Institutions in the current times are undoubtedly following suit as the world’s leading colleges incorporate global understanding and exposure in their programmes. It makes sense for young students to have a global perspective in an era of increased international mobility in higher education.
Since its inception in 2016, RBK International School (RBKIS) has constantly been striving to create individuals with a global outlook. It aims for academic excellence for all of its learners; at the same time, it believes in shaping them into individuals who are aware and sensitive towards the world they live in.
With the legacy of thirteen years, RBKIS was rechristened in 2016 as a complete Cambridge school from Grade I to IGCSE and ‘A’ level in the new campus, with the first batch of students taking IGCSE exams in November 2011. All its able trainers and teachers have the potential not only to get the best academic results but also to draw its learners’ creative and sporting potential. RBKIS established itself as a premier institute of learning, providing international quality education.
Providing a Holistic Framework
With the collective experience of RBKIS teachers of more than 400 years, it provides a holistic framework for 21st-century learners. RBK International School, affiliated with internationally recognised CAIE, Cambridge Assessment International Education, offers all qualifications offered to students by CAIE. It is a Complete Cambridge International School, maintaining a continuum from Kindergarten to Cambridge Advanced Programs. The school is among the few schools which offer a wide range of subject choices (34 at IGCSE and Advanced Level) for its learners. As training and development is a never-ending process, the school focuses on the continuous professional development of its staff. In-house training sessions are conducted at regular intervals. The school’s teachers have undertaken professional development courses conducted by Cambridge in order to keep up with the ever-changing facets of the education industry.
The School’s Commitment
RBK International School aims to follow the Cambridge approach to develop competent and compassionate young people who are:
- Confident in working with information and ideas – their own and those of others
- Responsible for themselves, responsive to and respectful of others
- Reflective as learners, developing their ability to learn
- Innovative and equipped for new and future challenges
- Engaged intellectually and socially and ready to make a difference in the world
Creating a Supportive Educational Environment
The mission of the school is to inspire young minds to meet their full potential as learners. Its intent is to create a supportive educational environment that produces self-motivated students and reliable future citizens. The school’s vision is to develop global leaders for tomorrow. It aspires to have students develop into lifelong learners with a sense of purpose, sound moral judgment, and commitment to improving the world.
Inculcating Values in Students
RBKIS believes in inculcating values in the learners, which not only prepares them for the future but shapes them into individuals who work towards making the world a better place.
Finding solutions to problems is a critical trait that the world looks for in leaders, and it should be developed in childhood. Having access to the internet and limitless technology at their fingertips is convenient but not helpful in resourcefulness in pupils. The school works to nurture this trait in children. Activities that challenge their creativity to create something new and push them to think out of the box.
Instilling the Sense of Empathy
Teaching children to value achievement or happiness is similar to caring for others. The school encourages kids’ natural sense of empathy and stresses the importance of caring for others as much as getting good grades. Raising empathetic children is not just good for society; it will also help them to have better emotional intelligence and be more successful.
It’s about having the confidence to voice thoughts and a willingness to respect and relate to the ideas of others. Somewhere between being overly aggressive and painfully timid lies assertiveness. It involves being bold and confident, speaking up when necessary but remaining respectful. It is the necessary building block to mature and develop peaceful relationships between all human beings.
Imbibing Humility
There is an essential balance between having positive self-esteem and remaining humble, which all kids need to learn. In a culture that emphasises praise and validation, ensuring that kids still have humility is crucial. The school imbibes humility in children that can be in harmony with confidence and positive self-esteem. When a child is self-assured, he does not feel inferior to others. Admitting a mistake, not knowing the answer, and being willing to give credit to others are hallmarks of humility, which RBKIS deliberately fosters.
Persistence of Two Decades
Mrs. Rupal Kanakia, Chairperson of RBKEI institutes, is the driving force behind the success of RBK International School.
She is committed to giving people across India access to Education and literacy; she is highly passionate about her vision. Through Education, Mrs. Rupal Kanakia wants to enable today’s women and youth to progress tomorrow. Mrs. Rupal Kanakia started an institution with 30 students in the year 2000 to redefine Education in Mira Bhayandar suburbs. This institution has been well-received by the parent community of Mira Bhayandar ever since it was established two decades ago.
From then on, she went on to start schools at various locations in the country and RBK educational institutions are ranked among the first ten institutions in the Mumbai region. Mrs. Rupal Kanakia had a vision of giving exposure to all the curricula to the young minds in the Mira Bhayandar area. With this vision in mind, RBKEI started with the national curriculum in this area. In 2016, RBKIS became a complete Cambridge curriculum.
Social Service Activities
Students of this school have been creating awareness about the importance of education through social service activities. Through the IAYP program, the learners carry out many social service activities. For this, the school has a tie-up with the Rotaract Club, where the learners carry out a series of social service activities to uplift Education in their locality.
Learners contribute in various ways by distributing stationery, notebooks and other educational activity material to help and motivate children in these areas. They also contribute to the community from a low socioeconomic background by promoting girls’ Education. The school’s staff also conducts awareness sessions for adults from the less privileged class, motivating them to educate their children.
Adapting to Changes
Implementing ‘Virtual Schooling’ was a challenge for the school, and it was one of the few to initiate online classes after the onset of the pandemic. RBKIS had a systematic schedule across all grades, ensuring regular teaching and teacher interaction.
Virtual sessions were arranged with two breaks to ensure limited use of the screen. In case of academic difficulties, learners were given additional support by conducting remedial sessions. Quarterly parent-teacher interactions were conducted virtually. If any parent required any support from the school principal, coordinator, teachers, and administrative department were available to deal with the concern. As per the lockdown restriction, RBKIS supported board learners with safety norms whenever the school got permission.
