<![CDATA[Good Schools of India]]>https://www.gsi.inhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Z5Na!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffc98d228-6c32-4085-a783-7ccbb92c588e_455x455.pngGood Schools of Indiahttps://www.gsi.inSubstackWed, 29 Apr 2026 05:45:04 GMT<![CDATA[Good Schools of India]]>https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-1b3https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-1b3Mon, 27 Apr 2026 01:30:56 GMT
In 2012, Sandeep Dutt (extreme right in the photo) hosted the inaugural YES Workshop at Tagore International School, introducing the 4S framework: Service, Skill, Sport, and Study. Today, the Good Schools Alliance has a nationwide membership, and we proudly celebrate the spirit of YES!

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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]]><![CDATA[Good Schools of India]]>https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-6cchttps://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-6ccMon, 20 Apr 2026 01:30:47 GMT
Financial Literacy Project for Educators launched on April 14, 2026, to commemorate the Birth Anniversary of Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar.
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 held on the school premises, with participation from 12 schools across the country. The Good Schools Alliance (GSA) promotes the values of “Joy of Learning” and “Joy of Giving,” aiming to build a connected and inclusive community through Service, Skill, Sport, and Study.

The retreat focused on the 3R’s—Reading, Reflection, and Relationships—providing students with a holistic learning experience. The four-day camp included enriching book-reading sessions led by eminent authors, including Ms Bhairvi Jani and Mr Jugjiv Singh, during which students explored excerpts from inspiring works such as Highway to Swades.

Each day began with engaging sports activities, including basketball, badminton, swimming, tennis, and indoor games like chess and carrom. A special art session by Prenita Dutt introduced students to creative techniques using various art media. Interactive sessions by INME encouraged teamwork, critical thinking, and emotional awareness.

Students also enjoyed an educational excursion to the City Palace, where they experienced its rich heritage and architectural grandeur. The retreat featured a vibrant talent show where students showcased their skills through music, dance, skits, and cultural presentations.

The closing ceremony included an insightful session on financial literacy led by Mr Manoj Kumar (Executive Director, SEBI), Mr Venkat Chalasani (CEO, AMFI), and Mr Suryakant Sharma (Sr. Consultant, AMFI), emphasising the importance of financial planning and investment.

Program Philosophy: Every student’s journey to success requires mastering financial literacy. We simplify complex concepts into engaging lessons, empowering teachers to help students manage money wisely and achieve their dreams.

Training-the-Trainer: Train teachers at schools, predominantly women, who significantly impact children’s life skills.

The event concluded on a positive note, fostering unity, learning, and inspiration, while opening new avenues for future generations.

Regards

Team Mayoor School Jaipur 🦚

Their creativity knew no bounds, and the results are there for all to see!

From a simple line on art paper to an art exhibition, our artist-in-residence at the My Good School Retreat has truly opened a whole new world for us! Thank you, Prenita Dutt for the five days you took out for us #JoyOfGiving.

A simple line drawing

Art works produced by the simple line drawing, please play the video.

Nature-Inspired Books and Environmental Advocacy.

Brewing Knowledge Friday

Discussing Priyadarshini’s nature-inspired books and environmental advocacy.

Key Takeaways

  • Core Theme: Coexistence is the central message. The books challenge the idea of human-wildlife conflict by showing how balanced ecosystems depend on every creature.

  • Root Cause: Unchecked urbanisation and year-round tourism are the primary drivers of environmental degradation in hill stations like Kodaikanal, leading to habitat loss, landslides, and increased human-wildlife encounters.

  • Advocacy Strategy: Priyadarshini uses engaging genres (adventure, poetry) to make eco-fiction accessible and avoid being preachy. She empowers young readers by giving child characters agency and focusing on local environmental action.

  • Policy Gap: Current conservation policies are insufficient. They categorise endangered species but lack concrete regulations to protect their habitats, such as the Shola grasslands, which are critical to the Nilgiri Tahr.

Community Engagement for Rural Education: Strategic Targeting & Male Advocacy

Read And Lead

To read and discuss chapter 4 and beyond from the book “Every Last Girl” by Safeena Husain.

Key Takeaways

  • Male Advocates Are Essential: The narrator’s initial bias that only women could champion girls’ education was disproven by male advocates like Kamlesh and Ram, whose “father-to-father” chats and male-to-male interactions were uniquely effective in changing mindsets.

