American Embassy School, New Delhi
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The American Embassy School (AES),
New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, is an independent, co-educational day school that offers an educational program from pre-kindergarten through Grade 12. The school's student body represents more than 70 nationalities, with U.S. citizens as the largest population. It is adjacent to the Embassy of the United States in the city's
Chanakyapuri Chanakyapuri () is a neighbourhood and diplomatic enclave established in the 1950s in New Delhi, India. It is also a sub-division of the New Delhi district and plays host to the majority of foreign Embassy, embassies in New Delhi. Chanakyapuri, ...
diplomatic enclave.


History

The school was founded in 1952, following the U.S. Embassy's correspondence to the Union Government of India to request a school for American expatriate children. Jonathan Payne DuPont, author of the PhD thesis "Teacher Perceptions of the Influence of Principal Instructional Leadership on School Culture A Case Study of the American Embassy School in New Delhi, India," stated that the school's population grew in the 2000s due to an increase in India's economic status. In 2019, R Vervoort, B Blocken, and T van Hooff did a scientific study at the school regarding reducing
particulate matter Particulate matter (PM) or particulates are microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter suspended in the air. An ''aerosol'' is a mixture of particulates and air, as opposed to the particulate matter alone, though it is sometimes defin ...
at the school.


Admission and demographics

U.S. citizens are given the first priority for admission, provided the applicant meets the school's eligibility criteria. Eligibility in all other cases is limited to children whose parents or
legal guardian A legal guardian is a person who has been appointed by a court or otherwise has the legal authority (and the corresponding duty) to make decisions relevant to the personal and property interests of another person who is deemed incompetent, ca ...
s hold a foreign passport, are temporarily residing in India and based in New Delhi, and the student lives with the parent or legal guardian. An Indian citizen applicant must meet all three of the following criteria to be eligible to apply for admission: * the parents of the student are likely to stay in India for a period of 2 to 3 years, * the student should have come from an American/international system of education (outside of India with the exception of the American School of Bombay and th
American International School of Chennai
and has to return to the American/international system of education, * the student is in a critical stage of education and studying at AES is important for the student's education. The American Embassy School defines ‘critical stage of education’ as Grades 9–12. In the 2008–2009 school year, there were 1,348 pupils, with U.S. citizens being about 39%, Koreans making up about 17%, and the remainder coming from about 50 other countries. 690, 363, and 295 students each were in elementary, middle, and high school. From the 2000–2001 school year to the 2008–2009 school year there was an increase of students of Indian heritage who were not Indian citizens, from 136 to 351. The number of Indian citizens enrolled went from 48 to 52, respectively. In 2014 Jen Psaki, the spokesperson of the U.S. State Department, stated approximately about one-third of the students were U.S. citizens. The school experienced a temporary drop in enrollment due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. At the beginning of the 2020–2021 school year, enrollment was 954, representing 59 nationalities with the U.S. being the most common country of origin. (Pre-K to Grade 5: 415; Grades 6-8: 213; and Grades 9-12: 326). During the same school year, there were 166 faculty members. Average tenure at AES is 4.4 years and average years of experience is 17 years.


Organization

The AES Board of Governors has nine voting members who serve two-year terms with an option to continue for a third year. Seven are elected by the school's Association, which includes all parents and faculty; two are appointed by a majority of the Board. The Board also has two non-voting members appointed by the U.S. Ambassador; the School Director also serves as an
ex-officio An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, or council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term ''List of Latin phrases (E)#ex officio, ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the off ...
board member. The school's English motto is "Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve." Its Latin motto is "Domi ac foris," meaning "At home and abroad."


Curriculum

The curriculum is that of a general academic, college-preparatory school. The school's testing program includes the College Board tests (SAT, SAT II, PSAT). Instruction is in English; French,
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
, and Mandarin are taught as foreign languages. English-as-an Additional Language services are offered for non-native English speakers. The school also offers the
International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), more commonly known as the International Baccalaureate (IB), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the I ...
Diploma and support programs for students with special needs. Most of the graduates go on to universities in the United States and other countries. The school is accredited by the
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, also referred to as the Middle States Association or MSA, is an accreditor in the United States. Historically, it has accredited schools in the Mid-Atlantic states region of the northeas ...
.


Facilities

The school campus is spread over more than 12 acres and includes two libraries, a 25-meter swimming pool and toddler pool, a physical education center with two gymnasiums, "Makerspaces," three playgrounds, four clay tennis courts, grass and artificial soccer pitches, and a performing arts center. Before his death in 2015, Indian artist Nek Chand visited the school as an artist-in-residence and donated a series of sculptures, which are displayed around campus. Beginning in 2015, the school has responded to air quality concerns in Delhi by adding air monitors and advanced filtration systems to all indoor academic space. and creating additional indoor play space options for recess periods. The
air quality index An air quality index (AQI) is an indicator developed by government agencies to communicate to the public how polluted the air currently is or how polluted it is forecast to become. As air pollution levels rise, so does the AQI, along with the a ...
(AQI) in most indoor spaces now remains below 50 throughout the school day. Since 2017, the school has also added filtration systems to its faculty housing and installed outdoor air cleaners to improve the air quality in its high school atrium. The United States government leases the land that the school occupies.


