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The Doon School Old Boys’ Society Impact Report 2025-26

The Doon School Old Boys’ Society (DSOBS) has partnered with the Good Schools Alliance. It supports the initiative of the Learning Forward India Foundation to work in the space of affordable quality education, particularly in rural and budget-friendly schools. The Society has also signed an MoU with the Learning Forward India Foundation, enabling service-driven special education projects, the participation of Old Boys and their spouses in on-ground initiatives, and the connection of regional chapters with credible service projects across India.

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The “Antimbala” Quest Continues

Key Takeaways

• The “Antimbala” Quest Continues: Despite enrolling over 2 million girls, Educate Girls’ mission is incomplete. The Right to Education (RTE) Act covers only elementary School (Grades 1-8), leaving girls vulnerable to high dropout rates (40% by Grade 10) and limited life opportunities.

• The Secondary School Gap: The primary barrier to secondary education is infrastructure, not mindset. India has only 20 secondary schools for every 100 primary schools, making access to secondary education impossible for many rural girls.

• Authentic Storytelling Drives Change: Educate Girls’ success stems from the use of local “Team Balika” volunteers to share personal stories of transformation. This approach builds emotional connection and trust, which is more effective than data or external messaging.

• Call to Action: The group’s key insight is that the mission is personal. The most direct way to “find Antimbala” is for each individual to support the education of one person.

Read and Lead

Happy Teachers

The Literacy Project for Educators, led by Learning Forward India Foundation and the Good Schools Alliance, and supported by stakeholders, aims to raise awareness and promote informed decision-making among educators in India.

Through engagements in 10 cities, the initiative offers a year-long learning journey where participating teachers connect weekly with trainers for guidance, reflection, and practical learning.

The project targets over 1000 educators, with its impact expanding as they share literacy conversations and practices in their classrooms, reaching students and families. A national showcase will highlight stories, learnings, and impacts from across the country.

The scope of the project:

- Financial Literacy

- Food Literacy

- Health and Well-being

- Emerging Literacies like AI and Digital Technologies

Happy teachers, empowered with personal and social development, will prepare happy students. We need to go beyond domain knowledge and equip children with skills for life and good living, as this alone will prepare them to face the world and make our teachers most relevant in the age of AI and humanity.

BOOKS OF THE WEEK

Brewing Knowledge

Empathise and connect with high-risk Teenage Behaviour to address it

Learning Forward Saturday

To understand and address high-risk teenage behaviour through empathy and connection.

Key Takeaways

• Teen behaviour is often biological rather than rebellious. The developing teen brain drives risk-taking, making empathy and education more effective than punishment.

• Punishment is counterproductive. Suspension and expulsion create “alienation”—the very isolation teens seek to escape—and worsen the problem.

• “Academic Connection” is the solution. This approach values student effort and problem-solving, creating a supportive environment that provides a natural “high” from success.

• Teachers are the frontline defence. By building trust and making learning engaging, they provide the “shelter of loved ones” that gives students the confidence to resist peer pressure.

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The Courage To Be Happy and the Road Ahead

Masterclass with Sandeep Dutt

Let’s chat about the final masterclass and what we learned from ‘The Courage to be Happy’.

Key Takeaways

• Happiness Is a Choice: True happiness is an internal choice, not a result of external events. It requires taking responsibility for one’s actions, living authentically, and contributing to others.

• The Teacher’s Role: A teacher’s primary role is to foster a “culture of safe failure,” preparing students for the real world by emphasising process over outcome and encouraging resilience.

• New Research Project: A new study will investigate teacher longevity, testing the hypothesis that the profession’s inherent happiness leads to longer lifespans.

• Next Masterclass: The new season, “The Human Edge in the World of AI,” begins July 4. It is a subscription-based program with scholarships for special projects.

The Teachers Academy

Learning Through Literature: Reflections on Nature, Empathy, and Personal Growth

“The book reading sessions of My Family and Other Animals with Brinda Ma’am and शामली में ठहरा वक़्त और अन्य कहानियाँ with Manisha Ma’am were highly engaging and intellectually enriching.” Rekha Sharma, Sunbeam School Mau, posts in our Joy Of Learning Diaries.

