'Indian kids are smarter'

The four students and two teachers who have come to Ahmedabad from the Governor French Academy in Belleville, Illinois, US, are all praise for the high academic standards of the Indian school system. They are equally impressed by the scholastic achievements of the city’s school students and the dedication of their parents to their progress in studies.

The Americans arrived here on January 13 under a student exchange programme between the American school and Calorx Foundation in the city. They will be here for two weeks.

The students are studying at the Calorx Foundation school in Bopal, while their teachers have been comparing the education system in India with that of US schools. The teachers said the main aim of the exchange programme is to establish strong ties between the young generations of the two countries.

One of the teachers accompanying the students from the US, Jayshree Shah, said that, on an average, students in Indian schools know more than their American counterparts.

“The Indian education system turns out students who are academically more accomplished than American school
students,” Shah said.

One of the students who studies in the ninth standard in Governor French Academy said that, in US schools, students tend to be preoccupied with athletics. But in India the focus is on academics, with students working extra hours to improve their score and their parents willing to invest heavily in their education.

Similar views were expressed by James Murrey, the other teacher
who has come with the US students. “The Indian education system is more rigorous than that of the US,” he said. “Also, not only the students but their parents, too, are committed to excellence in academics, much more so than in the US.”

The teachers at Calorx have been designing presentations and discussion sessions with the visiting students and teachers, thereby giving them an opportunity to get involved in the academic activities of the school. “As far academic accomplishments are concerned, Indian students in general are way ahead of US students,” said Murrey.

The US team is unanimous in the view that Indian schools encourage children to work harder and learn more. “Teachers in India are very helpful and walk the extra mile to reach out to students here,” said Shah. “We prefer the Indian style of teaching over the American method.”