Page 98 - EW December 2020

Cover Story EW INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS RANKINGS 2020-21

INDIA’S MOST ADMIRED INTERNATIONAL

RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS

Affiliated with offshore
school-leaving examination
boards, international
residential schools are the
country’s most prestigious
(and expensive) primary-
secondaries sprawled across
expansive campuses in
scenic hill stations

anked separately in an
exclusive category since
2013, international
Rresidential schools are
the country’s most prestigious (and
expensive) primary-secondaries.
Sprawled across expansive Woodstock, Mussoorie’s Craig Cook (left rear): internationalism satisfaction
campuses — usually in scenic hill
stations — these elite residential Good Shepherd International tional Baccalaureate, Geneva.
schools affiliated with offshore School, Ooty (estb.1977), which “We are delighted to have retained
school-leaving examination boards dominates the ancient hill station of our #1 international residential
such as Cambridge International Ootacamund (aka Ooty) down south school ranking of 2019-20 in this
(UK), International Baccalaureate in Tamil Nadu, which was jointly year of huge teaching-learning chal-
(Geneva/The Hague) and College ranked #1 with Woodstock. In the lenges posed by the global Covid-19
Board (USA), offer globally past four years however, Woodstock pandemic. Though I am gratified
comparable holistic education, has regained its #1 ranking in the with our high scores on all the survey
and advanced pastoral care and international residential schools parameters, the one which resonates
counseling services. league table. the most is our highest score for
Right from the start, this category This year, the 11,368 sample re- internationalism. I am especially
has been dominated by the country’s spondents polled by the Delhi-based pleased that Woodstock is ranked
two vintage schools affiliated with IB market research company C fore have #1 on this parameter across all
(Geneva) — Woodstock School, once again voted the 168-year-old categories of international schools
Mussoorie (estb.1852) and Kodai- Woodstock #1 in this category and because we are truly international
kanal International School (KIS, top-ranked it on ten of the 12 param- with a student body cutting across
estb.1901) — promoted by American eters of education excellence includ- cultures, convictions and religious
education missionaries. For two ing teacher competence, academic faiths. Students learn from each
consecutive years in 2013 and 2014, reputation, curriculum and pedagogy other and their teachers in a way that
KIS was voted the #1 international (including digital readiness) and in- brings out the best in humanity. I’m
residential school, and Woodstock ternationalism. Sited high on a 250- proud that students who graduate
was top ranked in 2015 and 2016. acre sylvan campus in the Himalayan from Woodstock invariably become
The hegemony of these two institu- foothills, Woodstock offers its 450 true global citizens, with a worldview
tions was broken in 2016 by the students the early, middle years and which transcends borders, and an
home-grown, superbly equipped diploma programmes of the Interna- inherent desire to serve the whole of

98 EDUCATIONWORLD DECEMBER 2020