Access to education is crucial for personal and societal growth, as it enables individuals to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed. Education is not a luxury but a fundamental requirement for individuals seeking better job opportunities, higher pay, and independence.
Educators are the backbone of the education system, as they play a crucial role in shaping students’ future. They develop innovative educational policies and programs to guide students through their academic journey and help them build successful careers. Through their dedication and hard work, educators empower students to realize their potential and contribute positively to society.
Dr Meenakshi Ramesh, Director of VELS Group of Schools, is renowned in the educational sector. She became a lecturer and eventually director, overseeing academics, teacher development, and curriculum for 23 schools in the VELS Group of Institutions. This promotion has enhanced her enthusiasm for nurturing educators and comprehensive learning.
She graduated from Delhi University’s esteemed school with a B.Sc. (Hons) and an M.Sc. in Zoology. She pursued an M.Phil. in Education at Alagappa University and an M.Ed. at Annamalai University to quench her insatiable curiosity. Her commitment to remaining current with the rapidly changing field of education led her to enroll in APTECH’s Diploma in Computer Software program.
As VELS Group’s Director of Curriculum, she oversaw the development of the highly regarded “Kindle Kids International Curriculum,” demonstrating her creative thinking for young students. As a Program Leader at the Cambridge Professional Training Centre, where her tactics permanently altered the methods of 300 educators, her influence grew even more. She holds a Ph.D. from VELS University and is accredited as a NABET assessor.
Rise of an Efficient Leader
Dr Meenakshi’s leadership is demonstrated by her transformative work as a Principal at Vaidheeswara Vidya Mandir, Mettur Dam, Salem District, Tamil Nadu, and her astounding 100 percent pass rate at CBSE Bhaktavatsalam Vidyashram. In addition to her academic accomplishments, she enjoys a creative approach to teaching.
Her theme-based learning initiatives aim to stimulate students’ imaginations and provide them with substantial learning experiences. Her commitment to community service, language proficiency, and holistic growth has been acknowledged with the prestigious “Iconic Senior Leadership in School Education 2023” award, which she shares passionately on her YouTube channel and blog.
Her influence goes beyond the classroom because of her wide-ranging passions for acting, singing, painting, and dancing, among other artistic mediums. This gives her strong motivation and pride for her dynamic contributions to extracurricular and curricular activities.
Moreover, her role as a principal for three decades across various curricula boards makes her more responsible for her commitment to shaping future generations. She also represented India as an esteemed educationist in numerous renowned exchange programs, fostering international collaborations and cross-cultural learning experiences.
Her commitment to sportsmanship propels her career as a scholar. She sees childhood as representing the future and the hope for all future triumphs. She became a teacher primarily because of her Delhi University-employed zoology lecturer, Mr. T. R. Vishwanathan. Back then, he was an example of incorporating multiple intelligences into instruction.
Strong Vision and Mission
According to Dr Meenakshi, India will be a dynamic and modern country with self-discipline, a national outlook, and religious tolerance, where the youth will be free from unemployment and illiteracy and globally competitive enough to integrate into the knowledge-based economy.
Teaching knowledge while upholding morals and ethics is her goal. Her vision is to better equip the next generation of leaders for the challenges of the outside world, help students grow holistically into responsible, mature, and productive adults, and improve their ability to face life’s challenges. To help students grow into responsible, capable, and influential adults, she aspires to offer high-quality education and support their overall growth.
Additionally, she wants to create a safe and happy learning environment for her students. She aims to give the students the fundamental knowledge needed to comprehend global issues and adopt an accepting attitude toward new developments and innovations. She seeks to integrate international perspectives into all aspects of education in the school.
Enhancing the Learning Experiences
VELS Group of Schools has set an exemplary example by establishing vibrant, compassionate learning environments that honor the “whole child.” Dr Meenakshi says, “We have been leading by example, creating dynamic, caring, learning communities that value the ‘whole child.'” Dr Meenakshi’s school uses an innovative teaching methodology that takes her farther and deeper into the blue ocean bottom, where she and her team can work together to find and use more resources and support systems. She thinks this is why the Blue Ocean School of the twenty-first century is defined by close collaboration, mutual service, and a shared focus on objectives.
