LUCKNOW, INDIA: – I love teaching and genuinely care about all the students," says Savita Mall.

The 44-year-old has just held a morning assembly with hundreds of students, neatly lined up in white and black school uniforms. Now she watches as they walk one by one to class, in a long line that winds through the school grounds.

For more than twenty years, Savita has worked as a teacher. For the past eight years, she has been at City Montessori School (CMS) in Lucknow, India.

The school is recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's largest school, with over 61,000 students spread across 21 campuses. 

At the Kanpur Road Campus, where Savita works, there are 8,000 students, from kindergarten to 12th grade, and about 350 staff members.

She herself teaches English to two 8th-grade classes, with 45 students in each class. In addition, she is the coordinator for the entire grade level, with responsibility for a total of 707 students across 16 classes.

This means Savita has overall teaching responsibility. She mentors colleagues, coordinates the school's communication with parents, and she is the one other teachers go to if unforeseen problems arise. In addition, she is responsible for safety drills and logistics.

– We have a great responsibility for safety. The school should be the safest place for students, apart from their homes, says Savita.

Surprisingly Quiet

The school has hired its own security and traffic management personnel to monitor the area. There are signs and route maps showing which entrances and exits should be used by different classes.

Guards are stationed at the exits, who can communicate with the chief security officer via walkie-talkies. The students' schedules also follow different rhythms to avoid crowding in the hallways.

– Our campus, being the largest, needs to focus even more on safety, transportation, student distribution, and smart use of school grounds, explains Savita.

Each campus has large play and outdoor areas. The buildings are modern, with science labs, music and art studios, medical facilities, cafeterias, and libraries equipped with a wide range of books, journals, and digital resources.

And it’s surprisingly quiet.

Here, discipline is key. But according to Savita, she spends just as much time and resources on showing care and love.

Emotional Support

– I work a lot to ensure that the students are well. Being a teacher is not just about teaching, but also about creating a safe space where students feel comfortable expressing themselves and seeking support when needed, she says.

– We must enable students to adapt to an ever-changing world. This requires a deep understanding of each student's unique circumstances and challenges. The emotional support provided by teachers can play a crucial role in students' lives and futures.

Savita's youngest daughter herself attends CMS. 

Every morning, they walk to school together. Savita's workdays usually last 7.5 hours, about 4.5 of which she spends in the classroom. The rest of the time is spent grading homework, preparing lessons, and administrative tasks.

And even though she always wanted to be a teacher, her first job at a convent school near her home happened by pure chance.

– They suddenly had a vacancy, and I was asked to step in.

After a few months, she was called to the principal's office. He asked the young Savita to consider this as a career path. That was the reason she pursued a bachelor's degree in education, which is a must for any professional teacher in India.

She continued teaching at the convent school for another three years before moving to another school for ten years. After passing a written exam and demonstrating classroom teaching, she got the job at CMS.

Savita speaks highly of the school. 

She believes it offers excellent opportunities for both students and staff. On the school's website, there is a long list of professional development opportunities for teachers.

Getting to Know the Home

– The school invests a lot of time and effort in empowering its students and staff with courses, webinars, and seminars, she says.

– This creates opportunities for new learning, use of new technology, and collaboration between school branches, both nationally and internationally. Even the teachers here feel like students, regularly learning new things.

She explains that the school also has some students with disabilities and students from families with weaker financial situations and more challenging family circumstances. 

They receive a discount on school fees, and like all students at the school, they are assigned a so-called teacher protector.

The teacher protector is responsible for visiting the students at home once or twice during the school year to meet the parents, see how they live, and get to know the students' home environment. They submit a report to the school after the visits.

– This is positive for the relationship between the teacher and the family and helps students discuss things more freely with their teacher protector. It also helps the school understand the specific needs of the students, so that the school's approach can be adapted to the individual, says Savita.

She says it is important to her to give students the support they need to succeed both academically and emotionally.

– When I feel that I have a positive impact on students' lives, when I inspire learning and can be a supportive mentor, it brings me joy, says Savita.

– It is so meaningful to build relationships with students and celebrate their achievements with them.

And the achievements are notable, if we are to believe the school's figures. CMS reports that 98.33 percent of students complete and pass.

Savita believes this is due to the school's focus on quality and the use of Montessori principles and innovative teaching methods, as well as attracting parents who seek the best opportunities for their children.

But not all children and young people in India have the same educational opportunities.

Despite significant economic progress, there are many challenges in the country's education system. The infrastructure is not good enough, there are significant quality differences between urban and rural education, and many students drop out.

The Indian government has launched various initiatives to improve the situation. The use of technology, among other things, makes it possible to facilitate distance learning and open schooling in remote areas.

The Backbone

Technology has also led to an emphasis on science, mathematics, innovation, and new teaching methods in schools. While the primary focus used to be on academic performance and memorization, the goal now is an education system that also values moral, social, and emotional development. 

With its new education policy, the authorities aim for a more holistic and interdisciplinary education system that promotes critical thinking, creativity, and conceptual understanding.

But to succeed, they need teachers, says Savita.

– Teachers are the very backbone of the education system in India. They play a crucial role in shaping the nation's future by imparting knowledge, nurturing talent, and instilling important values in students, she says.

– Dedicated and well-educated teachers are essential to ensure the success of all educational reforms and initiatives."

She herself never regrets becoming a teacher, even though she admits it can be tough and sometimes emotionally exhausting.

– Every day is different. You constantly get new tasks, new challenges, and new children with different needs and interests. It is challenging but incredibly rewarding."