Education Thought Leaders Collective (ETLC)
A Select Circle for School Leaders Shaping the Future of Education in India
Inaugural Cohort | 30 School Leaders | 9-Month Engagement | ~5–6 hours per month
For School Leaders Who Want to Shape Education—Not Just Run Schools
A highly selective, 9-month engagement for founders, directors, and principals to engage deeply with ideas of autonomy, choice, regulation, and leadership in education.
Why This Exists
Education in India is not just evolving—it is being actively contested.
Questions of autonomy, regulation, parental choice, and the role of the state are increasingly shaping how schools operate. School leaders today are required not only to manage institutions, but to take positions—implicitly or explicitly—on these deeper questions.
The ideas that school leaders hold today will increasingly determine not only the direction of their institutions, but the future of education itself.
Yet, most leadership spaces remain focused on operations, compliance, and short-term problem-solving.
There are very few spaces where school leaders can:
- think deeply about education as a system
- engage with competing ideas and frameworks
- learn from peers navigating similar challenges
The Education Thought Leaders Collective has been created to fill this gap.
What Makes This Different
Most leadership programmes focus on improving how schools are run. ETLC is for those ready to engage with a deeper question:
Participants move: From managing institutions → to shaping how education is thought about and practised.
ETLC program is underpinned by a set of core values that guide its design and implementation:
- Collaboration is central, fostering an environment where participants actively learn from one another and engage in meaningful exchange of ideas and experiences.
- Applied learning ensures participants read, write and think critically to explore new perspectives within education discourses.
- Continuous learning enables building a strong foundational understanding of education philosophy, policy and practice through self-reflection, feedback and mentorship
Together, they foster a dynamic and supportive learning environment enabling participants to contribute meaningfully and emerge as Thought Leaders.
Core competencies of a Thought Leader:
- Understanding of education systems and synergies
- Awareness of industry trends and foresight
- Critical and strategic thinking
- Learner-mindset
- Intellectual curiosity
What You Will Experience
Thought Leadership Lab (Entry Point): A 3-day residential, in-person experience
- In-depth discussions and Socratic dialogue
- Engagement with philosophy, policy, and practice of education
- Curated, timely & relevant content (readings, podcasts, and videos)
- Intensive peer interaction
The Lab establishes a shared intellectual foundation for the Collective.
This will be followed by structured light-touch engagements over the following months to build on the foundational thinking fostered during the Lab.
Overall Programme Structure
Duration
9 Months
Format
Hybrid
In-person + Virtual
Entry Point
3-Day Lab
Residential
Closing
1.5-Day
In-person Convening
Programme Value: ₹1,00,000
Participant Contribution (Inaugural Cohort): ₹19,999/-
This includes:
- Residential convenings (accommodation and meals)
- Programme materials and sessions
- Access to CCS flagship engagements
Travel to Delhi NCR to be arranged by participants.
Selection of the cohort will be based on responses to our application questions. Please ensure responses clearly demonstrate leadership, openness to engage with new ideas, willingness to learn and motivation to join our program.
To receive a completion certificate, selected school leaders must complete:
- All 3 days of Thought Leadership Lab
- Engage with a minimum of 2 thought prompts
- Attend minimum 2 hybrid meetings
- Participate in 2 progress checks
- Facilitate a minimum of 2 Thought Leadership demonstration opportunities
9-Month Collective Journey
Designed to fit alongside professional responsibilities, each month builds on the last — from a 3-day residential workshop to a final in-person graduation.
Time Commitment: ~5–6 hours per month post Leadership Lab
No exams. No busywork. Only meaningful engagement.
Be a Part of ETLC
Participation in the Collective is based on both application and nomination. You may:
- Apply directly, if you are a school leader
- Nominate a school leader from your network
Being nominated reflects recognition of a leader's potential to contribute meaningfully to the Collective. All applications and nominations are reviewed through the same selection process.
Applications are now open and will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
For more information or queries, write to mihika@ccs.in or call +91 88648 56466
Frequently Asked Questions
Hover over a question to reveal the answer
The Education Thought Leaders Collective (ETLC) is a highly selective, 9-month engagement platform for school leaders who want to engage with education as a field of ideas, institutions, and public reasoning.
Grounded in principles of individual choice, institutional autonomy, decentralisation, accountability, and pluralism, the Collective enables participants to examine how these ideas shape policy, practice, and leadership decisions.
This is not:
- a training programme
- a certification course (you will get a certificate though)
- a toolkit-based workshop
It is a serious intellectual and peer platform.
A school leader is not defined by designation alone. It refers to individuals who exercise real decision-making authority within a school or school network, including:
- Founders and School Owners
- Directors and Trustees
- Principals and Vice-Principals
- Academic Heads or senior leadership with institution-wide responsibility
What distinguishes a school leader is agency—the ability to shape institutional direction, engagement with regulation and policy, and teaching, learning, and growth decisions.
This Collective is designed for individuals who:
- lead or influence institutional decision-making
- navigate trade-offs involving regulation, growth, and pedagogy
- are open to engaging with ideas, disagreement, and reflection
- want to move beyond operational leadership
We welcome participants from across India. Discussions may take place in English and/or Hindi, ensuring accessibility without compromising depth.
- Optional 1:1 mentorship, in the form of virtual chats, with experienced practitioners
- Free participation in CCS flagship platforms, including:
- Reforming India's School Education (RISE) for Viksit Bharat June 2026
- School Choice National Conference in October 2026
- Other premium networking events
- Opportunities to articulate ideas through writing, dialogue & facilitation including publication opportunities
By the end of the Collective, participants are expected to develop:
- Deeper grounding in one's own beliefs and understanding of education
- Greater clarity on key education debates and discourses
- Deeper understanding of policy, regulation, and institutional design
- Enhanced ability to convene spaces and dialogues
- Increased confidence in articulating ideas
- A trusted network of serious education leaders
Over time, participants also contribute more visibly to education discourse.
- Cohort Size: 30 school leaders
- Composition: At least 50% from Delhi; mix of elite and budget private schools
The inaugural cohort is expected to include some of the most thoughtful and influential school leaders across contexts.
- Application review
- Shortlisting based on leadership, influence, and motivation
- Final interaction/interview before selection
This is a carefully curated cohort—not an open-access programme.
At a time when education is increasingly shaped by policy, regulation, and public debate, the need for school leaders who can think clearly and engage meaningfully has never been greater. Opportunities to engage at this level, with this degree of seriousness and selectivity, are rare.
The inaugural cohort will consist of 30 carefully selected school leaders. As the first cohort, this group will play a defining role in shaping the direction, culture, and long-term trajectory of the Collective.
Ready to join the Collective?
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Don't wait.
Questions? Email mihika@ccs.in | +91 88648 56466