  • Government Data Is Incomplete: A government list of out-of-school girls proved incomplete when the team found 21 unlisted girls in a single village, underscoring that official data alone is insufficient for comprehensive outreach.

  • Strategic Targeting Is Key: The team used MHRD data to target Rajasthan, which had 9 of India’s 26 worst gender-gap districts, and then focused on Pali, a central “hotspot,” to maximise impact.

  • Persistence Is Required: The project’s success required navigating bureaucratic hurdles and adapting strategies when initial plans failed, highlighting the need for persistence in social work.

BOOKS OF THE WEEK

The English Book Depot, Dehradun, India

Brewing Knowledge

Education is friendship, not work

Sandeep Dutt’s Masterclass

To explore Adlerian psychology’s application to education and self-reliance.

Key Takeaways

  • Problem behaviour is a cry for help: Students act out to find a sense of belonging, not just to misbehave.

  • Education is friendship, not work: The teacher’s role is a counsellor-educator who builds relationships based on trust and equality.

  • All problems and joy are interpersonal: Suffering and happiness both arise from relationships, making them the central focus of life and education.

  • True worth is self-reliance: External validation (e.g., rewards, grades) creates dependence, turning individuals into “clockwork dolls” who cannot move without being wound up.

Affection vs Rejection: Part 1

Learning Forward Saturday

To read and reflect on Chapter 4 of the book Wanted Back-bencher & Last-Ranker Teacher “Affection vs. Rejection.”

Key Takeaways

  • Staff rooms can be toxic. The chapter’s staff room scene highlights how gossip and negativity can create a draining atmosphere, in contrast to Brinda’s experience of a supportive, collaborative space.

  • Use marking schemes to empower students. Posting a detailed marking scheme with answer breakdowns (e.g., 1/2 mark per step) helps students understand why they lost marks, reducing disputes and fostering accountability.

  • Teachers’ personal lives impact the classroom. Roma’s story shows how personal events (like a broken engagement) can become public gossip, creating a stressful environment that distracts from teaching.

  • Empathy is the foundation of effective teaching. A teacher’s own struggles build empathy, which is essential for connecting with students and creating a safe, supportive learning environment.

My Good School

Sunday School for Reading and Reflection

To read and discuss two books, “My Family and Other Animals” and “Time Stops At Shamli (Hindi).”

Key Takeaways

  • “My Family and Other Animals” Reading: The Durrell family moved to the “Daffodil Yellow Villa” to accommodate unexpected guests. Gerald’s observations of swallows and an oil beetle (Melloproscarabeus) highlight the book’s core theme of nature discovery.

  • “Antim Sanskar” Reading: A boy processes his father’s death, feeling isolated from the adults. His unique coping mechanism—imagining becoming a flower to help new life grow—was praised for its maturity.

  • My Good School Retreat: A recap of the Jaipur retreat showcased its focus on reflection and community building. All future My Good School sessions will be held in webinar mode to increase capacity and improve YouTube recording quality.

Inme: The Art of Becoming

Where the outdoors is not an escape, but a return

It begins, as all meaningful journeys do, quietly.

A bus pulls away.
A city fades into the background.
And somewhere between the noise and the stillness, something shifts almost imperceptibly.

No one announces it.
No one points it out.

But it’s there.

A beginning.

Discover more

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]]><![CDATA[Good Schools of India]]>https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-30ehttps://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-30eMon, 13 Apr 2026 01:30:40 GMT
Prenita Dutt, our Artist-in-Residence at the My Good School Retreat 2026, is a self-taught artist, photographer, writer and a true believer in the joy of learning!

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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]]><![CDATA[Good Schools of India]]>https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-2cchttps://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-2ccMon, 06 Apr 2026 01:30:51 GMT
My Good School Retreat 2016 at The Fabindia School

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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]]><![CDATA[Good Schools of India]]>https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-92bhttps://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-92bMon, 30 Mar 2026 01:30:57 GMTHow Did Your Reading Journey Start?

