Your child’s outlook and progress will be largely determined by who is steering him or her, and what their background is.

A recently published research has proven that a teacher has a bearing on how much students will grow up to earn, how involved they are likely to be in college, how diligently they will go about saving, down to even their choice of neighborhood and their relationship patterns. Conducted by Raj Chetty and John N. Friedman of Harvard and Jonah E. Rockoff of Columbia University, it studied 2.5 million people from a large urban school district in the US over two decades right from when they were in mid-school until they reached adulthood.

You might have a vague memory of when you were in school and one of your parents suggested something and you disagreed, saying “…but my teacher said…” The study suggested that teachers are practically foremost in impacting a child’s education and future success – second only to parents.
“Children spend a better part of their day in school. As a result, they tend to absorb what they observe and teachers – through each 40-minute interval with them – become role models.

Even in this modern day, children often refer to what their teachers say as ‘right’. A teacher also wields immense power on whether or not a student will like a subject. An encouraging teacher can take an average student to better scores whereas a teacher who the child might dislike will foster that dislike into the subject being taught too,” says Reshma Hawa, CEO, Rims International School Mumbai, a Cambridge School which is one of the top IGCSE Schools in Mumbai. Hawa has recently come on board under a management change at the organization – she brings in a wide network of teachers and children’s development agencies garnered through nearly two decades of business development experience for child welfare related NGOs. She adds that she chooses staff based on their methodology, preparation for a class and how encouraging they are to their students.

For example, mathematics often brings on extreme sentiments of love or hate among students. Rims International School Mumbai, being among the top international schools in Mumbai has brought on board Ramanan Iyer, a guest lecturer who has the London School of Economics among his list of credentials. “Iyer is a brilliant teacher. He provides online lessons and gives students easier ways of solving problems,” Hawa says.

Of course, you could perhaps research faculty on any of the International Schools’ websites Hawa suggests “Talking to other parents could also give you a good idea.”

Interestingly, a better faculty needn’t burn holes in your pockets. Despite bringing in top notch teachers, fees for Rims International School Mumbai start at Rs. 1,30,000 (all inclusive), where other schools in the Santacruz neighborhood charge around Rs 3,00,000 with all inclusions. “We stay competitive. Even ICSE schools today have Rs 1,20,000 as a standard fee despite being affiliated to a local board. We, on the other hand have to pay a percentage of every student’s fees to Cambridge.”

To enable teachers to do their job better, the school has signed up an external agency of experts to develop individual learning programmes for every student. Another new initiative is a host of outdoor-learning experiences that teachers are expected to link to twice-a-week trips to a nearby ground that the school has rented for sports and other activities. Read More...

The UNESCO Institute of Statistics estimates that a little over 2,00,000 Indian students travel abroad for higher education. Unsurprisingly, the top five destinations for Indian students, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, have some of the best and most popular universities in the world. Given modern Visa restrictions it is a telling sign of the high esteem that Indian students are held in by foreign universities. Despite the fact that the door to foreign universities is open to Indian students there are some development goals essential to ensure both admission and success abroad.

1. Language Skills and Writing: When making a comparison between National boards and International boards in India, it is very obvious that there is a higher emphasis given to essay writing and language skills in International schools. This is done with good reason as foreign universities grade a large part of a student's academic career based on curriculum related essays that involve both in depth research and good quality academic writing.

2. Research Skills: Foreign universities take plagiarism and originality very seriously. Very often a student may inadvertently use an idea or a quote without proper citation and fall foul of the rules of research and citation. International schools not only teach proper research and citation but also teach students effective ways of researching to ensure that any previously published idea has been given due credit. In addition there is a strong system in place to ensure that all instances of plagiarism are found out to ensure that students are always vigilant when writing essays and other assignments. RIMS International School ensures that its students are not only well trained in how to research, but are meticulous in citation and chasing a reference to determine the actual origin of quotations and ideas used in their essays and other coursework.

3. Finding the Right Course: Very often students arrive at foreign universities only to discover that they have signed up for a course for which they are not well suited. This unfortunate situation can be blamed on a variety of reasons like bad advice, peer pressure to do a popular paper, not enough research about the course etc. However, the most important reason is usually that the student did not have sufficient opportunity to learn about options and guidance when choosing courses. RIMS teachers are experienced in helping their students explore the various options available to them for further study. In addition, RIMS’s low student-to-teacher ratio ensures that teachers can dedicate significant time to help students through one-on-one guidance.


