Priya Ramakrishnan
In an effort to learn the secret of Indian students' mastery of academics, 20 delegates from the Virginia Association of School Superintendents (Vass) are visiting Mumbai and meeting various school heads.
The delegates are here to raise their global, economic, and cultural awareness of India as a major trading partner with Virginia and the United States.
The delegates include Virginia's secretary of education, school superintendents, members of the faculty of the University of Virginia, and corporate sponsors. Aided by the Indo-American Society (IAS), the delegates will participate in presentations, fora, and campus visits to gain information about the education system.
"The Vass delegation has come with the intention of building bridges between the schools in both countries," said V Rangaraj, president of the IAS. "Indian schools can collaborate with them and learn new techniques of pedagogy, while the Western world can learn how Indian schools weave culture and moral teachings into regular studies."
Principals of the city's popular schools attended the panel discussion held at the US consulate on Sunday. "A collaboration will be beneficial to both parties as it will encourage teacher-student exchange programmes," said Meera Isaacs, principal, Cathedral and John Connon School, Fort.
Sucheta Bhawalkar, principal of VN Sule High School of the Indian Education Society at Hindu Colony, Dadar, said, "As our school caters to students from all economic segments, it would be ideal for us to form a partnership with Virginia schools."
The delegates will be going to Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur to set up ties with local schools. "One of our goals is to develop international partnerships between Virginia schools and schools in India," said Andrew Stamp, Vass delegation mission leader.