One of the most amazing things about small learning communities is Universality. Within this Universality, the Small Schools Coalition celebrates the cultures and curricula that make each and every small school the world over unique. In this spirit, we are very excited to shine our member spotlight on our newest member, all the way from Indian subcontinent, the Brainsters School!
Much like the United States, India’s public education system is very large. Also very similar to public education in the United States, the Indian public school system’s main goal is economic development. Just like our members here at home, our members abroad value the type of discovery-based learning experiences small schools are known to facilitate. The Brainsters School at Gurdaspur in Punjab, India is no exception to this universal characteristic.
But, and as you are about to see for yourself, what Brainsters offers its students is the epitome of culturally appropriate, community-minded, student-centered learning at its finest!
Get to know the Brainsters School!
We at the Small Schools Coalition have been very privileged to communicate with Brainsters head of school Jatinder Pal Singh. When asked why Brainsters, and small schools across the globe are so badly needed, he shared:
“The deterioration in standards of education has been noticed worldwide over the period of last so many years. It is not about one particular school or about one particular country or region. This problem is prevailing everywhere.
It is a matter of grave concern that this defective teaching system has increased psychological problems in the society to a great extent. The associated risk in an unmonitored environment of large schools cannot be ignored. Large campuses and huge strength of students is proving to be counterproductive and under such systems proper delivery of education is not possible.
It is conventional versus small group education. Conventional system of education is being followed by most of the schools and small group education is only being followed by few institutions of the world where student strength is limited and roundtable teaching is applied for achieving better attention. In our region of Punjab it is only Brainsters School which is following this teaching methodology.”
Socratic Learning Curriculum
Outdoor artistic activities at the Brainsters School – October 26, 2019
The official school name is Brainsters Foundation Schooling, because it provides unmatched, all inclusive, wholesome, continuous and uninterrupted education to our students. This is pure needs-based education with a flexible, adjustable teaching plan at all levels based on each student’s needs.
To facilitate this type of support, Brainsters limits its class size to 15 students. Classes themselves take the form of a Socratic circle of learning around the teacher, which facilitates proper and effective delivery of the educational curriculum.
At Brainsters, students are encouraged to share whatever comes to their mind, and then suitable guidance and counseling is provided to help students take full ownership of their own unique learning experiences.
Brainsters School has a dedicated academic plan for its students rooted in real-world success. Its has shown highly positive results in terms of academic growth . Additionally, Brainsters continuously remains directly and actively connected with its students, which helps in proper mentoring. Most importantly, the Brainsters curriculum meets international standards for primary education.
The Brainsters curriculum is student-oriented because it is geared toward optimizing student learning and growth. At the same time, Brainsters offers a very generous cost structure that allows for families to afford a higher level of education for their children than the public schools provide.
Cultural and Community Based Education
As every small school student, parent, administrator and faculty member understands, culture and community are what makes all of our schools so unique and great. True to form, Jatinder sums up the culture, and cultural significance of a school like Brainsters, in the midst of an educational landscape where culture and community are being forsaken for standardization and consolidation all over the world:
“In the world full of hostility, Brainsters created a place full of love for our children to learn and grow. Our students are taught in a virtuous environment where they experience all the finer values of life. We teach our students to have confidence and pride in their individual existence as every child is a unique creation of master creator. We teach them well at school so that they have adequate time to play at home.”
Join the Small Schools Movement!
Would you like your small learning community showcased in our member spotlight? If you are not yet a member of the Small Schools Coalition, we welcome you to join us totally free-of-charge.
If you are already a member, contact us to discuss how we can provide you with the complimentary platform to show the entire world what makes your small school special!
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