FIS Race Course, in Mumbai’s upscale Mahalaxmi neighbourhood, was officially launched on June 6 in the presence of Bollywood actors, cricketers, and entrepreneurs providing credence to the international school’s much-awaited initiation in India’s financial capital.
“I am so excited for the students who will join FIS as in today’s world educational systems are not narrow and it’s not just about getting high grades or following rote learning. At Finland International School, every child will be able to learn at their own level, and pace and will have a faculty that is equipped to recognise their unique talents and bring it to the public fore,” said actress Soha Ali Khan, who served as the guest of honour for the launch.
While FIS Pune was launched in April 2022, FIS Thane located right outside Mumbai city was introduced in February 2023.
The latest addition of FIS – Race Course, named for its proximity to the famous Mahalaxmi course – will be opening its doors to students on August 5, 2024, starting with an orientation week for teachers on July 29.
“We have a confirmation of 30 students now and are looking to double that number before the classes begin,” Nikke Keskinen, founding principal of Finland International Schools and director of academics, Goenka Inc. – the company spearheading the initiative along with Educluster Finland – told The PIE.
FIS Race Course will be following a four-pronged approach, under Finnish National Core Curriculums, starting with Early Childhood Education and Care at the pre-primary level from the ages 3-5, followed by primary education for ages 6-10, middle years program from ages 11-16, and international board diploma program for ages 16-18.
Though the state-of-the-art school will begin with classes from nursery to the fourth grade, it will expand to grade 12 in subsequent years.
FIS will also be implementing certain aspects of India’s National Education Policy, introduced in 2020, in its school structure as ‘combining both the Finnish and Indian systems of education form a powerful synergy that prepares students to thrive in the 21st century,’ according to Anna Hart, primary school academic principal at FIS Thane.
Prospective students and parents were also introduced to vocational classes catered towards woodworking, textile making, sewing, design, and more, with each skill learning being designated its own rooms, which is uncommon in most Indian classrooms.
Though the school is set to follow the International Baccalaureate program, the Finnish-inspired vocational activities will also play a part in the curriculum through formative assessment.
With the FIS Pune campus changing hands, and the Thane campus being a school transformation project, Keskinen believes FIS Race Course is the flagship model among all the branches.
The goal is to have personalised, stressless education and not too much planning
Nikke Keskinen, Finland International School
“India is a huge country and there’s a lot of competition but the question is whether learning has to remain the same way or see some major changes. We have mentored teachers to better coach students and incorporate individual learning plans. The goal is to have personalised, stressless education and not too much planning,” said Keskinen, who added that FIS is looking to set up a campus in the North Indian state of Punjab and are close to signing a deal with the state government.
Education has proven to be a cornerstone in India-Finland relations in recent years with the most recent example being education minister Anna-Maja Henriksson’s visit to India in October 2023 to meet Indian education authorities and promote collaboration.
Indian states like Kerala have also held meetings with Finnish officials to discuss cooperation in the education sector. But despite the lucrativeness, it would be difficult to integrate the entire Finnish education system into Indian schools.
“For one, Finland doesn’t have private schools, students just go to the nearest ones they find locally. Most schools are publicly funded with students being left in kindergartens at a very early age leading to trust between teachers and parents.
“There are certain non-negotiable elements which we have to keep in mind when talking about transferring the Finnish school system in India,” added Keskinen.
“We don’t expect FIS to be a huge school in terms of its student size and are aiming to keep a basic ratio of 2 teachers per 20 students.”
According to Rajani Naik, academic vice principal of middle school and MYP coordinator, FIS Race Course, though India’s education landscape will not drastically change due to schools like FIS, there’s a lot to learn from Finnish pedagogy which would be beneficial for students.
Currently, hundreds of Indian students are pursuing higher education in Finland, which is looking to attract 15,000 international students and workers by 2030.
In such a scenario, Goenka Inc. led by Managing Director Shashank Goenka is planning to build resources for Indians who want to upskill in their programs in Finland.
“Everyone doesn’t have to go to the UAE or the US, Finland is also a great option to work. We have to make it easier for these international workers to be able to bring their families to Finland as well,” stated Keskinen.