Cyber safety was a prominent concern during the pandemic. Cyber safety is a part of the regular school curriculum from Grade 6 onwards, and ICT teachers regularly help learners understand its appropriate use. Using child-friendly apps makes it easy and convenient for the child to upload projects, videos and display presentations.
Another challenge that the school faces is in terms of parental expectations. Parents, these days, are interfering more in school activities but, at the same time, are not ready to take responsibility. The school conducts various parent orientation sessions to make them realise that educating a child is a collective responsibility of all stakeholders.
Abundant Activities to Ensure Complete Development
RBKIS strongly believes in the holistic development of learners. Catering to the multiple intelligence and different learning style of the learners, it offers a range of co-curricular and extracurricular activities in the school. Keeping in mind the health and fitness of learners, the school offers SPA activities with a range of sports like Football, Basketball, Lawn tennis, Skating, and Cricket. The school has a playground that supports all the abovementioned activities.
Games like human chess and traditional games of chess for all grades not only help learners think critically, it also makes them sharp and develops problem-solving skills. Keeping in mind the skills developed by playing chess, it is made mandatory for learners of all grades.
Other activities like yoga, music, dance, PE and Brain Gym offered in the school also contribute to their all-around development.
Other activities like yoga, music, dance, PE and Brain Gym offered in the school also contribute to their all-around development.
Literary club
- Public speaking
- Essay writing
- Storytelling
- Newsletter
Tech Club
- Digital Media and Design
- Web Designing
Eco Club
- Horticulture
Performing Arts
- Music
- Dance
- Drama
Fine Arts Club
- Painting
- Craft – Best out of waste
- Calligraphy
- Photography
- Design Club
- Extracurricular activities are organised for the learners to give exposure to different aspects:
Trips
- Educational trips
- Field trips
- Virtual trips (university visit to Cambridge)
The school had master talks from famous personalities like; Kapil Dev from the field of sports, Mr Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, an expert from the field of business and finance, Aditya Thackery talked about being an inspiring leader, and many young entrepreneurs interacted with its learners.
The school counsellor also conducts awareness sessions. The nutritionist of the school conducts health awareness sessions. Sessions related to POCSO are conducted in the school by a professional organisation with which the school has to tie up.
Comprehensive Educational Approach
STREAM is a comprehensive, holistic and unique educational approach integrating Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. It is an integral part of the curriculum of school from pre-primary till Grade 8.
The school has exclusive faculty to teach STREAM, which is a part of the timetable, along with other core subjects. It has a tie-up with another professional organisation to teach artificial intelligence sessions.
As a part of STREAM, the school also runs ‘Design Club’ where the emphasis is on do-it-yourself activities where the students respond to real–world challenges by undertaking a design process, identifying solutions, testing and implementing the solutions to find the most appropriate one.
It is a student-centred learning environment where they learn to be curious, ask questions and discover answers on their own.
The school offers its learners the IAYP (International Award for Young People, also known as The Duke of Edinburgh Award Program). This program focuses on 21st-century skills in the learners like collaboration, communication, global outlook, perseverance, problem-solving and much more.
Introducing Students to Varied Cultures
The school offers online and offline internship programmes for its students in the summer and winter. Online campus tours introduce students to the varied cultures, ways of life, and learning settings of worldwide universities.
The counselling office periodically makes chances for student exchange programmes available, which gives possibilities for interested students the to sign up for group projects, research initiatives, and mentorship programmes, offering them the chance to collaborate with a broad ethnic cohort.
The school also helps its learners participate in international online tournaments and competitions. Organising lecture series by professors and professionals from different fields from worldwide universities, the school helps learners get a broad perspective on the world. It facilitates learners to engage with students at international universities. Interacting with the school’s alums currently employed as professionals in India and abroad also helps them better understand the world around them.
The school also organises international trips for its learners. It also conducts University Fairs with foreign University representatives physically present in the school.
Impeccable Results
The achievements of students and the happiness of the parent community every academic year can ascertain the success of RBK Educational Institutions. In March 2022, Ms Suzanne Fatwani achieved a commendable subject topper for enterprise; she was awarded the Cambridge Outstanding Learner. In July 2022 -RBKIS was awarded as Mid-day Icon for excellence in international school education.
Complying with the Four Pillars of Education
The school advises students in India to comply with the four pillars of Education for the 21st century that Jacques Delors (2001) refers to UNESCO in the form of a report. Students need to be lifelong learners with a never-ending thirst for constantly updating themselves with knowledge. Students should be ready to be not just responsible but a performing citizens of India. They should learn to live together, learn to co-exist to be global citizens with deep-rooted Indian values, learn to emphasise integral learning, being mindful of individual potential and interests.
Developing Global Leaders for Tomorrow
The school envisions the future through the eyes of its young director, Ms. Niyati Kanakia, who believes that opportunities are provided through a balanced academic program to enable a student to do brilliant things. She is determined to create a world-class atmosphere for learning that is balanced and encouraging.
Ms. Niyati Kanakia strives to usher young learners onto the path of learning eternal values and develop them to reach the best of their potential.
The school believes in developing global leaders for tomorrow and aspires to have students develop into lifelong learners who excel in all fields, i.e. academics, sports, performing arts, and visual arts, with a sense of purpose and moral judgment. The school aspires to encourage diversified and unique talents. It believes in educating learners for life, who will be compassionate individuals willing to contribute their best to society.