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]]><![CDATA[Good Schools of India]]>https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-29ahttps://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-29aMon, 23 Mar 2026 01:30:52 GMT Read more

]]><![CDATA[Good Schools of India]]>https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-021https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-021Mon, 16 Mar 2026 01:30:44 GMT Read more

]]><![CDATA[Good Schools of India]]>https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-2fchttps://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-2fcMon, 09 Mar 2026 01:30:26 GMT
Pooja Marwah, author of Being an Indian Teenager, joined us for the Brewing Knowledge Friday hosted by The English Book Depot on March 6, 2026

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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]]><![CDATA[Good Schools of India]]>https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-e09https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-e09Mon, 02 Mar 2026 01:30:32 GMT
Jahnavi Prasada is a cultural entrepreneur, filmmaker, and the founder-director of Himalayan Echoes. She has authored the graphic novel Tales of Young Gandhi and, most recently, released Nainital: Memories, Stories & History.

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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]]><![CDATA[Good Schools of India]]>https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-b33https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-b33Mon, 23 Feb 2026 01:30:23 GMT

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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]]><![CDATA[Good Schools of India]]>https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-5f9https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-5f9Mon, 16 Feb 2026 01:30:42 GMT
The Dou for Teachers First - Ravi Santlani and Sandeep Dutt

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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]]><![CDATA[Good Schools of India]]>https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-b48https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-b48Mon, 09 Feb 2026 01:30:27 GMT

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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]]><![CDATA[Good Schools of India]]>https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-62dhttps://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-62dMon, 02 Feb 2026 01:30:22 GMT
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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]]><![CDATA[Good Schools of India]]>https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-bb0https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-bb0Mon, 26 Jan 2026 01:30:43 GMT
PYDS Learning Academy in village Purkal, District Dehradun, India, hosted the Governing Council's foundational meeting on 20th January 2026

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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]]><![CDATA[Good Schools of India]]>https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-9d5https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-9d5Mon, 19 Jan 2026 01:30:31 GMT
Members of the Good Schools Alliance will gather in Dehradun on January 19th and 20th, 2026, with Sandeep Dutt, founder of the Learning Forward India Foundation, hosting the event.

Chairperson’s Message

Congratulations on the Good Schools Alliance’s Foundation Day.

I’m Amrita Burman, Director of the Sunbeam Group of Educational Institutions, Varanasi, and …

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]]><![CDATA[Good Schools of India]]>https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-57fhttps://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-57fMon, 12 Jan 2026 01:30:31 GMT
Sunday School in progress at the Sunbeam Gramin School in Karsara, near Varanasi

My Good School is open to all

Sunday School from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Zoom only. Subscription: Rs 2500 per year. Promoting reading nurtures a world that pauses before judging, listens before reacting, and seeks to understand first. Let's ignite a love for stories and b…

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]]><![CDATA[Good Schools of India]]>https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-0e6https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-0e6Mon, 05 Jan 2026 01:30:30 GMT
Welcome to My Good School

Joy of Learning

Imagine children missing out on the joy of reading! It’s not just about reading less; they lose a vital tool for empathy. Books boost imagination, exposing readers to others’ lives, feelings, and challenges. They foster connection and understanding by helping us accept emotions that aren’t our own. Without this, c…

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]]><![CDATA[Good Schools of India]]>https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-ba5https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-ba5Mon, 29 Dec 2025 01:30:24 GMT
Reflections, photo courtesy of the Editor Sandeep Dutt

Thank you for reading our weekly posts. As I write my last post this year, in the middle of my travels and rumination, here is my bit of poetry!

Life is a reflection

A point of inflexion

It is for you to define

And refine

It is all mine to mine!

#JoyOfLearning

Wishing you all the best as you find your path…

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]]><![CDATA[Good Schools of India]]>https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-ad2https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-ad2Mon, 22 Dec 2025 01:58:29 GMT
Reflecting on 2025, I’m sitting by a lake in Dubai, looking back on the past year.

Merry Christmas reflections: the myriad colours of the sunset are a beautiful reminder of the past year. The clouds and the waters evoke memories of the challenges and the distance we’ve overcome together in 2025. It was a wonderful year filled with #JoyOfGiving and helpin…

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]]><![CDATA[Good Schools of India]]>https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-897https://www.gsi.in/p/good-schools-of-india-897Mon, 15 Dec 2025 01:30:21 GMT1st AGM of the Good Schools Alliance
Mrs Amrita Burman, Chairperson, Good Schools Alliance

AGM of the Good Schools Alliance on 9th December 2025:

We have determined that our Governing Council is central to furthering the organisation’s mission to transform school culture and foster dynamic, collaborative learning environments. Its committed members are ess…

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