School Leader Speaks: Naasih Public School, Bangalore

Syed Salmaan was a 7th grade student who was less engrossed in his lessons and more interested in the methods and manners of his teachers. He returned home with discarded charts and worksheets, tucked away in his school bag. He was often spotted wandering around at his international school, taking down observations in his notebook. You see, Mr Syed’s parents had recently rented a small room in their community in Frazer Town, Bangalore, and begun lessons for nursery students. The curious young boy was trying to help his parents bring the same quality of education that he received for the students in his community.

Today, that tiny room has evolved into a school building and is an integral part of the local community. Moulana Shabeer Ahmed Nadvi, Mr Syed’s father founded Naasih Public School in 2009 to contribute to the education of the less fortunate children in the community.

“For as far as I can remember, my dad instilled the values of community welfare and always encouraged me to act for the benefit of everyone,” shares Mr. Syed, who is now a school leader and an educator himself.

Having grown up in the corridors of Naasih Public School, Mr Syed was always involved in the school’s activities, balancing his school work and even graduating top of his class. However, following a personal tragedy after his Grade 12, Mr Syed spent a lot more time helping with teachers and planning with his parents. He soon realised that he found a sense of fulfilment and purpose in his work at the school and took up a full-time position as the vice principal.

Highlights from the journey

In 11 years, Naasih has tripled its student numbers, all the while catering to students from different socio-economic backgrounds.

“Nearly 40% of the student population belong to financially poor families, and being able to provide quality education to them is something we are extremely proud of as a school,” shares Mr Syed. “In our Grade 4 classroom, we have a student whose father owns an apartment building near the school, and we have the apartment’s security guard’s son studying in the same class.”

The journey has been an enriching one, and with its fifth batch of Grade 10 graduates passing out of the school this year, Naasih continues to be a pillar in the community.

But like many other budget schools across the country, the COVID-19 crisis halted the growing success of the school. As a young school leader, Mr Syed was left facing an unprecedented situation, one that required adapting to new environments. “As we battled the challenges of unpaid fees and lack of guidance from the education department, we also found strength in empowering ourselves, rather than giving in to the frustration of the situation,”he shares. Led by Mr Syed, the school collectively decided to act on whatever was within their control and channel their efforts towards student learning.

Adapting to new circumstances

Following the nationwide lockdown, Mr Syed and the leadership team at Naasih took on a proactive role in speaking to parents and understanding the challenges faced by the students’ families. They began surveying families to understand the kinds of technology that were available to each student at the school. Soon, plans were created about how online and offline classes could be conducted for students across grades.

“Everyone was looking at me to step up and lead these initiatives, it was definitely a testing time, and I somehow managed to find the strength to keep on going,” Mr Syed adds, as he talks about the week-long training sessions the leadership team at Naasih conducted for the teachers to equip them with the skills to conduct online classes.

“My teachers were extremely supportive and dedicated to the process, attending sessions from 8:30 am to 5 pm on some days,” he says.

The first set of online classes was hosted for 10th grade students, and by June 2020, they were extended for students from Grade 7–9. The teachers used technology platforms like Zoom, Google Drive, Google Office, and Whatsapp to engage students. Initially, student attendance was around 30% but has increased to over 75% attendance every day. Moreover, teachers have been incorporating classroom management techniques like appreciation sheets during the lessons. Students from Grades 7–10 attended 3 hours of online classes daily, which are followed by tasks and assignments sent through Whatsapp groups. The school also sends daily activities for students of preschool to Grade 6 using Whatsapp groups.

The school has been continuously seeking feedback from the parents who are genuinely grateful that their children can spend their time learning even under these circumstances.

“Parents are so involved in their child’s learning now, and we see an improved interest,” says Mr Syed.

Beyond learning

While Naasih Public School has been able to adapt to a new order of learning for their students, they have also been at the forefront of multiple initiatives in the community.

“Always driven by the sense of community service, it was natural for us to look beyond our school and ensure that Naasih worked for the larger community,” says Mr Syed. “When the nationwide lockdown began, we recognized the growing need for rations in the community and neighboring areas. We didn’t have much at the time but went ahead with distributing rations for those we knew desperately needed. Using the school as a base, we asked families to collect rations and even delivered some to those unable to reach the school.”

Over the last few months, with the support of the community and well-wishers, Naasih Educational Trust was able to support over 6000 families and collect 27 lakhs to carry out the initiatives. As the community’s needs evolved, the school began collaborating with a local hospital chain in Bangalore to provide free and necessary medication directed at people with lifestyle-related diseases like diabetes.

“There were so many different challenges we stumbled upon as we were supporting people. We knew we needed to adapt to different requirements over time,” said Mr Syed. They were able to provide LPG gas cylinders to over 300 families. They assisted in the burial of the deceased as this had become a major challenge due to the stigma of infection.

As the number of COVID-19 cases were rising, the school turned into an oxygen bank. “We recognized the need for oxygen, and with immense support, we were able to set up over 400 cylinders at the school. A few doctors guided a team of volunteers, and over 15 days, we were able to support 600 patients through this service. We were the first helpline available in the city,” shares Salmaan Sir.

“We were so grateful that we were able to address a real concern, and it was heartwarming to see how the patients themselves began supporting us. We had one patient who, after his recovery, donated Rs 1 lakh to continue our efforts.”

The school has been among the few who have been able to thrive and continue to be an inspiring example during these difficult times, providing for the teachers and parent community and the larger community around them.

A message of hope

“Churchill once said, “Don’t let a crisis go to waste”. It seemed so relevant to me during this time. My message to the broader school community is not to think that they are alone. Times are difficult, but there are still things we can control, and we should work towards that. We must operate with patience and empathy and pray that we will all come out stronger,” shares Mr Syed as a closing note to an inspiring conversation.

To learn more about their journey and all the latest updates, follow Naasih Public School on Facebook.

By Team Mantra4Change