Gangtok, Nov. 13: A Sikkimese couple, who spent the better part of their lives abroad and returned to the state a few years ago, have decided to realise their dream project of running an international school here.

Spread across 35 acres of pristine land in Pangthang and the first-of-its-kind in the state, Taktse International School will begin its academic session from March 2006.

The couple, Wendy Pulger and Loday Chungyalpa, disclosed the decision on Thursday. While Pulger will be the principal of the school, Loday Chungyalpa will act as its chief promoter. The Taktse International School will be a non profit co-educational school with residential and day-boarding facilities at Pangthang, some 10 km above Gangtok.

According to the couple, the curriculum will have international benchmarks giving students global opportunities. Apart from affiliation with Central Board of Secondary Education, the school will also have tie-ups with the primary, middle and senior levels programmes of Cambridge University and the International Baccalaureate, two highly regarded international institutions.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Pulger said: ?The vision was to create and sustain an educational institution of excellence in the region. Such a school can provide leadership in the field of education and collaborate with those dedicated to shape the hearts and minds of the coming generation for a just, compassionate and more equitable world.?

The principal received her Masters degree in international education from Stanford University in California and has worked in the field for over 20 years in schools across the globe.

The school will initially start with grades I to VI and will then be gradually increased to the higher secondary level. ?The curriculum will be rigorous, integrated, interdisciplinary and holistic with an instructional approach designed to promote high student achievement through interactive learning procedures. The approach will be entirely different from the present one,? said Chungyalpa.

Each class in this new school will have a maximum of 28 students so that the teachers can get to know each child well. The school, apart from being residential with first class dormitories having all the amenities of home, will also provide day boarding facilities to students living at a commutable distance.

?The students will be provided with lunch, tea and snacks during the course of the day before they return home in the evenings. This curriculum hopes to achieve a more cohesive student body and accommodate working parents,? he said. ?With changing perceptions in the global world we are planning an alternative approach to education in the present times so that the students are built as rare human capital,? he added.

The school is being built with active support from friends of the couple within Sikkim and their connections abroad who have helped with finances and donations. The land was part of the private estate of the erstwhile Chogyals (ruler of Sikkim) who have donated it for the school.