Studies and extra-curricular activities go hand in hand at Oaktree International School. Pictures by Sayantan Ghosh

Students and staff from 13 countries, classes with a teacher-pupil ratio of 1:5, futuristic teaching — Bengal’s first school with the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme offers all this and more.

Metro got a first look at the sprawling campus of Oaktree International School on Diamond Harbour Road in Joka.

Campus view

The school is at present using just 10 per cent of its 30-acre area. Single-storey modular structures accommodate the middle and high schools (Class VI upwards). The library and laboratories are ready.

At the heart of the campus is the Circle — a tiled space with flags of 13 countries. “They represent the nationalities of the staff and the students,” said the executive director, Aditya Kumar.

The Circle hosts extra-curricular activities. Art, music, debate, photography and environment clubs are already in place.

The air-conditioned classrooms often have five students or less to a teacher for the optional subjects. Interactive white boards are installed in each, with teachers plugging in their laptops and using audio-visual teaching tools.

Most students now are full or day boarders. Admission is on and day students are also being interviewed. “We do not take in students just because they can pay. They have to match the standard of the rest of the class,” said the director of admission, Anjaly Banarji.

Far and wide

The best thing about being at Oaktree is getting to learn about different cultures, says Martha Zulu, a Class X student from Zambia. Compatriots Monica Zimbo, Felistus Mulenga and Memory Chilcohe reveal how they have picked up bits of Hindi from classmates. “In turn, we have taught them to say Muliohani. That’s ‘how are you?’ in Bemba dialect,” said one.

Selina Hardt could have chosen a school in any English-speaking country near her native Germany to improve her English-speaking skills. “But Europe would not have been the same. I love challenges and I find Indian culture very interesting,” says the girl who has a Bengali maternal grandfather.

Books and beyond

Danielle Mcllven, the British teacher of theatre, was seen coaching students for a masked act. “This is part of the Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) component of the course. In IB, that is integral to the teaching model,” Kumar said.

Nazlie Turker, physics teacher from Turkey and the CAS curriculum coordinator, said: “We have tied up with a home that shelters child abuse victims. They come once a week.”

“We teach them painting and dancing. They teach us Bengali,” said Serbian student Ljubica Stokic.

Learning continues round the clock, often without academic trappings. “After dinner on Mondays, we students have a tech talk. It helps us think,” says Tausif Ahmed, a Grade XI student from Bangladesh and a member of the student council that liaises with the administration on behalf of students.

Man with a plan

Founding principal Paul Regan admits that IB is largely unknown in eastern India. “Prospective guardians are surprised when I tell them that there are about 80 IB schools in India and, in five years, the country is expected to witness the highest growth rate internationally in the IB network.” The school is hosting seminars to raise awareness.

The student strength now is just over 40, with representation from seven countries besides India. “On opening day, I told everyone how Eton College was started with four students and a pet monkey,” he chuckled. The IB certificate of authorisation arrived a month ago.

Road ahead

The all-weather basketball, tennis and volleyball courts will be ready this month. The next target is the residential block, by September. “We are all staying at the nearby Ibiza, Merlin Resorts, and travelling by school bus,” Regan said.

He also wants to set up an Olympic-sized swimming pool soon. “The campus should be fully ready in two years. We will also start golf, archery and horse-riding.”

To balance the bubble effect of being on the campus, the school organises excursions. “The other day we went to Victoria Memorial for a history trip,” the principal said.

The school, which charges Rs 3 lakh a year as tuition fee for Classes VI to VIII and Rs 5 lakh for Class IX and X with separate boarding fees, will also offer scholarships to meritorious students. “We will accept applications from March.”

The IB programme, started for children of United Nations employees, especially suits India as Indians are travelling around the world, said the director of studies and IB coordinator, Absolom Museve. “As the country prospers, more Indians will return from abroad. You can easily transfer your grades from an IB school anywhere in the world,” he said. “For higher studies in the US, it is the preferred school-leaving diploma.”