Deirdre O'Kane, in one of her entertainment stints, mentioned “I think boarding schools gives you an Independence.”
It is true; Life in a boarding school teaches you many life skills that kids would not be able to learn had they been in their home. Hostel life teaches us many things one of them being self-reliant and disciplined personality traits that make kids responsible global citizens of tomorrow.

School plays an important role in the life of every child. While in day boarding school students are influenced by the outer world but in boarding, kids are highly influenced by their school. Below we have listed the primary benefits of boarding school on growing kids.

• Grow to be a Self-reliant and Disciplined Person
  Every boarding school has a fixed ruleset, the students must wake up on time and do their chores, do the regular exercise and follow a disciplined life. This makes your kid self-reliant from a young age inculcating a sense of self-responsibility throughout the entire life. Additionally, they also learn values like orderliness, punctuality for they must follow a disciplined life in a hostel. In short, it makes kids better human beings of tomorrow.
• Constant Monitoring and Supervision Throughout the Day
  In boarding schools, your kid will be under the constant monitoring of expert teachers and trained staff members, who are capable of understanding your kid’s needs. Growing kids especially adolescents, experience an emotional roller coaster ride, which can be handled by experts. In day boarding schools you kids stay under the constant supervision of teachers and company of friends which makes them feel at home enabling them to reach their maximum potential.
• A liberal approach towards life
  In a hostel, a kid co-inhabits with other kids from different backgrounds, with diverse talents and ethnicity. Co-inhabiting with them will develop a liberal and rational mindset in your kid: the real essence of education. Additionally, he/she will develop a holistic approach towards life which will make them better human beings.
• Excellent Academic record
  Boarding provides kids with excellent educational facilities and a constructive study environment without any distractions. Furthermore, your kid will co-study with friends of the same age group which makes learning exciting, improving his/her academic records tremendously.
• Curriculum set at par with global standards
  Modern-day boarding schools follow a pedagogy of international standard and hence it is at par with any foreign curriculum. Many schools combine multiple elements of study other than their formal education so that students can be prepared for a competitive career in the global labor market.
• Scope of learning Foreign Language
  International Residential schools have a compulsory foreign language other than English in their curriculum. Learning a foreign language provides them the exposure to a diverse culture. The Cross-culture learning process will naturally nurture the inquisitive nature of kids encouraging them to know more about other countries and cultures. Each language/culture has its own story to tell which magnifies the horizons of young minds encouraging them to adapt to every unfavourable condition and yet be successful in life.

A growing kid especially in the ten to eighteen age group is very vulnerable and inquisitive yet full of potential; a deadly combination. In addition, their hormonal changes give them a roller coaster ride. They need constant attention and emotional supervision so that they can channelize their potential in productive ways. A boarding school has experienced teachers and supervisors who can handle growing kids and shape them to be better citizens of tomorrow.

Adolescence constitutes a major part of the growing years of a kid. Also known as teenage, these are the connecting years between ten to nineteen conjoining adulthood and childhood. An adolescent kid faces a lot of changes both physical and mental which are not easy to cope up. In such a tremulous stage of life, it is obvious to have learning problems.

As a kid upgrades from primary school to high school in adolescence, their curriculum becomes tougher which needs more effort for understanding. Till primary school, students were able to cope up with their academic shortcomings easily, but with adolescence, they are unable to deal with their problems. The following are the root causes of school problems in the adolescent years

• The most common reason is Rebellion against elders or a need for independence
• Anxiety, depression, or such other signs of Mental health disorders
• Substance use
• Feud or issues in family
• Learning disorders
• Behavioral disorders

Let us now try to understand some common problems that hinder the education problems of the adolescent and how they can be solved.

Learning Disabilities or ADHD
Learning Disabilities like Dyslexia, Dysgraphia ADHD, or processing disorders like Auditory Processing Disorder or Visual Processing Disorder remains undetected in kids in their elementary schools. However, as they reach adolescence, and their school starts demanding more, their problem becomes evident. Medical help must be sought immediately when such problems are noticed. Regular medication and psychological help can get such children to evolve from such problems.

Social Anxiety
Parents are often concerned about the fact that there are hesitant to go to school. It is not because they are not keen on learning things or do not like school. The primary reason to avoid school is their anxiety about social interaction. The following action triggers social anxiety in adolescents:

• The fear of being judged
• The fear of feeling stupid socially or being embarrassed publically
• The fear of accidentally offending someone
• The fear of attracting someone’s attraction

In school, kids have to face all such situations which compel them to refuse to attend a school or skip classes that make them anxious, or demotivate them from doing homework. If a kid makes a vague indication of physical illness like stomach aches or headaches, social anxiety might be the reason. Here also medical help is the solution. Regular medication and therapies are proved to be helpful for adolescent students to overcome such situations.

