amenities and quality education. We believe that true education is not merely a transfer of information or skills but a process of igniting minds to an engagement between teachers and taught. True education, as is commonly said, is what remains after all that has been learnt in the classroom is forgotten.
Inderjeet Kaur Sandhu
Principal