The History of Students’ Quality Circles in City Montessori School, Lucknow (1997- 2017)
CITY MONTESSORI SCHOOL, LUCKNOW (CMS) is the pioneer in introducing and institutionalizing the concept of Quality Control Circles in Education. The credit goes to its founder manager, Dr. Jagdish Gandhi. It was during his visit to Japan in 1992 that Dr. Gandhi first became aware of Quality Control Circles (QCC) and how Prof. Ishikawa successfully shaped them as formal groups within factories and offices, for the purpose of improving the quality of manufactured goods and services on a continuous basis. The resultant quality revolution firmly established Japan as an economic superpower after the devastation caused by the Second World War.
Dr. Gandhi thought of using Kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement and QCs’ in schools to inculcate quality awareness at a tender age in children, when minds are impressionable and the attitudes can be built. The basic aim was to ‘Catch Them Young’.
He collected literature on Quality Circles and on his return to India, he introduced the idea at the CMS Principal’s meeting. Taking inspiration from Mr. Gandhi, Dr. (Mrs) Vineeta Kamran, Principal, City Montessori School, Kanpur Road, Lucknow sought the help of Mr. P.C.Bihari and Mr. Saomi Das, the QC experts from Indian Railways to start QCs’ in her school.
SQC Jai Jagat at Hong Kong ‘1994’
CMS, with a co-operative and encouraging background, provided rich soil for experimentation. History was created when QC Jai Jagat was inaugurated on 6th August in 1993. It was the world’s youngest and the First Quality Circle at School level and gave its first Case Study Presentation at the Regional Convention on Quality Circles at Lucknow and then went on to win the Most Heart Winning ‘Case Study Award at the National Convention on Quality Circles, Kanpur organized by Quality Circle Forum of India.
After this with the encouragement, blessings and support of Shri Gaur Hari Singhania, Vice President, J.K. Organization, Kanpur, Late Dr. R.C.Agarwal, President, Quality Circle Forum Of India, it was no looking back for CMS, nothing could have been achieved without their help and each mile stone achieved by CMS in the field of QC in Academics speaks volumes of their active and whole hearted support.
The overwhelming performance by QC Jai Jagat helped them to achieve entry and participation in the International Convention on Quality Control Circles ’94 Hong Kong. It was for the first time that any student team had participated in the International Quality Circle Convention. The team was bestowed upon the Outstanding Team Award for their CSP on How to Concentrate in Studies.
SQC Jai Jagat at NCQC’95, Sri Lanka
QC Jai Jagat was specially invited by the Quality Circle Association of Sri Lanka for the National Convention on Quality Circles in 1995 at Colombo. The introduction of QCs’ in Education was hailed as a revolutionary development and international ‘QC GURUS’ widely welcomed it in academics.
As the founder of Quality in Education, the school also had the opportunities of sending various student QC delegations at different International Conventions which included (ICQCC’96, Malaysia), (ICQCC’96, Bangkok), (IQCC’98, Mauritius), (ISQFD’98, Australia), (ICQC’99, Mauritius), (ICQCC’99, Philippines), (ICSQCC’2000, Mauritius), (ICQCC’2000, Singapore), (icsqcc’2002, kentucky, USA), (ICQC’ 2002, Mauritius), (WQC’ 2002, Harrogate, U.K.), (ICQC’2003, Tokyo, Japan), (NCQC, Mauritius, 2004), (ICQC’ 2004, Bangkok), (ICSQCC’ 2004, Bangladesh), (NCQC’ 2006, Mauritius), (ICSQCC’ 2006 Sri Lanka) and (ICQC’ 2007, China), (ICSQCC’2008 Turkey), (ICQCC’ 2008 Bangladesh), (ICSQCC’2010, Nepal), (APQO’2011,Singapore), (ICSQCC’ Mauritius), (APQO 2012, Sri Lanka), (NCSQC’2012 Nepal), (APQO’2013 Bali, Indonesia), (ULEAD Annual Congress 2014, Turkey), (ICSQCC’2014, London) , ICCSQC-2015, Mauritius), (ICSQCC-2016, Mauritius), (ICQC-2016, Bangkok).