2021 | VOL-05 | ISSUE-03
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The 10 Best
International Schools in
India 2021
Candor International School Nurturing Future Global Citizens with a Humane Approach Miri Piri Academy How to Train the Übermensch Mount Litera School International Paving the Pathway to Academic Supremacy Evolving Study The Drive for STEAM Education
Analytical Reasoning The Scientific Method
The Riverside School The Avant-garde Learning Grounds for future Worldchangers!
EDITOR’S NOTE
Sumita Sarkar sumita@theknowledgereview.com
INDIA AT THE THRESHOLD OF BECOMING AN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION HUB
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ever has schooling in India looked so promising as now, particularly the international schools. According to research, the number of international schools has risen by 45 percent in the past decade. It is estimated that there are around 470 international schools across India. The monumental rise could be attributed to the fact that parents can afford to send their children to international schools and more students are migrating abroad for higher education or careers. International education can open doors to prestigious universities across the globe. According to ISC research, number of international schools doubled in last 10 years. Most of the major cities in the country have an international school. With a growing young population in the country and economic liberalisation, the number of such schools is only expected to surge in the future. International schools provide globally recognised qualifications and education. Owing to the growing demand and popularity of international schools, many schools have changed boards from state examination to international ones. The advantages that international schools have are unparalleled – world-class education, global recognition, skilled teachers, smaller sizes of classes and healthy student-teacher ratio, globally benchmarked infrastructure, huge range of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, overall development of the student, preparing them to be global citizens of the future, state-of-the-art academic and sports facilities and much more. These schools help students realise their potential through various methods of explorations. They have excellent facilities for students to keep in touch with their families. There is a student-centric approach in the school and in the dorms. It is a far cry from
the traditional boarding schools that we have had until now. Entry into universities abroad is made easy by also the fact that international schools have associations/tie-ups with higher educational institutions across the world. Couple of decades ago, owing to the high fees charged by international schools, many parents were unable to afford international schools for their children. Recognising this, many international schools revised their fee structure in India to accommodate more students. This gave a thrust to the number of students enrolling in international schools. What was earlier the realm of mainly expatriate children, today has local Indian children in great numbers. India is gradually becoming the hub of international schools. We, at The Knowledge Review, selected some extraordinary international schools and featured them in our latest edition – The 10 Best International Schools in India 2021. Have a great insight about these flourishing international schools. Happy reading!
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10 Candor International School Nurturing Future Global Citizens with a Humane Approach
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Miri Piri Academy How to Train the Übermensch
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cognizant Conscious Leadership
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Mount Litera School International Paving the Pathway to Academic Supremacy
32 The Riverside School The Avant-garde Learning Grounds for future World-changers!
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Analytical Reasoning The Scientific Method
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Evolving Study The Drive for STEAM Education
MAY, 2021
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The
10
Best
International
Schools in
India 2021
Name of the Institution Aditya Birla World Academy (ABWA)
Candor International School (CIS)
Miri Piri Academy (MPA)
Mount Litera School International (MLSI)
Tagore International School (TIS)
The Cathedral & John Connon School, Mumbai
The Riverside School
The Universal School Tardeo
Trivandrum International School (TRINS)
Tula's International School (TIS)
URL
Brief
adityabirlaworldacademy.com
With the mission to nurture the innate potential of students and mold them into passionate, committed, competent, sensitive, value-based individuals with leadership qualities, ABWA aims to make learning fun-lled, active and enjoyable, based on the solid foundation of values.
candorschool.edu.in
CIS aspires to nurture young adults who will be catalysts for positive change both nationally and internationally; and who will ensure the protection of the environment, and the preservation of ethical and moral values in an age of constant social, political, economic, technological, and environmental change.
miripiriacademy.org
MPA is committed to creating an environment for students and staff that fosters mastery of the mind and elevation of the spirit, which allows the student to experience the depth and power of their being along with the practice of a Dharmic lifestyle, Kundalini yoga, and a prominent academic program.
mlsi.in
MLSI is the agship school of ZeeLearn, that aims at providing an outstanding education through a holistic curriculum that is designed to incorporate and give emphasis to extracurricular activities to ensure allround development.
tagoreint.com
TIS's mission to impart an education that provides relevant, meaningful learning opportunities which support students in their aspirations, encourages it to fortify their innate strengths and spur them to productively engage with the community.
cathedral-school.com
The Cathedral & John Connon is not only one of the nest but also one of the oldest schools in Mumbai, founded in the year 1860 by the Anglo-Scottish Education Society. Having rich heritages and numerous notable alumni, this school is providing instrumental education for more than 150 years.
schoolriverside.com
The Riverside School is a vibrant research centre for school education, where insights from cutting-edge research are turned into working models of pedagogical practices with a single-minded focus: student wellbeing; along with focus on the design thinking principles for systemic change and the FIDS model.
tardeo.universalschool.edu.in
Universal's singular endeavor is to encourage children to be creative, condent, and articulate. The school's acclaimed education system – R.E.A.L. – is an integrated, comprehensive, KG-to-PG educational model.
trins.org
TRINS aims to mould students from young learners to the next generation of global leaders, by creating self-condent, sensitive, responsible, and informed individuals with a lifelong passion for learning and caring.
tis.edu.in
Tula's International School is a private co-educational residential school from grade IV to grade XII in Dehradun established by the non-prot Rishabh Educational Trust.
