Parent's of Delhi's school-going kids can feel a bit reassured now that their wards will be under the watch of trained professionals for sure.

In what will be one of the biggest training programmes for an entire system, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) has begun training principals of all schools run by the Delhi government. The training will be done in phases of 50 principals each, for the 924 schools run by the Delhi government.

The first training programme for principals began on April 30 and will continue for seven days.

Professor Neharika Vohra, faculty of organisational behaviour at IIM-A, who has been conducting the programme, said, "Right now, 50 principals are participating in the first batch. All the will be covered in the training programme, which will continue for around one year. This is a one-week programme and will have 50 participants in each batch."

The Delhi government approached IIM-A to conduct the programme a year ago. "We (IIM-A faculty and Delhi government) have been in discussion for over a year to plan and design the programme."

"It is a leadership training, where various aspects of leadership at schools will be discussed. This includes how to work with parents, how to work with the school management committee, how to have more innovations among teachers, how to develop teachers and how to work with data.

It is all about school management and leadership," she added. Vohra said that training for schools will vary according to their requirements. The next such programme will be at the end of this month.

The IIM-A faculty member also visited five to seven schools in Delhi and spoke to a focus group of 40 principals to know about government schools.

In the last 18 years, Vohra had earlier conducted leadership programmes for schools under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Gujarat government and all Navodaya Vidyalaya's.

Vohra said the programme for the Delhi government is the first time an entire system is being covered.