Lifelong Learning

Good Schools Alliance

The summer of 1983 was a defining one as my father suffered a heart attack, and with my mother by his side for six months, I set out to decode the nuances of business and took the road less travelled wherein you follow your heart and meet the needs of a family held business.

I had barely completed my Graduation from Delhi University,as a young lad, loved the outdoors, volunteering, and simply climbing hills—the calling came to join the family business of bookselling. It took me 40 years to write my simple bio: 'The mountaineer and bookseller inspires children to explore the world of books and helps improve education in schools.'

Like most family-run businesses, you just end up going to work at the heels of your parents and family. There was a 21-year-old who got a bicycle and started visiting institutions in Dehradun to deliver books on approval to librarians and school leaders for due selection. Living with joy and enthusiasm was my love for the hills, volunteering with schools and more for The Duke of Edinburgh's Award and even more exciting, the long years of running with the Welham Girls!

When I look at the treks we did in the 1980s and 1990s, walking from one end of the Garhwal Himalayas to the other, summer after summer, this kindled my love for schools and schooling. In 1998, my book Good Schools Of India was a bestseller in the category. My ringside view of schools was my lessons for growing up as a school improvement coach.

In 2012, when I stepped down from the role of the National Director of The Duke Of Edinburgh's Award, another rudderless phase of six months gave me time to look back at the three decades as a bookseller and one who chased his dream of setting up 69 Book Cafe stores nationwide; to wind up the flexi-format bookstores and look for happiness working with schools, my eternal calling.

Life took a beautiful turn yet again, and William N. Bissell packed me off to spend a week at his farm in Pali, very near The Fabindia School, which he founded. Thus, a School Improvement Coach was born!

My Good School—Where Passion Meets Education, published in early 2021, shares my life and joy in helping transform The Fabindia School into a piece of land brought to life in the words of William N. Bissell. For me, he is the only school promoter who understood me and gave me the freedom to do whatever it takes to reform governance, training, and learning at school. We worked with all the stakeholders for over five years to build a shared vision and mission for the school. Today, the school stands as a model My Good School—with equal emphasis on Service, Skill, Sport, and Study—if not literally, but figuratively. The school awards and rewards performance in all four key elements of our My Good School Philosophy - Service, Skill, Sport and Study, focusing on the personal and social development of every individual.

In 2020, on my return from Finland, the USA and Singapore, I found my life's joy and decided to build My Good School, focusing on reading, reflection and relationships. My family supported and helped set up the Learning Forward India Foundation. Whether you're establishing a new school or looking to upgrade your current one, we offer customised programs to help transform your school's culture, promote lifelong learning, and deliver affordably.

I am stepping down from the Bhadrajun Artisans Trust, the charity that operates The Fabindia School, feeling great fulfilment. After four decades of being a bookseller, mountaineer, and school improvement coach, my next mission in life is to build a legacy of joy and learning to help schools, teachers, and young people experience the joy of learning.

A big thank you to the wonderful people who believed in me and continue to invest their faith in me. Their love and belief are my most considerable earnings, so I thought I would share some beautiful words they have penned for me.

One person whose contribution I would particularly like to highlight is Sandeep Dutt, who joined us as Chairman and Executive Director of the Bhadrajan Artisans Trust in 2012. He has facilitated many of the landmark achievements we celebrate today. - William N Bissell, Founder & MD Fabindia

Learning Forward has developed best practices for the world through innovative innovations like the byte-sized PD, which focuses on core values and every individual's personal and social development. - Kalyani Chaudhuri, Principal Billabong High International School Thane

You rarely come across a stand-out talent like Sandeep. He never fails to make a dramatic difference in any role he occupies. He can juggle multiple projects without compromising on the results. He can get teams to work to the highest standards through a strategic and inclusive leadership approach. Sandeep is a committed humanitarian and educationalist who has influenced change in the development and corporate sectors. He is highly recommended as a leader and as a team member.? - Cristal de Saldanha,? Leading Commonwealth Youth Adviser?