With the cabinet approving legislation allowing foreign universities to set up units in India, students from international schools in the city will have more options in their homeland for higher studies.
Students completing their international baccalaureate (IB) programme and the Cambridge programme have fewer options in India for university-level education.
Most of these students end up going abroad for higher education. This move, educationists feel, will boost competition between players who will then start offering quality education.
Lina Asher, director of Kangaroo Kids Education Limited, which runs the Billabong International Schools, said, “It is a welcome move for all international school students. The cost of education will come down for students aspiring to study abroad as the travel and accommodation charges go down. When students go abroad they get used to the culture of that country and prefer to settle down there. This move will reverse the brain drain process.”
She added, “There are very few colleges and universities offering the best education in the country, so students do not have enough choices. They have to struggle to get into these premier institutes.”
Surendra Satra, a parent of a student from Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Bandra, said, “Most parents hesitate to send their children abroad alone at a young age. This becomes a major hindrance for students of international schools who wish to pursue higher education in an international set up. With more options in the country, it is a win-win situation.”
A parent of Billabong International School, Thane, said, “After completion of international studies at the school level, some parents find it difficult to arrange for finances for studying abroad. A lot of costs will be reduced if children get to study the international curriculum in the country.”
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