4. Thinking Out-of-the-box: One of the biggest criticisms of University education in this country is that there is little deviation from the prescribed syllabus and students rarely get to explore the boundaries of the subjects that they are studying. While Indian students have the desire, drive and intelligence to study abroad, it is important that they develop the ability to look into new areas of research for coursework as this is what gets them better grades as well as sets them on the path to recognition. RIMS International always encourages its students to think differently about problems, to research widely and to formulate ideas and theories that set students apart from the ones in other International Schools.

5. Learning to be Independent: For students going overseas, this will be their first experience of not only living alone but of fending for themselves. Even children who have been to boarding school get used to the regimented lifestyle and find it difficult to adjust to the self-discipline and decision making of living abroad on their own. While students learn the most about being independent from their parents, schools can play a major role as well. At RIMS, we ensure that our students receive guidance but also learn to take decisions and responsibilities inside of the classroom, in their coursework and in non-academic subjects and projects.

Overseas education not only gives students an edge in their chosen careers, it teaches them to become different people, makes students independent and ensures that they are aware of their world. It is essential that any student choosing to study abroad covers all the basic knowledge and skill requirements so that they can concentrate on the higher aspects of their course and experience abroad. The five points above are essential to any student studying overseas and it is important that students have these inculcated through their formative years so that they are already experienced when they reach their University of choice. Read More...

The last ten years has seen tremendous growth in the numbers of international schools in India and in particular, internationals schools in Mumbai. At a casual glance, we can ascertain that the reason behind this was the dissatisfaction with the state and national board schools, many from parents own personal experience of school. While international schools have become a popular choice for parents today, there are still many who are unsure of what are the exact benefits of having your child in one of them.
To truly understand these schools we should look at the many positive things that they bring to the academic environment rather than make a comparison with the state and national schools (though some unavoidable comparisons will appear). The reason behind this is that many international systems have been in existence for a number of years or are following on from older traditions in modern forms. It is important to understand that none of these systems are reactionary systems and have been developed to provide quality education.


1. Universally accepted certification: International schools offer universally accepted certification that ensures that your child does not miss out on any opportunities to study further. The certification boards are prestigious and maintain a high quality level and students that receive these certifications are held in high esteem by universities around the world.


2. A global syllabus for a global world: Thanks to information technology and liberalised economies the world has gotten more familiar with itself than at any time before. This creates a compulsion to make sure that knowledge of the world goes beyond just a hobby. International school syllabuses are tailor made so that students understand the differences and similarities of the world and are able to understand people from everywhere beyond the realm of language.


3. Multi-disciplinary syllabus: International schools offer a multi-disciplinary syllabus so students are under pressure to choose their specialised career paths at a young age. It also helps develop students that are proficient in a variety of knowledge bases that are beneficial in an environment where multi-speciality individuals are sought after in the working world.


4. Low student-to-teacher ratio: International school classrooms are much smaller than classrooms in standard Indian schools. This allows teachers to have more personal time with each student so that they get the most out of their learning years.


5. All-round education: Besides academics, international schools ensure that students also learn from a variety of non-academic subjects and programmes such as sports, dramatics, music and social service. All of these non-academic activities are important for the development of young, well adjusted and healthy minds. Read More...

The Indian Education System has progressed to the point at which parents no longer have to have a simple choice between schools but have to delve to make decisions about different schooling systems. This is not to say that there weren’t choices to be made between state and national boards in the past but the new environment has brought higher quality and also parents who want to make informed choices over the long term progress of their child.

The Quality of a Schooling system can be judged by several criteria, some of which are:
a) Institutional backing;
b) Reputation of the Board;
c) Innovation and
d) Eligibility for transfer and further studies.

While there are several other factors at play, these four are among the most important. Let us examine each one to understand the advantages that A Level gives to its students.

Institutional Backing: While National Boards in India have been known to provide consistent education to its students, being incorporated with the government system provides it with various opportunities for instability. Changing governments and their ever shifting policies can threaten to affect students’ lives directly and not always to their advantage. Furthermore, textbooks often become battlegrounds for ideological wars, thus exposing students to different philosophical stances in a very non-constructive way.

