The Role of Public Schools in Fostering 21st Century Skills

In the time of globalization, the educationists need to anticipate and understand the global trends and bring in a genuine understanding of their dynamics. The challenge to prepare tomorrow's mind has increased manifold, more because our roots are somewhere lying in the Gurukul education system whereas we seek to search ourselves in the new arena of opportunities. The role of public schools has consequently swelled. Today, it has come in conflict - conflict of handling the faith in the society, conflict of treating and curing future to nobody's feeling of resentment.

To give example of our school, I recall the days when people with doubtful eyes had their very first question on their lips about the stagnant things around in Gotan, erasing the possibility of any fruitful growth. In fact, they were not to be blamed. No proper water facility, dusty roads, a few strokes of dreary shops had probably become the definition of Gotan, impacting somewhere the growth of the school also. To think of improvement and innovations to meet challenges was far fetched. But the role of fostering skills did not die in the character of our school and with the pass of every year the school established its faith and not only we grew step by step but Gotan has also grown with us. Journeying through the wayside halts towards commitment to the society and managing success in multiple tasks we have understood that fostering the new generation skills need 'variety and multiplicity' as a catchword.

Today, when the school has grown and has learnt to count its steps I strongly feel the walk needs to be all the more careful. Everybody who visits our campus can't help being pleased with the kind of infrastructure and facility. But for me, finding a silver lining in the clouds and adding impetus to the carry-forward of the responsibility of looking after the children – both academically and collectively becomes more important for me. This probably should be the case of most public schools in one way or the other.

It is true that the leafy surrounding with blooming flowers, clean junior and senior blocks, fountain soaring towards the blue, adding beauty to the campus and modernized classrooms, lecture theatre and the hospitality are some of the things that encourage buoyant popularity of schools but this is also true that over every year the admission chapters get enlarged with good to better students not simply because of only infrastructural flanks but due to the distinction between stressing on learning and on growth. Only those schools have seen their graph going up which has believed in the concept of growth, and not simply learning. This has given me a strong reason to believe that public schools are catalyzing growth in evergreen –exuberance sense as most of the public schools are on the path of smart growth.

The mission is to produce educated men of good character, prepared for both scholastic achievements in schools and productive citizenship in adult society. Fortunately, public schools, despite their strength and credentials keep striving to achieve this mission through a four-fold process - first and most importantly, by challenging and encouraging each student, in the nurturing environment to develop academically to his maximum potential. Second, through competitive sports and a variety of extracurricular activities, each student is helped to develop his physical fitness and leadership skills, and his respect for others regardless of their origin, cultures or beliefs. Third, by involvement in the care of campus home, civic duty is learned, along with a sense of dignity of honest labor. Finally, through time to time participation in activities, each student learns sustaining value of faith and spiritual growth throughout his life.


Students must be given exciting opportunities to grow and be motivated to value themselves as competent learners. No matter whatever changes come but the need of the society for a school which along with fostering and meeting new challenges, can provide accountability, empowerment and elite sustenance in the new developments in various field so that the students enrolled can land in career goals successfully. Focusing this will surely add up to understanding the role of public schools in fostering 21st century skills.