Eat Right India at DPS Abu Road - Brinda Ghosh

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Brinda Ghosh shares her wonderful experience.

“The prospect of going to DPS Abu Road for the Literacy Project on behalf of GSA had somehow excited me from day one. I understood why when I finally arrived on campus. It is hard to believe that a school that has existed for barely three years can execute an event with such precision. 

Unlike the Literacy Project events in other schools, this one spanned two days: 22 & 23 September’26. On the first day, the sessions were introductory reading sessions to give students and staff a clear idea of what GSA stands for. With the students, I led a reading session on “The School Bell” from My Good School. The enthusiastic participation of the students and their attempts at reflection on the school bell were genuinely rewarding.

The teachers joined a discussion on the value of reading, and we introduced them to a sample of Educated by Dr Tara Westover from The Teachers Academy. They understood the significance of writing a reflection and maintaining a journal.

The Literacy Project was then held on the 23rd at two different venues, simultaneously. We saw teamwork and coordination between staff and students come alive. The inauguration, showcasing the students’ talents in the performing arts, went off without a hitch.

Mr Abhishek Gupta from FSSAI ignited young minds about food safety and the need to stay alert as consumers. Questions from students in classes V and VI showed their understanding of the topic.

Mr Vivek Shringli, from AMFI India, spoke to a mixed audience of students and teachers about the dire need to understand finances and the importance of starting to save at a young age. As expected, the teachers received this session well, as they had an opportunity to learn more about mutual funds and clarify other related doubts.

At the end, the session for all educators led them through the GSA journey and highlighted our endeavour to change students’ and teachers’ lives through reading. I read excerpts from My Good School by Sandeep Dutt. Reflecting, attendees shared their excitement and their idea of the difference between reflecting and making notes. The enthusiastic response makes me optimistic that we have influenced educators’ minds. Kudos to the Principal, Mr Rajan Sethi, and his team at DPS, and to Kunal Rajpurohit, for all the support and hard work put into making this sixth edition of the Literacy Project for Educators a grand success!”

Principal Mr Rajan Sethi received the Proud Member Plaque from Ms Brinda Ghosh.

Sneha on how alienation can affect young people

Right vs Wrong, reading from Wanted Back-bencher & Last-ranker Teacher by Kavita Ghosh

After reading the chapter with Sandeep Sir, I reflected a lot on how alienation can affect people, especially students and teenagers. I feel that when someone is punished through detention, suspension, or expulsion, it can sometimes make them feel even more disconnected rather than understood. I think alienation becomes harmful because when people stop feeling connected to others or even to themselves, they begin searching for ways to escape their emotions instead of understanding them.

I have personally seen people around me of my age who constantly want to escape their reality instead of facing it. I have noticed how some people never really sit with themselves or understand what they are feeling. Instead, they try to run away from emotions through smoking, drugs, or other harmful habits, often because of peer pressure, stress, loneliness, or the desire to feel accepted. At first, it may seem like fun or a way to bond with friends, but over time, I have seen how it affects them physically and mentally. Some people around me smoke so regularly that even walking for a long time becomes difficult for them. They struggle with stamina and cannot even climb a short mountain path without getting exhausted or breathless. Seeing this has made me realise how temporary escapes can slowly take away a person’s health, energy, and connection with themselves.

At the same time, I have also realised how important personal and social development is. I believe that having healthy bonds, meaningful relationships, and activities that help us grow can protect us from feeling isolated. When people feel accepted and connected in a healthy way, they are less likely to depend on harmful habits to feel a sense of belonging. Personally, I try to focus on hobbies and self-growth instead of escaping my emotions. I engage in creative activities and things that help me grow personally while also connecting with people socially in meaningful ways. For me, hobbies and personal development are healthier ways of coping because they help me understand myself better instead of avoiding reality. This chapter on right versus wrong made me रियलाइज  that true connection, both with ourselves and with others, can help us deal with struggles in a much healthier way.

- Sneha, an intern at EBD in Dehradun, supported by the Learning Forward India Foundation.

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.

