Quality Learning Outcomes (QLOs) in Indian Private Schools

The question arises; are we not doing this? The answer is NO. We are not doing it. We are definitely equipping students with information of different subjects to greater depth; but translating it into real QLOs is still not achieved.  These lacunae are felt by everyone; starting from parents to industry leaders, educationist, and also by politicians :).

To understand the awareness of QLOs in some of the major Indian cities, myNalanda education research team conducted a survey among parents, teachers, school leaders, and educationists. All survey respondents were associated with fairly good and well-known private secondary schools.  The result and responses were shocking as well as disheartening.  For some of the schools, the learning outcomes were  academic scores assessed at the end of each semester,  to some it was only overall growth of the child (but  these respondents failed to define  ‘over-all growth of a child’). For many parents, it was about extra-curricular activities (such as drawing, crafts, working on fields or projects).  A very few educationists and school leaders (less than 10%) knew precisely what QLOs are.

If we parents want a promising future for our kids, it is absolutely necessary to build a strong foundation of education first. This would be achieved by broadening our focus to include QLOs-based education along with our current focus on academic excellence. All stakeholders – school leaders, teachers, parents, policy makers, education entrepreneurs, and educationist must be aware and work towards achieving it. Parents, you are busy in your lives; but please understand that you are not doing this for your society. You are doing this for your own kids. We are already late in shifting our focus to QLOs-based education and further delay can create difficulties in the careers and lives of our kids. And as a parent, we cannot see them facing the struggle which we can avoid.
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Schools that are known to be leaders can take the mantle of the torch-bearers and trend setters. These torch-bearers can easily understand that this goal can be achieved by putting a process to measure QLOs precisely as a part of assessments in school and not just by shifting focus to QLOs. And when this happens, other schools that are seeking growth would definitely follow.