Woodstock awarded International Credential

Woodstock School was the first school in Asia to be accredited by the Middle States Association (USA) in 1959. In May 2007 it scored another first in Asia through the award of the MSA's new International Credential. Only two other schools worldwide have achieved this award.

This award was the culmination of many months of hard work by the Woodstock staff and administration as they thoroughly studied and verified the features that constitute the international nature of Woodstock - its philosophy, organisational design and staff, curriculum, instruction and assessment, resources, student services and life. The MSA explain the objective of this credential in the following terms:

"Tapping the knowledge and experience of leaders in our more than 150 member institutions located around the world, MSA began developing criteria and indicators that would effectively identify and celebrate institutions that are "international" in character. Our belief is that such efforts by schools should be identified, acknowledged, celebrated and shared among the MSA educational community."

In a rapidly changing education scene in India with many different kinds of schools calling themselves 'international', this credential validates the work Woodstock is doing today as a continuance of our 150 year history of international education in a Himalayan, Indian and residential setting.

"In the short space of time allotted for the visit, the (review) team was able to gain a sense of the commitment of faculty and students to effective education via immersion in worldwide cultural history, their focus on intercultural dialogue and engagement in the global community, and the feeling of caring and enjoyment that students, faculty, administration, and staff share.

"Woodstock School is an international school because it does what international schools should do: it brings the world's young people together to participate in the great endeavor of learning. The students at Woodstock are poised, articulate young people who could probably serve as model citizens for much of the adult world." (Andrew Hoover, Review Team leader).