Nidhi Thapar is the Vice President (academics) of the Bengaluru-based Ryan Edunation Services Pvt. Ltd  –  a leading operator of a chain of 16 K-12 schools in 4 states with an aggregate enrolment of 14,000 students fully owned by the Mumbai-based  Ryan International Group of  Institutions  –  who heads a team that designed education innovation initiatives including the annual Lead By Example (LBE) forum for teachers that is revolutionising teaching practices across schools in India over the past decade.  

Newspeg. Early last month (February 8), Ryan Edunation organised the 11th edition of Lead by Example in Bengaluru, which attracted over 50 teachers (including two from schools other than Ryan Edunation) from 11 schools who presented leading-edge classroom teaching innovations. The jury comprised Maya Menon, founder director, The Teacher Foundation, Dr. Nirmala Krishnan, former country head, education, and author-researcher Nivedita Mukerjee, education advisor and Sajeetha, a former Principal and teacher trainer. 

History. An alumna of Delhi University and Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya, Jabalpur, Thapar , an Army wife, began her career in 1995 as a teacher and acquired 25 years of rich teaching and admin experience in prestigious schools such as Army Public School, Kota Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Secunderabad, St. Anne’s School, Jodhpur, and Evergreen Public School, Delhi prior to taking charge in 2012 as regional head (academics) of Ryan Edunation Services Pvt Ltd  and was appointed Vice President (academics) in 2020.

As Vice President (academics), Thapar has also spearheaded the English Language Enrichment Program and the Math Center of Excellence, designed to strengthen students’ skills and competencies, and also played a key role in launching the financial literacy and entrepreneurship curriculums at Edunation schools.

She has also developed a structured system of feedback and monitoring, continuously refining teaching methods. She also designed and led comprehensive academic audits that focus on aspects of school improvement, reviewing learning outcomes by grade, subject, and chapter to identify areas where students struggle. For example, topics like integers in mathematics and balancing equations in chemistry have been identified as challenging, prompting modifications in teaching strategies to address these gaps.

Direct talk. “LBE is not merely a competition for teachers but a systematic approach to educational innovation. Through LBE, teachers from Ryan and beyond present case studies of innovative teaching methodologies that have enhanced the learning experiences and outcomes of students. The LBE program has redefined the role of educators from traditional instructors to innovative practitioners who continuously upgrade and improve their teaching methodologies. With over 2,000 teachers having participated over the past decade, the initiative has positively impacted the learning outcomes of thousands of students, demonstrating the scalable potential of teacher-led innovation. Above all, LBE has created a collaborative environment for knowledge sharing among the teaching community across educational institutions and has fostered an inclusive competitive spirit by opening up the competition to other schools as well,” says Thapar.

Future plans. Encouraged by the popularity of the Lead by Example initiative, Nidhi envisions a nationwide movement to transform education through strategic expansion. “Our plan is to progressively establish a presence in different cities countrywide, building a network of participating schools that will culminate in a prestigious national event. This gathering will showcase innovative educational practices and celebrate achievements of schools countrywide,” she enthuses. 

Paromita Sengupta (Bengaluru)

Also read: Ryan Pinto, CEO, Ryan International Group of Institutions