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Candor International School Nurturing Future Global Citizens with a Humane Approach
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n environment that nurtures the skills and satisfies the curiosity of young impressionable minds so that they achieve academic excellence with innovative teaching methods, collaborative learning in a great infrastructure, is what every parent desires for securing the future of their child. We learnt about one such school in Bengaluru – the Candor International School. It is our pleasure to share more about the school with our readers. About the School Candor International School was launched in August 2011, nestled in 25 acres of prime land in the south of Bengaluru, between Bannerghatta and Electronics City. The location allows for easy access to popular residential areas while at the same time maintaining an atmosphere of serenity and calm. Mission The school aims to nurture lifelong learners, who, through respect and intercultural understanding, technology, creativity, collaboration and an active engagement in community service, become citizens of the world to contribute, and make a difference, to their generation. Vision Candor International School aspires to guide young adults who will be catalysts for positive change both nationally and internationally; and who will ensure the protection of the environment, and the preservation of ethical and moral values in an age of constant social, political,
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economic, technological and environmental change. Core Values of the school • Love of learning through lifelong enquiry. • Respect for diversity of people, faith, culture and ideas. • Concern for community at all levels. • Integrity of thought, speech and action. • Openness to adopting the best models. • Transparency of standards and practices Sprawling Campus Candor School campus is spread over an area of 25 acres, which includes a 6-acre organic farm. The school has an Administrative, Kindergarten, Primary and Middle, and Secondary wings. Candor School is a WiFi enabled campus. The school also has boarding facilities for boys and girls above 10 years. Candor school campus, classrooms, play and sports areas, music studios, labs, libraries, dormitories and cafeteria are all designed to be studentfriendly, age-appropriate, safe and attractive. Heights of tables, chairs, counters, washroom equipment have been carefully planned and include ramps wherever needed. Academic Programmes The school offers Cambridge and IB Curriculum. Primary School (Pre-K - Grade 5) Candor International School is an authorized school for the International B a c c a l a u r e a t e P r i m a r y Ye a r s Programme (IB-PYP).
Middle School (Grades 6-10) - The curriculum for Grades 6-10 is drawn up under the Cambridge Syllabus. From Grades 6 to 8, the schools follow the Cambridge Lower Secondary. In Grades 9 and 10, students follow the Cambridge Upper Secondary — specifically, the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) stream. High School (Grades 11& 12) International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and The Cambridge CAIE AS and A levels are for Grades 11 and 12. The Passionate Leader Candor International School is founded by Dr. Suresh Reddy, Chairperson who believes that today's children deserve an international education rooted strongly in the values of community involvement and environmental activism. Candor International School is the unique result of Dr. Reddy's extensive international experience, desire for accessible worldclass education, and a value-based school system. Dr. Reddy has also received an honorary degree in 21st Century Building from Keisei University (South Korea) in December 2017, in recognition of successfully creating an environmentally friendly green school. Emphasis on Holistic Development Knowledge is beneficial if only we have the wisdom to apply it at the right time and the right way. At Candor, there is the perfect balance between academics and practical application by engaging www.theknowledgereview.com
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The school encourages performing arts as part of holistic development of students and also is a centre for Trinity Music. The school entrusted the well-known institute called “The Test Rockers” for delivering the SAT, and the PSAT preparatory program to students. Candor is the official test centre for the ACT exams. In a year around 15 exam lots are available on different time slots as per the student's convenience.
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Candor International School aspires to guide young adults who will be catalysts for positive change both nationally and internationally
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students in various activities and creative platforms to step into the real world with real challenges. Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) is one such initiative to develop individuals who are reflective thinkers and can take up new roles to face new challenges in life. It is a refreshing counterbalance to academic studies to make a positive impact on the society and the environment. An effective CAS program enables the students to embark on a personal journey of self-discovery in a challenging and enjoyable way.
MAY 2021 | 11
Unique Features A number of features set the school apart from the others. Facilities at the school include a 6-acre organic farm, boarding, music studios, science labs and libraries. Sports facilities include synthetic basketball courts, tennis courts, soccer field, cricket pitch, half Olympic size swimming pool, archery, skating, athletic track and gym. Indoor facilities include throw ball, snooker, air hockey, table tennis, foosball, chess track, carrom and play stations. The school provides boarding facilities for students studying in Grade 5 and above. Students can choose from weekly and regular boarding. While regular boarders stay on campus during the academic year, and the weekly boarders reside at school from Monday to Friday and return home during the weekends. Candor has boarding capacity to accommodate around 200 students. In 2019-20, the school was ranked No. 7 in India under the category of India's Top 20 Day-CumBoarding School by Education Today magazine. The school's Additional Learning Support runs the Special Educational Needs (SEN) programme which caters to the needs of students who require special support, and the needs of gifted students. As parents become increasingly aware of SEN, Candor ensures that the Special Educator is able to: • Support students with identified learning needs and/or enrich the experience of gifted students
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The 10 Best International Schools in India, 2021
Awards, Accolades, Achievements Ÿ
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• Raise awareness among staff about identifying and addressing these special needs Ÿ
Career Guidance and Counselling The College and Career Guidance Counsellor guides high school students in their search for colleges and universities, both in India and abroad. The Counsellor helps with admissions and funding processes (wherever applicable) and ensures that they are successfully completed. He/She is also the resource person for parents for college and career-related enquiries.
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Bridge U platform - It is a cutting-edge browser and application tool for navigating the best-fit universities. In addition, the platform helps the college counselling office to send the transcripts (student's mark sheet, etc.) to various universities and colleges. University Fairs at Candor - Over top 100 universities from all over the world visit Candor, during which students get first-hand experience on the course module, scholarships, application process and so on. Counsellors - The school's Personal Counsellors who are qualified, trained and have the international school experience handle the issues related to such an environment. The counsellors help identify the problem and provide coping skills that enable the children to adjust academically, emotionally and socially. The counsellors are selected based on their ability to build a rapport with students of all ages, and for their ability to maintain confidentiality under all circumstances, unless a breach was deemed necessary for safety reasons.
