Staff Writer

Harsh Varma, director of Global Indian International School in Pathum Thani, a neighboring province to the north of Bangkok, compares working in an executive role in the education sector to the hospitality industry, pointing out that the school’s growing community of students are his “customers”.

Varma has been working for GIIS for more than a year now and says his job is exciting because he has the opportunity to develop the school into a viable business. He enjoys living and working in Thailand since the country has so many similarities with India in terms of cultural, family, and religious values. Where these similarities originate is less important than the fact they exist, he says.

Varma says he enjoys the “easy going” aspects of Thai culture, pointing out that it allows non-natives to merge easily within society.

While international schools offer students a huge array of opportunities, as well as a truly international education, they tend to be very expensive when it comes to fees. For example, within Bangkok, most international schools charge over 100,000 baht (over US$3,000) per term. Although GIIS is not centrally located, it does offer extremely reasonable fees without compromising educational standards.

Value for money
“What we stand for among our customers is a high-quality education at affordable prices,” Varma says. “Many people want to see ‘marble and granite’,” he says. “But the cost [of such features] would mean higher fees at the end of the day.”

The school uses India’s Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum, which stresses mathematics, the development of IT skills, and literacy. GIIS is also planning to offer the increasingly popular International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum to its high school students.

“GIIS considers the CBSE curriculum as a perfect medium for utilizing IT-driven teaching methods,” Varma said. “If we can follow this, it will set us apart [from the competition].”

A quest for quality
In terms of teacher training, the school is dedicated to providing its staff with the best, as demonstrated by the recent appointment of Ramesh Mudgal as director of academics.

While the school has several Thai and (non-Indian) international students, the number is likely to further expand. The school is already seriously considering the provision of scholarship opportunities for local children and is currently holdiong discussions with members of the community and other related stakeholders.

GIIS’ curriculum, including Thai language learning and support, has been fully approved by Thailand’s Ministry of Education. Students also learn Hindi, while French will soon be offered as an alternative ‘third’ language. 

When selecting a school, Varma recommends parents think carefully before making a decision.

“In general, consider the background and origins of the school and what it stands for,” he suggested. “Many schools these days are purely commercial,” he warned.

To learn more about GIIS, please visit the school’s official website.