Quality Education – How far can it take you?
Quality education is the right of all. Dozens of policies worldwide have covered this subject. Right from primary school to postgraduate education, enrollments have been increasing since the past few decades. Pursuing an education is not enough. The quality of education is equally important when a kid sets about securing the first and foremost milestone of his/her life. The past decade saw concrete efforts towards education on a global level. Almost every generation becomes a witness to societal changes and educational transformations.

What does the concept of ‘quality education’ involve?

• The concept of ‘quality education’ includes environments that are conducive, safe, receptive, decisive and gender-sensitive. These environments promote opulent resources and facilities.
• It involves pursuers who are physically and mentally nourished, participatory, willing to transform and contribute to the extracurricular and curricular development. They are duly backed in their efforts by their families and communities.
• It endorses and promotes processes by which proficient teachers utilize child-friendly approaches in welcomingly good and favourable classrooms. They deduce skilful assessments/audits to accelerate studies and curb the disparities or gaps.
• It disseminates/distributes content which is reflective of easiness and materials to help instant or quick absorption of skills and knowledge.
• The education should highlight the importance of literacy, life skills and knowledge in miscellaneous areas including nutrition, health, gender equality, communal harmony and universal peace.
• Pinpoint and prioritize outcomes which are inclusive of all and are linked to the national goals for educational excellence and affirmative contributions in society.

How should we define quality education as modern people?
The definition of quality education would reflect a complex system embedded in political, socioeconomic and cultural contexts. The quality education must be open to random transformations and evolutions based on challenges, information and contexts prone to periodic changes. Educational systems that welcome changes through data creation, dissemination, effective usage and self-audits are likely to succeed in allocating quality education to all kinds of learners.

We would define quality education as the education more focused on relentless audits and improvisations on all dimensions. These dimensions include but aren’t restricted to learners, educational environments, quality content, its dissemination, procedures and outcomes. And most learners, communities, educationalists and institutions have realized that things learned in an institute and how the overall process occurs are as important as the access to quality education.

How far can quality education take you and various broader entities in your vicinity?
Education always shines out as one of the most significant investitures a nation could make towards its overall progress. Education is a beacon of transformation that can:

• Improve health and livelihoods, participate in the actions dedicated to bringing social stability and sociopsychological growth.
• Distribute among the learners the skills they need to grow into a society of economically prolific and conservative beings.
• Invest in skills and measure the metrics behind effective learning and outcomes.
• Bring about the effective didactic approaches to speed up and consolidate the aggregates and skills in and beyond the classroom.
• Address all kinds of barriers to learning and help keep them at bay.
• Invest in schools’ infrastructure and allocate systematic platforms of learning under both classroom and virtualized environments.
• Build a society that is action-oriented and result-oriented and welcomes affirmative changes.
• Help sustain the quality of life irrespective of the barriers.

The impact of globalization over the past three decades has rapidly changed the lifestyle in the emerging world, and India is not an exception. With the advent of liberalization and privatization phenomenon, coupled with the integration of technology into the education realm, has further revolutionized the face of the learning system. One of the outcomes out of this rapid shift was International or Global Schools. With an exponential change in lifestyle, parents yearned for education that is qualitative, advanced, and global for children. Eventually, this drove a massive surge in demand for International Schools across cities in the country.  A vital imperative why global education skyrocketed in many cities is a rapid shift in the career landscape and competitive entrepreneurial activities. Moreover, the current job market is mainly looking for individuals with high core competency, decision-making, and leadership skills, besides theoretical acumen.

To address the pressing need, global schools placed engaging pedagogy, inclusive curriculum, expert faculty, tech-classrooms design, resourceful infrastructure, industry exposure and academic partnerships at the core of their ethos to build futuristic community. In line with this, they aimed at producing knowledge that has marketability and that which opens doors to the evolving global opportunities.