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Candor International School has received multiple awards for its leadership in International Education, facilities, safety, and green infrastructure. Ranked #5 in India's Top 10 International Schools (2015) Ranked #1 in Leadership Management Quality (2015) Ranked #1 in Infrastructure Provision (2015) Ranked twice among the top three in Bengaluru's Top International Day Schools (2015 and 2017) Most Influential Brand in Education Award (2015-16) Ranked #1 in Safety and Hygiene (2016) Ranked among Bengaluru’s top five International Day-Cum-Boarding Schools (2017-18) Ranked #5 Top International School in Bengaluru and #6 Top Residential School in Bengaluru (2018) Forbes Great Indian Schools (2018-19) India's Most Trusted International Residential School in the South Zone Region (2019-20) Awarded by 'Brainfeed' for the innovative approach in grooming young learners with skills for life. For being one of the top international schools, having the best infrastructure and technology, providing a healthy and serene atmosphere to ensure the happiness quotient index for the overall development in all children (2019-20) Excellence in Tech-Connect and Sport Infrastructure (2019-20) Outstanding Commitment and Exceptional Efforts in Promoting Curricular Education Candor International School ranked India's #9, Karnataka's #5, and Bengaluru's #5 International Day-cum-Boarding in the 'EducationWorld India School Rankings 2020-21' Candor International School is Ranked No.7 in India, No.2 in Karnataka & Ranked No.2 in Bengaluru. Category- ‘India`s Top 20 International Schools’ in a survey conducted by Education Today MAY 2021 | 13
Conscious Leadership
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here was a wise man in a village who resided on a hill. He would always give the right answers to the queries posed to him by villagers, they found him to be always perfect when answering any of their questions. Some naughty kids of the village thought of making fun of the wise man by proving him wrong. Once they caught a small bird in their hand and took it to the man, they posed the question to the wise man whether the small bird in the hand was alive or dead. If the wise man said, 'dead' they would allow the bird to fly, if the wise man said it was alive, they would squeeze the bird and kill him proving him wrong. But when they posed the question to the wise man and asked him whether the bird was alive or dead, the wise man smiled knowing their trick and said, “It is your choice”.
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less travelled by and that has made all the difference”. These words remind us that we always have the power to choose the path we take in life. This is true of leadership too. Conscious Leadership is a choice! So, what is conscious leadership? Conscious leadership is becoming aware of the higher purpose that your business and you have and building a culture of ‘we’ rather than ‘me’. The one company that comes to our mind at the mention of conscious leadership is the ubiquitous Tata Brand. Jamshetji Tata when talking of the purpose of business said, “In a free enterprise, the community is not just another stakeholder in the business, but in fact the very existence of it.” This philosophy has always been carried out in the leadership lineage of the Tatas. Sudha Murthy who was a former employee of Telco, recounted of her encounter with JRD Tata when she was leaving Telco as her husband was starting a new company that we know today as ‘Infosys’. JRD reminded her, “Always start with confidence. When you are successful you must give back to the society. Society gives us so much; we must reciprocate...” That is conscious leadership. It is of key importance to remember that CSR activities of an organization should not be mistaken as practising
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conscious leadership. The simple reason is that CSR activities practised by companies take it as an extrinsic activity that they are bound to do to satisfy their moral compunctions. Conscious leadership believes, as seen in the above example of the Tatas, that creating value for the community is an intrinsic part of the success of the business. A conscious leader has a paradigmatic shift in terms of how he/she views capital and practices the four tenets of Conscious Capitalism viz. Higher purpose, Stakeholder orientation, Conscious Leadership and Conscious Culture, according to John Mackey in his book ‘Conscious Capitalism.’ So what does a conscious leader practice or do that makes her/him a Conscious Leader? 1. Servant Leader – A conscious leader becomes aware that beyond his/her position as a leader lies the responsibility to serve the people that he/she is responsible for, starting with the employees, customers, clients, stakeholders, the community and the world. When the American Industrialist, Andrew Carnegie died, they discovered a sheet of paper upon which he had written his major goals in life, ‘To spend the first half of his life earning money and to spend the last half of his life giving it all away.’ That’s an example of Conscious Leadership. Many businessmen like Bill Gates have followed this path of serving humanity through their resources. 2. Create Shared purpose – A caterpillar does not just exist to eat. It discovers its higher purpose is to be a butterfly and add value to the world by its beauty. A leader who thinks of just profits is like a caterpillar who forgets that it has a higher purpose and lives to eat. A conscious leader has a higher purpose, that of creating value for all. Milton Friedman argued that the Social Responsibility of Business is to increase its profits. He was of the view that a company has no social responsibility and has responsibility to only its shareholders. Sounds familiar? Many businesses around the globe have been victimized by this philosophy of business.
