By Anjani Kumar Agarwal, Director, DRS International School
Once the domain of the affluent and multinational professionals, international education like IB and IGCSE is seeing a surge among the middle-class in recent years. Also the good news is that one does not have to travel overseas to get an international education as there are several schools offering these courses.
Rise in schools
With its steadily growing realty, huge presence of global majors such as Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Google, Facebook, IKEA, it has been observed that schools in Hyderabad offering international syllabi have seen a steady rise in the past few yearsto meet the increasing demands for the kids who would be going abroad for higher studies. DRS International School, leading international school in Hyderabad has two decades of rich experience in imparting world class education. The school offers IB, CBSE and IGCSE curriculums.
The statistics show students’ growing demand in India for international-oriented curriculum. The question is what makes international schools the preferred choice among many students and parents alike.
Aspirational value
There is an increase in aspirations among students and parents who are of the notion that an education in the international curriculum will make it easier to go abroad to study or find jobs.
With parents in India largely opting for international curricula, for reasons ranging from giving their children a shot at the Ivies and Oxbridge to social prestige, the count of international schools in the city has more than doubled.
Size of classroom
Fewer students in a classroom is a major factor for many parents. State board classrooms are much larger compared to international school classrooms which many parents believe is a huge influence on teacher-student interaction and personal attention.
At DRS International, every effort is made to encourage curiosity, self-expression, joy, and aesthetic sensibility. The batch sizes are small enough to give personal attention to each student, which will in turn encourage individual students to participate actively in discussions to collaborate creatively to solve problems, to communicate their ideas effectively, and to learn from each other.
Quality of education
International schools offer a curriculum which is practical oriented and activity-based and less of rote-learning as seen in the State boards. There are no examinations up to 12th Standard and the assessments are done based on internal activities and practical projects at the school.
Students build enduring bonds with their peers and facilitators. A strong sense of community characterizes the school, one which is bound together through the pursuit of learning and growth.
Holistic approach
Many of the parents are from the software industry and have had an experience of working abroad and know how good the education system there is. The flexibility in the subjects that students can choose is a major attraction.
The IGCSE curriculum looks beyond books. This helps in all-round development of the child. IB curriculum helps in easy transition when software engineers and professionals working with MNCs moves abroad as they get easy admissions in international schools as the curriculua are seamlessly integrated and children will not fee much difference and can easily adopt to new school environment.
Affordability
The increase in disposable income of parents is a major factor. IB education is available in India at a fraction of cost to what one will pay if they study abroad. Parents want to give the best for their children, hence opt for the international curricula.