Independent thinking

One of the biggest steps of Global schools is that it encourages its teachers to transfer the responsibility of managing lessons to students where they learn the art of planning, research, time management, content delivery, presentation, and leadership skills. A core principle of global schools is to ensure students take ownership of their academic duties and learning through which they tend to discover new ideas and solutions to a given situation or challenge, rather than follow an established approach. Students at this stage become more active than passive learners by developing problem-solving, decision-making, and creative traits. The paradigm also gears young minds to discover their future passion and interest and work towards it right early. This is why Global Schools have a highly progressive outlook.

Global Content with task

An eye-catching feature of Global Schools is that they expose students to rigorous, relevant, and engaging global curriculum with global themes. The autonomous curriculum design and academic content, largely developed by subject matter experts, academics, and professional leaders, directly matches with the emerging learning trends and industry skills. An inspiring initiative of global schools is the after-school programs that involve students to actively engage in different real-time projects and training sessions to gain hands-on experience and critical thinking and analytical skills.

International Certification

Global opportunities fueled by growing technological advances has urged the need for higher competency and leadership skills in the career realm. In line with this, Global Schools adopt international curriculum recognized by global accreditation bodies like IGSCE or IB. This not only enables students an advantage to travel abroad for higher studies but also wayside competitive English Language exams and culture shock when landing for higher learning in any foreign university.

Pupil Diversity

One of the powerful sources of engagement in global schools is pupil diversity. Welcoming students from distant corners across the world, the global school promotes students to learn new languages, understand foreign cultures, and lifestyle patterns that are different from one’s own. As part of their core commitment, they expand the portfolio of countries annually to provide a perfect atmosphere and experience for students to express ideas and share thoughts, without giving room to stereotypes and social stigma in a learning space. The school in the process encourages children to pretend that would make them to respect the identity of others, but it does not stop there! It further leads children to understand global events and find solutions to global challenges.

Competent Faculty

Global Schools provides for an adequate student pupil ratio. It ensures that to maintain global education standard you need expert and creative faculty who possess and drives students to all possibilities to respond to a situation. Comprehensive teaching forms the foundation of the global school, which builds intellectual nimbleness among students to deal with complex issues. Personalized attention is a hallmark in global schools that attracts as it reduces the burden on parents to sit with children on homework. Faculty are adaptable and dynamic that helps them deliver program content smart and engaging through ICT, prototype materials, project-based, place-based experiential system rather than a rote method. Global Schools are extra careful in selecting teachers with strong experience and who are able to drive performance.

Resourceful Infrastructure

Learning choices is one of the enticing characters of Global Schools that ensure a robust inclusive learning experience. Moreover, to make students gain multi-literacy skills, Global Schools make considerable investments in infrastructure, cutting-edge technology-integrated classrooms, information and resource centers. As talent and interpersonal skills top the chart in the professional world, Global Schools encourage students to create multiple platforms, clubs, societies, and forums to nurture individual passions along with physical aptitude. Learning outside the walls is an essence of Global Schools where it harps on practical experience that can leave a major impact on learning and personality development, hence marks outdoor activities as an essential part of the curriculum. Through outdoor activities, Global Schools tend to balance the emotional intelligence of children, eventually leading them to work in team, venture, and push boundaries.

Counselling and Career Development

As every child comes with different aspirations, Global Schools believe that welfare support and counselling are pre-eminent to help them achieve along academic endeavors. A regular feedback mechanism makes Global Schools look more credible as it ensures that every child is safe and thriving. On the other, Global Schools organize field trips and industry exposure to evolve with the shifting career landscape.

More than anything, Global Schools aspire to create an atmosphere where children not only learn academic content but utilize every opportunity to the best and grow as responsible and change-making citizens of tomorrow.

The Silicon Valley of India, Bengaluru, a city known for its vibrant culture, pleasant weather and the lush green atmosphere is bound to captivate you within its myriad charm.  It is one of the most developed high- tech metropolitan cities, including home-grown giants like Wipro and Infosys. The city has a warm and hospitable environment and hub of finest educational institutions in the country.