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Cognizant
In 2019, the Business Roundtable in USA – a group of CEOs of big corporations, declared that the purpose of business is no longer to maximize profits for shareholders but to benefit other ‘stakeholders’ as well, including employees, customers and citizens. The father of modern economics - Adam Smith talked of the 'invisible hand' that brings about beneficial, social & economic outcome from the accumulated self-interested actions of individuals. Simply put, he said business activity may start with selfinterest but over time it will or has to discover that it exists for a higher shared purpose. 3. Make a positive impact – Simon Sinek in his book, ‘The Infinite Game’ says there are finite minded leaders who look at businesses within a time line and then set out to do everything to emerge a winner. But they are mistaken, he talks of leaders with infinite mindset who know that the business is beyond their time line of existence. Those businesses survive where leaders don't set to win but to grow, contribute their part to make the business have a positive impact on the society and humanity. A Conscious Leader asks the question, ‘What legacy would I be leaving behind?’ 4. Create workplace with meaning and high energy – Conscious Leader knows that he/she is not in the leadership position to be responsible for the outcome but is responsible for the people who in turn are responsible for the outcome! So, they set out to create a Conscious Culture by creating a workplace with meaning and high energy. People in organizations will give more when they know that beyond earning livelihood they are contributing to a higher purpose and it is the responsibility of the Conscious Leader to communicate to them this higher purpose. Apple’s vision is ‘To make the best products on earth and to leave the world better than we found it.’ Steve Jobs did not set out to make money, his passion was to build things of beauty and use them to help people. The vision of Apple is pervasive in its culture, employees, customers and products. 5. Help people grow and evolve – Finally a Conscious Leader believes in helping people to evolve in a better version of themselves. Someone said, “Before you are a leader, leadership is all about self-growth, after you are a leader, leadership is all about helping your people grow.” Conscious Leader looks at his/her people ‘not as they are’ but ‘what they can be’. A Conscious leader in that sense
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Sohan Tiwade Professional Speaker, Corporate Soft Skills Trainer, The Edge Asst Prof. Sanjay Ghodawat Institutes progressively becomes unnecessary in that she helps her people grow where they are capable of carrying the mantle after the former leader is gone. Consciousness is being aware of yourself and the world around you. Conscious Leader has self-awareness and the awareness of his/her surroundings and the impact that his/her thoughts, actions, leadership influence has on the whole. It is easy to be tempted to stray on the path of unconsciousness where you are influenced by the surroundings and your vision and voice are lost as you tread on the path to mediocrity. But Conscious Leadership is a choice to find your voice and help others find theirs. By Sohan Tiwade
MAY 2021 | 15
Analytical Reasoning
16 | MAY 2021
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THE
SCIENTIFIC METHOD W
hy is the shape of earth a sphere? What makes people like certain music? How do dreams occur to us?
Our world is filled with curious phenomena and we are all the better for it. These questions have driven humanity to the edge of comprehension and reasoning. Every such question is a quest waiting to be accepted, and the answers to such questions expand the human knowledge bank. To find answers or solve problems, we can use a process that was first used by the scientist and philosopher Ibn alHaytham in the 11th century. Also known as Alhazen, he is considered to be the father of optics and the scientific method. Since the 17th century, the scientific method has been a guiding principle in natural science. The scientific method's purpose is to discover the truth. There are six steps to it: 1. Step 1: Observe and ask questions Observation aids in the formulation of difficult questions that you will be able to put to the examination. A wellcrafted question transforms a natural sense of wonder into a focused line of investigation. If you notice that women smile more frequently than men, you might wonder why. 2. Step 2: Research Check to see if anyone else has asked the same or similar questions. If you choose to do research online, use search phrases like 'study', 'research', or 'meta analysis' - which ...
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MAY 2021 | 17
is a summary of research for a given topic. To learn more about a subject, read as much as you can about it. For the aforementioned example, investigate happiness in terms of gender, or look at the science of smiling in various cultural contexts. 3. Step 3: Formulate a hypothesis A hypothesis is a theory that may be tested to determine whether your prediction is correct or incorrect. You've noticed that women smile more frequently than men, and that those who smile appear to be happy. You know there are numerous types of smiles — shy, sincere, deceptive, and others – based on your studies. According to one study, infant girls grin more than baby boys. Here's a hypothesis: Because women are happier than men, they smile more often. 4. Step 4: Test your hypothesis You want to make sure that you test your hypothesis fairly and under the same conditions every time. We can test the hypothesis above by conducting a five-minute interview with a group of men and women. The interviewer counts how many times they smile and then asks them to assess their happiness on a scale of one to ten. Seems like a good test, right? But what if the interviewer is a woman, and men tend to smile more at women, or vice versa? What if the topic of discussion is more appealing to women than to men? What if people aren't accurate reporters of their exact happiness levels? Clearly, we'd have to be considerably more cautious. 5. Step 5: Analyse and Conclude Let's suppose you planned a meticulous experiment in which you managed to account for as many variables as possible. You can now examine your data to determine whether or not your hypothesis is correct. You may want to change your hypothesis or the design of your testing based on your findings. Perhaps you've come across a question that's even more intriguing. This stage of the scientific method may be repeated as many times as necessary till you find the most appropriate hypothesis (or just the right hypothesis) and test method to find accurate results. 6. Step 6: Share results Report your findings once you're satisfied that you've proven or disproven something important. It is critical to detail your methods in the scientific community so that your peers can review your work, which is a critical step in
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getting published. Your experiments can be replicated by other scientists if your results are reliable. The ability to reproduce results is a sign of good scientific work. Failed results, on the other hand, can be extremely useful too. An incorrect prediction could be crucial, so it's always a good idea to report it. To make sure you get it completely right, here are three more things you can check before you publish your work: •
Any scientific theory is falsifiable Assume that someone declares, "Rats CAN fly!" We cannot demonstrate that this is incorrect. We've never seen a rat fly, to be sure. However, we can't test every possible scenario or examine every possible location to be certain that all rats never fly. Perhaps a space rat can. So, while we can prove the existence of a phenomenon, proving its absence is much more difficult. “If your theory cannot possibly be proven wrong, then it's not falsifiable, and hence, not scientific!”
•
Correlation is not Causation When analysing your findings, it's critical to distinguish between two possible explanations: causation and correlation. Assume you've heard that cities with more churches also have more bars. Is it possible that religion encourages people to drink? Or that drinking aids in the discovery of God? Considering more facts, such as the fact that larger towns have more churches and bars, show that a greater population is a more likely cause of more bars and churches. There is probably a correlation, but no causation.
• Avoid Selective Windowing Colgate once ran an advertising campaign claiming that “80% of dentists recommend Colgate.” What they didn't tell us that when they asked dentists to select their preferred toothpaste, Colgate was just one of many other brands they also recommended. Colgate was later sued and forced to take down their misleading ads. When you publish, you have to show all relevant facts. The purpose of science is always to find out the truth and nothing but the truth. To use science to mislead is a terrible practice.
