Thursday 28 Mar 2024

VVM’s Vidya Vikas Academy: A journey of 25 years

| SEPTEMBER 21, 2019, 02:53 AM IST

TGIS


As one walks the green path to this spacious school complex at Comba, a downtown area in the commercial capital city of Margao, the eyes meet playful children busy in various sports in the adjacent open space who greet back with their smiles. As one walks further in through the gates ears search for the melodious music band that welcomes and fills the heart with joy. The two specially made wooden cabins that house the music room and sports room are to the immediate right and in front of the principal’s spacious office. The school corridors look attractive with brightly and colourfully painted with drawings by enthusiastic students narrating stories in pictures. At the backside is another playground under construction currently and a composting unit in fully working condition underneath a shady tree. Amidst a welcoming atmosphere, everyone seems to be busy in his or her given task. This is VVM’s Vidya Vikas Academy! “This year is special for us, as we are celebrating 25 years of our existence in Goa,” states its dynamic principal Joble Bijoy as she accompanies you to all the classrooms where students are busy learning.

Having shouldered the responsibility as the principal of Vidya Vikas Academy for consecutive two years, this is Bijoy’s third academic year in the chair. Associated with the school for the past 16 years, first as a teacher, then the vice-principal and now the principal, Bijoy still enjoys teaching her subject Chemistry to the students.

“We have to boost science through technology intervention,” she believes and hence the school has initiated STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) laboratory in its premises to promote experiential learning. There is also junior science lab for class 1-7 and a bigger one for class 8-12. The ATL Tinkering Lab has sparked the scientific temper in the class one kids.

“We had applied several times to NITI Aayog to get the approval and funds for setting up a class 7-12 lab which is given to government schools. Finally, we were allowed to do so and ours is the first private school that received the funds from central government for setting up the lab. Within a year the lab was set up here,” briefs Bijoy with pride.

The school also houses an Edu-Park for pre-primary and primary sections where children can play and learn. The Fitness Park has age-appropriate furniture that makes children comfortable while learning and playing. The school introduces age appropriate furniture every year, designed and customized. Sharing about the ‘no school bag’ day concept that is observed once a month, the principal explains that there is theme based activity undertaken on this day. “And to our joy, the attendance is 100 per cent. No child wants to miss this day. This day is from pre-primary to class V and all look forward to come to school on this day,” she adds with a smile.

She informs that the school introduced Tata Class Edge (TCE) content last year to class 1-7. TCE offers latest updates in education and learning sector. As every class in the school has audio-visual facility, students can enjoy the interesting PPT programmes, updated from time to time.

Founded in 1971 by a group of young professionals who were motivated to bring quality education, at all levels to the people of South Goa Vidya Vikas Mandal, currently houses five institutions under its umbrella at the VVM campus at Tansor, Comba in Margao. In July 1994, The VVM threw open the portals of Vidya Vikas Academy, an English Medium, co-educational school, which was affiliated to the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (ICSE). Today VVA is affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi and recognized by the Directorate of Education, Government of Goa.

From a small beginning in 1994 with twenty children housed in simple, old homes in the area of Borda, Margao, VVA was relocated in 2005 at the VVM’s campus in a sprawling 30,000 sq. meter campus in a spacious new complex with state of the art facilities. Today it has a strength of over thousand five hundred children in the school. The school over the past twenty-five years has made great strides to provide a rich meaningful learning experience to students in and out of the classrooms.

“The involvement of our parents through the various PTFC committees helps to build the relationship between the home, school and the society. We believe when the teacher and pupil become organically interwoven, only then we can hope to bring fruition to our plans and dreams of our students,” concludes the principal.   

Share this