‘Promotion of Skills with Design Thinking and Innovation’ training programme was organised

 A principals and senior leadership members training programme was organised by the Birla Public School and CBSE Gulf Sahodaya-Qatar Chapter, virtually recently on the topic ‘Promotion of Skills with Design Thinking and Innovation’. The training comprised of 80 Senior Leadership team members of CBSE schools in Qatar as participants. Eminent speakers including officials from CBSE and team members of the Design Thinking Project of CBSE led the training.

The session commenced with the keynote address by Dr. Biswajit Saha, Director Skills Education, CBSE, who spoke about the importance of skill education and its prominence in NEP. He encouraged schools to initiate compulsory skill module from grade 6 onwards. He suggested that the teaching can be hybrid by roping in additional after school- working hours under the skill hub initiative. Prof. Ravi Poovaiah, Professor at IIT, Mumbai, who has been the chairperson of Design Thinking curriculum and education in CBSE schools, gave an overview about the Design Thinking programme and how it came into being with intensive research. He shared a content/task, with examples and how we could deliver the concept effectively.

Harish Sanduja, Academic Director- Principal, Birla Public School, Qatar, took the participants through the Assessment criteria and rubrics to be implemented to check the development of the student in Design Thinking. He suggested that the achievement levels and feedback can be incorporated into the report cards to give a holistic learning view to the parent by incorporating the 21st learning skills like- creativity, problem solving, collaboration and communication.

Dr. Elangovan Kariappan, Director, Innovation Cell and AICTE threw light on the Statistics and implementation of the programme, both in India in 342 schools and 45 schools abroad. He encouraged Principals to organize hackathons, upload tasks done by students to create a learning repository and award innovative projects/ideas from students and staff. 

The Principals were informed to have a School Education Council set up and follow a 360 degree approach by running support groups, boot camps, exhibitions and field visits. Dr. Rupa Chakravarty, Director, Suncity World School, Gurgaon took the training forward by briefly touching on the pedagogy and revisiting the terms of design, innovation and creativity. She discussed that the process of design thinking, which involved the child to observe- understand- ideate- build- and reflect with examples from her school.

Prajakta Kulkarni shared of how the teachers are being equipped for the Design Thinking programme through apt trainings. She said that teachers to be learners, innovators, and thinkers in order to cultivate the zeal in the students. Dr. R P Singh, Joint Secretary, CBSE, India knitted the whole training at the end by directing the Principals towards the roadmap planned ahead for the successful implementation of the programme. He motivated schools to be Skill Hubs and collaborate with other CBSE schools. 

Finally, the vote of thanks was given by Anand Victor, the convener of the Qatar Chapter and also the Principal of Scholars’ International School.