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MIRI PIRI ACADEMY
How to Train the Übermensch
Y
oga, an elixir that works its way on almost every new-age predicament related to the mental, physical and emotional well-being of people, is not just a solution for grown-ups, but also has unscalable benefits to young minds. It offers children a better lifestyle as they grow up, with benefits such as reduced stress and anxiety, improving memory and attention span, improving flexibility balance and posture, promote mindfulness, teaches correct breathing techniques, improving selfcontrol, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. An exemplar in providing the age-old wisdom of Yoga through Sikh spiritual practices mixed in with contemporary pedagogies and a big emphasis on academic rigour, is the eminent and renowned Amritsar, Punjab-based Miri Piri Academy.
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Miri Piri Academy (MPA) was founded in 1997 by the Siri Singh Sahib, Yogi Bhajan. It was founded to give students an experience of Miri-Piri, the balance of temporal and spiritual power. The MPA program is deeply rooted in Sikh spiritual practices and values to give the students an experience of their infinity, while instilling a love of service. Miri Piri Academy is home to students from 20+ countries, including India. Through communal living and shared experiences, the students develop bonds with each other and feel at home anywhere on earth. They have a multicultural experience living at MPA while experiencing the beauty of depth of India.
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The 10 Best International Schools in India, 2021
MPA is committed to teaching its students virtues and values that will serve them throughout their lives. Through a disciplined program, MPA provides its students the opportunity to learn self-awareness, grit, group consciousness and an attitude of gratitude. Mission Statement: Miri Piri Academy is committed to creating an environment for students and staff that fosters mastery of the mind and elevation of the spirit, which allows the student to experience the depth and power of their being. Through the practice of a Dharmic lifestyle, the technology of Kundalini yoga, and the prominent academic program, the institute nurtures a love for learning and provides its students the foundation of self-confidence and skills to face any challenge life presents to them. Miri Piri Academy inspires generations to live as courageous, kind, and conscious human beings who, through their service, help create strong international communities and elevate the spirit of all. Redefining the Learning Experience Nestled in the lush green fields of Amritsar, Miri Piri Academy is an international boarding school for students from grades 9-12. The vast expanse of its 16-acre campus houses a gurdwara, along with academic and residential campuses. Facilities are temperature controlled with appropriate levels of air-conditioning and heating, where boys and girls are housed in separate residences. MPA is proud of its state-of-the-art basketball courts, soccer fields, kabaddi and gatka grounds, and a walking track. As conscious eco-friendly citizens, the academy administration has ensured that more than 70 per cent of its campus remains construction-free. The primary goal of the MPA academic program is to meet the needs of all students through a challenging and nurturing environment where parents, students, and teachers embrace the institute's core values to ensure excellence and success now and in the future. MPA's academic program is unique and distinctive, and all students gain an international perspective and the ability to function cross-culturally and globally. Meaningful learning is a transformative process in which understanding, application and thoughtful reflection on information leads to changes in a person's behaviour or perception of the world around them; this is a core belief of MPA.
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Through a disciplined program, Miri Piri Academy provides its students the opportunity to learn selfawareness, grit, group consciousness and an attitude of gratitude
Project-based learning and interdisciplinary studies are the foundational pillars of Miri Piri Academy's academic program. While students are offered individual classes in math and sciences, English, and social sciences are woven together in the interdisciplinary program. Other disciplines such as world languages, information technology, and the arts are supported through online and on-campus teaching. The institute offers its students a wide range of electives through carefully selected online platforms. MPA's academic program is as diverse as its students. Firstyear Miri Piri Academy students are offered a course in 'India Studies' to acquaint themselves with their host country, while students of grade 11 and 12 are encouraged to take on yearlong personal projects. Conversational Punjabi in grades 9 and 10 familiarizes students with the language of the land, and Sikh studies familiarize them with the predominant religion of the land. Accreditation • All MPA grade 12 students are accredited Level 1 and Level 2 Kundalini Yoga Teachers.
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• MPA is a candidate school for New England Association of Schools and Colleges, USA accreditation The Sikh Lifestyle Miri Piri Academy is a vegetarian campus that offers students the opportunity to experience the Sikh lifestyle, while being a global community that is open to students from diverse faiths. Students come to Miri Piri Academy from all regions of the world and all backgrounds, and they leave with a feeling like the whole world is their home. Holistic Development Miri Piri Academy is dedicated to creating students balanced in both the earthly and spiritual realms. The program starts each day with a spiritual sadhana composed of banis, yoga, or seva, before the students start their academic classes. After lunch, students participate in music or art classes, Kundalini yoga, sports, gatka, and kabaddi. These activities are included to develop students' physical strength and courage, focus, and subtlety. Weekends include intramural competitions, early morning trips to the Harimandir Sahib gurdwara as well as some recreational time. Overcoming Challenges MPA has faced many of the usual challenges of new institutions. It took years, and the dedication of many, to build the campus into the beautiful place that it is today. With the help of students, the institute's program has been developed and fine-tuned over many years to create an unforgettable experience. The annual 40-day parkarma seva at the Harimandir Sahib was initiated by students and continues to be the highlight of the year. MPA continues to listen to its students and adjust to the needs of the times, as it works diligently to create an academic program that is stimulating and diverse and that will meet the needs of tomorrow. Excellent Guidance To support its students' post-secondary aspirations, Miri Piri Academy works with a full-time, certified career counsellor (global career counsellor certification from Univariety and UCLA extension). Individual meetings with the career counsellor are scheduled throughout the year, which enables students to understand processes in a safe and personalized environment. During these meetings, students' post-
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secondary goals are discussed which form the basis of further conversations. From identifying colleges/universities, completing college essays to enrolling for college courses, the counsellor guides the students through this journey. If students are required to take standardized tests, the counsellor assists in enrolling them for classes and organizing their test-taking dates/venues, while also guiding them to the best possible options for taking preparatory courses. With a focus on preparing students' knowledge, skills and dispositions for post-secondary education Miri Piri Academy offers a 'Getting Ready for College' program in grades 11 and 12. This program focuses on common effective practices that ensure students succeed in college, including self-management skills, goal setting, managing personal finances, improving study skills, etc.
