BENGALURU: About 4% of Australia’s population is of Indian heritage, a number which has doubled over a decade, highlighted Hilary McGeachy, Australian Consul General in Bengaluru, during the 20th annual conference of the Association of International Schools of India (TAISI), which marked the debut of the Australian Curriculum in India.
The curriculum is expected to provide Indian schools with diverse educational tools that align with international standards, providing students a competitive edge in the global academic landscape. The event also introduced ‘Education 4.0’ - an initiative aimed at integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI), social media, and emotional intelligence into school curriculums.
Angelique Smith, Associate Director of International Education Strategic and External Relations, SCSA, at Department of Education, Western Australia, highlighted that the curriculum will be initially piloted in 10 schools across different parts of the country.
The curriculum, which has been implemented for over 30 years in countries like Japan and Malaysia, allows regular CBSE schools to offer dual programmes without the need for separate campuses, Angelique said, noting that this move is in response to the rising demand for international education among India’s middle class, particularly in the smaller cities. Syed Sultan Ahmed, Chairperson of TAISI, highlighted that the pilot programme, which began last year in Punjab and aims to expand and refine curriculum’s implementation.