From a projected US$ 117 billion in FY20, it is expected that India's education industry will increase to US$ 225 billion by FY25, with nearly 250 million students enrolled in schools. The government and powerful individuals are backing India's rapidly growing education sector. The primary education sector is expanding in India, where there are more international schools. Trinity International School, a part of the KJ Educational Institutions group, was founded with the idea of providing KG-PG education within the same campus.

Director Shakuntala Jaisinghani, as founder Principal of the school, started it from scratch, building it to the K-12 level that it is today. The school follows CBSE, with international Educational standards. An inspiring and encouraging leader, passionate for education, Shakuntala is revamping the schooling system in India with groundbreaking policies and innovative programs. Here are some highlights from our interaction with  Director Shakuntala Jaisinghani

Take us through your early educational journey and prior industry experience. What motivated you to venture into the field of education?

Pursuing a career in Education was initially a chance that turned into a choice. I entered the field as a teacher 45-46 years back, in a convent school in Ajmer. Upon joining, I developed a passion and thus went on to complete my education in B.Ed. I also completed a Master's in Literature to further advance my career. I worked as a teacher for 22 years after which I joined as a principal of a small school where I spent seven years, bringing the school from 200 students to 1200 students, and getting a CBSE affiliation.

Finally, when it was time to retire, I reinvented myself and ventured into other aspects of education like Teacher training, Inspection of schools, textbook validation to name a few. I undertook auditing of schools in India and Abroad. During this period, I felt something missing, and that was interaction with students and the dynamic school life. So, I went back to being a Principal of a CIE School. This was followed by an opportunity of setting up a school like Trinity International school and now it is at a stage where we are expanding our horizons and setting up more schools like this in other parts of Maharashtra.

As an education advisor, I provide academic and administrative guidance to various curricula including CBSE ICSE, IGCSE, and CIE. One of my experiences with an institution in Tokyo that wanted to establish a Cambridge international School required my assistance in setting up all systems, processes, examination conductions, affiliation requirements, etc. I also work as a consultant, conducting inspections of schools in Dubai. I visit there annually, and evaluate schools based on a set framework for international standards. At Trinity, I also helped establish the SOPs  for the ISO certification.

Tell us about the various roles and responsibilities that you shoulder as the Director for Trinity International School. What are the primary focus areas in your current role?

I was the principal of Trinity International School for three years, when we were in the initial phases of setting up. Once all the SOPs were in place, I took on the role of a director to bring new innovative ideas to the school. In this role, I assess the quality of the school, develop good teaching practices, and encourage continuous professional development. I conduct annual need analysis and fill the gaps and provide support to any areas which are lacking. I also ensure that we keep developing new programs and activities every year at the school.

What are some of the most pressing challenges that you encounter as an educational consultant? How do you successfully mitigate these challenges?

One of the major challenges when starting anything new comes in the form of facing resistance from parents, and even from teachers at times. For instance, when I introduced the bagless school policy, a lot of parents were against it, as they thought the children would waste their time at home if they did not get any homework. It took a lot of convincing and ultimately positive results for them to see that the policy was beneficial and allowed children to enjoy time with the family or take up additional hobbies. Another is the rat race in which most institutions are involved. I do not believe in making unreasonable promises, but rather in a steady approach to establishing and maintaining quality which in my opinion is enough to lead a school to grow.

What are some of the most significant milestones that you have achieved throughout your professional journey? What has been the driving force behind your success as a professional?

While I have achieved several awards, I do not consider them as milestones. For me, everything I have achieved is a milestone. When I hear success stories of my students and teachers whom I have trained, I feel pride, and that gives a great sense of achievement. A lot of students I have taught are now teachers and often connect with me telling me that I inspired them to choose this vocation. Teachers whom I have trained are now becoming principals. All these are milestones for me as I get to see how I have positively impacted lives in my career as an educator.

Drawing from your experience as a business leader, what would your advice be to young women and girls who also aspire to become business leaders and entrepreneurs in the future?

Education is a vocation, not a profession. Thus, I would advise that only those who are passionate about it should pursue this line of work, and in order to be a teacher, you must first be a learner. To learn by mistakes as well as successes. Anyone may climb up the ranks and achieve great things in their profession by adopting that attitude. To be a good leader one has to be honest, impact others' lives, and 'the best leader is not one who has the most followers but who creates the most leaders'. It is this mindset which creates entrepreneurs. Confidence in oneself and Belief that you can do it, is the best approach towards starting a new business.