Q1. Which curriculums do Global Indian International Schools (GIIS) offer?
A. GIIS schools presently offer 3 curriculums namely, the Geneva based International Baccalaureate (www.ibo.org ), University of Cambridge’s IGCSE (www.cie.org.uk) and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)(www.cbse.nic.in )
Q2. How do I know which curriculums are offered by the GIIS school in my city/country?
A. The curriculums are specific to every GIIS school and may vary from school to school. Curriculums offered by any GIIS are stated clearly under the GIIS’s school website under the “The School->Curriculum” page.
Q3. Do the affiliation boards such as IB, Cambridge or CBSE conduct all the grade exams at GIIS?
A. The affiliation boards conduct only the board / qualifying exams. These board / qualifying exams are Standard 12 for the IB & CBSE, Standard 10th for CBSE & Cambridge IGCSE. All other exams are held within school and exams are set by the examination committees within school.
Q4. Is this school’s CBSE curriculum same as the schools worldwide?
A. Yes, the GIIS schools offer exactly the same CBSE curriculum as other leading schools offer. Even the text books are similar to the publications used in CBSE schools.
Q5. Are the text books same across GIIS schools?
A. Yes, in most cases all GIIS schools follow the same text books from specific publishers. The GIIS books selection committee comprises of senior teachers and Heads of Departments and they select the publications based on its merits.
Q6. Does my child get a chance to participate in national Olympiads?
A. Yes, your child can participate in all Olympiad competitions, but any such competitions which require inter-country travel, the student will have to bear for his/her travel expenses.
Q7. Does my child get a chance to appear for academic assessments tests?
A. Yes, each year, GIIS schools offer for all countries the University of New South Wales (UNSW) tests and the ASSET tests from Educational Initiatives India. School normally announces the schedule of these tests and students are required to pay separately for these exams as specified by UNSW or EI.
Q8. What are the school timings?
A. Generally the school timing for grade 1 & above followed in Singapore are 9am to 3:30pm; and for Kindergarten 9 a.m. to 12.00 noon. Mon - Fri only. School timings of GIIS schools vary from school to school, due to different weather conditions and city constraints. For exact school timings, please visit “The School->Timings” on the GIIS school website.
Q9. Does GIIS conduct Remedial classes or extra classes for the academically weaker students?
A. GIIS provides Remedial classes or extra classes to academically weaker students within school at no extra charge.
Q10. Does GIIS allow its teachers to offer tuitions to GIIS students?
A. GIIS’s employment policy prohibits GIIS teachers from providing any form of tuitions or paid basis classes to any GIIS students.
Q11. Are there any Enrichment classes available in the school?
A. Yes, enrichment classes are made available to students of all ability levels beyond school hours.
Q12. What is the medium of teaching?
A. All GIIS schools provide teaching in English medium only.
Q13. What are the 1st & 2nd language options for my child and what level it starts?
A. English by default is the 1st language, and 2nd language starts from Sr. KG goes up to grade 10.The 2nd language choices available are Hindi, Tamil & French. Sanskrit as a 2nd Language is offered at grade 9 & 10 only.
Q14. What are the 3rd languages available for students and what level it starts?
A. For international students, GIIS offers choice of 3rd languages from Sanskrit, Hindi, Tamil & French. Third language starts from grade 6th and goes up to grade 8th.
Q15. Sanskrit is mandatory for all students of Standard 1 to 5. Is there any additional charge for these optional languages?
A. There is no additional fee for any optional foreign languages
Q16. Is there a bookshop in the school?
A. All GIIS schools have a bookshop within school. Students can purchase all the text books and copy books from this bookshop. Students may also be able to purchase basic stationary items like pens, pencils, erasers etc.
Q17. What is the average class size?
A. Average Class size is set for 30-40 for Standard 1 & above and 20-25 for Kindergarten.
Q18. Does GIIS have experienced teachers?
A. GIIS has very stringent recruitment guidelines which enable it to hire and retain the best in the industry. Teachers from various top schools in Asia Pacific and India are working for GIIS.
Q19. How is GIIS preparing students for various board exams?
A. GIIS hires some of the best teachers from the industry. Students of Standard 6 to 12 are made to appear for weekly cyclic tests, semester exams and preparatory / mock exams etc. Students are also expected to attend special classes organized during summer and winter breaks.
