International School Award 2010-13As published in The Jamshedpur Telegraph of May 25, 2010.

Schools win excellence tag - International accreditation for DBMS, Kerala Samajam

Jamshedpur, May 24: DBMS English School and Kerala Samajam Model School (KSMS) have become the first schools in Jharkhand to bag the International School Award (ISA) accreditation instituted by British Council.

The two schools, which applied for the accreditation last year, were successful in fulfilling the criteria necessary for the recognition. About 90 schools were in the fray for the tag. At present, there are about 150 schools in the country which have got the accreditation, which is valid for three years. The British Council International School Award recognises and celebrates exemplary practices of internationalism in schools.

 

ISA provides a framework for schools to develop an action plan and implement international activities throughout the year. It encourages schools to collaborate and innovate with overseas schools to create a rich learning experience for students through the use of creative pedagogical practices for teachers and real context for learning.

 

“The ISA accreditation has given the schools a platform to share and learn with other partner schools in various countries. Children starting from the age of three-and-a-half-years to 18 years have participated in various projects that were required to meet the stipulated standards,” said Rajani Shekhar, principal of DBMS English School.

Added Nandini Shukla, principal of KSMS: “It was an opportunity to exchange ideas, information and communicate with partner schools abroad. Each class was engaged in some or the other activity which involved research and analysis. The co-ordinators and students mainly communicated through emails with photographs and videos of the projects.”

KSMS partnered eight schools from three countries, UAE, United Kingdom and the US. DBMS partnered 13 schools from Ghana, USA, Scotland, UK and Brazil. The schools had to choose their partner schools from the global gateway, a portal on the British Council website.

KSMS has taken up projects on topics like yoga, water conservation, fibre research and instrumental music, while DBMS took up projects based on varied heads like born free, tie and dye, pancakes, marriages and industrialisation.

“ISA is now being rolled out worldwide and schools across the globe are joining in to celebrate the wonderful diversity of the human race and to bridge the cultural divide for a harmonious future,” said Mrigank Mouli Mukherjee, manager, School Programmes (East India), British Council, Calcutta.

The accreditation includes a trophy and certificate which would be presented at a national-level ceremony and the use of the ISA logo in all the school’s publication/stationery for a period of three years. The award function this year is scheduled in September.