Education

A scholarship is an award or financial aid or grant given to a student to recognize exceptional merit or financially help students from economically weak households. Scholarships are offered for reasons beyond academic excellence. There are many categories of scholarships available for deserving students. 

However, only a minuscule percentage of students can avail of them. Don’t let this fact discourage you from applying for a scholarship for your child. The advantages of getting a scholarship are innumerable, making the process of application worthy of your time and efforts. 

The following points describe what scholarships are all about, who can avail of scholarships, the benefits, and how to get scholarships.

1. Scholarship vs financial aid: Scholarships are not financial aid, a name given for loans that have to be repaid with interest. Financial assistance or loan takes into consideration the monetary worth of your family. Some of the student scholarships aim to help the economically weaker sections, but most of them don’t. Scholarships don’t have any set conditions for eligibility. Those who fund the scholarships or start them determine the criteria for scholarships. The most significant advantage of a scholarship is that they provide financial help that you don’t have to repay.
2. Do or die attitude: Parents should have an all or nothing attitude when they want their child to apply for scholarships. Unless you are going to make scholarship your top priority, you won’t be able to guide your child to go through the rigorous hard work that it entails. Education is getting more and more expensive! Motivate yourselves and your child to single-mindedly pursue scholarships. Maybe this quote should be their mantra, “Going after scholarships is living a few years of your life like most students won’t, so that you can live the rest of your life like most students can’t…with no or very few student loans.” — Gabrielle McCormick.
3. When to apply: The sooner you apply for the scholarship, the better. Scholarships are available to students from kindergarten. Many international schools offer scholarships to students from nursery to grade 12.
4. Some categories of scholarships: International schools like GIIS Tokyo offer different types of scholarships like-

– Sadako Ogata Merit cum Means Scholarship based on the financial condition of the family.

– Hideki Yukawa Global Skills Scholarship that recognises young talents in the digital space and encourages them to succeed.

– Global FUTURE-READY Merit Scholarship (GFRM) that provides unique learning experiences that will help the student become a global citizen.

Benefits of scholarships

These scholarships are given to students based on terms and conditions set by the school.

1. Recognition and self-confidence: “Originality is the essence of true scholarship. Creativity is the soul of the true scholar.”- Nnamdi Azikiwe. Your child gets recognition for the talent and hard work, which encourages and motivates them to pursue higher goals.
2. University placement: Many reputed universities prefer to admit students who are recognised for their accomplishments. The scholarship has endorsed that your child will be an asset to their college.
3. Placement: There will be thousands of applicants for a job. It is tough to distinguish oneself from others. Scholarship shows that the recipient is a hard worker, helps the resume stand out and may give an edge in getting an interview.
4. Lower dropout rate: Scholarship motivates your child to work hard and not contemplate dropping out. It encourages the student to pursue higher studies.
5. Stress-free: It takes away the stress that comes from financial worries. You can focus on supporting and helping your child wholeheartedly.
6. A dream come true: “Never give up on what you want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts.” — Albert Einstein. You need not curb your child from dreaming big because you know that there are resources available to fulfil them by helping them get where they want to go. Scholarships can help your child’s dream come true irrespective of your financial position.
7. Philanthropy: As scholarship does not expect anything in return, your child will want to give back to society and develop into a philanthropist. To quote Mahatma Gandhi, “All your scholarship, all your study of Shakespeare and Wordsworth would be in vain, if at the same time you do not build your character, and attain mastery over your thoughts and actions.”
8. Global citizens: Many scholarships offered by international schools open the doors to students’ unique learning experience. Your child can meet and interact with students and faculty from various nationalities, learn about other cultures, question existing beliefs while accepting and appreciating this multi-diverse universe. It will enable a global perspective.

As you can see, there are numerous advantages of scholarships for students. The wealth received from scholarship goes beyond monetary benefits. As they tap your child’s potential and alchemy takes place, no one can snatch away the benefits that your child will get!  