Topics

The Problem: Volatile Substance Abuse (BSA)

• The session explored Volatile Substance Abuse (BSA), a serious, often fatal, health hazard.

• Definition: Deliberate inhalation of volatile solvents (e.g., diluters, nail polish remover, glue) for intoxication.

• Motivation: Driven by psychological factors, not physical addiction.

  • Peer pressure and the desire to belong

  • The thrill of risk-taking

  • A misguided attempt to gain attention

The Flawed Solution: Punishment & Alienation

• Punishment (detention, suspension, expulsion) is a counterproductive response to BSA.

• Rationale: It creates “alienation”—the isolation teens are trying to escape—and thus exacerbates the problem instead of solving it.

The Effective Solution: Empathy & Connection

• An empathetic approach, combined with strong parent-teacher collaboration, is required.

• “Academic Connection” (Alan Mendler): A key strategy that values student thoughts, problem-solving, and effort.

  • Outcome: Creates a positive learning environment where students feel enthused to face challenges.

• Teacher’s Role:

  • Build Trust: Create a “culture of trust and learning” to prevent students from seeking risky alternatives.

  • Engage Students: Make school experiences interesting and relevant to keep students engaged and feeling valued.

  • Provide a “Shelter”: Offer a supportive environment that gives students the confidence to say “no” to peer pressure.

Real-World Application & Teacher Reflections

• Rekha Sharma: Built a personal connection with a nervous student, helping them overcome fear and win a competition.

• Pratiksha Dhiman: Connects with students individually during notebook checks, creating a safe space for them to share problems.

• Sandeep Dutt: Shared a poem highlighting the teacher’s multifaceted role as a counsellor, confidant, and guide.

Next Steps

• Sneha: Share the following in the WhatsApp group:

  • The term “Academic Connection” and Alan Mendler’s book, Connecting with Students to Limit High-Risk Behaviours.

  • The quote on analysing behaviour rationally and finding scientific causes.

  • The link to the “Right vs. Wrong” chapter summary podcast.

• All Participants:

  • Research “Academic Connection” and share reflections in the WhatsApp group.

  • Share personal experiences of helping students overcome fear or alienation. 

FATHOM AI-generated 

The "Antimbala" Quest Continues

Read and Lead

Discuss the final chapters of Every Last Girl and its core message.

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.

Topics

The Unfinished Mission: The Secondary School Gap

• The RTE Act mandates elementary education (Grades 1-8), but this is insufficient for life-changing opportunities.

• Dropout Rates:

  • Primary School (<1%)

  • Middle School (~4%)

  • Secondary School (~40% by Grade 10)

• Pooja’s Story (Jodhpur, 2024):

  • Dropped out in 9th grade due to early marriage and an abusive home.

  • Works daily from 3 AM to unload trucks and clean markets.

  • Cannot afford distance education (NIOS) due to high costs and travel to urban centres.

• Impact of Not Finishing Grade 10:

  • Bars access to 60-70% of skill/vocational courses.

  • Prevents securing formal bank loans.

  • Contributes to 81% of Indian women being unskilled, and only 42% in the labour force.

Educate Girls’ Strategy & Impact

• Scale: Expanded to 4 states (plan: 7 more in 5 years), reaching 30,000 villages and enrolling 2M+ girls.

• Quality Control:

  • Developed “Gyaan Ka Pitara” (repository of learning) with government teachers.

  • Uses “gold standard external audits” and Randomised Control Trials (RCTs) to measure impact.

• Proven Results:

  • Children in Grades 3-5 gain an equivalent of one extra year of learning.

  • Boys also benefit from improved teaching tools and shifts in community mindset.

• Technology: Uses Machine Learning to predict out-of-school girl numbers and target interventions.

Group Reflection: Education as a Right vs. Privilege

• Maira: Realised education is a privilege while helping a cook’s daughter practice English for an air hostess role.

• Akanksha: Noted the secondary school gap in rural Dehradun, but also shared a positive example of her father supporting her mother’s post-marriage education and career.