Jain International Residential School (JIRS), is the leading global residential school of Bengaluru which has set the highest standard of academic achievement, intellectual growth, developing a righteous mind and sportsmanship among the students. JIRS is ranked no. 1 among the top Boarding Schools in India for Academic Reputation, Sports Education, and Holistic Development and Infrastructure provision by Education Today. It is also ranked no. 2 among the top Co-Ed Boarding Schools by Education World Magazine. It has always been known and awarded for the world- class amenities, school infrastructure, Safety, Hygiene, Sports, and Academic Excellence.

 It is affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and is also now an ISO 9001:2008 Certificate International Residential School by United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). JIRS is one of the best schools in Bangalore with a world- class campus in Kanakapura Road.

When your child comes to JIRS, it’s a commitment we make to provide the best environment for the growth and learning of your child. They develop leadership qualities, an independent mindset, and better decision making abilities. In home, the child receives a familiar support system but in a residential school like JIRS, they completely submerge themselves into an academic ecosystem that nurtures them well and enables them to engage their mind in various activities making them more efficient and smart.

JIRS houses children from all corners of the world and provides a warm, hospitable and well-structured academic atmosphere. The students receive guidance and mentorship from extremely qualified faculties to attain the best academic knowledge. Experienced faculties house within the campus makes them readily available for the children, which has fostered more interactivity, group discussion, a strong bond and respect between the teachers and the students.

Ample extracurricular activities with many activities to choose from such as art, dance, music, sports allows the child to explore his or her talents and interests. Sports being one of the most important activities that is encouraged thoroughly among students at JIRS as it enhances the fitness of mind and body and instills qualities like discipline, teamwork and consistency. JIRS has a specialized sports academy (JASE) with around 40 highly experienced trainers who impart professional coaching to students. Apart from games such as cricket, football, basketball, and tennis, squash, golf, equestrian, ten-pin bowling facilities are also available for the children.

JIRS is a global residential school that welcomes students from different parts of the world. This has enabled the students to meet, appreciate and learn about different cultures from the friendships which they form. JIRS also encourages and provides numerous opportunities to be a part of educational student exchange programs to countries like Germany, Australia, and many more.

 Being situated in one of the most beautiful and advanced cities of India, with a global campus, safe and comfortable hostel facilities, experienced faculties, a modern curriculum and excellent amenities for extra-curricular activities, makes JIRS the ideal destination for parents to send their child. It provides a platform to achieve the best prospect for their kids to become the future leaders of tomorrow and make great contributions to society.

JIRS creates a true essence of an international community as students from different parts of the world come to study here. The school has always encouraged the students to respect diversity and to become appreciative of one another’s culture and differences instilling a truly global perspective in them.

In the wake of this pandemic, the global lockdown has impacted all the sectors and its impact was immense upon the education sector too. Schools, colleges, universities are shut down and students are stranded at home.

This has created panic among the educators, students, and also parents as the question arises on how with no physical classes students will carry out their regular educational objectives. The situation has become worse affected during the lockdown as it is also the time of the year when board exams, entrances, competitive exams, and admissions take place across various educational institutes.

The entire mode of education has shifted from physical to online mode, however, some low income private and government schools could not adapt effectively to the e-learning mode.

The challenging times have been persistent, but with the implementation of relaxation to uplift the lockdown also indicates that children will slowly now return to schools which is an important and hopefully a welcome step, but parents and children are likely to have many questions.

Given the difficulty of the situation and variation across the globe, countries are in different stages regarding how and when they plan to reopen schools. The decisions will be made by national or state governments, often in discussion with local authorities.  Various factors such as public health, the benefits, and risks for children have to be taken into consideration. But the best interest of every child should be at the center of these decisions.

Jain International Residential School (JIRS) is the leading global residential school of Bengaluru which has set the highest standard of academic achievement, intellectual growth for developing a righteous mind and sportsmanship among the students. JIRS is ranked no. 1 among the top Boarding Schools in India for Academic Reputation, Sports Education, and Holistic Development and Infrastructure provision provided to the students. It is also ranked no. 2 among the top Co-Ed Boarding Schools by Education World Magazine. It has always been known and awarded for the world- class amenities, school infrastructure, Safety, Hygiene, Sports, and Academic Excellence.