A Level on the other hand is part of the University of Cambridge system, one of the world’s oldest and longest running Universities and centers of education. The University is among the top Universities of the world and strives to maintain academic balance and stability in all of its activities. This gives students a safe playing field to discover themselves without the added pressure of public policy.

Reputation of the Board: This is not to say that National Boards have ill repute, but to emphasise that the recognisability of Cambridge International Examinations and the University of Cambridge ensures that the curriculum is looked upon with respect in all corners of society all over the world. This creates a safety net for its students’ academic achievements to be understood instantly and without much skepticism.

Innovation: Being an international certificate A Level brings together the best lessons that its board has learnt from all of its centers around the world, thus bringing cultural innovation to the classroom. A Level also ensures that its students learn to use technology in the most productive way possible, ensuring that technology does not hinder learning but rather it enhances it. While National Boards have been making strides towards adopting technology and other innovative ideas, they are not as far ahead of the crowd as A Level.

Eligibility for transfer and further studies: In a quickly changing world it has become impossible for us to set geographically static goals in our lives and in the lives of our families. Opportunities may take us to far off lands and in such situations it is school going children that suffer the most, especially academically where they need to not only prove their proficiency but also acclimatise themselves to a new system and a new culture. A Level not only provides a recognisable curriculum the world over but also provides a large network of schools where they can find a familiar system, albeit one that is immersed in the culture of their new destination allowing them both familiarity and new experiences, both essential to student personal growth.

We can see that A Level gives its students these advantages over National Boards and also does the same in other important areas such as quality of syllabus, workshops for teachers (to train them in new trends and methods of teaching), excellent school facilities, etc. Looking at all these factors, parents can be rest assured that A Level will help develop their children in the best manner possible and give them a big advantage over students from National Boards in the world as a whole. Read More...

While Indian schools have always had large numbers of students, the situation got particularly out of hand in the 1990s where it was not unheard of to have classrooms with close to 60 students. To make matters worse there was only one person playing a mentoring role for 60 students – the class teacher. This created generations of students who suffered from a curtailed amount of personal guidance in their formative years.
International schools brought smaller classrooms into the environment of Indian schools. It became evident quite quickly that students began to develop better in these smaller classrooms. It is quite obvious that the lower student-to-teacher ratio benefited them and here lies the very crux of this article – how can your child gain a competitive advantage from a healthier ratio. Firstly we must differentiate between what we mean by a healthy ratio and a low ratio.
Creating a healthy ratio within the concept of a low number of students per teacher is very crucial towards attaining the benefits of both a good amount of personal time with the teacher and the benefits of studying in a classroom of your peers. Most schools today have a ratio of about 10 students per teacher and while this seems to be ideal in theory it leaves little room to create a dynamic schedule where some students may need more personal guidance than others. RIMS International School and Junior College believes that the ideal ratio is 1 teacher per 5 students. Now we can move on to the benefits.

1. Personalized Learning: While students benefit from a standardized curriculum that is tailor made for the tasks that the world offers them, they also have a variety of skills and ways to achieve their goals. It is important that a teacher can identify these differences so that they ensure that their students derive the most out of their learning experience. This is only possible with a low, healthy ratio so that the teacher can create a balance between the differences and the need to build on uniformity.

2. Mental Strengthening: Students suffer from many forms of stress because of several different factors. Teachers in a healthy ratio environment are able to spend enough time with each student in order to understand their mental strengths and build on their weaknesses while enhancing their strengths. Such mentoring is very important; both for performance in school as well as in their future careers where stress and pressure builds and only the cool and calm survive and do well.

3. Identifying Learning Difficulties: Similar to point one, a teacher in a healthy ratio environment is able to identify more accurately the students that may suffer from previously unidentified learning problems. This will allow them to talk to parents of these students and create an environment where the difficulty turns into an advantage.

4. Competitive Confidence: Every classroom is competitive in some form or another, it's the way that human beings function. While competition is healthy for development, bad performances or unfulfilled personal goals can affect the confidence of students. In a smaller classroom, the teacher is able to speak to each child in order to understand their reaction to their performance and help them understand important character building traits that aid them in recovering from any loss of confidence.

These are but some of the many ways in which a healthy student-to-teacher ratio is beneficial for your child. Ensuring both academic and mental progress and health creates an individual that is both secure in their mental makeup as well as confident in their competitiveness. Read More...