Not getting along with classmates
Mood swings and hormonal fluctuations are very common in adolescents. Kids of these ages are a bit confused about what they want and with whom they get along. All such physical and psychological disruption can lead to a rift among peers, romantic breakups, and many such emotional breakdowns. The best way to navigate such problems is to listen to your teen and understand them. Make them realize the importance of friendship, you can also share incidents of your friendship and some cherishable memories with your friends. Talk to them that it is very normal to have a difference of opinion among friends, but that should not come in the way of friendship.

Socrates said a long time back,
“I am a citizen, not of Athens, or Greece, but of the world.”
According to him, citizenship has always inculcated in us a sense of belonging to the community; he believed in the human race as a community as a whole not restricted by the barriers of countries and language sharing the responsibilities of creating a better world. The concept of Global citizenship as advocated by UNESCO is an umbrella concept that encompasses the socio-political, environmental, and economic actions of similar-minded individuals across the globe. Global citizenship refers to someone who recognized himself to be a part of the emerging world and can positively contribute to making the world a better place.

There are numerous instances in human history where we have come together as a community helping each other in crisis sharing similar values. The pandemic was a great instance of how we faced the crisis together as a community ignoring the barriers of the countries and language. The world today has lesser physical and communication barriers, hence, there is more scope of global engagement which is carving a sense of belonging to a greater world community.

Global Education Grooms Students to be Better Individuals
When school educates their students in global pedagogy, they gradually evolve to become responsible citizens making productive contributions to the world as a community. Here are the three most prominent ways in which your kid will grow to be a global citizen.

• Learn to be Self-reliant and Disciplined – Most of the global schools are residential schools where one must follow specific ruleset, one must wake up on time and do their chores themselves, and follow a disciplined life. This makes your kid take up his responsibility from a young age inculcating self-reliance as a habit throughout his entire life. Besides they get to learn values like orderliness, punctuality as a result of following a disciplined life. In short, it makes your kids better human beings.
• A Holistic approach towards life – School nowadays provides students the scope to co-inhabits with other kids from different backgrounds, with diverse talents and ethnicity. It will develop in your kid a liberal mind-set and a holistic approach towards life: the real essence of education.
• Excellent Academic record – Boarding provide kids with excellent educational facilities and a constructive study environment without any distraction. Furthermore, your kid will co-study with friends of the same age group which makes learning exciting, improving his/her academic records tremendously.

Educating students in Global Education
Educating students with a global mind-set should be an indispensable part of the curriculum to inculcate in them a feeling of belonging to the greater world, especially when the world is getting closer with lesser physical and communication barriers. Students learn about concepts of global finance and issues of economic inequality, etc. in their economics class. The history class on the other hand educates students about the diversity of identities and cultures of human history, revolutions that brought communities together. The curriculums of environmental science and general science teach them methods of sustainable living and sustainable resource development. The humanities course teaches them the skill of communicating with different languages, understanding their cultures and their beliefs. Modern-day schools now have pedagogy based on global concepts that help students to become successful learners and broad-minded individuals, who can make effective contributions to make the whole world a community.

In the last 15 years, there has been 10 times growth in the number of International Schools in India says a survey by Research Gate. Although Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) is the most established program adopted by the International Schools across India. Some of them either integrate the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) or International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) in their curriculum and Pedagogy. Currently, there are approximately seven hundred International Schools in India that offer international education up to the middle and high school levels.

Crucial skills learnt by students in International Schools

Undoubtedly, getting an education in International Schools is much more advantageous because it implements a curriculum that prepares students to fit in the modern labour market and be responsible global citizens. Here are some added benefits of International Schools you must look into:

• Growing at par with global standards - As the term, ‘International School’ clearly represents education that is offered in line with foreign education. Many schools combine elements of more than one system so that students can be prepared to be more suitable for the global labour market.
  
  For example, the comprehensive International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) offered by Jain International Residential Schools (JIRS) is not only focused on academic and other social skills of the students but rather also focuses on personality development of students by shaping their approach towards integrity, liberty of thought and sense of discipline.
• Scope of learning Foreign Language - As already said International Schools introduce students to foreign culture providing them ample scope to learn foreign languages apart from vernacular language and English. Like in JIRS the students enrolled under IGCSE Program from Grade 8 to 10, and 9 to10 have a scope to learn three languages.
  
