SGVP International School, Ahmedabad
The k-XII Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul Vishwavidya Pratishthannam International School is an initiative to blend India’s cultural heritage with the pedagogies and technologies of the West
Located on a 52-acre campus in Chardoli, 22 km from Ahmedabad, the SGVP (Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul Vishwavidya Pratishthannam) International School (estb. 1999) is yet another initiative to blend India’s rich cultural and spiritual heritage with contemporary education pedagogies and technologies of the West, to offer holistic secondary (kindergarten-class XII) education. SGVP International is a constituent institution of the Rajkot-based Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul, a charitable trust constituted in 1948 by well-known seer Shastriji Maharaj Shree Dharmajivandasji Swami (1901-1988) to propagate India’s ancient cultural heritage, offer value-based education and preserve the time-honoured gurukul system of education. The trust’s first gurukul (school) was promoted in Rajkot in 1948 with a student enrollment of seven. Currently the Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul runs 10 schools across the country with an aggregate student enrollment of 2,850.
"India has a valuable cultural and spiritual heritage which accords prime importance to value-based mind and spirit education. The objective behind the promotion of SGVP International is to combine the best academic and scholastic pedagogies from around the world with India’s rich spiritual endowment. Students at SGVP learn not only English, math and science but also how to develop spiritually. Therefore we follow the tenets of the ancient
gurukul system of education where the learner is the focus of the teaching process with the teacher discharging the role of facilitator and spiritual guide. Central to the school’s education philosophy is character development of students through education rooted in righteous conduct and spirituality," says Dr. Surendra Dass, an alumnus of Meerut University who took charge as principal of this state-of-the-art 21st century school in June 2006.
Sited on a lush green campus ornamented with gardens, shady bowers, intricately carved idols of the Hindu pantheon and palatial buildings with majestic Gothic portals embellished with exquisite engravings, SVGP has 800 students, of whom 444 are boarders, on its muster rolls. This boys’ school which has a faculty of 84, offers students the option to write the class X and XII examinations of the Delhi-based Council of Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) and/ or the Cambridge International Examinations (CIE), UK. Moreover SGVP is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, USA and the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation, USA.
"At SGVP we have progressed well beyond chalk and talk pedagogies. We employ contemporary experiential learning, brain mapping and co-operative learning to develop multiple intelligences. To this end we have set up an in-house training and develop-ment wing to enable teachers to develop innovative teaching methodologies and learning materials. Thus there is constant innovation and improvisation of curriculum and pedagogies happening at SGVP," adds Dass.
Yet undoubtedly the USP (unique selling proposition) of SGVP is the school management’s emphasis on life-skills and spiritual learning. Students not only have the opportunity to develop life skills by participating in assorted extra-curricular activities such as drama, elocution, painting, music, and environment protection, they are also exposed to spiritual discourses by saints and philosophers of high repute. Sanskrit scholars recite and teach mantras and lecture through the year on the relevance of values and spirituality in contemporary life.
Certainly the SGVP management has spared no effort in providing an enabling environment for students. On campus is a library equipped with over 14,000 volumes; a computer lab with 84 PCs and 24x7 internet facility, two swimming pools, children’s park and a wellness centre-cum-medical clinic. The sports and games infrastructure includes facilities for cricket, football, basketball, volleyball, handball, tennis, skating, badminton, horse riding, carom, chess, table tennis and billiards. Moreover students have the option to participate in a variety of clubs such as arts and crafts, music, literary, ecology, health, science, social studies and maths.
The two hostels on campus can accommodate 600 students from classes VI-XII. Students are lodged in suites (eight per room) offering study and recreation facilities.
Not surprisingly within the western sea-board state of Gujarat (pop. 50 million) which for the past half century has neglected to encourage English medium schools, SGVP International has quickly acquired an enviable reputation for providing modern academic education supplemented with spiritual development. The school has 750 students from states across India and 50 NRI students.
"The organisational goal of SGVP International is to acquire the reputation of a secondary school which provides world class academic education combined with sports and spirituality. We intend to establish a model institute of education and research which will also provide distance education in subjects such as child care and elementary education. Plans to set up a science park on the school campus are also on our drawing-board," says Dass.
Quite obviously the SGVP management is determined to make up for Gujarat’s lost opportunities by establishing itself as a preferred secondary education institution for students worldwide.
Admission and fees SGVP International School is a boys’ only kindergarten-class XII school, affiliated with the Council of Indian School Certificate Examinations and Cambridge International Examinations, UK. Admission forms are issued in December every year. There are no entrance tests for kindergarten and admission is through a lottery system. For admission into other classes there is a mandatory admission test. Tuition fees (per annum) KG: Rs. 31,000
Class I-V: Rs.30,000
Class VI-VII: Rs.37,000
Class VIII-X: Rs.91,000 including hostel fees
Class XI-XII: Rs.96,500 including hostel charges Moreover all students are liable to pay a non-refundable admission fee of Rs.30,000. For further information write to SGVP International School, S.G. Highway, SVP Circle, Chardoli, Ahmedabad 382481, Gujarat. Tel: 91 2717242138/ 39. E-mail: admin@sgvp.org. |
Summiya Yasmeen
York University, Canada
Canada’s third largest university (estb. 1959) enjoys a global reputation for academic excellence. In particular it has developed 21 excellent research centres
With a student enrollment of 50,000 including 33,000 undergrads, York University is Canada’s third largest varsity and enjoys a global reputation for academic excellence and research. Founded in 1959 and spread across four campuses in Toronto, York offers perhaps the broadest range of undergrad, postgrad and diploma programmes in Canada — over 5,000 — across ten faculties including arts, science and engineering, business, fine arts, health, environment studies, law, education and liberal and professional studies. It has also developed 21 excellent research centres with a successful record of attracting substantial grants. Every year York professors and postgraduate students receive more than C$8.2 million (Rs.30 crore) in funding from the federal government’s Social Science & Humanities Research Council, and more than C$9.1 million (Rs.33 crore) from the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council.
