Today, leadership is not just about titles, positions, or flowcharts; instead it is about one life influencing another. Aarti D Sahney has been influencing many during her 25+ years of experience in the field of education. It was the need to bring in innovative and child friendly pedagogies that drew her attention and she felt the need to bring back creativity and the joy of learning into the classrooms. She has always focused on creating an education system wherein the students are treated as explorers and discoverers and they are prepared to be better to be creative and productive global citizens. A firm believer of ‘Learning for Life’, Aarti D Sahney studied in Cathedral and Xavier’s College, completed her Masters in Economics and Sociology from Mumbai University, and also completed the Leadership Programme from Harvard University.

Recently, Aarti D Sahney engaged in an exclusive interaction with CEO Insights magazine, here’s an highlight from the same.

Give us a brief overview of S.S. Sahney High School. What are important features of your expertise as a business leader?

Established in the year 1971, S.S. Sahney High School is a well-established, non-profit school offering an all-round education to its children. With the current strength of 1500 students, our diverse community shares a common statement of purpose “We promote learning, encourage responsibility and celebrate diversity”. We are proud of the reputation our school has earned over the past 50 years and we are looking forward to the next phase of the school’s history.

The school focuses on child-centred and innovative pedagogy and the Foundation harbours on the principle to nurture the dreams of its beneficiary children. We are known to provide the right path to help them accomplish anything they aspire. 60% of the children at my school are First Generation Learners, and 100% come from the lower socio-economic strata of our society.

Communication, passion, drive, authenticity, community-building, and reflection all are my expertise as an educational leader that is ready to make a change and affect the lives of the students, parents, and teachers they serve.

What are the various roles & responsibilities that you currently shoulder at S. S. Sahney High School? And also, please mention the most significant milestones that you have achieved so far in your professional journey.

Being the CEO of the S.S. Sahney High School, the roles and responsibilities are very diverse. I am responsible for assessing the educational policies, governing the affairs of the school jurisdiction, preparing budgets for the school, maintaining a positive image of the institution and others. I play the role of goal setup for my school systems. My responsibilities are to act as advocate for education, Keeping the positive image of school before the community to insure that education is given the highest priority.

We have achieved several milestones in the long journey of excellence so far, mentioning a few of them here-S.S. Sahney High school started from a modest beginning with five students taught in a single-storey building, now stands today as 1500 students in a four-storey building.

Maintaining 100% results in Std X board examination from last 10 years and receiving best school trophy in a ward wise competition for three consecutive years.

Not only in academics but we have made sure to create awareness in our students regarding the importance of recycling E-Waste and Plastic Waste. Our initiative was applauded by the organizations like Oasis and Bisleri International Pvt Ltd and our efforts made it to the “Limca Book of Records” and “Guinness World Record”.

What are some special features of SS Sahney School that sets it apart from other schools?

Thriving to make these children empathetic and capable adults of tomorrow, I recognized the dire need to provide Counselling and Expert Guidance to empower them. Consequently, I set up a Counselling and Remedial Centre in my School, wherein the students get a comprehensive, coordinated continuum of services, including Psycho-educational and Diagnostic Testing, Career and Behavioural Counselling, Remedial and Sensory- Integrated Therapies, all under one roof.

We are proud to be one of the only schools which give equal opportunities & deserved concessions to special children. The school also provides scholarships to multiple students who come from financially insecure backgrounds within our community. As our community grows, we intend to make more impactful contributions to society at large as well as become more socially responsible.

“ I believe that leadership is a trait that does not depend on your gender. You can’t be a leader only to a specific gender nor should you ever try to use your gender to become a leader. A great leader is a leader for everyone”

How do you keep yourself well aligned with the periodic evolutions occurring within your respective field of work?

To align with the periodic evolution occurring within my field of work or any field, I believe Assessments, Learning Objectives, and Instructional Strategies need to be closely aligned so that they reinforce one another. I focus from the mere accumulation of knowledge to skills acquisition by students, the result is a shift from a content-based approach to a learning-centred approach.

I strive for consistency across the program with precise connections between evaluations, course goals, and learning tasks. It is important to align learning objectives with instructional strategies and assessments to ensure that everyone involved is aware of the expectations.

As a successful businesswoman, what would your advice be to young women and girls who aspire to become business leaders and entrepreneurs in the future?

In the current era, opportunities for women are immense, you should figure out what suits you. Dig deep, know yourself, and scale the heights. You should watch women who are successful in your organization and industry and try to figure out what characteristics seem to drive their success. And above all be proud of being a woman instead of feeling inferior, unless you respect yourself, others are not going to respect you.

Aarti D Sahney, CEO, S.S Sahney High School

Having a rich experience of more than 25 Years in the field of Education, Aarti D Sahney is alleviating educational pedagogy in all grades efficiently. She completed her Masters in Economics and Sociology from Mumbai University and then pursued a Leadership Programme from Harvard University. After getting educated her attention was drawn towards the dire need to bring changes in the education system. Aarti D Shah has been on a mission to better the education system through her best of efforts since 1993, the year she joined S.S Sahney School.