By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 22 Dec: The curtain came down on the two-day International Conference of Principals and Teachers organised by Principals’ Progressive Schools Association at the Pestle Weed College, here. The Conference was inaugurated by Chief Minister Puskhar Singh Dhami and concluded by Governor Lt General Gurmit Singh (Retd).
A number of Teachers and Principals from across India were felicitated and given awards and citations. The Governor lauded the efforts of the Association and stressed that it is teachers who carry forward the dream of India becoming a global superpower. The keynote address was delivered by the doyen of school education and President of PPSA, Prem Kashyap.
The ceremony itself was a glittering affair and packed with academics, students and people from all walks of life. The most prestigious awards of the function were the “Lifetime Achievement” awards which were bestowed upon two well known school educationists of India – Kulbhushan Kain and Pramod Sharma. While Pramod Sharma cut his teeth at The Doon School and went on to head some of India’s best known schools (including more than 13 years as Principal, Mayo College, Ajmer), Kulbhushan Kain is a homegrown educationist. His family belongs to Dehradun and he was schooled at St Joseph’s Academy, where he was the Head Boy. He is among the few Principals from India who founded and headed 3 well known schools in India and Dubai.
We caught up with Kulbhushan Kain after the function and asked him what the award meant to him. He told us that he was not new to awards and had previously been felicitated by 3 Governors – one of them, Pratibha Patel, went on to become the President of India. He was forthright in saying that awards don’t basically change one as a person. It does, however, change the way others perceive you. He added that this award was the most important one he had got in his life and the reason for that is that it came in his home town Dehradun, not far from his home in Clement Town and his school, St Joseph’s Academy, where he learnt leadership skills.
We asked whether he is still educating children.
“Why just children? I think I am educating a lot of people. Garhwal Post gave me a platform from where I can write on issues. For me, the medium of educating has changed from classroom blackboards to laptops and the bedroom from where I work. The effort goes on through my writing. In fact, now I am known as a columnist! I can’t thank Garhwal Post enough!” he said with a smile.
Many congratulations Kulbhushan Kain. Keep educating, keep writing!
