Enterprise: EBD Educational Pvt Ltd

Founder: Sandeep Dutt

Year it was founded: 1986

Sector: Education

Based out of: Dehradun

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” - Nelson Mandela

This is the core belief that drives Sandeep Dutt, a social entrepreneur who has been working tirelessly to upgrade the standard of education in India’s schools for more than three decades. As the founder of EBD Educational Pvt Ltd, he helps schools to transform to deliver better. The aim is to enable schools to plan, implement, and measure high-quality professional learning so that they can achieve success with their system and empower their students. The ‘My Good School Program’ helps partner schools to work for the personal and social development of an individual by offering an environment where experiential learning is made possible through activities beyond just study.

In conversation with GlobalLinker (GL), Sandeep Dutt (Sandeep) shares his vision for providing quality education in India.

GL: Tell us about your initiative and how it came into being.

Sandeep: In our quest for 'My Good School' for over three decades, we have always tried to address the dilemma ‘what makes a good school’. This has given us deep insight into schools, today we are most delighted to share that schools can change—the only way to do so is by strengthening the school culture.

Our work with ‘The Fabindia Schools Program’ to demonstrate excellence in school operations, involving the community and establishing a sustainable model for delivering good quality education in India, is now being replicated on a larger scale. My belief is that the happiness of young people is in our hands, we must do all to help them live their dreams by providing them with the best possible education. Taking ahead this vision and mission, we are working to provide quality education in schools across India.

GL: What do you believe are the challenges and opportunities in our educational sector?

Sandeep: The Indian education market is one of the largest in the world and expected to grow at 13-15% over the next 3-4 years. Further, the share of private sector is rapidly increasing; K-12 segment (kindergarten to grade 12) is the largest in the world with 260+ million students and ~1.5+ million schools but continues to face multiple challenges. These include, access and enrolment, differentiated stakeholder demands, insufficient number of teachers, rapid pace of external changes, quality and relevance.

The focus must be on creating an environment where:

• Experiential learning is made possible through activities beyond just study, this can consolidate and bring to life learning which would otherwise be theoretical and uncoordinated.
• Encouraging students to become involved in activities in the community outside the confines of the school curriculum will help develop their confidence, knowledge and contacts to follow passion after leaving school.
• With teachers’ encouraging young people, they can take full advantage of what both the school and outside interests can offer; this can be a key factor in their progressing successfully through adolescence into a rewarding and fulfilling ***** life.

GL: What are the challenges you have faced in establishing your initiative?

Sandeep: Changing a school's culture takes time, training, and support—resources that school leaders, especially principals, often don't have. Developing more opportunities for professional learning and collaboration often requires additional funding, which schools and promoters may find difficult to secure.

GL: How do you believe GlobalLinker can benefit business owners?

Sandeep: Thanks to GlobalLinker, we can not only connect, but work together to take learning forward and help schools deliver better. If you are a vendor, a service provider, an employer and a working professional you will find the right connections to take ahead your mission and yes, grow your business.

GL: What is your big business dream?

Sandeep: My dream is to set up the largest professional learning association in the world, this alone will help us bring the necessary change in the quality of our lives and ensure that we not only care for the environment around us but build it to make the world better for generations to come.

GL: What is your message to aspiring entrepreneurs?

Sandeep: Leadership is inside you, we do not need to wear a patch or a badge or even look outside, find your passion and just follow it, with honesty, trust and single-minded focus.

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