Standing Apart Miri Piri Academy is unlike any other boarding school on earth. Its unique program challenges students while allowing them to build confidence, stamina, and grit. Nestled near the Harimandir Sahib, MPA's students have the opportunity to serve at the Harimandir Sahib, participate in Nagar Kirtans, experience Holla Mahalla at Anandpur Sahib as well as visiting other sacred sites. The institute recognizes that all humans are spiritual beings and provide programming that acknowledges and encourages their sacredness. Its students graduate as teachers of Kundalini yoga who know how to create balance in their life and can share their knowledge with others. No matter what path they choose after MPA, they have the tools and knowledge to live a life of dignity and grace. Miri Piri Academy will continue being an example of an educational institution dedicated to teaching values and virtues. In the next few years, this unparalleled institute is looking to expand into the area of higher education and become a beacon of dharmic studies globally.
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MOUNT LITERA SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL Paving the Pathway to Academic Supremacy
ount Litera School International, located in BKC, Mumbai, is the flagship school of ZeeLearn – an entity that has the distinction of running Kidzee – the largest pre-school chain in Asia, over a hundred K-12 schools across India and professional development institutes like ZICA (Zee Institute of Creative Art) and ZIMA (Zee Institute of Media Art).
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achieved in a friendly, family-like atmosphere that nurtures a community feeling where the emotional, physical, creative, and intellectual needs of all students are met within an international community. This vision is applied across the entire school to bring out the best in teaching and learning whilst also bringing out the best in every child in terms of character and making them global citizens.
The vision of MLSI is to provide an outstanding education through a holistic based curriculum. This is
The Sprawling Infrastructure Mount Litera School International (MLSI) is a co-educational day school
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which is authorized to offer three programmes from International Baccalaureate namely Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Diploma Programme (DP). This makes it an IB Continuum School, one of the only ten IB Continuum schools in Mumbai. The robust infrastructure, well trained academic team led by an internationally-acclaimed Head of School, Mrs Mona Seervai, state-ofthe-art labs, extensive libraries, vast indoor sports facilities and committed support and administrative staff all
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The faculty is comprised of IB trained and highly passionate educators who undergo continuous professional development to keep ahead of the latest educational standards. Many of the secondary school faculty members are external examiners for IB, while some of primary school faculty are published authors in the field of early child education. The school building has 8 levels with 3 basement levels and 5 floors above ground. The basement levels house the indoor sports facilities and the auditorium across levels 2 and 3 while the first level is devoted to parking. The facilities include two inexhaustible libraries, state-of-the-art science labs, spacious and fully equipped art rooms including separate visual art rooms and pottery rooms and music rooms. A dance studio and preview theatre offer students a platform to express themselves while the music and art rooms are large spaces that encourage students to explore their artistic sides. Sports facilities at MLSI are both indoor and outdoor and provide excellent infrastructure to students for a variety of sports activities. These include sports like squash, basketball, badminton, table tennis, athletics, mini soccer, cricket, skating, yoga, chess, and many others. Yoga is part of the program across all grades. An Astute Leader Ms Mona Seervai started her International Baccalaureate journey as a parent when her daughter joined UWC, Canada. As the head of a national curriculum school, she was instrumental in bringing in the IB Diploma Programme first, and later Primary Years Programme. Her
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multiple roles with the IB for the past decade includes being a workshop leader for Theory Of Knowledge, as well as the Leadership Suite workshops, and a DP team visit leader and consultant. She was also a member of the Asia Pacific Heads Council from 2014-16. She is certified as a Lynn Erickson concept-based facilitator and is a facilitator for social emotional and ethical learning from Emory University. She is passionate about
teaching chemistry and TOK (theory of knowledge) in the classroom, as well as working across multiple schools, bringing best practices from the IB and her other experience across curriculums. She was awarded the ‘Iconic Leadership Award’ and felicitated by the Governor of Maharashtra at the Teachers Day celebrations in September 2020 for her contribution to education.
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What makes MLSI unique is that the children are at the centre and heart of the school and the entire faculty and staff are committed and dedicated to the children and helping them in becoming the best version of themselves
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come together to create a completely child-centred school that enables each child to learn and grow in a safe and friendly environment.
