Indus International School Bangalore

Enveloped in an emerald 40 acre campus along Sarjapur Road, Bangalore’s IT artery, Indus International School implements a new age curriculum that addresses lacunae in the education system and prepares its students for the challenges of a knowledge economy. The pivotal idea that drives the school is leadership.

The school’s mission is spearheaded by Lt Gen (Retd) Arjun Ray, CEO of the Indus Trust and winner of the Param Vashist Seva medal, the highest award in the armed forces for distinguished service. He believes, “We need a transformation in the goal of education. Education must empower students to become independent, creative and lifelong learners. In this new structure, the onus of learning would shift from the teacher to the student.”

Indus International School, Bangalore, was set up in July 2003 on these ideological foundations and provides the International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes from Early Years to Grade 12.

As a fillip to this philosophy, Indus International School promotes a learning model that uses both online and off-line techniques, integrating academics, creativity and character building.

The facilities to support this model are extensive – a wi-fi enabled campus, a well-stocked learning resource centre, an integrated sports complex, and an outdoor track and field stadium. An amphitheatre amidst lush gardens serves as a platform for budding artists, and students can go horse riding if the mood dictates.

Students are familiarised with emerging technologies and relevant issues that extend from biotechnology and ecology to entrepreneurship and technology. By August 2009 the school will be Asia’s first one-laptop-per-child school. Community based activities form part of school learning to build qualities of citizenship, compassion and empathy

The curriculum helps nurture each child’s specific intelligence, and with a teacher to child ratio of 1:9, tutors are able to focus on developing a child’s skill set and emotional intelligence along seven parameters - integrated value system, leadership within the community, empowerment, ability to make the right choice, maximise intelligence potential, balance between creativity and skills, and self-imposed discipline.

Sarojini Rao, the current principal has been in the forefront of setting up of the school – classroom design, selection and training of faculty and development of curriculum. The school’s present brand is largely due to her guidance and vision.

Leadership is the central idea dictating the school’s mission, as Sarojini Rao explains, “Unless a person can lead himself, he or she cannot lead others. The school’s leadership curriculum is designed to develop the child’s potential and entrepreneurial spirit through risk-taking and innovation.”

Sarojini Rao, Principal, Indus International School

An exclusive Leadership Institute is being set up on the outskirts of Bangalore for teachers and students of all Indus schools. More schools bearing the Indus insignia will be opened in Hyderabad and Pune in August 2008, and a second one in North Bangalore.