  This naturally brings spontaneity in the learning process that nurtures the inquisitive nature of children. Every language has its valuable aura that broadens young minds so that they can adapt even in unfavourable conditions and be successful in life.
• Great communication skills - One of the major drawbacks of the existing educational system in India is the lower student-teacher ratio. But the picture is quite different in International Schools, where the student-teacher ratio remains high on average. Hence students communicate more with teachers and learn new concepts easily due to more intensive care by the teachers. The aim of this program is not to mug the textbooks, rather learn more real-life applicable concepts from the teacher.
• International exposure for higher grade students - The programs of International Schools are globally accredited, so getting your kid admitted to these schools will open to him a whole world of opportunities. Many regional certificates might not be accepted by foreign universities, but, a student from International Schools has much fewer chances of rejection on the contrary. The unique grading system is highly accepted by institutions worldwide providing them an extensive opportunity for higher studies and scholarships.

With such benefits would you not be interested in providing your kid a better future? With highly refined education systems, international standards, exposure to multiple languages and cultures your child will naturally have a competitive advantage over other students from the contemporary curriculum.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is one of the most sought-after education boards of India, which recognizes most of the popular schools in the country. CBSE focuses on the all-around development of children, which includes their personality and intellectual level. In addition to their academic level, the CBSE curriculum also looks after the cultural growth of students, so that they imbibe the tradition and integrity of our country.

There are many other boards in India like State boards, Central boards (CBSE), and the Indian Certificate for Secondary Education, however, the value-based education imparted by CBSE is acknowledged well by all prominent colleges of India. It is because of the in-depth education provided by CBSE schools, parents are inclined towards enrolling their kids in these schools.

Here we have listed some benefits as to why you should admit your child to CBSE:

Competitive Advantage in Entrance exams:

The primary focus of school education is to prepare kids for higher education and competitive exams. Most of the entrance tests and competitive exams in India are conducted following the pattern of the CBSE curriculum. Hence, CBSE students have a higher chance of succeeding in national-level competitive exams like NEET, JEE or AIEEE IIT-JEE, PMT, NDA, CDS, and other Defense and Civil Services.

International Recognition

CBSE curriculum is internationally recognized in 24 more countries like Singapore, UAE, Africa, and Russia including India. The well-researched curriculum is at par with international standards and the certificates are equally accredited throughout the world.

Formative and summative exams and assessments

CBSE curriculum aims to impart in-depth knowledge to its students, rather than the number-based curriculum of other boards. Hence in this board, there is no practice of conducting three major exams throughout the year. Rather the curriculum emphasizes the regular evaluation of the students so that their problems can be solved as soon as possible according to the CEE pattern that was introduced in 2009-10. Formative tests are conducted throughout the year in form of short tests, their academic performance, timely classwork and homework submission, timely completion of projects, and their active participation in various ECA activities. Summative Exams are the ones that are conducted at the end of the session to make a complete evaluation of what the children have learned.

Structured and flexible Curriculum

Unlike other academic boards that have only English as the medium of instruction, CBSE uses both English and Hindi as their medium of instruction. Students are flexible to choose their mode of instruction. The syllabus is at par with the international level having all the subjects that are essential for the comprehensive academic growth of the students. In addition, the syllabus is comprised of interactive and fun exercises that make learning easy and fun.

Ease to relocate

Another benefit of the CBSE curriculum is that its ease of relocation. Parents who have transferable jobs find it difficult to find schools for their kids midsession, with CBSE transferring kinds mid-session becomes easier as all CBSE schools have a uniform syllabus and exam structure everywhere, so it does not matter if your kid is joining any time of the year, he or she can easily cope with the syllabus.

“What are the most desirable qualities of a school” is a question that educators have been asking since a long time which would help them in creating the finest educational environment. Educators are still in a déjà vu for there are multiple essential qualities that are necessary to make a school desirable. Every school have their area of excellence, some have great academics infrastructure, while some have rich alumni of an eminent sports person, while the faculty of some school is noteworthy.

However, there are a certain set of mandatory qualities of a school that you must check before admitting your kid. Here we have listed 5 of them:

• International level Curriculum and Pedagogy - The school that you are selecting for your kid should follow a curriculum that is of international level. The world today is getting smaller and so your child will look for global opportunities in the future.
  
  Many schools today provide a combination of courses or an option of choosing between diverse curriculum and choice of subjects according to the interest of the student so that they grow to be more suitable for the global labour market.
• Scope of learning Foreign Languages - As already said children of today are more interested in a curriculum that provides them exposure to the foreign culture. Hence they look forward to learning foreign languages apart from other mandatory languages and English.
  
