International School Education

By James Miller

A major cause of concern for families moving abroad is the provision of education for their children. Many worry that schools in the destination country may not be able to offer the same standard of education that has previously been available in the country of citizenship. Research is vital prior to any move abroad in order to make the best decision for your family.

Many countries around the world, particularly those with a high proportion of expatriates, have a number of international schools which use familiar models of education such as American, British or other systems. These schools generally follow the curriculum of their chosen model and teach in their native language. A growing number of international schools follow the International Baccalaureate which is accepted as an entrance for university around the world. International Schools tend to be located in the major cities of the world, although a few are located in green spaces and these tend to offer boarding as an alternative to a long journey from home to school. Most good international schools offer a wide range of extra-curricular activities that broaden your child’s education as well as providing new interests and hobbies.

As well as the international school option, it may also be possible to enroll your child into a local bilingual school. The advantages of this would be that your child will quickly develop new language skills and would better assimilate into the local community. A downside however would be that the bilingual school would most probably follow a different system than your child is used to and there may be problems reintegrating back into schools at home or universities. An international school would be a safer choice, although these do tend to be more expensive than bilingual schools. Whilst a school may describe itself as an International School, it is important to check out the nationalities of the students on role as some international schools can have a student population comprising almost entirely of local students. In these situations overseas students can often feel isolated and unable to join in with the rest of the school community.

Careful Planning

Before enrolling your child in any school abroad, make a visit to the school and determine if the school offers the best for your child. Take your child with you on each visit so they also get a feel for the school. Some international schools will be selective and others may have long waiting lists. Make sure that the school you select is within traveling distance from home and there is adequate provision for transport to and from school. It is often quite beneficial to decide on a school first and then look for housing after

By Vyom Munjaal

By Jigishha Patil

It seems that the who’s who of the Indian educational system do not understand the above quote. The educational system in India still has a strong impression of the British Raj, which has not changed since the past 200 years. The same syllabus, same method is still used, which many would call primitive. However, there is a change in the attitude of the parents. Nowadays, parents have become more aware of the orthodox methods used in the majority of schools in India. We can see that many parents are opting International schools in India.

The number of International Schools in India has considerably gone up in major cities. There are some very good IB schools in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, etc. They offer best education along with a healthy study environment.

International school in India follows and implement internationally recognised curriculum such as Cambridge international exam or International Baccalaureate. They were basically founded for the children of diplomats who are geographically mobile, due to postings in different countries, in order to provide them the same curriculum anywhere in the world. However, today it is not considered as a forte of these children, as parents from different occupational background prefer it for their children.

The reason for growing popularity of International Schools in India is the global curriculum that is taught, giving a special emphasis on skills and knowledge; rather than testing their speed and memory. The purpose of the curriculum is to make a child versatile rather than a bookworm, who is competent enough to face the challenges of the real world. Moreover, they have been able to keep the Indian ethos alive. They follow simple ideology “every child is special” and should be given enough space to grow and develop their cognitive abilities, which would help them to leave their mark on the global arena.

Unlike the other Indian schools, where the pupils are taught to memorise the curriculum and at the end of it spew it out, without understanding the whole concept, making them unable to cope with the ever growing demands at the global arena. IB schools in India, however make the students capable enough to cope with the challenges at the international forum, with its globally accepted course and well qualified teachers. They are also known to give children enough freedom to develop their creativity and analytical capabilities, thus pupils are taught to apply the things they learnt in the school in the practical life.

As there is a majority of foreign students, IB schools in India are a mixed bag of people, having learners from different cultures and ethnicity. The students get an opportunity to interact with other pupils from different cultural backgrounds, hence rooting the concept of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” deep into the minds of the children and making them global citizens in true sense. This also develops moral values like tolerance and universal brotherhood among the children.

The main focus of the IB schools in India is the overall development of children. Thus, they encourage various extracurricular and co-curricular activities in the school. The schools organise workshops, which help the students to take up activities of their choice. They are encouraged to participate in various extracurricular activities. This kind of encouragement for participation in different activities helps them to bring out their hidden talents and shed their inhabitations.

IB schools in India have been a breakthrough change that Indian educational sector has ever seen. It prepares the students for future challenges, with its unorthodox curriculum and well qualified teachers.