Indian Boarding Schools: Overview Of The Trio World Academy

The Trio World Academy is a coeducational International Day, and Boarding School established in 2007. It is located in Sahakara Nagar, Bangalore. It is managed by the Krishnamurti Foundation. It hosts 900 students drawn from more than 28 countries. Its motto “We encourage learning” plays out in the various facilities and services present in the institution as part of the student experience. All these are aimed at facilitating the harmonious development of the entire being-spiritual, social and academic.

The curriculum

Trio offers international curricula to provide education that transcends boundaries. It aims to provide student-focused learning. It, therefore, seeks to adapt learning to the individual needs of every learner instead of the "one size fits all approach. " This differential learning model ensures that no child is left behind during the learning process and that the need of every one is catered for. The school encourages experiential learning and has established well modern, well-equipped laboratories to that effect. The curriculum also promotes inquiry-based learning. Some of the envisioned outcomes of the curriculum are Self-initiative, responsibility, leadership, creativity, intellectual curiosity, self-awareness, ingenuity, and innovation. Child protection and safety measuresThe school has instituted many measures aimed at ensuring the students are safe and secure at all times. These measures include:

• CCTV cameras installed at various strategic points within the campus to monitor security threats,
• Fire extinguishers, Smoke detectors and fire alarms in all the classrooms
• Psychological counseling is available to students at all times. This is crucial for the mental health of the student body.
• Additionally, criminal background verification conducted on all staff ensures relieves the parents of the fears that their children may be in shaky hands. Apart from playing the practical role of keeping the students safe, these measures serve to engrain a culture of safety that the students can apply at home or and in the future work environment.

The code of conduct

The school's code of conduct is in line with its holistic paradigm. Stated to be highly valued within the campus and beyond, it stresses the need for kindness, keeping schedules, environmental hygiene, respect and courtesy, self-drive, safety, open-mindedness, responsible use of electronic devices and. Adherence to this code by the students and the rest of the school community has the potential to maintain cordiality, order, and efficiency. This has positive implications for the wider society.

Community service

The school has undertaken several community service programs. These are aimed at encouraging the students to reach outside of themselves, to impress upon their minds their role on the broader society as well as on the global scale and to develop their personality holistically. By being thus imbued with the sense of their responsibility, their confidence is also boosted, and they feel valued in the society. It also imparts upon them leadership skills, promotes comradeship and team effort and helps them to discover and exercise their talents and abilities. The students have undertaken flood relief programs, campus cleaning initiatives, charity work, activism, collaborations. These are all underpinned by the philosophy of mutual interdependence, synergy, personal effort.

Environmental awareness

The Trio Curriculum trains the students to have a worldview of the impact of climate change and the need for concerted effort to preserve the environment. To this effect, the school has collaborated with NGOs such as Reap Benefit to help the students become more environmentally conscious. The school’s Wildlife Club addresses environmental conservation, wildlife protection, and related topics. International-mindednessThe school has rich cultural diversity, hosting students from several countries. These are variously catered for using a different method based on the languages spoken by the students. The multi-cultural setting also provides a unique opportunity for the students to experience the ways of life of other people different than them. This is crucial for mutual acceptance and understanding. It also enables the students to fit into a world that is undergoing rapid globalization. The school's Model United Nations (MUN) broadens the students' understanding of the United Nation's work through its various organs. Through mock sessions, they are brought into contact with global issues such as food security, equality, and human rights. Extracurricular activityIn keeping up with its vision of holistic development, Trio provides opportunities for extracurricular activities such as a variety of games including basketball, football, board games, taekwondo, and swimming. These help the students remain physically fit, build their confidence, improve their discipline and train them in perseverance.

Apart from games, drama, cookery, music, art, gardening and clay modeling are also offered. These are crucial for self-esteem, stress relief, building teamwork, enhancing creativity and innovation, communication and leadership among others. Information and Technology Program (ICT)Trio has adopted Information Technology which exposes the students to new modes of learning. Through an incremental process, the students are progressively brought into contact with the world of information technology. Through the use of i-pads with pre-loaded learning material, interactive lessons and games, students get a chance to learn in an exciting way. This also encourages creativity apart from exposing learners to a wide volume of resources. They also open avenues for-cross-curricular and cross-user collaboration. The students are also able to appreciate the role of information technology in the modern era and its broad application in the areas of commerce, administration, research, Parents are also able to monitor their children's school information such as performance and homework schedules. This encourages a collaborative effort between the learner, the parent, and teachers that work for the ultimate good of the student.

