Good Schools of India
Joy of Learning Weekly #68
We extend a warm welcome to Delhi Public School (DPS) Abu Road as a member of the Good Schools Alliance. The founder of the school is Mr Praveen Singh Sodha, and Mr Rajan Sethi serves as the Principal of DPS Abu Road.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.