Canadian International School is proud of its ethos -We live and breathe internationalism!’

At a time when India’s tech-hub is growing leaps and bounds, a new system of education, commonly called ‘international’ schools, presents education in an exotic package, opening a global world to kids. Shweta Sastri, the executive director of Canadian International School, Bangalore, spoke to DNA, giving an insight into the concept of international schools.

What are the reasons behind the large-scale growth of international schools in Bangalore?
The ideal atmosphere in an international school should provide a platform for students to get an international exposure. As students from multicultural backgrounds come together under one roof, children get a unique experience to develop global perspectives from an early age.

Moreover, today’s parents understand the need for their children to have an ‘international education’ in the true sense of the phrase. With Bangalore growing into a global city, people from across the world have made Bangalore their home. This is the basic reason why the number of international schools has increased in Bangalore.

Parents should gauge for themselves whether schools that claim to be ‘international’ are actually living and breathing the ethos of internationalism.
 
Has the multicultural aspect of your school helped in its growth into a unique educational institute in Bangalore?
Absolutely! Canadian International School is proud of its ethos — we live and breathe internationalism! We have students and teachers from all over the world who come together to create a very unique experience for each other and our larger community.

CIS has been in Bangalore for almost 15 years and through this time, we have carved our niche as a school that provides its students with an enriching international experience.
 
What are the special aspects of Canadian International School, which makes it unique and different from other international schools in Bangalore?
 We have students from 34 nationalities who learn from a cosmopolitan teaching staff from 27 nationalities, wherein the overall teacher to student ratio is currently 1:5. We offer three internationally recognised curricula and a broad spectrum of extra/co-curricular activities.

Our learning environment is warm, friendly, non-threatening and confidence building. We encourage students to be themselves so that they can discover the essence of their being and choose their future carefully.

CIS is fully accredited by the Council of International Schools and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Our emphasis is on strengthening curriculum delivery for effective teaching and learning.
 
What kind of learning methodologies do you adopt to help in the overall growth of children in your school?
At CIS, students are given every encouragement to attain high academic standards, while broadening their interests with a wide spectrum of extra and co-curricular activities.

They are challenged to set themselves personal goals and to develop self-confidence and the self-assurance to achieve those goals. This leads to overall growth. Teachers at CIS have a reputation for being ambitious, keeping their students fully engaged and going the extra mile long after the lesson is delivered and the school day is done.

Is your school involved in helping underprivileged children? Have you adopted any local school in the neighbourhood?
Yes, our students help at a local neighbourhood school. They visit the school thrice a week to teach underprivileged children English and Math. They also organise fun and games activities at that school. Additionally, children from the local school visit our campus to learn computers at our laboratories — again taught by our students.