School activities and sports

Extracurricular activities include team sports, performing arts, dance, visual arts, academic games,
TaeKwonDo Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In ad ...
and other interests such as
chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...
,
climbing Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or other parts of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. the eight thousanders) to small boulders. Climbing is done for locom ...
, and visiting historic sites and nature preserves such as Rathambore National Park. The school is a member of MESAC (Middle East South Asia Conference) for Grades 8–12 and ASIAC (American Schools in India Activities Conference) for Grades 6–8. The school used to be part of The South Asian Inter-Scholastic Association (
SAISA The South Asian Inter-Scholastic Association (better known as SAISA), brings top 10 international schools from across the Indian subcontinent region together to compete against one another in sports, music, and other extracurricular activities. It ...
), competing as the "Falcons" and the school colors were red and white. During the 1960s, the school adopted its current mascot, the Tiger. The school has an active service learning program and a range of community outreach activities for students, faculty, and families. The "Reach Out" program and other initiatives enable students to interact with people from the "jugghi" or
slum A slum is a highly populated Urban area, urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are p ...
s near the school, including constructing a library and studying area to promote literacy. The high school's 12 community service clubs include Make a Difference, Rights for Children, Blind Relief Volunteers, and more. More than 80% of high schoolers participate in community service programs. The school is also the chartered organization for
Cub Scout Cubs or Wolf Cubs are programs associated with some Scout organizations, for young children, usually between 8 and 12, who are too young to be Scouts and make the Scout Promise. A participant in the program is called a Cub and a group of Cubs ...
Pack 3060 and
Scouts BSA Scouts BSA (known as Boy Scouts until 2019) is the flagship program and membership level of Scouting America Scouting America is the largest scouting organization and one of the largest List of youth organizations, youth organizations i ...
Troop 60. As of 2015, the school has a rule regarding how much pollution is permissible for students to do outdoor classes and athletic activities.


Notable alumni

*
Aisha Chaudhary Aisha Chaudhary (27 March 1996 24 January 2015) was an Indian author and motivational speaker. She is the author of the book ''My Little Epiphanies'', published one day before her death. The 2019 Hindi film ''The Sky Is Pink'' is based on her ...
, Indian author, motivational speaker *
Timothy Geithner Timothy Franz Geithner (; born August 18, 1961) is an American former central banker who served as the 75th United States secretary of the treasury under President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013. He was the President of the Federal Reserve Bank o ...
, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, attended AES and has visited the school in his official capacity while in India * Mythili Raman, American lawyer, graduated AES in 1987 * Alankrita Sahai, model and Miss Diva Earth 2014 * Hannah Simone, actress, attended at age 16 *
Uma Thurman Uma Karuna Thurman (born April 29, 1970) is an American actress. She has performed in a variety of films, from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films. Following her appearances on the December 1985 and May 1986 cover ...
, actress, attended the school in 1979 while she lived in India


Notable guests

* U.S. President
Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...
visited the school on 11 December 1959. * Indian Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, and statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was a pr ...
visited the school in 1961. * First Lady
Jacqueline Kennedy Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American writer, book editor, and socialite who served as the first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A popular f ...
visited the school in 1962. * American poet Louis Untermeyer visited the school in 1962. * American actor
Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in '' The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. ...
visited the school in 1964. * Indian Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and stateswoman who served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 un ...
visited the school in 1965. * Musician
Ravi Shankar Ravi Shankar (; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitar, sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known expert of Hin ...
visited the school in 1970. *
The Dalai Lama The Dalai Lama (, ; ) is the head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The term is part of the full title "Holiness Knowing Everything Vajradhara Dalai Lama" (圣 识一切 瓦齐尔达喇 达赖 喇嘛) given by Altan Khan, the first Shu ...
visited the school on 8 April 2016. * U.S. Secretary of State
John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...
visited the school on 31 August 2016. During the school's first 50 years, other notable American visitors included astronaut
Pete Conrad Charles "Pete" Conrad Jr. (June 2, 1930 – July 8, 1999) was an American NASA astronaut, aeronautical engineer, naval officer, aviator, and test pilot who commanded the Apollo 12 mission, on which he became the third person to walk on t ...
, artist
Norman Rockwell Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of Culture of the United States, the country's culture. Roc ...
, heavyweight champion and activist
Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...
, and actors
Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, 12th-greatest male ...
and
Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in '' The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. ...
.


Controversy

In January 2014, following the Devyani Khobragade incident in the United States, the school was placed under investigation by the Indian government for alleged tax and visa fraud by its faculty. Since that point, the school has raised its tuition and is strictly following visa, work permit and tax regulations for all its teachers.


See also

*
Americans in India Americans in India comprise immigrants from the United States living in India, along with Indian citizens of American descent. They have a history stretching back to the late 18th century. History During World War II, more than 400,000 American ...
* U.S. Embassy in New Delhi


References


Bibliography

*
PDF link

Profile at
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External links


Official website
{{International schools in Delhi Educational institutions established in 1952 International schools in Delhi International Baccalaureate schools in India 1952 establishments in India New Delhi