In this academic session with the support and motivation of the Management of Apeejay Education Society, Apeejay School, Nerul initiated the process to instill a global dimension into the learning experience and registered for the British Council International School Award (ISA).
The British Council offers the International School Award (ISA) as an accreditation framework for schools to record and evaluate their international work and embed it into the curriculum and whole school ethos. As part of the ISA action plan, the school planned and executed eight different projects for students of different age groups which were titled as ‘Ecological Topsy-Turvy’, ‘Caucus 5’, ‘Mock Un’, ‘Animals’ Day Out’, ‘Cricket: A New Religion’, ‘Festivals Ahoy’, ‘Thriving & Surviving’ and ‘A Tapestry of Folktales’.
The evidence based 250-page dossier was submitted to the British Council for accreditation and the school has been successfully awarded with the British Council International School Award for the period 2014-17.
The students within the school were involved in the international framework, collaborative curriculum-based work and year-round international activities. The volume of work and the students-teacher involvement was truly commendable. We are very much proud of this achievement as during the process of accreditation, students have explored their creativity and innovation to the fullest and have learned a lot to become global citizens.
Focus Group Discussion in Declamation Competition-Class IX
Picture Essays on Ecological Disasters & Special Assembly on International Day India and US for Preservation of Ozone Layer
The Mock UN conducted in the school, as a part of the ISA project, turned out to be a very successful activity. The children themselves organised the activity on the UN format based on the topic: Nuclear Waste Management – undertaken by UN agencies such as International Atomic Energy Agency, Economic and Social Council, Disarmament & Internal Security Council, and Human Rights Council.
The activity helped the children to learn the dynamics of international relations especially with regards to foreign policies on Nuclear Waste Management in countries such as U.S.A., U.K., Russia, India, Pakistan, North Korea and France. These countries were represented in four agencies of the UN as committees.
The students participated as delegates, representing the countries.
They researched and debated on the relations between these countries specifically with reference to power relations between rich and poor countries. Some students also played the role of directors and moderators for each of the committee which ensured peaceful discussions and resolutions to arrive at the end of the session. There were Press Corps who recorded the deliverance and prepared the evidences of the sessions. There was also the Logistics Team which ensured the smooth functioning of the sessions.
The activity was taken from the CBSE prescribed NCERT Civics textbook of Class IX (Chap. 1) in which references are made on the role of the UN in the international context. It was an integrated approach with subjects like Geography, English, History, Economics and Politics with special reference to General Knowledge.
The activity enhanced the confidence of the students on public speaking, presentation skills, critical thinking skills, cooperative learning skills and writing skills. It also broadened their perception towards the working of the UN agencies. They also learnt about the conflicting foreign policies of the assigned countries with regards to the given topic – Nuclear Waste Management.
The children also learnt the concept of consensus building and drafting resolutions to tackle the issue in their respective countries. They also developed an insight towards the aspect of sustainable development.
A few children participated in inter-school Mock UN sessions in Cathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai (CMUN) and Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Mumbai (DAIMUN).
Some students interacted with schools in UK by email and Skype conversations with regards to similar Mock UN sessions.
The British Council also gave us a partner school, Baafline School, Lebanon with whom we collaborated on their suggested activity – 'Women's Rights' and the students of Class IX prepared PPTs and fact-files and presented in the class.
The School in Lebanon has been invited to conduct a Mock UN session as an exchange programme and send the report of the same to Apeejay School, Nerul.
“I got the opportunity to be the Secretary General Apeejay School, Nerul (AMUN). It helped me to develop my leadership skills. I was in charge of the sessions conducted in each committee. I took rounds to ensure the smooth functioning of the event. In my opening speech, I introduced my team of directors and moderators to the delegates of the MOCK UN, and assured them of an eventful session.”
- Pari Sankhala, Class XI
“I represented as the Moderator of DISEC Committee of Apeejay Mock UN. I thoroughly enjoyed my role...in fact my experience as a participant of CMUN (Cathedral and John Connon School Model UN) really encouraged me and my team to conduct a Mock UN in my school. It really has enriched me as a person. It helped me to develop my skills of public speaking and critical thinking which enabled me to handle difficult situations in my committee."
- Azain Jaffer, Class X
The colour of the day was black as it is the official colour of the UN.