Her passion is incorporating diversity into assessments and instruction to accommodate various learning styles and capacities. In light of this, teachers and students are allowed a great deal of latitude to participate in, enjoy, and experiment with teaching in the classroom while still having their learning evaluated.
For this reason, she has recognized the need for workshops on various innovative teaching methods, some of which she has implemented in her classrooms, including virtual reality, artificial intelligence, mobile learning, gamification, personalized learning, augmented reality, and project-based learning.
Periodically, distinguished counselors from a range of institutions conduct programs for the development of childcare. Her school’s inclusive admissions policy, which accepts exceptional students with learning disabilities, is creative. For this reason, counselors for special needs kids are being appointed here and preparing to connect with village classrooms in the future to connect with educators in isolated rural areas and close the knowledge gap between rural and urban areas.
Awards and Recognitions
Dr Meenakshi has many rewards and recognitions in her name. Among which a few are:
- LAMPS Leadership Award in Education Award 2023 at Trade Centre, Chennai, held on 7th October 2023.
- Outstanding Education Leadership Award by EGN India at the EGN Education Summit and Awards Event held on 7th December 2023 at Radisson Blu Hotel.
- Lifetime Achievement Award Education by National Educational Brilliance Awards 2023 for outstanding achievement and contribution in the field of education.
- Conferred with the “Iconic Senior Leadership in School Education – 2023 by ARDORCOMM Media Private Ltd.
- Nominated as an eminent speaker at the educational summit, where the following awards were conferred: “New Normal Education Leadership Summit and Awards,” April – 2023, function, Chennai.
- Conferred with the Moto Logger Award 2022 for her outstanding contribution to the field of education.
- Accredited as Cambridge ‘Program Leader’ for the Cambridge International Diploma in Teaching and Learning, June 2022- December 2024.
- “Most Admired Women in the Educational Sector” – article published by ‘The Knowledge Review’ magazine in recognition of her achievements in the educational field (2022).
- Recognized as one of the “Top 20 Women Leaders in Education Industry – 2019” by Higher Education Review, Bangalore.
- Awarded with the “Progressive Principal of India–2017” Award by Rethink India.
- Conferred with the “Best District Principal Award” by Science Olympiad Foundation.
- Under her stewardship, the school was awarded the “International School Award” (Leader) by the British Council.
- The Srikirti institution was conferred the “Outstanding Educator” Award.
Sailing Through the Challenges
The dynamic field of education faces numerous difficulties. According to Dr Meenakshi, the problems in a quickly changing educational environment include conceiving goal setting towards bringing discipline in a structured framework, individual attitudes toward group work, excellent infrastructure, enough resources available for all of the teachers and students, understanding the community’s growing needs, etc.
According to her, three resources account for most of the challenges anticipated in a rapidly changing environment. One has to do with official policy. The second is making sure that the curriculum aligns with the needs of the students—a point that the parents of the students particularly emphasize. The third is a competitive educational setting that considers the campus, instructors, location, library, labs, facilities for infrastructure, cost, etc.
In terms of education, creative teaching strategies should be used by the requirements of prosperous educational institutions. Instructors also require exposure to and upskilling in the most recent trends in teaching and learning, including innovative technological know-how.
Dr Meenakshi states, “As far as education is concerned, innovative teaching methods are to be employed in tune with the standards of successful schools.” Critical factors include the student-teacher ratio and the level of attention given to each student right from the start. A thorough learning process is now required, not just curriculum-based learning.
Sports participation, providing chances to showcase unique elocution, drama, and theater activities, singing, playing instruments, and drawing should all be encouraged, and time and space should be allotted for them.
Several potential pressures can have an impact on young minds. The present day is dominated by technology and social media, affecting young learners in many ways. At VELS, teachers are trained to manage learners’ well-being and guide them through stress management.
They also indulge in mindfulness practices to help students accept and respond skillfully to events as they happen. Periodically, parents are guided and counseled on supporting their children when there are setbacks—some measures practiced at VELS to overcome present-day challenges.
Dr Meenakshi strives to provide a just education- that ensures each student has everything at VELS. According to her, it is not about equality and equity but about removing the systematic barrier and giving justice, but also, to hedge them over in establishing a safe, secure, competitive, and highly rated educational background.
