Bethany’s National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)
In keeping with the mission of the school, The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) program was started at Bethany High School Koramangala in the year 2010. NIOS is an “Open School” that caters to the needs of a heterogeneous group of learners, up to pre-degree level, with an alternate approach to education. Inclusivity and flexibility are the two main tenets this program is built on.
Inclusivity
We believe that all children must be given an equal opportunity to advance in their academic goals. Children with diverse learning abilities are very much a part of our family. In addition, children pursuing other fields like sports or arts are able to hone their skills in a more focused manner while at the same time completing their formal educational requirements. To ensure that NIOS students are integrated into the regular school system, they follow the same calendar as the ICSE classes and celebrate the same programs at school like the sports days, literary festivals and music/theatre productions.
Flexibility
Unlike other board examinations where students have to write all their subject exams in one year, Bethany offers its NIOS students the flexibility to complete their Class X and Class XII examinations over a period of 2 years. The curriculum is structured in such a way that students graduating from NIOS will clear their 10th and 12th exams along with their batchmates from the regular ICSE/ CBSE program. Thus, a student has the flexibility to study at their own pace which allows for stress-free learning. We also have a very low student-to-teacher ratio and this ensures that students receive personalized attention.
NIOS is one of the three national boards for education in India, along with ICSE and CBSE. The Open school system has been established as an independent system with its own curriculum and examination leading to certification. It was started as a project with in-built flexibilities by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in 1979. In fact, NIOS is the most extensive Open Schooling system in the world, with a cumulative enrolment of 4.13 million (during the last five years). We at Bethany are proud to be a part of this network of 7400 Study Centers nationwide.
We offer academic subjects such as Home Science, Economics, Business Studies, Social studies, Mass Communication, and Painting, along with vocational subjects such as Bakery and confectionary, Desktop publishing, Web designing, etc. After graduation, our students continue to complete Junior College and Undergraduate studies across the country and abroad, doing courses like Finance, Psychology, Aviation, Fine arts, Design, Hotel and Hospitality Management, Liberal arts, Theatre, Social Work, etc. The breadth of opportunities, careers and vocations undertaken by NIOS students serve every part of the society
Admission and Selection Criteria
Students are admitted based on their eligibility. They need to be 14 years of age to enroll for the program. Once admitted, students are assessed in their academics four times in a year. Reports of the assessments are given to the parents during the Open Houses.