Little wonder Lorna S. Marsden, president and vice-chancellor of the university is enthused about its academic culture and reputation. "York offers an unparalleled academic experience. Our top-ranked programs set international standards, with our unique, interdisciplinary approach to learning permitting students to combine majors in completely different fields. York’s diverse curriculums and faculty expand the horizons of students, providing them with a broad perspective that opens up new ways of thinking. And our research tackles challenges by taking a uniquely interdisciplinary approach that results in real-world solutions," she says.
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oronto. Canada’s largest city, Toronto (pop. 4.6 million) is also the country’s financial and cultural hub. Over 100 languages and dialects are spoken in Toronto and 49 percent of the city’s residents were born outside Canada. The streets teem with cafes, restaurants, bookstores, art galleries and museums and the vibrant city boasts four major sports teams, a national ballet and opera companies, a renowned symphony orchestra, and the world’s third largest English language theatre centre.Toronto is well-served by an extensive and affordable public transportation system — the second-largest in North America after New York — and is within driving distance of a number of American cities including Washington, Chicago, Boston and New York. Set on the shores of Lake Ontario, Toronto has a long winter (about five months, November-April) when temperatures dip below freezing point and a four-month summer (June-September) when temperatures average between 15ºC-25ºC.
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ampus facilities. York University has four campuses in Toronto — Keele, Glendon, Miles S. Nadal and Osgoode Hall. Constructed on 550 acres in north Toronto, the Keele campus offers extensive modern facilities and a wide range of extra-curricular activities to 4,400 graduate students and 33,500 undergraduates. Housing eight of York’s nine undergrad faculties, the Keele campus boasts 40-plus restaurants and cafeterias, a shopping mall, banks, a medical and dental clinic, five libraries, art galleries, and theatres. The Glendon campus, where study programmes are offered in English and French, hosts 1,700 undergrad students. Glendon’s park-like campus is only minutes away from the boutiques, restaurants and nightlife of mid-town Toronto. The Schulich School of Business’ Miles S. Nadal Management Centre in downtown Toronto offers executive development as well as the part-time MBA and MPA (management of public affairs) programmes. Also in downtown Toronto is the fourth campus of York University: Osgoode Hall Law School Professional Development Centre, which offers skills upgradation programmes to qualified lawyers.
York’s libraries, spread over five buildings on four campuses, contain over 6.5 million items — books, print periodicals, theses, archival materials, micro-forms, maps, films and music CDs. Together they house more than 2.5 million books and subscribe to 13,000 electronic journals.
The intellectual, cultural and social life of York U is arguably the richest in Canada with the varsity offering 225 student clubs and organisations; two student-run publications and three broadcast programmes; two art galleries; 33 on-campus eateries and a retail mall.
In terms of extra-curricular education York offers superb facilities including a stadium, four gymnasia, five field sport grounds, four softball fields, nine outdoor tennis courts, five squash courts, three dance/ aerobic studios, an ice arena, a swimming pool and an expanding fitness centre.
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dmission. The minimum eligibility criterion for admission into York’s undergrad programmes is a first class in Plus Two/ class XII (CBSE’s All India Senior School Certificate or CISCE’s Indian School Certificate). However some faculties may demand specific qualifications. Applicants for admission should send the application form together with the application fee of C$30 (Rs.1,110); official academic transcripts of secondary and post secondary school; proof of language proficiency (TOEFL or IELTS scores), and any other supplementary information. For further information write to the Office of Admissions, Bennett Centre for Student Services, 99 Ian MacDonald Blvd, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3J 1P3. Tel: 416-736-5000; Fax: 416-736-5536; e-mail: yiip@yorku.ca; website: www.yorku.ca.A
ccommodation. York University offers housing to undergraduate students at the Keele and Glendon campuses. At Keele there are eight halls of residence while Glendon offers two. Most residences are designed in traditional style with comfortably furnished double and single rooms and access to common lounges and shared washrooms. At the Keele campus there are also suite-style residences which feature en suite kitchen and washroom facilities. All buildings are co-ed, but some have all-female or all-male floors or sections. All residence buildings are equipped for high-speed internet access and telephone service with voicemail and call waiting facilities.D
egree programmes. York University offers a wide range of undergrad and postgrad programmes spread across ten faculties (see box). The university has signed up more than 150 partnership agreements with higher education institutions around the world to facilitate academic collaboration including exchange of students and faculty. Moreover with 21 research centres, York is one of the most highly valued and sought-after institutions by research students worldwide.
Scholastic options at York York University offers more than 5,000 courses across ten faculties. They include: Arts; Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies; Education; Environmental Studies; Fine Arts; Glendon; Graduate Studies; Osgoode Hall Law School; Schulich School of Business, and Science & Engineering. For a detailed list of programmes visit www.yorku.ca.Bill of costs at York (Cdn$) Tuition fee:15,065-15,265
Textbooks and supplies: 1,000-1,500
Residence (on-campus): 3,793
Personal expenses: 2,200
Meal plan: 1,400-2,400 Total: 23,458-25,158 NB Cdn $=Rs.37 |
Summiya Yasmeen