• Pushpita: Emphasised that family mindset is the key determinant. Cited examples of talented girls whose families arranged marriage immediately after Grade 12.

• Brinda: Highlighted the risk of education being seen as a credential for marriage, not a path to personal autonomy.

Next Steps

• All Participants:

  • Reflect on personal takeaways from the book.

  • Prepare to discuss specific examples of Educate Girls’ struggles and successes.

  • Consider how to support one person’s education.

• Brinda:

  • Continue efforts to invite author Safeena Hussain to the next session.

  • Facilitate the collation of group reflections to send to the author.
    
    FATHOM AI-generated notes

Breaking The Education Caste-System; Barriers To Contentment

Left & Right Brain. Logic vs Free Flow. Science vs Art. These compartments, though important in order to best serve a singular focus in their study & pursuit, have bled into the collective consciousness of our society in a manner where they have, for years together, across generations of students, become hard-points, non-negotiable boundaries based on which families, educators, institutions, students themselves included, measure their intellect and choose streams, subjects, careers!

The historic inheritance of this educational-food-chain is interesting though to invest time and space in regurgitating it here means to devote even more time to what’s happened, rather than what could now be done. It may have worked once upon a time, though now, it is an entirely different time.

Interesting, that on the one hand, an increasing number of large corporations and employers across the western world are displaying a clear preference for candidates who have ‘alternative’ undergraduate degrees – read arts in particular, as they are seen to be more creative, inventive; we in India, for the most part, are still stuck in this archaic and frankly irrelevant system of Science, then Commerce, then Humanities

You’re either a Dog person or a Cat person, so goes the cliche. Mostly true. Though to treat the Science-walas as a breed unto themselves, always to stay a safe distance away & parallel to the Art-walas, is plain naive. I have known any number of individuals who equally enjoy and are talented at, on the one hand Chess, and on the other, Sketching. Are they all geniuses? Certainly not if their slightly above average IQs were the yardstick!

Then of course there’s the little matter of history which I earlier referenced. To equate an India of today, and by that, her people, to a Colonial System, is absurd. We are well and truly in a digital era, one where even in my own rudimentary understanding, a human resource would stand to benefit the self and the organization if they were to be a combination of left & right brain faculties. 

Another narrative that feeds into the elevated pedestal given to the Science lot is Competitive Examinations. Granted, exams that determine Engineering, Medicine college admissions are amongst the toughest in the world. However, I can’t help but wonder if the brilliance ascribed to these candidates is not more a consequence of the sheer numbers of test-takers. And I’ll tell you why I have this sneaking suspicion. Because tests that the Humanities & Arts walas are required to take, the ones that get you into Law, into Mass Communication colleges; they are no less a test of one’s scholastic level than any others; the number of people vying for those spots being relatively significantly less, somehow seems to cast aspersions on their inherent intellectual merit (of the exam itself)

There is also the facet of potential careers that must be examined as yet another perpetuator of this narrative around the intellectual-divide between the aforementioned streams of study. The broad assumption is that careers generated by and post an education in the sciences are more lucrative. As someone who has inhabited the creative realm for a long time, was an active part of the media industry for over a decade, I can tell you from personal experience and observation that while there may exist a disparity between packages offered to engineers vs say individuals in creative roles in advertising and such; this gap not only turns into parity fairly quickly, it can often turn tides entirely in favor of the arts-related personnel. What tends to happen is this. Granted, the starting salary of someone joining advertising, pr, films is likely to be noticeably less than the counterpart in the sciences work-sphere; the sharp learning curve, the performance & meritorious expedient rise in the creative spaces tends to be immense. This is borne out by the fact that generally speaking one finds sectors such as advertising, digital media, content creation, to be largely and relatively younger sectors. It wouldn’t for example be uncommon to find a mid-30s person being the Creative Head with a VP rank at a creative agency, with a CTC that rivals and outdoes age-equivalents in other segments

In the grand scheme of things, the final analysis and judgment in the Indian context tends to rest with Family & Society. The overbearing interference and influence of family upon an individual’s most critical life decisions, while one could debate, serves the undecided and/or unfocused well; for scores of young people, places them on paths that, in cases, might even generate the desired livelihood – but whether they generate even an iota of happiness & contentment, is a question we ought to seriously ponder.

