FROM MARCHING AND NCC, TO MOUNTAINEERING AND BEING A DIFFERENT 'ME' What it takes to aim high for a woman in today's Goa
Strange though it may appear, it is true that dreams do have their importance. As far as achieving success in your career or profession is concerned, dreams provide us the basic framework along which our career sketch is to be drawn. Without dreams, life would look like a blank sheet. One such woman who dreamed a dream is Mily Fernandes. Her dreams led her to a definite destination -- Mount Carmel Academy -- a preschool offering international creative curriculum in Goa for the first time. She speaks with Remy Dias about her life and what inspired her to start the Academy. Tell us about yourself? ---------------------------------------------------------- I am a person who is very open to change but at the same time who would carry forward her culture, values and traditions. I was the youngest of three children in the family. I can say I was a brilliant student in school. I completed my schooling at Saviour of the World High School in Loutolim and then joined Chowgule College to pursue Science studies. Joining Chowgule college was a turning point in my life. All through my schooling days I was an academically inclined student. But Chowgule College with all its extra-curricular activities helped me to develop an all-round personality. I became a different 'me'. I joined NCC (National Cadet Corps) and attended the first training camp in Fatorda. This was followed by a series of camps all over India. The camps tapped my hidden talents and polished the already discovered ones. It was here I realized that an institute can make or break a life and I decided that one day I will have a school of my own that will help children learn through play and become confident individuals by creating and exploring. I am grateful to Chowgule College for changing me and transforming me into a citizen of the world. Today my passion for education and commitment to a better society all stems from what I learnt at Chowgules. I am thankful to God for blessing me with the opportunity where I can make a difference to the lives of others. NCC is not just marching, it trains you to face the challenges in life. Cultural awareness is increased. Knowledge about medical and first aid is imparted through theory and practical training. You learn firing, map reading, self-defence and much more all under the guidance of experienced officers. I was amazed at the way I had overcome my shyness. At the National Integration Camp held at Pune, I presented a cultural programme with Goan NCC Cadets and was awarded a gold medal for the best presentation on cultural display. I was also declared as the most talented cadet. As an NCC Cadet I represented Goa in most of the Indian states. Being declared as best infantry girl cadet in 1998-1999 was a proud moment in my life. I began my teaching career as an ICT teacher, later worked as a regular teacher and then took a break from work to start a family. I am defined by my strength of character, discipline, strength of mind, willingness to strive for excellence and enthusiastic nature. What inspired you to start a school of your own? ---------------------------------------------------------- I always wanted to have a school of my own. After my daughter was five years old, I joined teacher training institute and completed my Bachelor in Education. While job hunting I realized that there is a need for a quality education in the early years. I researched a lot and found that a KG school offering international creative curriculum will be nice for toddlers in Goa. The philosophy of creative curriculum matched the vision I had for my school. The curriculum is designed to be developmentally appropriate and child-centered. We will teach each child focusing on all domains of development-cognitive, physical, social and emotional. Our main objective is to create a community of learners through exploration, academics and technology. We aim to ensure that our students reach their full potential to become responsible and contributing members of an ever-changing global society through quality programs which develop the skills of lifelong learning in a safe, caring environment, enhanced by community support. Since children develop at different rates and in different ways, the program is flexible and diverse. We aim to provide a range of instructional supports and services to help all students learn and succeed, including early interventions. Mount Carmel Academy is committed to Integrity, Responsibility, Co-operation, Caring, Respect, Optimism, Honesty, Empathy, Courage and Inclusiveness. We are committed to social responsibility and will be organizing free life skills training programmes for kids from various government schools in Ponda. We are also organizing donation of clothes regularly. Very soon we intend to start free vocational training programmes to empower women. What do you do during your spare time? ---------------------------------------------------------- I like a lot of things. Earlier I liked adventure sports. I am one of the few women who have successfully climbed the Himalayas at 14,000 ft above sea level. Open crevices, icy-cold gales, avalanches and landslides have been part of my trekking route to the Himalayas. The dangers that go with trekking always egged me on. The majesty of the Himalayas is to be seen to be believed. Nature in all her splendor is wonderful, though danger is a part of it and knowing that you are pitting yourself against nature is a high. I am also a member of SENA (State Ex-NCC Association). I like painting and I am planning to have an exhibition of my paintings very soon. I enjoy planning events and compering at parties. According to you, what ails our educational system? ---------------------------------------------------------- I strongly feel that even though we are producing graduates every year, they are ill equipped for the job market. We need to give strong importance to vocational education. There is a huge gap between the skilled manpower required and the kind of skilled manpower available. Through proper education we need to bridge this gap. If we want to put Goa on the global economic map, we need to urgently stress on vocational education and meet the demands required by our market. This will ensure jobs for Goans because the industries wont need to look out for skilled manpower that meets their needs. We also need to encourage research in education right from primary school itself. All this requires a well-knitted infrastructure, which I am sure the government can provide. Another thing is we need highly motivated teachers. Many teachers look at teaching as just a job. We teachers need to understand that teaching is a vocation, it is more than a job. It's a calling. In the olden days the teachers were very dedicated even though there was less money in the profession. Nowadays there are too many individuals wanting to become teachers, not for the love of teaching but because of money or the number of holidays. They lack passion and commitment compared to earlier times. Our society needs to play an important role in strengthening the passion of teachers towards teaching. Teachers need to understand the importance of continuous professional development in teaching skills. We need to introduce a lot of in-service and professional development programmes. These will go a long way in sharpening the teaching skills of teachers in line with the current environment. The knowledge acquired from such training should be applied by teachers in their classrooms for better student learning outcomes. And finally schools should acknowledge teachers. A lot of our teachers work with no recognition neither from head of school or from colleagues or parents. It is very demotivating for teachers and difficult to keep them going on and on with no positive feedback from any source. Let teachers know that they are doing a good job and they will be motivated to do even better. -- Mily Fernandes can be contacted at Mount Carmel Academy, Villa Fatima, Near Zonal Agricultural Office, Santacruz, Ponda, Goa. Email her at mily_ro...@yahoo.com or 9823846094