Reflection on Good School Alliance Training 19-21 July 2026

Letter from Sakshi Sharma to Sandeep Dutt

Dear Sir, 

I would like to share my reflection on the Good School Alliance Training, which was a truly enriching and inspiring learning experience. The training helped me understand what truly makes a school “good.” I learned that a good school is not just about academic excellence but about building strong relationships, creating a positive learning environment, and ensuring the holistic development of every student. It also made me reflect on the changes that schools should adopt to become better learning communities.

One of the most valuable learnings for me was the importance of connecting with fellow educators. Earlier, my interactions with colleagues were mostly limited to discussing the curriculum and lesson plans. During this training, I learned the value of meaningful conversations, collaboration, and building professional relationships that help us learn, grow, and support one another.

Reading “My Good School” was another significant part of this journey. After my school and college years, I had almost stopped reading books. This training motivated me to read again, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The book deepened my understanding of the roles of teachers, mentors, and principals, and highlighted the importance of building strong, trusting relationships with students to make learning more meaningful.

As I read the book, I was happy to notice that many of the practices and values it describes are already reflected in my school through its association with the Good School Alliance. The leadership qualities of an effective principal mentioned in the book closely resemble those of our Principal, making the concepts even more relatable and inspiring.

Overall, this training has motivated me to become a better educator, strengthen my relationships with students and colleagues, and continue my journey of learning and self-improvement. Most importantly, it has rekindled my interest in reading, and I look forward to exploring more books that will help me grow both personally and professionally.

Thank you for providing such a meaningful and inspiring learning experience.

Regards,

Sakshi Sharma

TGT Science

Delhi Public School, Abu Road

What Does It take to Make Happy Teachers?

It started with one question: what does it actually take to make a teacher happy?

Years ago, in “Health is Wealth,” I wrote about something that stuck with me since school — how my teachers never seemed to take a sick day. A headache, a fever, a body ache — perfectly valid reasons to stay home — and yet they showed up, grave-faced, every single day. I used to think it was discipline. 

I now think it was more of a necessity. Nobody had built them a safety net that made rest feel safe. That question sat with me through the years. And the longer I sat with it, the more I realised we’d been asking the wrong question all along.

The training exists. The teacher doesn’t.

India has started taking teacher training seriously. NEP 2020 now requires every teacher to complete 50 hours of Continuous Professional Development per year — covering classroom methods, subject knowledge, digital tools, and values. Boards like CBSE and KVS have built entire frameworks around it. On paper, this is progress. Professional development is finally a policy priority, not an afterthought. But here’s what we found once we actually sat in the room with teachers for the last 40 years!

Schools aren’t investing in teachers. They’re investing in teaching. 

There’s a lesson plan, but no health plan for them. A classroom management framework, but no retirement plan. We ask teachers to master differentiated instruction while paying many of them below-average wages a month — wages that leave little room to save, let alone plan for the future. Studies on private school teachers in India have found the majority reporting high stress, and lower pay consistently comes up as one of the sharpest predictors of it.

You can’t build resilience on top of financial anxiety.

That’s not a training gap. That’s a foundational gap.

It’s Maslow’s pyramid, basically, except we’ve been asking teachers to leap straight to self-actualisation — reflective practice, 21st-century pedagogy, STEM integration — while skipping the base entirely: safety, stability, health, belonging. Professional development, as it’s currently designed, assumes the base is already there. In most Indian schools, it isn’t. So we started somewhere else.

The Literacy Project for Educators isn’t a classroom-skills programme. It’s Financial Literacy, Food Literacy, and Emerging Literacies (including AI) — built for teachers, first and foremost people, second professionals. Not a one-day workshop where people show up, clap, and forget. We follow up. There’s a webinar every week. We are hosting events in four schools in Chapter 1 of our outreach program, including two that taught me more than any planning document could — at Ballia and Jammu. We didn’t arrive with ten posters, twenty banners, or a convoy of cars.  

Made possible by people who choose to stand behind us without being asked twice: Dr. Kr. Arun Singh of Sunbeam School Ballia, Nandan Kuthiala and Arati Kuthiala of Jodhamal Public School, Amit Bajla of Taurian World School, Pradip Burman and Indira Burman of Gyan Anant Vidyalaya. We thank each one of these wonderful patrons and their teams for standing by us.

Our partners, the Association of Mutual Funds in India and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, who backed the financial and food literacy components with real institutional weight and provided their resources with open hearts. 

None of this was ever about filling a bank account. It was about giving something back to the people who’ve spent their careers giving to everyone else’s children first. And slowly, city by city, we’re watching it work.

Teachers walk out with a plan for their own money, a clearer sense of what they’re eating and why it matters, and a little more comfort with the tools reshaping their classrooms. Happy teachers — or well on their way to becoming that.