While I do see a perceptible change in newer/younger parents’ attitudes, in percentage terms, this group doesn’t even constitute a rounding percentage point. The current generation of learners and students is often criticized for being selfish, insular, self-centred. I for one believe that if, out of that focus on one’s own priorities, is birthed a degree of personal contentment hitherto not experienced, I am happy to be sidelined by my own daughter in service of her own happiness! -

by Kartik, Founder Driveway Devi

Right vs Wrong, how do we handle teenage challenges - Part 1

Learning Forward Saturday

To read and discuss a chapter from “Wanted Back-bencher, Last-ranker Teacher,” chapter 6, Right vs Wrong.

Key Takeaways

• Proactive Intervention: Roma’s calm, immediate rescue of four intoxicated students from a dangerous club prevented harm, demonstrating decisive teacher responsibility.

• Empathetic Guidance: Roma guided the students’ safe exit with clear, empowering instructions (“Hold your head high”) rather than scolding, building trust and respect.

• Collaborative Resolution: The school’s mature response—a private meeting with only Roma and the counsellor—protected the students from intimidation and focused on support.

• AI for Professional Growth: Sandeep introduced an AI assistant to generate summaries and allow teachers to ask questions about their own contributions, promoting self-reflection.

Topics

Teacher Reflections & Context

• The session began with a reflection from Sunita Tripathi on the “Like vs. Unlike” chapter.

• Sunita’s Experience:

  • Problem: Peer pressure led to mocking, causing emotional distress among students.

  • Solution: Sunita used calm dialogue to explain the difference between joking and insulting. A class discussion and group activity on positive words transformed the atmosphere.

  • Lesson: Patience and positive guidance are crucial for helping adolescents learn from mistakes.

• Related Book Session: Sandeep promoted the Thursday 5:30 PM session for “Every Last Girl” by Safina Husain, which covers the “Educate Girls” initiative.

Chapter 6: Right vs. Wrong

• The Incident:

  • Roma received a panicked call from student Rupa.

  • Four girls (Rupa, Simmi, Supriya, Patricia) were at “Club Paradise.”

  • Simmi was heavily intoxicated (“tipsy”) from beer and a neat vodka shot.

• Roma’s Response:

  • Roma immediately drove to the club with her father, Sunil.

  • She entered the smoky, crowded club alone to find the girls.

  • She gave clear, empowering instructions for their exit: “Keep your back straight... Hold your head high.”

  • When a man grabbed Simmi, Roma, a black belt, punched him to create an escape route.

• Aftermath & Resolution:

  • The girls were driven home; Simmi stayed at Roma’s house.

  • Simmi’s home situation (separated parents, caregiver only) was revealed as a potential factor.

  • Roma informed the girls that their parents would be contacted, framing it as support rather than punishment.

  • School’s Mature Handling: The principal arranged a private meeting with only Roma and the counsellor (Uttera) to avoid intimidating the parents.

AI Assistant for Professional Development

• Sandeep introduced an AI assistant to enhance learning and professional growth.

• Functionality:

  • Provides session summaries, key takeaways, and screenshots.

  • Allows teachers to ask questions about their own contributions, promoting self-reflection.

• Purpose: To use AI for genuine learning and skill development, not for academic shortcuts.

Next Steps

• All Participants: Write a reflection on Chapter 6, focusing on how the story influenced your thinking and how you might apply its lessons in your classroom.

• All Participants: Send reflections to Manisha.

• All Participants: Join the Thursday 5:30 PM session for “Every Last Girl” if interested.

• All Participants: Use the AI assistant link (in Zoom chat) for summaries and self-reflection.

• All Participants: Join the “Saturday 3 PM” WhatsApp group via the link in the Zoom chat.

• All Participants: Attend next week’s session to continue reading Chapter 6.

FATHOM AI-generated notes.