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The Art of Engaging Young Minds The unspoken demand on schools today is to make their students world citizens equipped for tomorrow. This can be achieved by providing them real life experiences which enable them to pursue further education as well as be better prepared for the jobs of 21st century. Hence, at MLSI, they provide opportunities where students are able to experience such learning. In today’s times, education goes beyond the four walls of a classroom. The school curriculum is designed to incorporate and give emphasis to extracurricular activities to ensure holistic development. The school encourages students to select from a plethora of unique activities during after-school sessions. Clubs like robotics, skating, basketball, music, editorial, STEM, gymnastics and dramatics scheduled over the school week and across age groups to ensure appropriate development. The key purpose is to provide an exposure to
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various activities and experiences from an early age. This gives children an opportunity to try any activity that intrigues them, and if it really works and they think they are passionate about it, they may go further and pursue it to get in-depth training. “We also encourage students to participate in interschool activities besides their own school extracurricular activities. This gives them a chance to join forces with other students and broaden their horizon,” added the Head of school, Mrs. Mona Seervai. To Stand Apart What makes MLSI unique is that the children are at the centre and heart of the school and the entire faculty and staff are committed and dedicated to the children and helping them in becoming the best version of themselves. The approach to learning at MLSI is also different as the faculty focusses on
teaching the children concepts and skills rather than content and information that becomes redundant. This leads to understanding at a very deep level and the students can transfer this conceptual learning to whatever the future world looks like. The skills that they are equipped with are also ahead of the general 21st century skills. Apart from the creative skills, metacognition skills and conceptual skills, they also learn vital social and emotional skills that enable them to navigate themselves personally, to navigate their own emotions and to build relations with others and know how to work with them. MLSI believes that educating the heart is as important as educating the mind, and thus they have an atmosphere in which students support each other and learn from each other. And the results are clear. MLSI students are strong, independent, and empathetic young individuals who excel at both academics and sports in
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MLSI consistently scores above the IB world average scores and students have participated and won awards at regional sports and educational events. They have also organized fundraisers and awareness campaigns for different social causes. Educators who Care At MLSI, students receive career counselling and guidance for university applications and can interact with universities from India and abroad. It has a dedicated career counsellor on board for this purpose. As students near the end of their school days, they begin the admission process well in advance. As they go through those hoops, students soon meet with the realisation that just a collection of varied co-curricular activities and a flashy Letter of Recommendation is not going to cut it. The students must put forth a strong personal statement. MLSI helps students achieve that by imbibing in them social, collaborative, and critical thinking skills, along with developing their kinaesthetic abilities. As part of the strong creativity, activity, service (CAS) programme, students are also engaged in meaningful service activities in collaboration with NGOs and iNGOS.
Rising to the Challenge The COVID 19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns presented an unprecedented challenge to the MLSI community. But the faculty was prepared and ensured that the transition from the physical to the online classroom was seamless. While technology can never replace a teacher, everyone at MLSI has realized that the warmth and the caring and the understanding that is required to build relationships can also happen on a zoom platform. Mrs. Mona Seervai commented: “Our students have been extremely resilient and participated with full involvement and energy. We have tried to create all experiences online, and although we miss physical school and social contacts, the Covid-19 lockdown has not allowed our spirit to falter.” In the recent past MLSI was awarded the Excellence in International Curriculum Practices award at the 17th World Education Summit and Awards in December 2020. Additionally, the Head of School, Ms Mona Seervai, was recently awarded the Iconic Leadership Award and felicitated by the Governor at the Teachers Day celebrations in September 2020 for her contribution towards education.
Mapping Tomorrow As an IB continuum school, MLSI delivers both academics and progressive learning by incorporating a practical approach. The students develop a smart, creative, critical, and independent mindset. “We are confident that the skills and qualities that the students acquire at MLSI will help them plan their higher studies and career prospects in the long run. Our students are ready to make contributions towards a more innovative world with a wider perspective,” concluded the esteemed leader, Mrs. Mona Seervai. Currently, MLSI is excitedly looking forward to having their first DP batch graduating this year. T R
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Our students have been extremely resilient and participated with full involvement and energy
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addition to being involved in different social service initiatives.
From a university application point of view, it enables the students to write a better ‘Statement of Purpose’ to showcase that they are skill ready and not just content ready. From a job perspective, you can always tell when a student has had an exposure to international teaching methodologies because they are able to conduct a 360degree interview much better than students who focus on rote memorizing.
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MAY 2021 | 29
STE
STE EDUCATION
THE DRIVE FOR
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he abbreviation ‘STEM’ stands for 'Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics' and was coined by the National Science Foundation, a federal body in the United States. STEM was born to confront the stark truth that western educational systems were well behind where they should be, particularly in math and science. But how does this affect the arts? Some educators and pedagogy experts argue that STEM leaves something out. These critics argue that we need to add a letter to STEM, an 'A' for arts and design to be specific. This led to the inception of 'STEAM'.
STEM education focuses on the four key disciplines based on the fact that if you teach all these things in relation to each other, they make more sense and are more ingrained in the learners' minds. STEM incorporates these principles into a cohesive paradigm that encourages motivation, engagement, and employs real-world applications. A STEM education teaches the scientific method and engineering design process. STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics. STEAM education adds arts to the STEM pedagogy and uses the five points to guide student enquiry, dialogue, and
Thus is also born the STEM vs STEAM debate. STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics
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Evolving Study
critical thinking. In addition to the scientific method and engineering design process, a STEAM education emphasizes teaching the creative process as well. STEM supporters believe that its curriculum naturally involves the arts, for example in subjects such as product design, communication skills needed in language arts, etc. On the other hand, STEAM supporters believe that incorporating arts into the other disciplines devalues the importance of arts, and hence arts should be added to the curriculum as a separate field of study. Pros of STEAM education • Interdisciplinary learning is similar to real world skills needed. • Students become more creative, collaborative problemsolvers. • Students become more adaptable in their learning and more accepting of change and difficulty. • Students realize that all disciplines are interconnected and are able to capitalize on those connections. • According to studies, student performance increases with interdisciplinary learning. Cons of STEAM education • Critics dismiss STEAM as a fad that will quickly fall by the wayside.
• Takes a great deal of time in planning and implementation. • Uniformity in acceptance of this pedagogy from all staff members may be difficult – touting that their subject is “more important” than arts. • Change in school culture can cause dissent and anger among staff. • STEAM can exclude students who are below grade level in certain subject areas. State of STEM vs. STEAM debate today STEM education is still much more commonly promoted by schools and districts than STEAM education. On the other hand, completing a STEM project without the aid of art or design is challenging. So, are all of these STEM programmes just disguised STEAM programmes? The answer is more complicated than a simple yes or no. Presentation, creativity, and design are all integral parts of STEM, but renaming STEM as STEAM suggests a priority change on the part of the institution. When deciding between STEM and STEAM curriculum and language, there is just one question that schools must ask themselves. Is art and design seen as equally important as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics? It's an issue that schools should think about, and it's a discussion that won't go away anytime soon.
