Gurgaon, 29 March 2015: Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd (HDFC Ltd), India’s leading housing finance company launched its first school, ‘The HDFC School’ in Gurgaon, Sector 57, Block C, Sushant lok III for academic year 2015-2016. With this launch, The HDFC School aspires to be the beacon of best practices in the education sector of the country under the leadership of eminent educationalist and academician Anita Makkar.
The HDFC School was inaugurated by Deepak Parekh – Chairman, HDFC Ltd. Also present for this august event were Keki Mistry – Vice Chairman & CEO, Renu Sud Karnad – Managing Director, Anita Makkar, Principal – The HDFC School, among others.
While the school has started its primary school, taking admissions from pre-nursery to grade III this year, the school is also in the process of setting up a 5 acre school campus for its higher secondary wing. Intended to be a full nursery to grade 12 School in time, the school will follow the National Curriculum Framework 2005, and will be a CBSE affiliated school.
Speaking at the inauguration, Deepak Parekh said, “Our education initiative is an answer to the question ‘Why can’t equal opportunities be provided to all Indians to secure quality education for their children leading to better careers and better lives?’.
A school is a first step in a student’s entire life cycle. With a simple motto of ‘Educate, Excel and Empower’, HDFC School seeks to set an example of best practices in education. For a country like India, spending on education is abysmally low at 3% of GDP. India has one of the youngest populations in the world and effective investment in education will determine how well the population is educated and this in turn will enhance the productivity of the demographic dividend. Though the allocation for the education sector has gone up progressively in the past decade, there is still a need that the Indian government and private sector invest aggressively in education sector going forward. There is a lot of innovation that can be brought into the education space and with this initiative HDFC aims to create a visible impact on schooling system.”
Deepak Parekh lighting the lamp in presence of Keki Mistry, Renu Sud Karnad & principal Anita Makkar
Renu Sud Karnad, Managing Director, HDFC Ltd. and who is also leading HDFC’s foray in the education sector said, “Of the total schools in India only 8% are privately run but they account for 40% of total students enrolled in schools. This demand supply mismatch suggests that more privately owned ethically run institutions can bring about a positive influence in the development of Indian School segment. With the launch of HDFC School, we are starting with some baby steps to build an education organization which has a philosophy of providing high quality education to all . HDFC has played a pioneering role in housing finance with the focus of enabling the Indian middle class to own their own home. Entry in the education sector will enable HDFC to provide access to quality and finest education in the country.”
The School is being spearheaded by Anita Makkar, an eminent educationalist and academician and known name in the education sector. She is the former Founder Principal of DAV Public School which is amongst the top 3 schools in Gurgaon. She brings with her a rich three decades of experience in setting up one of the best schools in the country.
Speaking at the event, Anita Makkar – Principal, The HDFC School said, “We started this academic year 2015-16 and I am happy to say that the response has been encouraging. We will strive together and ensure that each student will receive nothing but the highest quality of academic mentorship and focused guidance for their enriched all-round development. The HDFC School will focus on academics, and at the same time will seek to develop well-rounded students, who will flourish in a pluralistic society. It is our endeavour to develop responsible young ‘global citizens’.”
At HDFC, the school buildings do not exist in a vacuum. The faculty, the school curriculum, assessment and testing systems, parental engagement, expectations and entitlements all intermesh with the design of The HDFC School.
The Primary school facilities have a bright and happy ambience, creative surfaces on the walls, festive ceiling, ergonomic and safe furniture of international standards and a superior learning environment.
The facilities in the primary school include several activity rooms, well equipped library, and infirmary in addition to outdoor and indoor sports facilities.