When a child comes to JIRS, a commitment is made to provide the best environment for the growth and learning of the child. JIRS houses children from all corners of the world so the safety and health of the children are given the utmost top priority and the school is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation. The school is constantly preparing itself to tackle every challenge to ensure the safety of the children and address the concern of their families.  JIRS assures to do everything to prevent the spread of the virus, and have taken these measures to keep the students physically and mentally healthy.

As children will rejoin the school post the lockdown drastic hygiene methods will be implemented such as children will be made to thoroughly wash their hands multiple times per day and will not be allowed to touch their eyes, nose, and mouth. The school resources will be stocked on soap and hand sanitizer. There will be cleaning at all the facilities, and cleaning initiatives throughout the day. If any child shows cold or flu symptoms, they will be immediately separated from other children and their parents will be informed to take them home immediately.

Constantly enforce and reinforce the need for healthy practices like hand washing, covering their cough/sneeze, using good social distance,  covering face with mask will be practiced at all times. The sitting arrangement will be made keeping in mind the norms of social distance, the school also has come up with alternate solutions to provide rotational classes between online and offline. There will be sanitization of the entire campus and frequent temperature check-ups. Students will be given regular sessions on protecting themselves against germs and how they can be healthy and safe, along with that parents will also be given regular updates, counseling, and sessions to reduce their anxiety levels in fighting with the situation. Going back to school may look a little different from what you and your child were used to experiencing before, but JIRS strongly feels that it will overcome this challenging time with the support of the students and parents along with its ardent beliefs on its safety measures.

A right school delivering quality education can make all the difference in a child’s future. And the right curriculum will give a solid foundation to live the future that they dream of. It’s good news that in India, there are so many choices of curriculum available but this abundance of choices often leaves the parent in a quandary of which one would suit their child the best. Along with the curriculum, a safe environment, modern teaching techniques, and good teachers are also a priority, especially when looking for a boarding school. It is also important to know what you are looking for in a school to ensure that your child receives the best care and attention to hone their talents and help them excel in life or facilitate their learning process more effectively.

What are the choices available?

With the new academic year is on the horizon, parents are busy searching for new schools that offer the best curriculum. It could be parents looking to enroll their child into kindergarten or seeking change of schools. With a wide range of options like State Board, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) and The International Baccalaureate (IB), parents need to check which syllabus would suit their child the best. Like the socio-economic diversity of the country, the school education also offers a multifaceted education model. The schooling in India is split in 3 levels - primary, secondary and senior secondary, which begins once the child turns 3 years of age and completes at the age of 16. The secondary and senior secondary is the most important phase in a student’s life with these years being crucial in terms of setting career goals as they proceed towards university education.

One such finest education system is provided by Jain International Residential School in Bangalore. Founded in 1999 by JGI, JIRS aims to include the holistic development of students from grade IV to XII by enriching the quality of life. A co-educational, residential school of more than 750 students, we set the highest standards of academic achievement, intellectual growth, ethical awareness, behavior, sportsmanship and other good qualities to our students. It is one of the high-ranking residential, coed international schools in Bangalore having CBSE curriculum along with a full-fledged professional sports academy having 18 sports disciplines and over 40 professional coaches. It is a niche residential and global school with premium facilities, luxurious hostels preferred by both the elite as well as traditional families. The school integrates academic focus along with competitive exam coaching, sports, soft skills development, personality development, leadership programs inculcating entrepreneurship spirit, value education, and spiritual growth read more. The school is affiliated to the CBSE, New Delhi and International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) University of Cambridge International Examinations – the United Kingdom. And with over decades of presence, JIRS is the truly global school that opens up wonderful opportunities to its students by providing them international exposure.

While choosing the right school with an appropriate curriculum, the parents must also ensure that the school is not just bound to the academics and also equally focuses on extracurricular activities. And while deciding and selecting the best, parents should also consider the basic elements that can end up making their child skillful and an all-rounder.