Curriculum Overview

GEMS Millennium School (GMS), Sharjah follows the curriculum of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), a board of school education in India. The syllabus is the same as that followed by all schools affiliated to the CBSE board in India and abroad. The medium of instruction is English.

The curriculum which is up-to-date with latest educational trends and techniques offers a wide variety of hands-on application avenues that make learning both rewarding and meaningful. Continuous and comprehensive education is paced in a way that deepens learning and most importantly motivates children to learn. Understanding is given more value than memory and all learning experiences in the classroom are linked with experiences in life outside. A vast range of teaching methods prevents boredom and children are encouraged to learn at their own pace. There is a perfect balance between teacher-led and child-engineered activity both in the classroom and out.

Evaluation

In keeping with the recent directives of the CBSE, driven by a reformatory zeal, evaluation is done in a way that boosts the morale of a child and pushes him/her to further achievement. The focus is not on examinations and report cards but on real learning. Although examinations are an indispensible part of the education system care is taken to see that the teaching learning process is effective and learning is internalized. Continuous and comprehensive evaluation does not exclude traditional examinations but merely de-emphasises them.

Our endeavour to provide ‘high quality’ education is not at the cost of the child. In a stress-free and progressive environment we meet the expectations of all stakeholders in education. Formal assessment takes the form of not only pen and paper examination but self assessment, peer assessment, parental assessment and informal daily anecdotal reporting by the teachers. In all assessments and reports constructive feedback will be provided in a clear and simple language that will lead a child to improved performance. All assessment is objective and aimed at enhancing student achievement. At GMS Sharjah we believe that ‘report cards’ should be demystified for the child for its relevance is most to him/her.

A wide variety of evaluation methods is used in GMS Sharjah. Besides the mandatory CBSE prescribed formative and summative tests we also use diagnostic and prognostic tests to determine a child’s aptitude and attitude. Criterion Reference Tests (CRTs) are used to measure performance by comparing it with a pre-specified level of accomplishment – especially useful for assessing SEP benefits.

GMS Sharjah conducts holistic assessment of the scholastic and co-scholastic progress of all students. Personality development and social behavior are also scrutinized daily.

Obviously at GMS Sharjah High Order Thinking Skills such as knowledge, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating assume greater importance than the traditional testing of memory.