In
part one of our two part series on International schools/education in the
country, we took a look at the system of international schooling, understood
the nuances of what sets an international school apart and the advantages of
this type of curriculum in the changing international eco-system. This part
takes a closer look at the attitude of parents, students and teachers towards
this new form of education and the rising number of schools that offer
international schools in the country, from the point of view of them being just
a fad or whether this means something new and more promising for Indian students and the future of education in the subcontinent.
Attitudes
towards International Education:
As is
evident from the unheard of response to the international standard of education
being offered in today’s educational ecosystem, that parents are looking on
this trend in a favourable light. When asked about why they opted to send their
children to an ‘International School’, Mr & Mrs Sethi, parents of 7 year
old Rati said, “We wanted our daughter to
have every competitive advantage in the modern, tech savvy world. With its
emphasis on global languages, current and updated syllabus and the fact that
her education can be continued without a break in any other school offering the
same curriculum, international schooling is the most vital advantage, that will
serve Rati well in the long run!’
An
interesting point is raised by Madhurima Chatterjee, mother of 12 year old
Rehaan, “I was an army brat, needless to
say my family moved about a lot, this meant my education suffered quite a bit
simply because of the number of adjustments I had to make, because of changing
‘boards’ of schools and states. The incompatibility of one board with another
really did a number on what could have been a promising career for me. Which is
why I insisted on admitting my son into an International School. In the likely
event of us having to move on account of my husband’s job, at least we know
Rehaan is covered on the educational front, not having to deal with the
terrible incompatibilities of the Indian Education System.”
Students
are challenged and intellectually stimulated in the international education set
up. With its emphasis on skill building, rather than just bookish knowledge, international
education nurtures liberal attitudes and fosters within the student a hunger
for knowledge and curiosity to explore possibilities. Philomena Andrade, a long
time teacher says, “Students are like
blank slates, who come to school in the pursuit of knowledge, not just to be
spoon fed information that will help them pass an examination. Our education
system’s overemphasis on rote learning has created several ‘mindless drones’
that are now fast becoming obsolete. Today’s competitive global scenario calls
for the open, up to date and dynamic educational curriculum, provided only by
an international, open minded set up present in the International Education
system.”
Even
students seem to be adapting a whole lot better to the advantages offered by the
International Education model, 11 grade student Owais Abdullah has this to say, “My teachers converse with me, treat me
like a person with unique skills and value my input. I’m learning global
languages, interacting with fellow students from all walks of life and not
being forced to ‘complete’ my books, study for set periods of time and attend a
million and one tuition classes. I’m glad that I'm being trained to think for
myself and not live by the constrainments of theoretical knowledge obtained
from a text book!”
Passing
fad or a precursor of things to come?
International
education may have existed for close to a century all over the world, but it is
still in its nascency in India. There is no dearth of such schools in the
cities across the country. But is it going to be just a metropolitan fad? An
official with the State Department of Education, on condition of anonymity has
this to say, “The true test of any
educational system is its adoption across all the corners of the country. In
India, there is no one major system of education, as every state has its own
code or ‘board’. For International Education to be any more than just a metro
specific trend, the need of the hour is to set up such schools in the Class II
towns and take it to a wider audience.”
It is
no fluke occurrence that International schools are so popular in the metros,
quite simply put, people seem to be tired of the limitations of the prevalent
system of education and are looking for an alternative. An alternative that
enables their kids be globally competitive and effective in their lives as
professionals and better people. Richard DeSouza, father of Clayton, a grade 4
student says, “I wanted a system of
education that would enable my child to be able to communicate with people of
different ethnicities and orientations with ease. To be a more efficient
citizen of the world and to simply be tolerant of others, with their quirks and
eccentricities, and most importantly be a free thinking individual,
uncloistered and sequestered by the the blinders of education. Education is
meant to liberate and stoke curiosity not stifle it. International education
seemed like the perfect way to achieve these goals, and thus far Clayton seems
to be excelling.”
It is
therefore clear as day, that International education isn’t a passing fad. Even
if it never becomes a ‘mainstream’ system of education, it will remain for the
enlightened among us an alternate, parallel educational system that will always
be the way to go, if disillusioned by the system.
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