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My Good School

Sunday reading session in which Manisha and Jugjiv led a discussion of Michiko Aoyama’s book “What Are You Looking For Is In The Library”. The session focused on reading and analysing a chapter about Natsumi, a 40-year-old woman struggling with work-life balance after having a baby, and her interactions with Madame Misue, a librarian who gives her a book and advice on finding happiness. Students shared reflections on the themes of happiness being situational, the importance of following one’s passion, and the challenges of balancing career and family responsibilities. The session also included readings from previous participants’ reflections. It concluded with Manisha reading a Hindi story about hill stations, followed by a discussion on how perceptions of different lifestyles can affect happiness and satisfaction.

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Learning Forward Retreat

Join us for an immersive learning experience in Dehradun. Learn to connect deeply with young people through Reading, Reflection, and Building Meaningful Relationships. Explore The YES Way, a transformative framework that places Youth Engaging Society (YES) at the core of school culture, emphasising skills for life.

At the first Learning Forward Retreat in Dehradun, we had the pleasure of welcoming teachers from Gyan Anant Vidyalaya, PYDS Learning Academy, Hillwoods Academy and trainers from the Association of Mutual Funds of India and the Good Schools Alliance to share the joy of learning with us over three days at the mystical Fig Tree Cottage.

Book your weekend full of the joy of learning now!

Take your Learning Forward

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Happy Teachers and the Making of My Good School

Kunal Rajpurohit, a student at The Fabindia School, is now the Projects Manager at the Learning Forward India Foundation. In the photo, you’ll find a heartwarming story of a teacher and a student at the same level, each taking a step forward together. It’s a beautiful tale of horizontal learning and building strong relationships.

The My Good School Program, at the heart of The Fabindia School’s learning journey in Bali and Rajasthan, is a wonderful example of how schools can transform. When we focus on teacher development, amazing things happen! #HappyTeacher

From one My Good School to the Good Schools Alliance and now The Literacy Project for Educators, powered by the Learning Forward India Foundation, to equip teachers with essential life skills that extend beyond textbooks—helping them grow both professionally and personally.

Centred around the idea of “Happy Teachers,” the project emphasises empowering educators with practical knowledge in areas that affect daily life, including:

- Financial Literacy

- Food Literacy

- Emerging Literacies such as AI and more

Join The Teachers Academy #HappyTeachers.

The Teachers Academy

Transform Life Chances For Every Child We Reach

When a school shifts, a child’s entire world shifts.

I’m Sandeep Dutt, and at the Good Schools Alliance, we’re now collaborating with over 50 schools that are eager to learn and grow together.

Through My Good School, we organise Sunday reading sessions and The Teachers Academy, helping schools weave reading, reflection and relationships into their weekly schedule. This means that every week, children get to read, share and reflect with their peers and teachers across the Alliance.

In just one year, 17 schools and 8 programme partners joined forces under the Alliance—ranging from reading and life-skills groups to wellbeing and teacher-development partners. This means that a single donor’s support is multiplied across dozens of campuses, hundreds of teachers and thousands of children each year.

Our member schools contribute an annual subscription, and philanthropic support enables us to subsidise programmes for our Special Projects that might not be able to afford this on their own—especially those with low fees and in rural areas. Your funding helps us expand retreats, reading programmes, and special projects in financial literacy, health and girls’ empowerment.

If you believe every child deserves a good school, please partner with us—either as a donor or a funding agency—so that together, we can take the Good Schools Alliance from dozens of schools to hundreds, and transform life chances for every child we reach.

10,000+ Subscribers on YouTube

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A letter on trust, empathy, and the disappearing art of connection.

Special Edition of the Good Schools of India Weekly.

I’ve been thinking about a conversation I had last w…

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The YES Way: Building Schools Where Youth Engage Society (YES)

GSA offers workshops and bespoke training sessions. The YES Way Framework focuses on Youth Engaging Society (YES) as the heart of school culture, empowering students in service, skills, sports, and studies. GSA provides customised on-site training and learning workshops to help schools improve, supported by various programmes and partners.

Masterclass: Sandeep Dutt, Founder of Learning Forward India Foundation and Good Schools Alliance, conducts a masterclass every Saturday at 5:30 pm IST on Zoom. These sessions share insights from over four decades of experience working with school teachers and students worldwide, and Dutt is the chief architect of The YES Way Framework.