Global Indian International School is one of the best CSBE schools in Dubai offering exemplary learning techniques for the students. Although the school provides a multitude of curriculums such as the world-famous Montessori programme, the international baccalaureate programme and the IGCSE board, the CBSE board is provisioned to the whole K-12 segment. Students can choose to follow the CBSE curriculum throughout their school life. 

Unlike CBSE schools in Dubai, the Global Indian International School distributes the CBSE curriculum in a unique way. The school promotes the holistic development of a child which is why it has adopted a 9-GEMS education model. In this model, the development of a student revolves around the following 9 characteristics:

• Academic Excellence
• Sports Excellence
• Visual and Performing Arts
• Personality Development
• Innovation and Creativity
• Entrepreneurship & Leadership
• Universal Values and Ethics
• Community and Care
• Skills Development

The development of a certain characteristic is subjected to the age of the student and hence the learning path becomes progressive. This means that when a child progresses to a higher grade, the most suitable characteristic for that age is developed in the child through various activities. These activities can range from painting classes for the primary school students to outdoor trips for the high school students. 

One key feature of the school is the integration of sports and co-curricular activities with the CBSE curriculum. By making such activities mandatory for every student, the school promotes a culture where every student is able to develop real-life skills while completing their academic journey. It gives a perfect mix of sports, academics, and skills to the students. 

Being on of the best CBSE schools in Dubai, the Global Indian International School provides the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) programme for students from Class 1 onwards with emphasises on the academic excellence through innovative learning methodologies. The school has also adopted student-friendly and student-centric programs to further enhance the development of the students. 

One remarkable approach by the school is using one class to teach several skills. For instance, an English writing class requiring an essay on “The Digestive System – Journey of a salad through your body” can be combined as a group study assignment which helps a student in developing four skills – communication skills, teamwork, writing skills, and knowledge of science. 

Experiential learning is the most promising technique used by the best CBSE schools in Dubai and the Global Indian International School has adopted that technique too. The infrastructure of the school is advance which allows the students to reap the benefits of modern technology. The classrooms are equipped with touch screens which are used by the teachers to provide a graphical explanation of concepts. 

The laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art tools which allow the students to experience practical learning through implementation.  

The fine distribution of the CBSE curriculum in GIIS, one of the best CBSE Schools in Dubai, is reflected through the exemplary result. The school produces world toppers each year and most of the students are able to get into prestigious universities around the globe. 

The Singapore education system is considered one of the best in the world and its students are consistently top rankers in global achievement tests. But the system has also received a lot of flak from parents and the global community.

What are the various school levels in Singapore?

Local schools in Singapore follow the national curriculum of the Ministry of Education (MoE). Education is compulsory till secondary level, though kindergarten is optional. A child goes through these levels during her school years:

• Kindergarten – offers a holistic and structured curriculum focused on preparing preschoolers for admission into primary school. Emphasis is laid on developing reading, writing and numeracy skills, as well as developing other artistic talents that will give the child an edge during the tough Primary 1 (P1) selection process.

• Primary school – focuses on laying a strong foundation in math, science, English and mother tongue, and culminates in the national Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) after the sixth year. Performance in this determines what discipline a student can pursue in secondary school.
• Secondary school – in-depth studies in the core as well as additional subjects. Students take the GCE ‘O’ or ‘N’ level exams to graduate after four years.
• Post-secondary education – upper secondary or pre-university education in junior colleges or centralized institutes after which students appear for ‘A’ level exams. Students can also join diploma courses at polytechnics for occupational training.

Singapore’s schooling system – what works and what doesn’t’?

There is no doubt that Singaporean children are academically successful and top the charts in science, math, and reading. Singapore’s teaching methods, especially in math, have been emulated the world over. However, in recent years many parents and educators have also been vocal about the hardships faced by students going through this system.

What makes the schooling years tough for Singaporean students?

