School News

Group of students with their Teachers from Kodaikanal International School pay visit to Sera Je School
20 September 2008

A group of twenty five of students and teachers from the prestigious Kodaikanal International School paid a brief visit to School during the Morning Prayer Assembly as planed before. They joined our students in saying the morning prayers followed by Indian and Tibetan National anthem. Mr. Sithar, the Physical Training Teacher, a Tibetan himself, made a brief speech. He informed our students about the action taken by the students of his School to support a Free Tibet cause, condemning the gross human rights violation of the Tibetans in side Tibet by Chinese regime. The students started a petition campaign and sent these to Chinese Embassy in New Delhi calling for an end to brutal crackdown against Tibetan protesters inside Tibet and respect for universal human right and end to the suffering of the Tibetans under Chinese rule. So much was the impact of this action that Chinese Embassy officials took up the matter with concerned central Indian officials who communicated to their School expressing fear that the students may face problem if any of them was to apply for Chinese Visa because of their open support to the Free Tibet movement. The Kodaikala International School is an elite School and has students from all nationalities and from over 30 countries.

For the past many years, they have been visiting Sera for a weeklong educational tour during which they visit Tibetan Monasteries and educational Institutions trying to get first hand information about the Tibetan religion and culture and people's way of life. On many occasions, their and students from local Tibetan Schools including ours had participated in Inter-School Interactive Programmes organized by sponsored by Delhi based His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Foundation for Universal Responsibility. So they have developed very good rapport and friendship on school and individual level. Mr. Sithar la maintained that many of the students from his School once graduated go back to their respective countries join student bodies, such as, Students for a Free Tibet, and other Tibet support groups and continue to create awareness about the issue of Tibet and the plight of Tibetans living under the totalitarian communist regime.

After the assembly, the students observed the classes in session and then took part in an interactive programme where in small groups of students both the School engaged in free and frank talks and discussion on topics of mutual interest in effort to exchange views and develop inter-personal understanding.

Like before, this time too, the visiting students cleaned up the entire Monastic complex of plastic waste by picking everything and disposing them into the dumping ground in small groups with their hands covered with plastic bags. For our students, the visit by the international students from Kodaikala International School is always a welcome break from their School routine and they always come out refreshed after the interactive discuss sessions with their counterparts. Needless the say, such, encounter and exchange of views bring a world of changes to both groups enhancing human to human understanding and resulting into better understanding of different culture and way of life that are vital to creating a global community based on basic human goodness and warm –heartedness.

Sadly, for our students and school, there is now one while year to wait before we can welcome them again in our school and amongst us! Thank you, students and teachers of Kodaikanal International School for aspiring to work for a better human world in which each one of you will definitely play an important role. Our sincere prayers and wishes always follow your steps on the path to success and glory of humanity! We are privileged to receive you in our school. In future too; you are always welcome!

Kodaikanal International School
Source: Website: http://www.kis.in:
In 2001 Kodaikanal International School celebrated 100 years of service in international education.

Established in 1901 as an American boarding school for the children of missionaries in India.In 1976 KIS became the first IB school and International school in India when it adopted the International Baccalaureate Diploma program. Students and staff from more than 30 nations share in a multicultural residential experience intentionally set within a community life devoted to service in India and the rest of the world Today KIS is recognized as one of India’s most prestigious academic independent schools