SNIS Promotes International Mindedness

30 Nov SNIS Promotes International Mindedness

I am a student from a semi-urban place and wholeheartedly preferred to study at Sharanya Narayani International School, one of the best international schools in Bangalore, which follows the IB Primary Years Programme (IBPYP). In our school, we are being taught international mindedness through different ways that have made me accept and respect others’ perspectives.

International mindedness is a concept used within the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme model.  It means understanding, respecting, and valuing different cultures. It helps us accept diversity by acknowledging and understanding others perspectives. As students of SNIS, one of the top international schools in Bangalore, we understand that there is unity in diversity.

Being the one of the best boarding schools in Bangalore, in SNIS, we learn international mindedness through the display of celebrations within and outside the country in the form of assemblies. We share our knowledge with the whole school creatively through skits, dance, and songs. As one of the best international and residential schools in Bangalore, SNIS incorporates various co-curricular and extracurricular activities that enable us to exhibit our learning in the form of art, culture, and music. Recently, we had an assembly by Grade 10 students on World Diabetes Day that spread awareness about the causes and effects of Diabetes and ways to prevent contracting the disease. I learned that in comparison with other countries, India ranks second after China in the global diabetes epidemic with 77 million people with diabetes.  We also had a knowledge-sharing session by Grade 4 students where they presented information about France and its culture, as part of their inquiry. These activities have enabled us to gain knowledge about a different culture and respect it.

In our school, we learn things through the inquiry method. We start by tuning ourselves into the unit by reading the available information in the books and internet. Then we discuss our understanding by splitting the unit into small pieces within a group of 4, in which we research, discuss, and exhibit our ideas about the unit, through different ways like writing, models, dance, music. At the end, we reflect on the unit and the things we learned by taking part in various activities and contributing our learnings in real life. This process of learning has broadened my view on each unit, not by limiting myself, but by considering others perspectives equally. At SNIS, which is both an IGCSE and IB school in Bangalore, we have students from other countries and cultures. The school also promotes international mindedness by offering foreign languages. We also teach international students our country’s language, which makes them understand our culture.  I have learned to be aware of our similarities and differences with others and to respect both.

To conclude, SNIS aims to develop internationally minded people who are ready to recognize their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet to create a better and more peaceful world.

By Sugamya K R (Grade 5A)