In Bengaluru, they could have been rivals being as scion of the two major education groups. However, Tanveer Ahmed, the Chief Executive of Little Flower Public School and Mitra Academy, and Nafesa Ahmed, the Director of Presidential Group of Institutions are relatives who married each other in 2011.
At dinner in their house, it’s not like two billionaire educators talking across the table. Their children did not go to their school but to St. Joseph’s Boys’ High School.
My husband and I don’t talk about work at home unless there’s a real emergency,” said Nafisa.
“We can interact with many ideas. We can talk about policy, how each other handles certain things and problem-solving skills. And We enjoy learning from one another and supporting one another”, she said.
For Nafisa and her two brothers who hold different positions in educational institutions taking over administration was an obvious move. “We knew that eventually we would be involved in my father’s work. So based on that I took management”, she says.
On the other hand, Tanveer has come back to Bangalore after working for some time in corporate America . He is an electrical engineer by training with a master’s degree in finance and passion for teaching.Tanveer joined PES College as a visiting lecturer in financial management in 1994 before helping his father out with matters relating to school administration since 2010.
Subsequently he became full-time Chief Operating Officer (COO) at LFPS & Mitra Academy.“I used to teach my friends when we were still students ad even our lecturers would tell me that I should become a teacher.My bachelors’ degree was obtained primarily so as to understand subject matter more fully.I now help teachers identify course objectives and outcomes without having any education degrees, this is just a general statement,” he said
Tanveer is currently pursuing a master’s by research degree in education through distance learning.“I introduced technology to students and teachers — working in the cloud, Google Classroom, etc. Then COVID-19 happened. It was a blessing in disguise, otherwise teachers wouldn’t be exposed to technology,” he said.I am currently continuing his passion for teacher training.
Cultivate patience in fast moving generation
Nafeesa Ahmed has about 50,000 students in eight schools, three PU colleges and a university
Nafeesa’s primary focus is on innovative teaching tools that use smooth systems and processes.
According to her biggest concerns are device addiction, mental health and tolerance levels. “With everything from food delivery to information on Google at their fingertips, kids are losing patience in a fast-paced world,” she said.
Ways of empowering teachers using technology
Tanveer Ahmed manages Little Flower Public School as well as Mitra College with a total enrollment of 4,800 students.
Areas Tanvir is working or addressing differently than prior generations include empowering teachers using technology, streamlining communication between management and staffs & better relationships between schools and parents.
He is also worried about people’s obsession with electronics and social media.“Because they are so immersed in the digital world, they have very little social interaction,” he added.
