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Students from Belgium, Calcutta, Durban, Dubai, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Korea, Muscat, Nairobi, UK, USA and Tanzania are enjoyimg their stints at the Cambridge School.
This is what some of them had to say about their experiences: 

Freedom will either liberate you or trap you

Depending upon who you are, freedom will either liberate you or trap you. This is what The Cambridge School is all about; a risky attempt at setting you free. As a student of Cambridge, I am free, firstly, to choose from a flexible array of subjects. No more restriction to science or commerce (and humanities if you happen to be a girl). However, be wise when choosing what you study: the intellectual load is usually formidable.

I am free to interact with the teachers in a manner that transcends the traditional teacher-student hierarchy. This, of course, is subject to the effort and focus and sincerity you put into the interaction. 

I am free to understand, analyse and apply, rather than memorize, regurgitate and forget. These are essential real world skills and the time devoted to them usually (and valuably) stretches the already flexible school timetable to its limits.

I am free to choose, enact and immerse myself in a play (Harold Pinter's Mountain Language) whose violence and thematic content would be deemed forbidden in a typical ISCE school, but which increased my awareness of the issues of language, culture, and ethnic cleansing.

I am free to follow tangents, to debate on topics that will lead far from the syllabus, perhaps lead nowhere, but provide an interesting and challenging path of thought.

I am free to make the real world an inseparable part of my school life, and even solve personal problems.

I am free, finally, and most importantly, to meet a variety of people my age. They come from different schools, lifestyles, cultures, and even countries. They have helped me discover new ideas, new experiences, and new parts of myself.

The Cambridge School is all about a risky attempt at setting you free. Embrace it.
Jivraj Singh, A2 Level

Of shoes and ships and sealing wax…

It’s 11:17 pm and I’m struggling with this article on the launch of the junior section of  The Cambridge School. What are my feelings on the launch? How objective can I be regarding my own school? Every line I write  brings new questions to mind…none of my opinions is absolute. You see, a year and a half spent in this school has taught me the power of possibility. The field of knowledge is infinite. Formal education can only take you so far. However, if education can open your eyes to the fact that there is knowledge beyond degrees and certificates, it has achieved its goal.

My secondary education was under an Indian board. Having nothing to compare it with, I proclaimed myself fairly satisfied. Why not? I was one of millions of students conforming blindly to structured learning.

When I joined Cambridge, I was surprised at the ease with which affairs were conducted. I, who had hitherto never had the confidence to raise even the simplest question in class, now found myself candidly discussing the difficulties of implementing political theory at ground level, the nuances of absurd drama and the struggle to maintain physical, intellectual and emotional intimacy under the burden of social labels.

The teacher-student relationship was another eye-opener. For the first time, I had the freedom to interact with teachers on a friendly and personal level. While hierarchy could not be abolished completely, the pedestals were certainly lower. What, I wonder would have happened had I been part of this system from the beginning of my school life? Would I have been more confident, more outgoing? Would I have explored a few more of the shadowy corners of the field of knowledge? Perhaps I shall find answers (questionable of course) in the new students of the junior school. Students who I hope will have the courage to break out of worn-out moulds and moth-eaten restrictions. Whose ability to question and level of acceptance will rise simultaneously and paradoxically.

Recently, our school had its second, annual winter festival at Gyan Manch. In keeping with our multi-cultural outlook, it included three Shakespearan plays, a medley of Western and Indian dance and a song in French. Prizes and certificates were awarded in many categories, including ‘Proficiency in learning a foreign language (Bengali)’. Most of the school participated and the teachers did their bit in direction, make-up and general arrangements. They also did their bit in leaving the AS and A2 levels almost completely to their own devices. Choosing the play, direction, editing, costumes…everything was left to the students. Well, almost everything. The right to question doesn’t belong solely to the students after all.
Ahana Basu, A2 Level