WHEN SCHOOLS GO TRULY INTERNATIONAL

 

When schools go truly international

With many foreigners settling in the city for job and business prospects, admissions in international schools are catching up. Now, native parents have also started looking at these schools for their child’s global exposure. 

While Hyderabad is known for being one of the best places for the study of technology and producing maximum number of IITians, of late the city is also giving room to several international schools. The international schools of Hyderabad can be classified in three different categories, namely International, Local International and Bilingual schools. Well, as the name suggests, these ‘International’ schools follow an International methodology right from the admission procedure of the child to molding him into a global citizen. 

Target students: While 60 per cent of the class strength in these schools consists of kids of foreign staff settled in Hyderabad for businesses and jobs, in recent times Hyderabadi parents have also turned to these schools for providing a global exposure to their children. 

Education tools: The International schools have well equipped digital class rooms where teaching is done with the help of projectors, video, audio lectures and presentations. Here emphasis if given on practical learning with the help demonstrations rather than theoretical knowledge. Their libraries are digital and access to it is not a thing only for high school students. Tiny tots of primary school are taught to inculcate the habit of reading books and newspapers. While a regular school has a science laboratory in its campus only for class X or class 12th student, in International schools, the practice starts at a primary level. Since latest technology like LCDs and computers are available in full strength, the child’s ability to use technology improves. 

A few international schools have tie-ups with highly prestigious educational academies overseas which test the students in various factors. 

Infrastructure: The campus and class rooms of an International School are spacious. The class rooms are decorated with colourful article to give the child a homely atmosphere. From class rooms and school buses being air-conditioned to doctors and nurses available on the school campus, the child has every facility at school that he would find at home and beyond that. For parents who complain about their child not eating healthy, international schools may solve the problem as these institutes offer food, including breakfast, lunch and post noon snack. The diet chart is formulated keeping in view the health of the students. 

Also, most of the schools use ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software, a management tool. With the help of this tool, most of the administration work is handled by technology that results in better and flawless monitoring. 

Co-curricular activities: Most parents send their children to special classes for them to learn music, dance, painting, swimming, yoga, sculpture, and sports like cricket, basket ball, etc. However, these schools combine all these co-curricular activities as part of academic syllabus. There are several clubs for each activity and students can join one or more clubs depending on their interests. They should also be prepared to write a test even in the supposedly called “extra subjects”. Soft skills like communication ability and writing are enhanced among students by conducting poetry recitation, elocution sessions and extempore right from the primary level. These schools aim to producing leaders. 

Summer time: During summer vacations, international schools organise camps which take students on field trips to local places and also outstation.

Fee structure: Every good thing comes with a price, and same is the case with International schools with worldclass facilities. The fee is exorbitant, ranging from a minimum of 1.5 lakh to 4 lakh.