Q20. Are there any extra classes for SAT, IIT-JEE, AIEEE, BIT-SAT, PMT type of national competitive exams?
A. GIIS conducts in-house classes for preparing students for competitive exams in association with professional renowned coaching institutes from India.
Q21. What do these various acronyms mean?
A. The common acronyms used in the school diary or timetables are:
ECA - Extra Curricular Activity.
CCA - Co-Curricular Activity. ;
A/C - Art and Craft.
H/T/F/S - Hindi, Tamil, French & Sanskrit respectively;
Q22. How many recesses are available during school?
A. The school usually has a snacks recess for about 15 mins and a lunch recess for about 30 mins. GIIS Schools have deferred breaks in groups of classes to avoid overcrowding of school canteens.
Q23. What Kind of Food does the school Canteen provide?
A. The school canteen is operated by professional caterers under license from relevant ministry. The canteen provides for vegetarian food. A wide range of snacks and drinks too are available during the snacks and lunch recess. The canteen menu changes every day of the week.
Q24. Can students bring home food?
A. Students are welcome to bring cooked home food. GIIS Schools require all students to eat their snacks and lunches only in the canteen area, and no students are allowed to eat in classrooms or corridors or playgrounds. The kindergarten students however are allowed to eat their meals in the classrooms.
Q25. What is the procedure for applying for leave?
A. Application for student leave must be supported by a medical certificate or a letter from the parents. If traveling overseas during the period when the school is open, it is advisable to inform the principal and teachers well in advance and get leave sanctioned. Refer to the school diary.
Q26. How do I reach or communicate with my child's teachers?
A. You can communicate with your child’s teachers through the My GIIS intranet system which allows you to access all details of your child and academic information. The access user id and password are emailed to you after you enroll your child in the school.
Q27. If my child is absent from school for a long time how will I know what portion of his syllabus has been covered?
A. You can access the syllabus section from the My GIIS intranet. You can also print all the posted academic materials such as worksheets etc.
Q28. How do I get the worksheets that my child has missed out on during his absence?
A. All worksheets are posted and available on the My GIIS school intranet. You can print them at home and get your child to work on them. Your child can also request the teacher to give you a hardcopy.
Q29. When can I meet my child's teacher?
A. You can meet your teachers in the formal forum of Parent – Teacher meetings, where each parent would be allowed to meet a maximum of 5 teachers for 5 mins each. If you have more queries, parents can take prior appointment to meet the teachers in school on Mondays & Wednesday’s after school hours from 3.40-4.40 p.m. Please seek an appointment with the teacher via My GIIS intranet.
Q30. What are the visiting hours to see the Principal?
A. Parents can meet the Principal on All days (Monday – Saturday’s) from 9.35 a.m. – 10.30 a.m by prior appointment.
Q31. What are some of the things to be kept in mind while e-mailing teachers?
A. Please remember to mention your child's full name, class and section while writing to the teachers.Give the teachers at least two to three working days to reply to your mail. Teachers try to reply to your queries as soon as possible but if more than one teacher is involved it may take longer. Do not expect a quick action to every feedback you have given, as such feedback is forwarded to the Principal and committee of teachers for their consideration and review.
Q32. What is the purpose of the school diary?
A. A lot of information is available in the school diary and parents are requested to check it regularly. The diary is another tool of communication between the teachers and the parents.
Q33. Can I celebrate my child's birthday in school?
A. Parents are free to send SMALL and inexpensive gifts like chocolates or sweets to celebrate their child's birthday. Cutting of cake, taking of photographs, etc is not allowed as it disturbs the class. Students are allowed to wear casual or ethnic dress on their birthday.
Q34. What is the homework policy?
A. The children are given home work according to a plan that is planned in advance to ensure they have a balanced allocation of work. Home work schedule is also distributed in the beginning of the session.
Q35. What is the use of including Sanskrit in the school curriculum especially in the lower classes?
A. Despite being an International school, we encourage children to appreciate and value their heritage and culture. In this direction, Sanskrit is given its due importance. This is what great people have said about Sanskrit: “Sanskrit language, as has been universally recognized by those competent to form a judgment, is one of the most magnificent, the most perfect, the most prominent and wonderful sufficient literary instrument developed by the human mind”.- Shri Aurobindo Sanskrit is the greatest language of the world - Max Mueller