Where would you place education on your national list of priorities?

Good quality school education is vital for nation building. India has emerged as one of the world’s fastest growing economies. Therefore our biggest challenge is to ensure that our young population is educated holistically so that the demographic assets of today do not transform into liabilities of tomorrow.

How best to upgrade government schools.

Teacher absenteeism is a critical issue that needs to be addressed in public schools across India. If the mindset of these teachers is altered so that they become passionate about teaching, I’m sure we will see tremendous progress in government schools.

Thinker/philosopher you admire most.

Mahatma Gandhi

Your favourite Nobel laureate.

Mother Teresa for her selfless contribution to humanity.

Your leadership style.

Education is about empowerment of people. I emotionally connect with all our stakeholders in the Ryan family to encourage them to help us develop our children into good human beings.

Your favourite book on leadership.

I derive my inspiration from the Holy Bible. For the past 2,000 years it’s been the best leadership book available.

Are you for or against the RTE Act mandating 25 percent reservation for underprivileged children in private schools?

The RTE Act is now law under the Constitution of India. I welcome its intent. Yet the challenge is to ensure its fair implementation for the benefit of all stakeholders in school education.

How satisfied are you with the growth and development of the Ryan Group?

Greatly satisfied, for which I daily thank God for His benediction on our students, principals, teachers and parents. Yet there’s a huge gap bet-ween society’s need and availability of high quality education. Therefore, we will keep moving onward: “Forward ever, backwards never”.

Pessimistic or optimistic about Indian democracy?

It is so precious to have the freedom to express one’s opinion/views. Therefore at RIGI we encourage our students to learn to value democracy by expressing individual opinions and ideas. 

Also read: Leaders who can revive Indian education – Grace Pinto