According to Colin Powell “Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence” and this definitely stands true for our newly appointed Vice Principal Mr. Suresh V Balakrishnan. Mr. Suresh considers himself a self- made man. He was born in an underprivileged village in the Kannur District of Kerala, India.
He and his younger brother excelled in the community service. Given these conditions, he was convinced that he had to prove his dedication toward the community and the society at large. He coached the students of his community helping them with their studies and he became very passionate about that routine activity. He completed class 10 with average marks but couldn’t find a college as he did not have enough financial support to carry on with his pre-university education. A determined Suresh was not willing to give up. Instead, he decided to attend a tutorial college in his locality and came through the exams with an impressive first class in humanities. He stood at the crossroads not knowing what to do – which stream to take or which college to go to. A well- wisher helped him take the decision and he ended up signing in at Sree Narayana college, Kannur, Kerala and completed his graduation and post-graduation. He further did his B.Ed (MoT English). and topped his class.
The Dean in S N college had asked him to fill a form in which one question was, ‘What is your dream?’ He was the only one who wrote that he wanted to be a teacher much to the surprise of the dean. According to Mr. Suresh V Balakrishnan, a teacher is a real architect or the real designer who has the ability to mold a person.
Looking back, Mr. Suresh admires his English teacher (late) Mr. TC Kunhikrishna Kurup the most as he had given him a strong base in English. When he was in class 12, a group of boys persuaded him to skip a test. Fortunately, Mr. Kunhikrishna Kurup got a whiff of their planned truancy and sprang into action. He caught young Suresh by the neck and forced him to write the test. This taught him a lesson he would always remember - to be disciplined and responsible. Mr. Suresh V Balakrishnan believes that discipline and responsibility are inseparable. None can be responsible without being disciplined and vice versa.
He considers himself a democratic leader and strongly believes in team leadership and collective responsibility in any given situation.
When asked how it felt being offered the position of Senior Vice Principal at Bhavans…Mr. Suresh V Balakrishnan said he felt ecstatic. Although this position brings along a lot of responsibility which at times can be nerve racking, but he has accepted the challenge to work with his team to achieve the vision of the school.
According to Mr. Suresh V Balakrishnan, the most important thing for a school to reach its pinnacle of success is discipline. When asked what his vision for a highly successful school was, he replied that every school should have a well-defined vision and this vision should be well understood not only by the teachers but by all the students. This vision should also be supported by a mission. Vision is the future and the mission is the stepping stones that would take someone to their vision.
Mr. Suresh V Balakrishnan further says that the all-round development of a child will help him/her to become a global citizen. The CBSE syllabus is thus designed by visionaries in such a way that it contains everything that is needed for the overall development of a child. A child should not be a backbencher but must come ahead in life and make use of all the opportunities that the school is offering him/her.
Lastly, Mr. Suresh goes on to say that every child has to use his/her maximum potential to materialize his or her dreams. When iron is sharpened and shaped properly, it becomes a very powerful tool. The potential of a child should be identified and utilized to its maximum not only for the mere satisfaction of his/her parents and teachers but also for the development of his or her country.
Mr. Suresh V Balakrishnan, the newly inducted senior vice principal of IES concluded the interview by saying that children should stay committed, responsible and disciplined. They must be regular, humble and simple to the core. This he says will take them a long way and will help them achieve their goals.