BENGALURU: Some of Bengaluru’s international schools are racing to partner with foreign institutions, a trend spurred by intense competition in a crowded segment.
Collaboration with foreign educational institutions is common in higher education. Now, schools offering curriculum under the International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge International Examinations and International General Certificate of Secondary Education are eager to have academic and cultural exchanges with overseas counterparts. The Indus International School will sign agreements with the University of Bath and University of Glasgow, both in the UK, for a teacher training course and to develop a prototype for an affordable international school. “It isn’t very usual to have schools collaborating with universities but collaboration is the key word. Quality education will depend on such partnerships,” Indus Trust CEO Lt General (retired) Arjun Ray said.
India has over 400 international schools, according to an FICCI-Er nst & Young report. While exact figures are not available for Bengaluru, the city has seen a steady growth in international schools.
Repton, a 459-year-old independent school in England, is the latest entrant, having set up a branch in the software hub of Whitefield earlier this year. The growth is because `international’ schools no longer cater only to children from expatriate families or the business class but also the middle class, says a report by the National University of Educational Planning and Administration.
Greenwood High International School has engaged universities to get its students placed for higher studies. “Four batches of IB students have been placed in about 50 universities who visited us over the past two months,” trustee Niru Agarwal said.
This May, Inventure Academy joined Round Square, a UK-based global network of 160 schools. “Our students will join an international team of 50 students to carry out service projects in Nepal and Tanzania,” Inventure Academy chief executive Nooraine Fazal said.
Mallya Aditi International School has had student exchange programs since 2006 with schools in Germany and Sweden. “We see it essentially as cultural exchange, where our students live with a host family and gain experience,” principal Sathish Jayarajan said.
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Source: Economic Times
