Good Shepherd International, which sprawls across 180 acres in scenic Ooty, has broken the triopoly of vintage American international schools and has been declared #1 in this glamour category, albeit jointly with Woodstock, Mussoorie

In the glamorous wholly residential section of the international schools category, the vintage Woodstock School, Mussoorie (estb.1852), Kodaikanal International School (KIS, estb.1931) and Hebron, Ooty (estb.1899) promoted by American missionaries in India’s most scenic hill stations, dominated the EducationWorld league tables ab initio.

But in the new millennium, several newly-promoted superbly equipped primary-secondaries affiliated with offshore examination boards such as IBO (Geneva) and CIE (UK) have captured the imagination of upper crust households countrywide. But most of them have been promoted as day-cum-boarding schools which since 2013, are rated and ranked in separate dedicated league tables.

However last year, the wholly residential CISCE (Delhi), CIE (UK) and IBO (Geneva)-affiliated Good Shepherd International School (GSIS), which sprawls across 180 acres in Ooty (“queen of hill stations”), Tamil Nadu, broke the American triopoly to be jointly ranked #2 with KIS. This year, the informed EW-C fore sample respondents have declared GSIS India’s #1 international residential school, albeit jointly with Woodstock, Mussoorie.

“I am delighted that your sample respondents have acknowledged GSIS’ sustained effort of the past four decades to provide our students globally comparable primary-secondary education, enriched with excellent pastoral care and co-curricular and sports education. This recognition is timely as we have launched a major capacity expansion project to create facilities for an additional 600 students on an adjoining campus. In GSIS we take pride in benchmarking ourselves with the worlds best international schools and our #1 India ranking is assurance that we are progressing in the right direction”, says P.C. Thomas, founder-principal of GSIS, who together with wife Elsamma has studiously resisted numerous offers to expand the footprint of GSIS under partnership and franchise models. “All of our efforts and expertise are invested in GSIS, which we are determined to develop into Asia’s most respected English-medium international school”, adds Thomas.

The ascent of GSIS to apex position in the league table of India’s best international residential schools and #1 in Tamil Nadu (pop.78 million), has dislodged the states two vintage international boarding schools – Kodaikanal International School and Hebron School, Ooty – from their former exalted positions. KIS is ranked second nationally and in Tamil Nadu and Hebron is #4 in India and #3 in the state.

However Ian McCabe, head of human resources and alumni relations at Hebron, is not unsatisfied with the schools #4 all-India ranking for four years consecutively. “We are quite happy to be in the Top 5 table which is an indicator that we have been able to maintain excellent teaching-learning standards which explains our outstanding academic results. Hebron’s greatest strength is student diversity with our 356 students coming from 26 countries around the world. Likewise, half of our 68 teachers are from overseas and bring valuable international experience and perspective. This internationalism combined with excellent co-curricular and sports education has enabled Hebron to remain a top-table school for over a century”, says McCabe.

Unsurprisingly given their high (by Indian standards) tuition and residence fees, the league table of international residential schools affiliated with respected offshore examination boards, comprises a mere nine institutions. But within this tiny community, there’s been a major rearrangement of seating at the top table with MIT Vishwashanti Gurukul, Pune promoted to #5 (7 last year) while the low-profile Cathedral Vidya School, Lonavala (Maharashtra) has retained its #6 position.

Venu Gopal, principal of the CIE (UK) and IBO (Geneva)-affiliated Vishwashanti Gurukul (estb.2006), is enthused by this K-12 schools steady rise in the public esteem. “This higher ranking in our tenth anniversary year has boosted the morale of teachers and students. Its very encouraging that the globally benchmarked teaching-learning and pastoral care systems we have set up are getting public approval. We are one of 16 schools worldwide to be selected for the Cambridge Leadership for Learners programme to improve learning outcomes. Our focus on developing well-rounded students cognisant of their Indian cultural heritage but with a global outlook has contributed to our rising reputation within the informed public”, says Gopal, an alumnus of Andhra University who signed up as a maths teacher in 2006 and was promoted to the office of principal in 2014.

Currently, the school has 700 students mentored by 100 teachers on its muster rolls.

To view EW India International Residential Schools Rankings visit  https://www.educationworld.in/rank-school/all-cities/international-school/residential/2016.html