I relocated to India about 2 years ago. I had three requirements that needed to be met, in order for me to move to India. One of these was an excellent school, that matched up with my philosophy of what I want for my children. For me the choice was quite simple, since I was very clear of what I didn’t want and what I wanted. (Plus, I was lucky to find a school that met all my criteria). However, I have met many people who are not sure about what school to choose. In fact more than the school, sometimes the first decision is what type of school - International or Traditional? Within International Schools, you have a choice of IB (International Baccalaureate) or IGCSE. Within traditional school your choices are ICSE, CBSE or SSC.
I feel that if your kid is entering 5th grade or higher, an International School is definitely a no brainer. For younger kids, the choice is yours, though International or the “Modern Traditional” schools would be a better bet. Why? Because here’s what an International or a “Modern Traditional” school will give you: Smaller student-teacher ratios. So what’s the big deal you might ask, especially if you went to a traditional school with more than 35 children to a classroom. Well, there’s more to it than just that.
Smaller student-teacher ratios translate into:
- Calmer, less stressed teachers.
- Less “yelling” in the classroom at students.
- Teachers who are probably paid better.
- Teachers who will go the extra step, over and beyond the text-book, to make topics more interesting.
- Children who end up “learning” and “thinking” as opposed to children copying from the blackboard or writing down question/answers being dictated, only to be memorized later.
- Your child has more opportunities to participate in school activites / classroom activites, which are great confidence builders.
- Children who are shy, introverted are less likely to get overlooked, as opposed to if they were in a classroom of 45-60 kids.
What I call a “Modern Traditional” school, is a school that follows one of the traditional boards (ICSE, CBSE, etc), but employ a more modern philosophy - one that involves smaller ratios, as well as less stress on the child, and a more hands-on approach to teaching.
Tags: Education, Kids, Moving to India, Relocation, Schools
May 14th, 2009 at 12:16 am
Hi Charankanya,
I have visited all the school websites and I think I have read all the discussion forums and articles on the web:) I am planning to visit Pune in Nov / Dec for one week and visit the schools that I have shortlisted (Orchids school, Gurukul in Ashoknagar…). If you don’t mind, can you let me know the school where you have enrolled your kid? If you can share your experience regarding that school that would be really great.
Thanks,
Jay