What must we preserve?
What remains timeless and non-negotiable about childhood and the way young children learn?
Presented by
An Invitation to Dialogue
The Future
Starts Early
The alphabet hasn't changed. The world has.
Children still need to learn to read, write and work with numbers. They also need to play, move, wonder, communicate, connect, create, adapt and understand themselves and others. The challenge before Early Years educators is not to keep adding more to the school day, but to give equal space, time and intentionality to all the dimensions of a child’s development that matter.
71 days to go
The invitation
Alongside asking what children need to learn, we ask a more important question — who do they need to become through learning?
Not a child made ready for school,
but a school made ready for the child.
Over time, education has responded to a changing world by adding more — social-emotional learning, inclusion, creativity, technology, critical thinking. What if the next shift is not about adding more, but about bringing it all together?
The conversation
Three questions at the heart of the day
Curiosity. Communication. Confidence. Empathy. Adaptability. These are not alternatives to literacy and numeracy — they are what allow children to use knowledge with thought, purpose and agency.
What must we rethink?
As the purpose of what we teach changes, how should the way we teach change?
What must become interconnected?
How can literacy, numeracy, social-emotional development, inclusion and individual strengths become one learning experience?
One Day. 60 Educators. Many New Possibilities.
Six voices · different lenses · one conversation
No single discipline can answer these questions
The Future Starts Early brings together educators, pedagogic experts and child-development specialists who see the child, the classroom and the changing world from different vantage points.
Panel moderated by Mamta Kapoor · Executive Director, Education, KEC
The Early Years Lens
Dr Swati Popat Vats
Early Childhood Educationist
The Educator & School-Culture Lens
Maya Menon
Founder Director, The Teacher Foundation
The Individual Learner Lens
Vidushi Chaudhary
Gifted Education & Personalised Learning Specialist
The Parent–School Lens
Suhasini Kanwar
Early Childhood & Parent Engagement, TGA Healthy Planet
The Experiential Learning Lens
Samara Gupta
Socio-Emotional Wellbeing through Movement & Music
The Child-Development Lens
Shelja Sen
Child Psychologist, Children First
Choose Your Studio
But You Won't Just Listen.
You will choose what you want to explore.
At the heart of the conclave are three 90-minute Learning Studios. Choose one. Work with a facilitator. Explore the idea with a small group. Discuss what it means for your own classroom or school.
Beyond Checklists
Making Every Child's Growth Visible
Facilitator: Aakriti, Yathaa
A child's learning is rarely a straight line. Some growth can be counted. Some needs to be noticed. Explore how observation and documentation can help educators see children's interests, strengths, questions and progress more clearly.
Beyond Conversations
Creating Spaces Where Children Connect and Belong
Facilitator: Vishwa Srivastava
Circle time can be much more than another item on the timetable. It can become a space where children learn to speak, listen, disagree, express, connect and belong. Explore how intentional conversations can build communication, confidence, empathy and stronger classroom communities.
Beyond the Ordinary
Discovering the Extraordinary in Every Child
Facilitator: Vidushi Chaudhary
Some children show us their strengths immediately. Others need us to look differently. Explore how educators can move beyond one definition of intelligence or achievement to notice different abilities, interests and learning pathways.
Three 90-minute studios run in parallel. You attend one; choose it when you register.
On Campus
See What Personalised Learning Looks Like
The conclave doesn't end with ideas. During the afternoon, the school itself becomes part of the learning experience. Move through the campus. Meet students. Look closely at learning. Ask questions.
One Child. One Story.
Instead of seeing "Nursery Student", see a learner. Explore one child's interests, learning journey, portfolio, teacher observations and growth. The simple shift is powerful: from "Which grade is this child in?" to "Who is this child becoming?"
The Personalised Learning Lab.
Step behind the classroom and explore the systems that support learning: BLC KEYS curriculum, scope and sequence, teacher planning, assessment systems, AI-supported learning. The idea is not to showcase one perfect model. It is to open up the thinking behind how personalised learning can be designed deliberately.
One Student. One Conversation.
Lunch is part of the experience too. Rather than simply sitting with ten unfamiliar adults, participants will have opportunities for smaller conversations with educators and students. One question will sit at the centre: "What do adults misunderstand about children?"
The day at a glance
Saturday, 31 October 2026
-
8:30 – 9:15
Registration & Welcome
Tea, breakfast and arrival of delegates
-
9:30 – 10:30
Opening Keynotes
Dr Swati Popat Vats & Mamta Kapoor
-
10:30 – 12:00
Panel Dialogue
Six voices in conversation · Moderated by Mamta Kapoor
-
12:00 – 1:00
KEC Experience Zones
Student-led experiences across the school
-
1:00 – 2:00
Lunch with Students
Shared table with children of Khaitan World School
-
2:00 – 3:30
Workshop Tracks
Three parallel tracks to choose from
-
3:30 – 4:00
Tea & Regroup
A pause in the garden
-
4:00 – 4:30
Closing Keynotes & Reflections
Vishwa Srivastava & Maya Menon
Who Should Join Us?
or someone responsible for shaping children's earliest experiences of school.
This conversation is meant for you.
Reserve your place
Join the dialogue
A limited-capacity gathering for school leaders and educators. Seats are released on a first-come basis.
🌱 Early-bird rate ends 10 September 2026 — register early to secure the best price.
Early bird · till 10 Sept
Early Bird
₹3,000
per delegate
₹4,000
The full conclave, at our best individual rate — reserved for delegates who confirm before 10 September.
Save ₹1,000 before 10 SeptemberStandard
₹4,000
per delegate
The complete conclave experience for individual delegates registering after the early-bird window closes.
Available after 10 September
School groups
School Group Rate
₹2,750
per participant
Bring the team. When 3 or more participants from the same school register together, each attends at this reduced rate.
3 or more participantsEvery registration includes
Expert workshops
Your choice of three practitioner-led workshop tracks
The panel dialogue
Six voices in conversation, moderated live on stage
Lunch with students
A shared table with the children of Khaitan World School
Refreshments, all day
Morning tea & breakfast, plus evening tea and regroup
Room to network
Meet school leaders and educators from across the region
Inspiration to carry home
Ideas and practices you can bring back to your classrooms
60 People. One Shared Question.
How can we give young children the education they need for the world they are entering?
Not by abandoning the fundamentals.
By enriching them.
Not by adding one more programme.
By seeing the whole child.
Not by asking every child to become ready for the same school.
By creating schools ready to see every child.
The Future Starts Early
The child remains at the centre.Always has been. Always should be.
Convened by Khaitan Education Centre at Khaitan World School, Ghaziabad.
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