• Very high-level curriculum – The curriculum is so tough and the content so vast that students lose their love for learning and focus solely on performing well. 
• Obsession with grades – There is great emphasis on memorisation and rote learning, with pressure to get top grades. Not much attention is paid to developing problem-solving, creative and thinking skills amongst students creating a lacuna when they enter the workplace.
• Exam stress – Students appear for two major exams in the primary school itself. The extremely competitive PSLE at the end of primary, followed by the ‘O’ level exams at the end of secondary school takes a toll.
• Streaming – students are divided into different academic programmes based on their performance. Such segregation amongst pupils of the same year promotes inequality.
• Not enough focus on soft skills – Mere academic knowledge only goes so far. Adaptive skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, creative thinking, and social skills needed to succeed in the real world are not developed.
• Tuition and enrichment classes – Students spend so much time doing homework, keeping up their grades with tutorial help or on extracurricular activities, they barely have time for other interests.
• Too structured – Differences in talents and personalities are not celebrated or encouraged. There is also a high student-to-teacher ratio.
• Parent pressure – Parents also put a lot of pressure on children to get top grades, admission in the best school and be chosen for the top express stream.

That said, the Singapore education system is evolving and moving towards developing more relevant skills, with applied learning gaining importance.

Majority of scholarships programmes come with a step-by-step process including application, scholarship interview, scholarship recommendations, and essay submissions. Many students can find interviews to be a little challenging. 

Here are some common merit cum means scholarship questions to help you prepare for the interview:

Tell us about yourself.

It is an open-ended question that allows you to initiate the conversation. As it’s so broad, your first instinct can be to answer it broadly. Similar to a good essay, start with a general introduction and then narrow to a certain point. It is a perfect chance to highlight skills you have, as well as the skills you want to develop.

Why do you deserve this scholarship?

It’s a tricky question to answer but be honest and open. Tell the interviewer why you have applied for this scholarship. Give precise and concise aims with regards to achieve your academic goals in life. Be confident in your words and be descriptive about your reasoning. 

What is your greatest strength/weakness?

It will show that you are a self-aware individual. When talking about your strength, give examples to back up your claims. Do not be shy about sharing your weaknesses and share how you plan to address these. 

Who has been a role model for you?

Ensure you consider this one beforehand before you go for your interview to an international school in Tokyo. The people you look up to and like say a lot about you, and you’ll have to explain that. Is it a reputed or famous person? Is it a family member? It’s necessary to remember your role model’s character flaws and how they’re also inspiring despite them.  

Why did you select this college?

It’s better to explain why you want this particular scholarship. Walk the interviewer through the thought process you experienced when choosing the school. It can help them understand what is important to you, and it can also share with the selection committee how thoughtfully you have considered the program.

What are your career goals?

For this question, they’d expect you to have a stable plan. What course do you plan to do after school? Do you have a career in mind? What are the steps you are taking to achieve these goals? If you can show how this scholarship will benefit your educational journey and career, then it increases your chances of getting the scholarship. 

How are you planning to use the scholarship money?

It’s different from saying you ‘need’ money for education. Tell the merit cum means scholarship committee why you need the scholarship, and how you plan to utilise the opportunity that is provided to you. It is not about how you will use the money, but the advantages of getting the education. 

What are your achievements?

While you would have shared your achievements in your applications, it is but natural that the committee will want to know more. Go prepared to share the details. It could be as simple as earning a simple A for a paper you submitted. 

Where do you picture yourself in five years?

It’s essentially the scholarship committee’s way to find out if you have a game plan. Your plan should reflect the education path. Bt, do remember, this long you will stay in college bachelor’s, master’s and higher, internships or other outside activities that can help enhance your chances of attaining goals. 

Is there anything else you want to add?

Usually, this is the last question, which means you should leave a strong impression. If you believe you’ve already left a strong impression during the interview, then you don’t have to say anything. But if you want to reevaluate some points, make a final statement.

Practice the answers with a teacher or parent so that you are not caught off guard during the interview.