Thank you for helping us reach 10,000 followers on LinkedIn!

We’ve never really counted how many lives we’ve touched, or how many generations back our family tree goes.

•⁠ ⁠Almost 10,000 subscribers on our YouTube channel

•⁠ ⁠Over 35,000 followers on the GSA Facebook page

•⁠ ⁠Almost 20,00,000 PageViews for our Joy of Learning Diaries, the students’ blog, at www.JoyOfLearningDiaries.com

•⁠ ⁠Almost 35,00,000 PageViews for The Teachers Academy blog #HappyTeachers at www.HappyTeacher.in

There are still more on Twitter, Instagram and other social media platforms; we are humbled.

Our goal is simple: Read and Lead. Thank you for supporting our 100+ years of efforts at The English Book Depot (EBD), GSA and the Learning Forward India Foundations. Our deep commitment to ensure that every teacher is empowered to support young people with their personal and social development #JoyOfGiving

My Good School

Sunday School book reading of “My Family and Other Animals” by Gerald Durrell, led by Brinda and Sandeep, with Jugjiv moderating. They discussed the Daffodil Yellow Villa chapter, nature, animals, and the characters’ experiences. The facilitators announced a new 30-minute limit on reading, followed by discussion. Students’ reflections and retreat presentations on engaging with society through service, skill, sport, and study were shared. The session ended with an explanation of the YES framework and resources on schooleducation.com.

The Decline of the Hindu Civilization Shashi Ranjan Kumar at the Book Cafe

The book The Decline of the Hindu Civilization: Lessons from the Past by Shashi Ranjan Kumar is a historical analysis that traces the trajectory of Indian civilisation from its intellectual peak to its gradual decline. Shashi Tharoor and other prominent figures have praised the work for its scholarly rigour and balanced approach.

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Bumper Issue of Our Newsletter

My Good School Retreat 2026: Nurturing Learning, Reflection, and Relationships

The My Good School Alliance Retreat (MGS Retreat), in collaboration with Mayoor School Jaipur, was successfully he…

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My Good School Retreat, April 2026

Back in 2016, the My Good School Retreat was envisioned to inspire and empower people through personal and social growth. Today, it has grown into a wonderful…

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Revolution in Education

Celebrating 10 years of the My Good School Retreat

Back in October 2016, The Fabindia School kicked off an exercise to help teachers grow personally and socially. Now, it’s blossomed into a full-fledged My Good School experience for students, teachers and everyone involved. We’re al…

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Key Takeaways

• The “Performance Culture” is eroding genuine childhood. Parents are pushing kids into manufactured achievements (e.g., fake NGOs, paid-for books) to build college admissions portfolios, replacing auth…

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Brewing Knowledge Friday

Celebrate Literature, Art, and Culture at The English Book Depot! Discover the magic of reading in our co…

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Brewing Knowledge Friday

Join us in celebrating Literature, Art, and Culture at The English Book Depot! Immerse yourself in the magic of reading through our cosy Book Cafe, where unforgettable experiences await. Whether visiting in person or joining via Zoom, connect with a vibrant community of book lovers, authors, and educators—all passionate about the…

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Celebrating one year of the Good Schools of India Weekly

#52 makes me look back on the year and reflect on this journey: how we started in 2015 and, along the way, came Ravi Santlani of ScooNews, who lit a match inside, and we worked our way with #HappyTeachers as our bullseye. We agreed on the s…

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The Way and Awakening

Personal and social development for every individual.

Our Programs and how to start?

1. My Good School on Sundays is open to middle school students and teachers of GSA Member Schools #MyGoodSchool. Schools and partners who join the Good Schools Alliance get open access to My Good School.

2. Learning Forward Saturday is for GSA Member schools…

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Celebrating the 50th edition of our weekly #joyoflearning. In the Bible, 50 symbolises liberation, restoration, and the Holy Spirit, representing a “divine reset” or cycle completion. It is linked to the Year of Jubilee (every 50th year) and Pentecost (50 days after Passover), symbolising freedom from debt and God’s Spirit outpouring.

The Good Schools Al…

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Proud Roots. Progress for the People.

Our focus is on Reading, Reflection and building meaningful Relationships.

At the Governing Council’s foundational meeting, we adopted our Constitution.

Preamble

The Good Schools All…

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