The world of education is undergoing a dramatic change, as institutions scramble to respond to the onward march of new technologies, societal change, and new ways of looking at child development.
For your child to succeed and flourish in this brave new world, they need a school that is powered by the best, most innovative educational practices, and which tailors the curriculum to their needs.
In this article, we list down the exact reasons why Swiss International Scientific School in Dubai is the answer to that challenge.
A robust, student-centered, bilingual educational system
With SISD, your child will receive their education in an environment that combines the International Baccalaureate curriculum and the Swiss education system.
With the IB, your child is taught critical and analytical skills that will give them an edge in a future workplace that is becoming increasingly automated. New jobs are going to require far more problem-solving, interpersonal, and technological skills, which the IB is able to provide in spades.
The Swiss education system will work hand in hand with the IB to provide a uniquely flexible style of instruction that is fully tailored to your child’s development and aptitudes. We have initiatives that are adopted from Swiss educational precepts, such as the Work Placement Programme, in which Grade 10 students are placed in different companies for three weeks. These students act as interns, not just observing but doing real work that reflects what they’d expect to do in the actual industry.
Both of these systems thrive in a multilingual environment, and SISD provides education in the form of dual language programmes, which are taught in the German/English and French/English streams. Bilingual education is known to improve a variety of important cognitive and social skills that our children will certainly need in the future. As bilingualism is integrated so deeply into our curriculum, if your child graduates from SISD, they’ll in fact be qualified for the Bilingual IB Diploma.
All these educational aspects of SISD work together to create a student-centered learning environment that values wisdom over knowledge. We will teach your children great competence in hard skills such as programming and mathematics, but will never neglect the soft skills that are equally important in the modern world such as communication, conflict resolution, and leadership.
A pastoral care environment
We don’t just nurture students’ minds – we believe in making a second home for our boarding students.
This is the essence of pastoral care, in which teachers, and staff all work together to support and nurture our children, fulfilling their emotional and social needs just as we provide them with the education they deserve.
Moreover, our boarding school isn’t just for those who need to stay away for long periods of time. Flexi-boarding and day boarding options provide even more solutions for students and parents, whether due to travel or important exams and projects. Flexi-boarding students receive all the benefits of pastoral care however briefly we have them under our wing.
Innovation in a digital world
SISD has recently begun implementation of Common Sense Media’s Digital Citizenship curriculum, which aims to instill certain values and teach important topics to our students, that will allow them to become productive, responsible members of a world that is becoming ever more digital, and interconnected.
This unique curriculum doesn’t just teach concepts in modern technology, but also helps students adapt to them, and learn how to weave them into their lives.
In addition, we offer an array of facilities, after-school activities, and programmes in service of Technology Innovation. Our Innovation Labs allow students to work on app development, robotics, 3D printing, and other high-tech fields, both during class hours, and after hours for personal projects. With these facilities and activities in place, our students are able to explore a new world of innovation with full hands-on experience.
Sustainable practices
Everything that goes on at SISD is informed and shaped by a constant drive towards sustainability. In fact, it’s one of our core school values. This is an important principle to have in a world threatened by climate change and so many other environmental issues.
SISD weaves sustainable practices into everyday school life. Initiatives such as plastic-free policies, garbage collection, and “light monitors” are all integrated into the classroom for students to follow. Meanwhile, the school itself meets the Swiss Minergie ecolabel standards, and implements technologies such as Smixin, which helps conserve water in bathrooms.
All this aims to instill sustainable values in our children that they may carry over to the home, and everywhere else they go, well into adulthood.
Conclusion
The result of an education in SISD is a healthy balance of knowledge of hard skills, and character growth through learning soft skills. Through the collaboration of education and pastoral care, our children experience truly holistic development within our school.
SISD is all of these things and far more, but don’t take our word for it. We have an array of video testimonials from parents, which you can check out on our YouTube page.
At various review sites, we’ve had glowing reviews and reception over the years. We’ve gotten stories about bilingualism:
“Perfect match for our son! Even in early years – our son is in grade 2 – he is able to continue with 2 languages. He won’t lose his French just because we moved to Dubai. Awesome! All stuff makes an excellent impression as well. Thanks for being here in Dubai!”
In addition, the openness and kindness of our staff has been highlighted.
“My son receives care and attention from every single staff member. Every teacher is so friendly and open. It is relatively new school with so much potential and location is also fantastic.”
Praise like this comes from a place of trust and care in a school that’s truly good for your child.
With SISD, you can be assured that your child is in the right place.
