Guruvani: 'Learning is infinite, continuous process'

What is the biggest professional challenge that you face in your role as a principal?The greatest challenge I face as a principal is retaining staff. Today, everyone wants to grow faster; I have noticed teachers shifting jobs often for their personal and financial growth. It is very difficult to train new staff. Also, I was too young and short of experience as compared to the senior staff and it was difficult for them to accept me as a young leader. It was very difficult to do away with traditional teaching methods. New ideas were initially not accepted.Once a teacher always a teacher. Do you agree?The role of a teacher is to dispel the darkness of ignorance and guide children towards the light. Once you take up the role of a teacher, you keep on doing this noble work. Teachers are like beacons in the creation of knowledge – they present us the way of life to the future through proper guidance.Success has become an obsession with people of all ages nowadays. Your comments?Yes, very true and it should be; it's a well-known formula for success. We have heard the stories. Steve Jobs reminding his team members at two in the morning about a project getting delayed. Bill Gates sleeping on the floor of his bureau during the formative days of Microsoft. According to me, it is something positive. Obsession is about putting your soul into a mission you believe in, it is the drive to build something meaningful. It is the pursuit of a purpose that's bigger than yourself.What emphasis do you put on teacher training?Learning is an infinite and continuous process. I take a lot of effort into training teachers. We need to impart regular training to teachers because teachers are important assets of the country and the future of the next generation is dependent on them.What in your view is GenNext's biggest strength? Which are the key areas of improvement?GenNext's biggest strength is that they are tech-savvy, fast, updated, and connected because they live in the world of technology. The areas for improvement for today's children are to learn and inculcate cultural values. Overuse of social media is another big problem.How can the elderly contribute to a student's growth?The best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person. Their personal experience, knowledge and support help children confront real-life challenges. Their vast experience helps to shape human beings. They are the bridge between our rich cultural heritage and today's generation.What according to you is the role of media in education?Media plays an influential role in the field of education. It helps to raise the level of learning, connects students with the world and also creates awareness. In this competitive world, it opens the door for their career opportunities. Media plays a very important role to fight with social problems like dowry, corruption, female foeticide, child labour, etc.