“We also teach”

It was an evening to felicitate the principal of the Baug-e-Jamsheed School, Shireen Navzar Dotivala and her staff for winning the coveted "Dr J. J. Irani Award for Excellence in Education.” Tata Steel had instituted this award in 2003 to promote excellence in schools. After almost a decade of hard work, Baug-e-Jamsheed became the first school in Jamshedpur to break the 600-point barrier (of a total 1,000 points) and win the prestigious award.
There was a buzz of joy and excitement among the dinner guests at the home of the former managing director of Tata Steel and ex-director Tata Sons, Dr Jamshed Jiji Irani and his wife Daisy. Guests included the governing council of JZAES (Jamshedpur Zoroastrian Association Education Society) and the spouses of the school faculty. Having one’s hard work and dedication publicly recognized is always pleasing, and the Iranis are never lagging in providing such encouragement.
This award is an offshoot of TEEP (Tatasteel Excellence in Education Program) started by Balasubramanian Muthuraman when he was managing director of Tata Steel. Out of respect and admiration for his predecessor, Muthuraman named it the Dr J. J. Irani Award for Excellence in Education.

Tiny tots of the school

Most parents in Jamshedpur aspire to send their children to the Baug-e-Jamsheed Nursery School, which has 260 pupils. Talking with the principal and teachers, it is not hard to see why. Their dedication to the institution and the students borders on passion. They can talk for hours about their different methods of teaching, the stress on communication and confidence skills, the celebration of festivals, safety procedures and much more.
Among the teachers is Bepsi Modi, a gorani (a priest’s wife). The children call her "Pepsi teacher!” At 60+ she is full of pep, has learnt to use computers and prepares illustrations and spreadsheets for every occasion and activity. Who says papri malido and Office-Excel cannot go together!
"The award we won is open to all schools in Jamshedpur,” explained Dotivala. "There are three categories for judging: schools from nursery to Std IV, schools up to Std X and schools up to Std XII.” Judging "is based strictly on a 1,000 points system. There is a preliminary assessment, and only if the school qualifies can it submit an application along with a dossier of work done, programs undertaken, teacher-student relationships, safety parameters, and so on. Thereafter, teams trained by TQMS (Tata Quality Management Services) to be assessors come to the school to verify the data provided. The site visit is very important. The assessors include a school principal, an official from Tata Steel and three teachers from various schools.”
Many aspects of the happy Baug-e-Jamsheed School are impressive. Report cards do not carry marks or grades. Against each parameter is a remark: "I can do it” or "I will soon do it.” This eliminates negativity of any sort. Innovations in teaching and learning are constantly sought. "Mom and Me” classes are a new experiment that have roused great enthusiasm. "At all levels there is stress on family togetherness, in keeping with this year’s United Nations’ theme for education, ‘Together We Make a Family,’” elaborates Dotivala.
Apart from the three ‘R’s, Baug-e-Jamsheed offers holistic education that stresses learning through all the senses — sight, sound, smell, touch and more. "We Also Teach” is the new catchphrase of the School (a throwback on Tata Steel’s "We also make steel”).
The Dr J. J. Irani Award for Excellence in Education carries a cash prize of five lakh rupees apart from a citation and most importantly the prestige. The JZAES school committee rewarded all the teachers with gifts in appreciation of their dedication and efforts.
The dinner party at the Irani home was more than just a meal; it was a celebration of excellence. One might think a nursery school winning an award is a small thing but it is not. It is the foundation on which the culture, character and future of our country will be built.