10th March was a great day for us at Seth Anandram Jaipuria School Lucknow. Our Principal Ms. Poonam Kochitty received an email from Ms. Lara Rodwell, the Content Creator of Round Square, saying that she has heard wonderful things about how school fosters Adventure Through Debate, by daily student-led assemblies, where students present global issues such as refugee crises, gender dynamics, climate change, and the impact of conflict on children. She stated that the interactive discussions that follow sound like a fantastic example of how debate can be an adventure in learning and therefore she wanted to interview a few students across classes along with the Head of School Ms. Poonam Kochitty. She wanted one faculty member as well and so we had Ms. Gurpreet on board. 

Six students- Saanvi Singh, Sarthak Raj, Aradhya Diwedi and Vedika Shukla, Ayati Srivastava and Atharv Misra – had the pleasure of attending an insightful and interactive session by Round Square, wherein they discussed the impact of the school’s morning assemblies in building the spirit of adventure through the art of debate and discourse. They touched on many subjects, starting from their own experiences of conducting assemblies, and later moving to the broader impact these assemblies have in creating more sensitivity and acceptance towards diverse perspectives.

They spoke about some specific assemblies that have molded them as individuals and how they have assisted in overcoming nervousness and becoming more comfortable with the thought of sharing their ideas and having meaningful conversations – all while pushing them to think differently and from a broader lens, bringing rationality and respect to the forefront.  

The session concluded by sharing practical ways for other Round Square institutions to inculcate similar practices tailored to their culture and society. The children were greatly appreciated by Round Square, and we are hopeful of being featured in their article on Adventure through Debate.