Involved Stakeholders
There are multiple stake holders who influence the school ecosystem. These include parents, students, vendors, teachers, alumni, communities, media etc. The schools should tap into the multi-perspectives, experiences and broader knowledge of its various stake holders who can make a significant contribution in strengthening inclusivity and bringing an overall alignment to the broader objectives of the institution. The inputs received from them can make a significant contribution to the various facets of school excellence through structured mechanisms of feedback
Caring culture
A caring culture can impact learning outcomes and better student behaviour. It would entail the schools to provide an enabling environment which would help students to discover their full potential. A Caring culture would empower the child-teacher relationship, especially in a culturally diverse classroom, motivate children towards self-directed learning and foster an environment which pursues intrinsicmotivation forbetter student engagement. In turn, student engagement impacts learning outcomes and strengthens teacher-student relationships.
Cultivating Values needed now
Cultivating positive values in a school can occur formally or informally. Students imbibe attitudes and values in the large learning ecosystem, nourished from childhood, and this affects their individual well-being and their broader cognitive development. This helps the students to determine who they want to be, how they live their lives and how they interact with their community. To remain relevant, rooted and responsive, which is the core ethos of Loreto education, the values imbibed by the students would require them to have a deeper, holistic understanding of being purposeful for the larger good of the society. It would also be important for all stake holders in providing an enabling environment such as to instil a sense of purpose
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Holistic Education
Holistic education is a comprehensive approach to teaching where educators seek to address emotional, social, ethical and academic needs of students in an integrated learning format with emphasisbeing placed on creating a positive school environment. Students can be taught to reflect on their actions and how they impact the global and local community, as well as how to learn from the community around them. Teachers can engage students in projects that apply critical-thinking skills toward solving real-world problems and cope up with the demands of emerging realities. They help in preparing students to learn the challenges of living which includes learning about their self, inculcate authentic and vibrant relationships, along with humanitarian values.
Teaching Excellence Framework
Teachers are the bedrock of the institution. They play a very vital role in fostering a vibrant learning environment in the school. In today’s ever-evolving educational landscape, the significance of quality teacher education and development is a continuous process. Moulding the minds of future generations with overall alignment to the National Education Policy 2020, are going to become imperatives. Significant focus and emphasis would continue to be laid on the improvement of teaching skills, pedagogical knowledge, and digital competencies. It would mean that teachers offer children authentic opportunities to develop their cognitive, social-emotional, and moral domains. Teachers can foster expectations that will enable a student to do his or her best by realizing their potential.
Empowered Learners
Schools should foster an environment which encourages students to engage in their own learning process and gain the necessary skills, knowledge and resources to influence and shape their learning journey. Students should be provided the ability to seek out and access information, evaluate and reflect on their learning experiences and take risks in their learning process. This would help them to have a mindset which can assist them to deal confidently with uncertainties and complexities.
Enabling Infrastructure
This includes components of physical and digital infrastructure. Physical would include the ambit of classrooms, libraries, play grounds, labs, games, equipment etc. The digital elements refer to the set of tools and technologies that form the foundation for an institution’s information technology and enhances its operational efficiencies. These facilities when provided, should help the school to continue its operations smoothly, even under contingencies and provide uninterrupted learning systems.
Safety
A safe and secure school environment is a prerequisite for effective teaching and learning. Thus, ensuring safety of children, teachers and staff members during disasters and otherwise is of paramount importance. Mechanisms to deployed which would include the availability of emergency response and preparedness for safeguarding and providing security against any kind of hazard.
Safety is to be given the highest importance. It is critical to evaluate and strengthen the overall resilience of the system. Recommended compliance processes, as prescribed by necessary relevant authorities are to be followed in true spirit for all the relevant stake holders in a school. Continuous attempts are to be made to reduce the educational barriers to the most vulnerable learners caused by disability, digital divide and social exclusion and by proper implementation of the Loreto Child Protection Policy.