The journey dates to the year 1962. A group of parents
came together hailing from different communities -- all disgruntled with the
existing system of education all determined to find an alternative. Indeed it
was a dream that set the ball rolling. Bombay International came into being with
a firm commitment to let every child discover his/her ultimate potential. The
pioneers ensured the evolution of a system that is hailed even today as unique.
Finally, the boldness of the move was to give the school its very own special
flavor a sensitivity to every area of human endeavor.
A dream in their heart, a plan in hand -- the ideas of the
Founder parents who formed the Bombay International School Association, came
into being on just one floor of a rented house on Darabshah Road. Two years
into this tentative experiment, the school was asked to vacate the premises;
however, the effort of these two years had convinced the founders that they were
on the right track. With renewed zeal the Association surveyed other
possibilities, and came across the third floor of the Gilbert Building on
Babulnath Road, which was available on lease. In 1964, the Bombay International
School moved to this site, its present location the rest is history.
The re-location required funds, fresh long-term planning,
and a more organized pattern of functioning. The association collected
membership fees and donations from individuals as well as companies. The entire
fourth floor was built, and with more and more people opting for the school, it
was necessary to acquire more floor space in the building. The Association
deliberated on a curriculum, and textbooks were selected keeping international
standards in mind. The dream was to build a school with a global reach, yet
with roots clearly and proudly embedded in an Indian culture and ethos.
From its very inception a few teachers were employed, and
some of the mothers took on responsibilities depending on their special area of
expertise. A small library came into being the open-shelf concept exists even
today and mothers took on the day to day to functioning. They even prepared the
snacks and the lunch. The fathers put their skills together to make some of the
furniture, and the children assisted in the painting. All in all, the school
came into existence with a dream that was woven by parents, teachers and the
children, of course.
MOVING ON
..
1962 onwards has been a long march, and the school has
moved with the times even as it retains the core values with which it started.
The emphasis on working towards a well-rounded personality remains as strong
today as the year it started. The singular goal is to assist a child to develop
an innate potential to the maximum rather than encourage direct competition with
other children.
The founders were conscious that they were starting a
system that was completely different from the prevailing trends, and even today
the school does face the handicaps of this. There is definitely a need for
greater space, more play areas, and high running costs. However, the bottom
line is that every year the students who pass out reaffirm the commitment with
which the school had started so many years ago the children are confident,
independent individuals, who can hold their own in every field they walk into.