The Student Council

The representative body of students is a training ground for future leaders and prepares the students for active participation in the wider society. It encourages decorum, regard for the rule of law, integrity, discipline, and democracy. At home and beyond, the students can practice these traits towards the betterment of society. Case Study 2Rishi Valley Education CentreThe school was established by philosopher J. Krishnamurti in 1926. It is situated in the Indian countryside. In ideology, it envisions the development of students not only in intellectually but in other dimensions of their being also. This is in line with the vision of its founder. It is located in a remote valley, set amidst the ambiance of sheltered hills. New infrastructural additions, an ever-increasing student and staff population, pioneering educational program innovations and a curriculum that is under regular review are some of the phases that have characterized the growth of the institution.

The curriculum

The relationship between the teachers and students is marked with informality and cordiality. This breeds trust and builds the confidence of the students. It also encourages collaborative learning. The curriculum is under continual revision which prevents it from being rigid. The teaching is student-focused, and the management is focused on the all-round development of the student. The school uses a combination of teaching methods as part of its student-centric focus to accommodate the vast array of student abilities. Apart from the classroom lessons, the curriculum also offers experiential and explorative learning through outdoor activities and field trips that lay stress on contact with nature and appreciation of the local context of the school. Apart from the benefits gained by the students, this improves the relationship between the student body and the community. In the senior classes, a mix of audio-visual media resources, laboratory work and discussions also ensure that the learners are self-driven in the pursuit of knowledge actively seek knowledge and are more self-aware.

Co-curricular activity

Facilities are available for the practice of sports and games such as football, basketball, and tennis. These provide an opportunity for the development of athletic talent. Arts and crafts, drama, and various clubs such as Journalism and Astronomy are available as a balance to academic teaching.

Students are also accorded the opportunity to engage in Arts and Crafts through such activities as batik, pottery, carpentry, and drawing. These enable the students to acquire skills that they could later form the basis of entrepreneurial. The house system of residency facilitates out-of-class interaction between teachers and students. It also fosters cooperation, sharing, and self-restraint.

The absence of the prefect system inculcates independence, self-restraint and mutual goodwill. It also encourages goodwill, camaraderie, respect and collective good. The serene, picturesque and pollution-free situation of the school offers a conducive natural environment for the proper growth and development of children. Learners are encouraged to interact with the environment.

Conservation efforts

Rishi Valley Education Centre carries out conservation work in water conservation, alternative energy such as biogas and solar power, reforestation, soil conservation and development of wastelands. The Centre has donated land for the construction of water reservoirs. These have helped restore significant portions of the deforested hillside as well as provided water for agricultural activities for the local community. The regenerated slope also provides fodder for the livestock and provides wood fuel. The Centre has an Institute for Bird Studies and Natural History. Apart from monitoring the local bird population, it offers an Ornithology course. The Centre has designed an environmental crisis program that highlights the broader implication of environment on humanity such as its association with food insecurity and rising poverty levels. Rishi Valley Education Centre now forms part of the Rishi Valley Special Development Area which was established to maintain the local ecological diversity, cultural heritage and foster the community-centered, sustainable conservation of Rishi Valley. The school has created green spaces within the school with such aims in mind. The green spaces have resulted from collaboration with the villagers, and they have a voice in their management. These initiatives have helped broaden the perspective of the students in the areas of, environmental conservation, individual responsibility, and team effort, sustainability and leadership. The community has also benefited.

Global outlook

The Centre has undertaken collaboration with the University of Regensburg in Germany and the University of Metz in France as part of its goal to foster a global perspective, knowledge exchange across diverse cultures and leveraging on differential capacities. Through exposure to global issues such as climate change, food security, the role of women in society and ICT, the learners can build a positive worldview.