Village Community Schools/Global Pathways School

On June 1st 2009 a new school called Global Pathways school opened in the village of Chettipalayam, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. (Map) This is the first school in India to be supported by VCS a newly formed Canadian registered charity based in Toronto, Canada.

The project administrator is Sunbeam Viswanath of Podanur, Coimbatore who has had over 25 years of experience as an administrator of an orphanage in Coimbatore. The school will be under the direction of two experienced Canadian educators, BGZ and BG who are volunteering their knowledge and expertise as heads of The York School, an IB school in Toronto. The funding for the project is being led by Theresa and Seth Mersky of Toronto and donations are being received from Canada and India as well as other parts of the world to ensure that this is a sustainable project for the future. A board has been formed in both Canada and India.

The school has started with kindergarten and standard one classes and will progress to standard eight over a five year period. The eventual goal is to take the school to standard twelve. The school provides a nutritious, cooked meal for children at midday which is cooked on the premises of Jacob’s House, a home for the aged. The language of instruction is English and the curriculum covers the core subjects of math, English, Tamil, social studies and science as well as music, art dance and physical education. It combines activity-based learning with an inquiry approach based on the directors’ experience as International Baccalaureate practitioners. The classrooms are well equipped with a variety of material ensuring that each child will have the opportunity to progress at their own level. This is particularly important for those children with special needs who require additional, individual support. Assessment and evaluation is an ongoing process to ensure progress in learning and the results are carefully documented. Based on this approach, the two directors have, over the last two years, established successful classrooms at an orphanage in Podanur. These classrooms integrated disabled and mainstream students together. It is hoped that this school in Chettipalayam will become a model of excellence education.

Two teachers have been hired for each of the present classrooms. During the hiring process it was decided that only candidates who were fluent in English would be considered. These teachers have received initial training from the directors who also provide ongoing professional development in the classroom. Once the school has acquired land it will be in a position to apply for affiliation with the Indian Central Board of Secondary Education. It is hoped that teachers from International Baccalaureate schools in Canada and India will volunteer their services. A strong connection has already been made with Kodaikanal International School in the hill country of Tamil Nadu. In the past year, the directors have established contact with educators and organizations in India, primarily focused on inclusion in education such as Akanksha, National Resource Centre for Inclusion and Muktangan in Mumbai as well Vidya Vanam, a school for tribal children near Coimbatore and Children’s Garden School in Chennai. These organizations have offered their ongoing help and information.

Global Pathways is closely aligned and working alongside Jacob’s House another organization which has recently opened in Chettipalayam and provides a home for elderly people who have no family support. The two organizations have created a unique opportunity to link the elderly and the young in mutually supportive ways.