Chapter 2 starts now.

If you’re a GSA school, my question to you is the same one I started with: what does it take for your teachers to be happy? Are you ready to actually invest in them — not just their lesson plans, but their lives?

There’s no cost of training. No transaction. Just a school willing to open its doors and a teacher’s staffroom that could use a little more hope in it. 

We’re going into Chapter 2 of this project, and we’d love to have you on board. The question is yours now.

- Kunal Rajpurohit, Manager at the Learning Forward India Foundation, you can reach out to him at KR@LearningForward.org.in

Jammu Literacy Project Workshop and reading ‘Disillusionment’ from ’21 Lessons for the 21st Century’

Recording Summary

A Masterclass session on Emerging Literacies, hosted by Sandeep Dutt on July 11, focused on financial, food and digital literacy for teachers. The session commenced with Kunal providing updates from their recent workshop in Jammu where they had successfully conducted financial and food literacy programmes at Jodhamal Public School. Sandeep then outlined the background of the Learning Forward India Foundation, which began in 2020 with a single school in Bali (Rajasthan) and has since expanded to nearly 100 schools across India. The main portion involved reading from Yuval Noah Harari’s book 21 Lessons for the 21st Century and discussing the loss of faith in the liberal narrative that has dominated global politics in recent decades. This is attributed to the convergence of biotechnology and information technology, which presents unprecedented challenges. The session concluded with panellists Dr Deep Khare and Ms Amita Arora sharing their reflections on the importance of expanding education beyond academic learning to include critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication skills that will prepare teachers for the future.

Welcome to Ballia - Literacy Project for Educators Episode 1/10

Date: 4th July 2026 Time: 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Venue : Sunbeam School, Ballia

Welcome to Sunbeam School, Ballia.

Today is not an ordinary Saturday.

Today — for the very first time — this school, this city and these teachers become part of something much larger than any one of us in this room.

We gather here today for the Inaugural Chapter of the Literacy Project for Educators — a nationwide initiative by the Good Schools Alliance under the Learning Forward India Foundation. This movement has spent over four decades asking one simple question:

Who invests in the teacher?

Today — we answer that question.

Through sessions on Financial Literacy and Food Literacy — led by some of the finest minds in their fields — we begin a journey that will travel from Ballia to across India.

And it all begins here.

It all begins today.

It all begins with you.

Ballia Event Presentation 4th July 2026 by Kunal Rajpurohit

The Heart of a Good School: Reflections on the 3Rs

Sometimes, the most profound shifts in education come not from complex new methodologies, but from a return to the fundamentals of human connection.

Recently, I had the distinct privilege of stepping out of my usual routine to volunteer as a coach with the Good Schools Alliance. I facilitated a training session for an incredibly dedicated group of Asha teachers. This experience left me deeply grounded and reminded me of the true essence of our work in education.

Our session centred around a deceptively simple yet transformative framework: The 3Rs—Reading, Reflection, and Relationships.

In the daily rhythm of leading and supporting schools, exploring these three pillars with fellow educators reaffirmed how they interact to fundamentally alter a learning environment:

• Reading opens the mind to entirely new perspectives and expands our worldview.
• Reflection provides the crucial pause, allowing both students and educators to process and deepen their understanding.
• Relationships form the absolute emotional foundation of any thriving classroom.

When educators intentionally weave these 3Rs into their daily practice, they act as a catalyst. They are the vital ingredients that transform an ordinary learning space into a truly “good school.”

Coaching these teachers was about much more than simply sharing a pedagogical framework. It was an exercise in active listening and holding space—allowing these educators the time to reflect on their own practices and recognise the immense, lasting impact they have on their students’ lives.

I am immensely grateful to the Good Schools Alliance and Sandeep Dutt for championing this vision. When we invest in our teachers and prioritise the human elements of learning, we uplift the entire school community.

I am also deeply humbled to have interacted and worked so closely with Brinda Ghosh and Jugjiv Singh. Finally, a special thank you to Kunal Rajpurohit, whose support and initiative in helping me contribute to this meaningful cause are genuinely appreciated!

- Shalini Kapoor, Vice Principal, Gyan Anant Vidyalaya

It was a humbling experience to lead a small training session on behalf of the Good Schools Alliance for a group of volunteer teachers from ASHA, which has been working to educate not-so-privileged children across NCR and other regions. Humbling because these volunteers are giving of their time and sharing what little education they have. They are eager to learn and yearn for training. 

Giving back what I have gained in all these years of teaching to those who are keen to learn was rewarding and enriching! Today, as on other such occasions, I thank the Almighty for the opportunities of sharing the joys of learning!!

