Riding on a fad

International schools in the city are widely seen flouting rules and operating without playgrounds and basic facilities

An international school brings together the best educational practices from all over the world. But in today’s world, every lane, by-lane that you drive through in the city will have you witness at least one international school per lane. There are certain norms that these schools have to abide by, but most of them flout the rules. Many such schools were found to be operating without possessing a building safety certificate from the PWD or a fire safety certificate from the state fire and emergency service.

A five-storey building, with no parking space converted into an International school, that’s the reality on the ground. A member from the school inspection committee says “The school authorities fail to take due permission from the concerned state departments and agencies in spite of being affiliated to the central board.” The one area where international schools have different regulations is the examination board. They are assessed by international board of examination.

When permission is granted to open an international school, this is the permission they receive from the local government that their curriculum and assessments will be subject to, and according to a board that is outside the country. Only the curriculum sets them apart, but many schools operating under the umbrella of ‘international schools’ do not meet the basic criteria. A few schools also lack playgrounds for the physical development of students. Extra-curricular activities are held in the cellar; about 60 to 70 students are cluttered into a single classroom.

One of the schools does not even have space to park its school buses, holding up traffic in the area. The principal of a budding international school in the city says, “Parents and students will inevitably go to schools where better education is provided including good values and global mobility. We do not have space to conduct outdoor activities but we do engage our students in indoor activities. Our advertisements clearly mention the premises in which we function and the facilities provided at our school .So the decision rests with the parents to admit their child or not.”

However, parents say that they pick international schools for their standards and also the syllabus offered. “We want our children to learn in a smart environment where everything is not theoretical; children understand better when lessons are taught practically. Not having sports activities is not a concern, but they should provide quality education,” expressed Madhavi, a parent. For some, it’s the distance that drives them to these international schools.

Lakshmi, mother of two kids says, “My children are very young, this school is right in my colony and adding to that it’s an International school, so why seek an admission elsewhere when this can save us the travel time.” From now on, to operate in India, international schools will have to procure an affiliation from a national or state board.

The National University of Education Planning and Administration (NUEPA) has mentioned that international schools currently do not follow National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) or any state board curriculum.The principal of an international school stated that the government has no power over what these foreign boards are teaching to Indian students. “We are not under the purview of the education policy of the state government. We have our own education policy to adhere to.”

By:Navatha Y