| |9 APRIL 2016HIGHERReviewThe finishing schools aim to provide both technical and soft skills to students to facilitate their employability and play a part in the supply side issues of the industryprogress is monitored far better than conventional day schools. Teachers identify and help students realize their full potential ­ to believe in themselves and compete with a never dying spirit. The lessons in life learned in boarding school lay a solid foundation for adulthood. Residential Schools then and nowSome of the most renowned and well established residential schools in India were established well before the Country got its independence in 1947. The era had the luxury of building residential schools on vast open spaces. Located away from the hustle and bustles of city life and nestled in the beautiful plateaus and hill locks, these schools were all designed to be self sufficient. The whole atmosphere was based on Gurukul ­ home away from home, living in ashrams, with simple uniforms. Residential schools back then provided education upto +2 levels and free education to poor but meritorious students. In addition to the academic schedule, extracurricular activities such as music, fine arts, crafts, wood-work, clay modelling, gardening, photography, painting, drama, debates and elocution were also mandatory. These formed a routine for the holistic development of the students', balancing between academics, work, play and rest.On the other hand, most of the residential schools established in the 21st century do not have the luxury of vast open campuses but have promising infrastructure and facilities to match up to some of the best international schools. The modern residential schools have adopted the best practices from yester years and executed the same to suit the convenience and meet the requirements of parents. Residential schools are also able to offer State Board, National, well as International level curriculum. They are also well positioned to provide coaching classes for various competitive examinations at state and national level. Focusing on international exposure through the various educational tour programs and student exchange programs, the ultimate goal is creating future global leaders. Changing Trends in residential schoolsThe Residential School concept has strong advantages but the advantages today are different to what they were set up for.The residential school system in India is linked to the mythological era where kings used to send their children for certain number of years to a "gurukul" to inculcate spiritual as well as material knowledge. The ideology was to create citizens who are self-disciplined and self-aware. Bullying and corporal punishments such as caning used to be part and parcel of the boarding culture. Parents played very little role in the development of the child and it was more a matter of carrying on the family tradition by admitting a child in a boarding school. Above all, priority was the Brand name associated to the child's records. Over the years the world has gone through tremendous changes and it continues to do so at an even faster pace. It is now more about giving students a global perspective and exposure that stretches beyond boarders. They are now warmer places than they once were and more in touch with home. ``Flexi-boarding'' has become common, allowing working parents to entrust the care of their children to the school while they pursue their busy lives, and to have them at home when they want. Residential programme are designed to teach the qualities of resilience, adaptability and self-awareness; the skills of successful collaboration and the value of leadership as service. It is all about preparing a child for global leadership positions anywhere in the world and more so about understanding "network" and "old school ties".
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