- Brinda Ghosh, Coach Good Schools Alliance

Sunbeam Schools Program Review Meeting

Overview of GSA Programs and how schools can make use of the resources 

To detail GSA’s programs and how schools can maximise their benefits.

Key Takeaways

• New Program Structure (eff. July 1): GSA’s weekly schedule is now streamlined to two core programs: “My Good School” for students (Sundays, 10:30 AM) and “Teachers Academy” for professional development (Saturdays, 3:30 PM).

• Emerging Literacies Focus: The new “Literacy Project” (Saturdays, 5:30 PM) will use Yuval Noah Harari’s 21 Lessons for the 21st Century to explore critical topics like financial, food, and health literacy, preparing students for a rapidly changing world.

• Teacher-Led Engagement is Crucial: The success of student internships and the program as a whole depends on active teacher participation. Teachers must attend sessions with students to provide the necessary scaffolding and support.

• Fellowships Offer Practical Leadership: Fellowships provide teachers with hands-on experience in master training, data analysis, and event organisation, equipping them with practical skills beyond typical classroom duties.

Topics

The Challenge: Preparing Students for a Rapidly Changing World

• GSA’s programs address the accelerating pace of job obsolescence (example of large lay-offs)

• The goal is to build human capital by developing “Emerging Literacies,” which include:

  • Financial Literacy: Essential for navigating a complex, consumer-driven world.

  • Food Literacy: Understanding nutrition for optimal health and performance.

  • Health & Wellbeing Literacy: Addressing specific health challenges for adolescents.

  • Digital Literacy: Proficiency in AI and other evolving technologies.

The Solution: GSA’s Program Structure

• The new weekly structure (eff. July 1, 2026) is designed for clarity and impact.

• 1. My Good School (Student Program)

  • When: Sundays, 10:30 AM (500-seat capacity).

  • What: Parallel reading sessions (long-form English, short-form English, Hindi).

  • Current Books: Whatever You’re Looking For Is There In The Library, My Family and Other Animals, Time Stops at Shamli.

  • Why: Develops an emotional connection with reading through choice and community.

• 2. Teachers Academy (Professional Learning)

  • When: Saturdays, 3:30 PM (starts July 4).

  • What: Collaborative book study on classroom culture.

  • Current Book: Wanted Backbencher Last Ranker Teacher.

  • Why: Provides practical strategies for real-world classroom dilemmas.

• 3. Literacy Project (Masterclass)

  • When: Saturdays, 5:30 PM (starts July 4).

  • What: Reading 21 Lessons for the 21st Century followed by a deep dive into one Emerging Literacy topic.

  • Why: Connects big-picture thinking to practical application in the classroom.

• 4. GSA Squad Meeting

  • When: Mondays, 5:30 PM (30 min).

  • Why: Weekly update and Q&A forum for all partners.

Deeper Engagement: Internships & Fellowships

• Internships (for students <18)

  • Pathway: Attend “My Good School” → Join Monday meetings for tasks.

  • Success Factor: Requires teacher supervision. The Sunbeam Baliyah model, where teachers attend with students, is the benchmark for effective engagement.

• Fellowships (for teachers >18)

  • Benefits: Master trainer status, data analysis skills, and practical experience in event organisation.

  • Why: Provides unique opportunities for professional growth beyond the classroom, such as tabulating learning outcomes for 1,000 teachers.

Retreats & Recognition

• My Good School Retreat (Varanasi)

  • When: Nov 13–16.

  • Why: Immersive experience in GSA’s “joy of giving” and “joy of learning” philosophy.

• Learning Forward Retreats (Dehradun)

  • When: 10 planned sessions.

  • Why: Intensive residential program to train teachers as GSA ambassadors.

• Snehlata Prize

  • What: Award for educators building reading culture.

  • Why: Recognises and funds outstanding work. Nominations are open.

Next Steps

• All Participants:

  • Attend the weekly “My Good School” (Sundays, 10:30 AM) and “Teachers Academy” (Saturdays, 3:30 PM) sessions.

  • Nominate deserving educators for the Snehlata Prize.

  • Share the one-minute GSA explainer video to build awareness, use link: (https://youtu.be/DVWsQ_uXB6s?si=W2-DcwPxFueeS6LE)

• Paul P V:

  • Share the meeting recording and notes with all Sunbeam schools.

  • Ensure the Gramin School representative attending the Dehradun retreat receives full support.

Notes courtesy FATHOM AI

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

The Rose Bowl DOSCO Impact Report by Learning Forward India Foundation

The Doon School Old Boys’ Society (DSOBS) has partnered with the Good Schools Alliance and 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 special education projects driven by service, participation of Old Boys and their spouses in on-ground initiatives and the connection of regional chapters with credible service projects across India.