KIS Philosophy

In 1974 the foundation document of Kodaikanal International School was produced under the vision and direction of the Director of Development, Dr Frank Jayasinghe, a committed Christian and international educator. Assisted by the Steering Committee the vision was developed into a practical workable design which was implemented over the next decade.

'The main objective was to develop Kodaikanal School into an autonomous, a plural cultural, multinational, Christian school in mission as a Christian service to children and parents of all communities of Indian and international society, providing an opportunity for a quality education coupled with a specially designed opportunity for deepened spiritual development. What is implied by 'plural -cultural' and ''multinational'. is that the school will also be truly international in character. This would further mean that the school will strive to be a healthy microcosm of the developing global community, affirming the:

• wholesome diversity of humankind and the importance of personal identity
• aspects of knowledge and understanding which promote the oneness of all persons and prepare students to be world citizens, as well as responsible citizens to their own community.

Today the philosophy and objectives of Kodaikanal International School are contained in a successor long range planning document entitled "Design '94" that was approved by the KIS Council of Directors in April 1994. Its preamble defines the underlying principles which have guided KIS into its future.

'What we still envisage is a residential school where students and staff of various nationalities and backgrounds can learn from one another while they live and study together. The fact that the school is set in an Asian context provides a particular focus for the learning process. We affirm the Christian tradition and identity of this school. We hope that persons from a variety of Christian traditions as well as those from other religious and non-religious traditions will be spiritually challenged and strengthened through living in this community.'

KIS Mission Statement
'Kodaikanal International School is an autonomous residential school with a broad college-oriented curriculum, serving young people from a wide diversity of cultures. The School's academic program is intentionally set within a community life based on the life and teaching of Jesus Christ and devoted to service in India and the whole human community.'

KIS Community Life
'KIS is an international community. It is a created community, self-regulating, and dedicated to living out particular values in its daily life. KIS community has a particular ethos, which is given by our surroundings and the backgrounds from which we come, but it is also intentionally created by our value commitments and the way we structure our community life. Thus, all major aspects of our community life should be open to possible improvement if they affect the quality of our life together.'

KIS and India
'This school is not just an international school that happens to be placed in India. India is part of what we are and we are committed to being a constructive part of the life of this nation. Our commitment to Indian society underpins our desire to educate and educate well in this setting. We are committed to education that takes on the richness of Indian history and culture and a progressive stance on positive social change in this context.'

General Objectives
'The school shall strive to be a healthy microcosm of the global societies in the community. It shall recognize and encourage the distinctive differences between people, nations, and cultures, and, at the same time affirm the unity of humankind. The lifestyle of the school will therefore reflect this healthy tension. Here, students and staff shall learn together in theory and practice how to bridge differences between themselves and others.

The school will acknowledge Jesus Christ and his teachings to be the foundation stone for achieving all its objectives.'

KIS Values

Kodaikanal International School values the following guiding principles as pre-eminent for all aspects of its community life:

• Accountability: All the members of the community should be able to justify their actions according to the effective pursuit of the mission and goals of the School and the particular requirements of their roles.
• Appreciation: Individuals of all groups will appreciate all other members of the community for their individuality, their gender and their specific cultural identity.
• Concern for Others: All members of the community will care for the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of all other members of the community to the best of their ability.
• Consistency: Policies will be justly applied to all members of the community and to the pursuit of the school's mission and goals.
• Context: The school, without losing its global and Christian character, will be engaged with its local, India and South Asian contexts in all aspects of its program.
• Cooperation: All members of the community will work together and resolve conflicts effectively.
• Integrity: Truthfulness and the open sharing of information are the accepted standards of the school.
• Openness: The school consistently draws on the best resources, models and ideas available in the world in pursuit of its mission.
• Performance: The school expects the highest possible level of achievement will be pursued by each person.
• Reverence: All members of the community will seek to develop their own inner, spiritual life and respect the spiritual efforts of others