Spotlight/Interview
VEGA SCHOOLS AIMING FOR COMPANY OF STARS,
HITCHES ITS WAGON TO ALLIANCE OF GLOBAL 'STAR' SCHOOLS
“The overall idea was always to create a school that represents a larger progressive
education movement …where each child discovers the star within.”
About eight schools from
different parts of world were
in Delhi for the annual
meeting of the Global Schools'
Alliance (esb 2012) last month
(October 13-16). Gurgaonbased Vega Schools, an
upcoming CBSE-affiliated K-12
school to be inaugurated in
January 2016 played host to
the international event.
Sandy Hooda, co-founder of
Vega schools spoke with
Autar Nehru about the meet
and his school.
You hosted Global Schools Alliance
conclave. Can you briefly say what
was this meeting about and your
association with GSA?
There is a new breed of schools that are
transforming education across the
world, schools where learning is based
on 'why and how' we learn, and where
learning is immersive in a way that
students develop a burning desire to
learn. The schools look more like a cross
between Google headquarters and Lego
where learning resembles real world
workspaces. These are schools where
student work and e-portfolios are living
testimony of how each student is
reaching his/her real potential. These are
recognized as 'superstar' schools and are
visited annually by thousands of
educators, policy makers and folks from
all walks of life. They are inspiring
Dr Santanu Paul
millions of educators who take the
learning back and transform their own
schools, and they are inspiring policy
makers who are transforming education
at a national scale. These superstar
schools came together in an alliance –
the idea was to create one informal
school platform with access points in
major countries of the world. So that
(just like adults) children also work
across the world! Given that the criteria
are very strict, Vega Schools (Gurgaon)
were fortunate to be selected by the GSA
as its only Indian school. Hence Vega
was hosting the annual meet of the GSA
schools which was held in Delhi.
Tell us about the journey of Vega
School; a little of bit of history that
went into its inception?
When I travelled around India I didn't
find a single school (in a city, town or
village) that really blew me away. Then,
I travelled around the world for three
years trying to identify game changing
schools – it wasn't easy (since there are
very few extraordinary schools.
However, I stumbled upon one and
through that one, I found many more. I
also spent a lot of time with the great
leaders who created these schools.
Through our follow up meetings and
conversations some of the great leaders
behind these extraordinary schools
started expressing an interest in India
which finally culminated in a consensus
to co-create Vega Schools.
Vega is extremely fortunate to have Dr.
Steven Edwards as its Co Founder
(former advisor White House who also
helped create AB Combs which is
presently the #1 magnet school in the
US). Steve loves India and spends a
week every month here. He has personal
involvement in every nuance of the
school's development. The Vega
executive board is lead by Andy Raymer
Curriculum November 16 2015
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