- By Aditya Umale
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MAY 2021 | 31
The Riverside
School
E
ducation is the mantra to achieving success in various spheres of life, to pursue a career of one's choice and transform the society into a better place. An educated society is a strong society with continuous robust growth. Schools offering quality education, excellent infrastructure and holistic development topped up with humanity and compassion produce tomorrow's citizens who can contribute towards the growth of the society. One such torchbearer in the field of education is The Riverside School in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
The Riverside School is the amalgamation of an approach to learning that is embedded in common sense. It is a vibrant research centre for school education, where insights from cutting-edge research are turned into working models of pedagogical practices with a single-minded focus: student wellbeing. Over the last 20 years, Riverside has designed, implemented and shared a unique user-centred curriculum that is providing schools with an alternative model which focuses on quality of learning and student well-being. The practices have been recognized worldwide and the school has regularly been honoured for its academic achievements as well as its unique philosophy of 'Doing Good and Doing Well'. Riverside School's achievement stands as a testimonial of a true 21st century model with its students consistently outperforming the top 10 schools in India.
The Avant-garde Learning Grounds for future World-changers!
Campus and Curriculum The campus is designed to nurture young minds and to allow for creative freedom of thought and action and hence one can see big open spaces and a lot of greenery. All spaces are open for children to access and each space is a learning space. There are no closed offices or staff rooms thereby enabling a lot more interaction between students and teachers. “We have our own in-house developed curriculum till grade 7 after which we take the Cambridge International Board. Our school is a K-12 school which is divided into 3 key stages,” informed the school management. Key Stage 1 caters to the youngest learners. Their learning is predominantly sensorial and more multidimensional than at any other state. In Key Stage 2, children are armed with sufficient competencies and self-management and begin to interact with the world with greater complexity. The teacher energizes the learner with explicit strategies which the learner in turn applies consciously, visibly, and moves away from helplessness towards independence. The Key Stage 3 student is a mature learner with fairly advanced competencies and communicative abilities. The learner is Meta-cognitive (aware of the learning process) and thus, empowered to “solve problems and fashion products” that are aligned with his/her competencies that are used to effect change for self and the environment. Visionary Leader Kiran Bir Sethi, Founder-Director of the school is a graduate of Program of Graphic Design from National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. Disillusioned by her son's experience in his school, she entered the field of education. The prevalent scenario was impersonal, bound by content and devoid of choice. She has re-imagined education to nurture curiosity, creativity, excellence and interdependence. Her dynamism, clear vision, design thinking mindset has catapulted her from a teacher to a reformer, a
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Kiran Sethi
Founder and Director
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It is important to work ‘with’ the user instead of ‘for’ them and going forward this has become our mantra and all of our processes and ideas are co-created with our children
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social entrepreneur and now a thought leader. Kiran started The Riverside School with five teachers and 27 students. The guiding philosophy of the school was a shift from conventional 3 R's to that of Relevance, Rigour and Relationship. This philosophy was translated into every aspect of the school to craft a vision and image of a competent child, a competent teacher, a competent curriculum and a competent parent body. Twenty years later with 400 students and a faculty of 70, this remains the guiding philosophy of the school. Overall Development of Learners “There is only one child in the world and that child's name is ALL children.” - Carl Sandburg The Riverside School believes in and promotes inclusive education systems that remove the barriers limiting the participation and achievement of all learners, respects diverse needs, abilities and characteristics that eliminate all forms of discrimination in the learning environment. At the heart of The Riverside School is the acknowledgment of every child's need and the experiences
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that allow all children to bloom into a life which is ripe with joy and good health. The need comes in different colours physical, cognitive, social, emotional and spiritual; each of these constitutes an indispensable part of the right to life. To ensure that every member of the Riverside community feels a sense of belonging and value, there are various programs designed for the same. This is done through programs like special needs, social inclusion and the ideas of Citizenship and Persistence. Unique Features The focus on the design thinking principles for systemic change, the FIDS model, makes The Riverside School stand apart from others. Counselling Young Minds The school has a dedicated school counsellor for older children and through number of interventions over the years the children are supported in figuring out their strengths, abilities and interest thereby making the choices of the career they might want to pursue.
Awards and Honours • For the past 10 years, The Riverside School has been ranked as the No.1 International Day School in Ahmedabad and Gujarat and No.3 or 4 in India by EducationWorld. Besides this, the School has been ranked No.1 on various parameters of Excellence over the years. • In 2017, DFC was recognized as one of the 100 most innovative educational programmes in the world by HundRED.org (based in Finland). • In 2018, Kiran was awarded the “Light of Freedom” Award, at the Vital Voices, U.S.A., Global Leadership Awards. • In 2018 Edutopia covered The Riverside School for best practices. • In January 2019, Kiran was honored with the Lexus Design Award for 2019, in Pune, India. • In October 2019, Kiran was awarded the Earth Prize in Luino, Italy.
Overcoming Challenges “When we started the school, we got into the planning mode straightaway without understanding the learner and later we realized that it is so important to work 'with' the user instead of 'for' them and going forward this has become our mantra and all of our processes and ideas are co-created with our children,” said the school management. Future Prospects The school believes that the world needs more empathetic and compassionate human beings, and it is going to continue focusing on this, thereby providing a design-centric education model for the world where each child will be nurtured to develop the ‘ I CAN ’ mindset.
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