  Consider the example of the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) Program, students of Grade 8 to 10, and 9 to10 can learn three languages. Such additions make the learning process interesting nurturing the inquisitive behaviours of children. Literature and language enrich a student’s personality that structures young minds so that they can become better citizens of tomorrow.
• Special focus on every student - One of the major drawbacks of every educational system is the lower student-teacher ratio. However, best-in-class schools maintain a higher student-teacher ratio to provide special attention to every student. Students hence get the scope to communicate more with teachers thereby learning new concepts easily as a result of individual care by the teachers. Modern-day schools are not in favour of cramming textbooks, rather they advocate real-life applicable concepts for the students.
• Global opportunities for higher grade students - Look for schools that have globally accredited programs, which will open to him a whole world of opportunities. Certificates of many domestic schools might not be recognized in overseas universities, but, but your kid will have a higher chance of acceptance in comparison to his competitors on the contrary. For example, international schools have a unique grading system that is highly accepted in all global institutions which provides them a broad opportunity for pursuing their higher studies and receiving scholarships.
• Educational Infrastructure - Education today has evolved way far, digitization and technology have joined hands with education. Hence, schools that have good infrastructure for supporting the needs of the students should be preferred. A school should have well-equipped laboratories, libraries enriched with both books and audio-visual contents, good sports coaching, and facilities for nurturing the overall development of a growing child.

So you have the five most desirable qualities you must look for before admitting your child. Go ahead then!

The time when we millennials were going to school, it was all about studying and marks. The present-day schools are much more evolved, now it is much more than just education. Schools now look after the all-round development of the students and prepare them for the challenges of future life. Residential schools have taken an additional step by developing in students a habit of self-inculcating discipline, a positive personality, and self-righteousness so that they can grow to become responsible global citizens.

Choosing the right schools for one’s child is undoubtedly a tough decision and if the choice is between a residential school and a day school, the choice seems to be terribly difficult. New-age parents while they want the best for their kid and want to spend maximum time with them, but on the other hand, they are extremely busy. They are unable to provide a child the company they need. There are many reports of children facing behavioral disorders resulting from this lack of time.

International residential schools can provide a holistic solution for parents in bringing up their kids. Residential schools are no longer located on lone hilltops or outskirts of the locality where you would be unable to meet your kid. Most of the International Residential Schools are located in the urban surroundings of popular metro cities where you can meet or bring them back home on weekends. This residential school provides every care to students from nutritious and delicious food to adequate academic care.

There are some other such reasons due to which millennial parents are preferring residential schools over day schools. We have listed some of the reasons as follows:

Exciting cheerful stay with same-age friends

There is nothing better if children and adolescents get to spend time with friends, play with them. It also keeps away feelings of loneliness or depression or any behavioral disorders which they experience in case parents are not able to give them enough time. In residential schools, kids co-reside with their friends, learn to share things with them, and be at home away from home. Staying with kids belonging to different origins and backgrounds develops their communication skills. Residential schools are great for kids who are introverts as well.

Kids grow to become more disciplined and responsible

In a residential school, kids must take self-responsibility. Of course, there are teachers and wardens and house parents who take care of them, but they have to take self-care, eat their own food, and do daily chores themselves. They have to follow the rules as well; in-time homework, meals on time and keep things organized. Since they inculcate these habits from childhood, they grow to be self-dependent individuals with an innate sense of discipline and responsibility.

Holistic academic and extracurricular development

Residential schools have the necessary monitoring to help students in their after-school studies. They have a fixed timetable to complete their study and homework without and distraction. If they have any extracurricular interests, the residential school provides the necessary facility and care for them to pursue their interest. They get a distraction-free environment where they can concentrate on their studies and interests and be successful in future life.

The global curriculum of International Residential schools

International schools have a very comprehensive curriculum that is focused more on students learning rather than the legacy cramming curriculum. These schools have a multi-disciplinary approach that prepares students on a global level. Students have a higher chance of being accepted in foreign universities passing out from these schools. They arrange every facility for supporting the overall growth of the students. Many leading international schools has tie-ups with several leading global institutions for arranging placements in reputed universities with scholarships.

It is undoubtedly a difficult decision for parents to choose a boarding school for their kid, but it is indeed a very positive decision that will help the student flourish in his future life both academically and personally. An international residential school like JRIS gives your kid the best care possible for all-around development and experience life at home away from home.