Enjoy this short video snippet about Global Indian International School from our 2025 Tokyo Expo.
Transcript
We spoke with Suparna Rao (Dy Divisional Manager Admissions).
ISTimes Global: (00:00) Hello. I’m here with Suparna at the Global Indian International School booth at the Expo. Welcome.
Global Indian International School (Suparna): (00:06) Hello Rob, thanks for inviting me for this interaction. I hope to do my best representing my school that is Global Indian International School and yeah, I’m ready whenever you are.
School History
ISTimes Global: (00:19) Let’s get right into it. Can you tell me a bit about your school’s history and background?
Global Indian International School (Suparna): (00:24) Yes, sure. Uh actually GIS, that is the short form what we represent as Global Indian International School. Uh is a part of the chain of schools. We have a representation in Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, India, um even in UK as such. So currently, uh we have around 64 campuses across 11 countries and we have 12 brands working under this umbrella, so as to say. So GIS is one of such brands, but apart from that, we have One World International School, which has its presence at Osaka and a new campus is coming at Sukuba as such. So in Japan, this is what uh we have and we started our operations in Japan in the year 2006. So it’s almost uh 19 years now, we’ll be stepping into our 20th anniversary next year and we are very excited about it as such, yeah. So that’s the brief about our school.
Academic Life
ISTimes Global: (01:25) Awesome. Can you tell me a little bit about learning at your school? What are the academics like?
Global Indian International School (Suparna): (01:30) Correct. Uh actually, I think we have a uniqueness in terms of our offering wherein I usually schools offer one stream, right? So we are a multi-curricular offering stream. So in the kindergarten, we have a homegrown program called Global Montessori Plus. And then when you go to the graders, grade 1 to 12, we have the Indian curriculum, which is Central Board Secondary Education affiliated to the education board in India. And then we have the international stream. Again there, we have a sandwich program. We have the IB PYP for grades 1 to 5. Middle year, we have the Cambridge program and we close the year with IB diploma as such. So the children have an option whether they want to go with the traditional conceptual base which is technically strong the Indian program or a critical thinking research oriented international program. The choice can be made by the students. So that definitely is our unique policy as such. Yeah.
ISTimes Global: (02:30) Very interesting.
Global Indian International School (Suparna): (02:31) Yeah.
Extracurricular Activities
ISTimes Global: (02:31) What about extracurricular things at your school? How do the students get involved in the community?
Global Indian International School (Suparna): (02:36) Yes, we also emphasize, you know, our uh core word I would say would be a holistic development, you know, and given the world that the children are going to step into, these are skills that will, you know, make a difference for them. Uh we have something called the Nine Gems philosophy of learning. So we have nine areas that we concentrate upon personality development, building community learning centers, uh visual arts, sports, so and so forth. So there are nine such areas. So in that, during their school curricula itself, you know, they have their extracurricular activities which consider on the sports side of it and the co-curriculum because art is also part and parcel of one. It gives you balance. So we have artistic programs also which is compulsory. It’s not an after school program or anything. So within their 9 to 320, they have a balanced curricula with academics, sports and co-curricular activities as a part of thing. In terms of your second part of the question as to uh what is their contribution to the community, how they interact. Uh we have global exchange programs, whether it is within the GSG group, Global Schools group, uh wherein children have, we have children traveling from Singapore, Malaysia, or locally also, we have lots of exchange programs with the local uh Japanese schools as such. Uh so children have lots of and our youngsters also from kindergarten, we have a program called Young at Heart. So they go to old age homes and they perform their, give some entertainment. And so we start that uh what do you say, environment of creating empathy for others from our kindergarten, from age five. And that continues. We have Model UN. Last year, we had a delegation of 260 students coming from Cambodia, Harrods, so and so forth, you know, coming into the school and debating on the problems that the world is going through now and you know, finding out solutions, workable solutions as such. And this year also, I think we’ll be having in July. So these are some things which the children are actively incorporated in, which helps them to, you know, grow better youngsters, I feel, and global citizens of tomorrow as such. Yeah.
A Day in the Life at Global Indian International School
ISTimes Global: (05:08) Sounds wonderful. Can you give us an idea of what a day in the life of a student at your school is like?
Global Indian International School (Suparna): (05:14) Correct. You know, the interesting, another interesting part is in GIS, we have around 45 to 50% of Japanese, 40 to 50% of Indians and then around 10 to 10% of other nationalities as such. So what happens is a day starts with what we call the morning assembly. So it this itself, it’s a 10 minute slot which gives each and every child an opportunity to go. It starts with a school general prayer, a thought for the day, news and if there are interesting facts, then they have it. And from there, they go for their regular schooling. As I mentioned earlier, which is a good mix of strong academics with co-curriculars and sports activities. And apart from that, we have weekly schedules where they have uh maybe it’s a literary week or a book week. So during these things, children take leadership roles to take over the entire program, conduct the entire program. For example, in the book week, we have an author coming in and you know, sharing his or her thoughts. So for a budding writer, this is a very good opportunity to ask what how how do you get your characters as such. So we have had uh famous noted uh children’s authors like Anita Nayar, Michelle Harrison from UK, Sudha Murthy, uh if you know Infosys, if you know the Indian IT industry, Infosys heads uh wife who is a philanthropist as well as a children’s author. So all these people have interacted with children. So a daily starts with a good mix of this thing and as well as they have time to imbibe the culture of Japan as well as other nationalists. We have around 30 nationalities in the school. So children are very lively. I would definitely encourage you to come to our school for a uh for a visit and you will get to see the children in action. I think they, I mean, whatever I’ve spoken, I think they’ll speak volumes and uh that is how the life uh they enjoy, I take it. Yes.
ISTimes Global: (07:29) It sounds like a wonderful school. Thank you so much for talking with us.
Global Indian International School (Suparna): (07:32) Thank you so much for giving this opportunity and I look forward, please share this link with us and then I’ll look forward to your article.
About Global Indian International School
- Part of the Global Schools Group with 64 campuses across 11 countries
- Operating in Japan since 2006 (20th anniversary next year)
- Offers both Indian (CBSE) and international (IB/Cambridge) curricula
- Unique “Nine Gems” holistic education philosophy
- Student body: 45-50% Japanese, 40-50% Indian, 10% other nationalities
- Strong integration with local Japanese schools and community
- Cultural exchange programs and global citizenship focus
- Located in Tokyo with an emphasis on Japanese cultural immersion
- Comprehensive extracurricular programs, including sports and arts
- Model UN and other leadership development opportunities
- Young at Heart program connecting students with the elderly community
