Jodhamal Public School, Jammu

In a short span of time JMPS (estb. 2005) has established a reputation as Jammu & Kashmir’s top-ranked co-ed primary-secondary. In the EducationWorld India School Rankings 2016 it is ranked #1 statewide   Autar Nehru

Sited on a six-acre campus on the Channi Himmat hillock in Jammu — the winter capital of the strife-torn northern state of Jammu & Kashmir — Jodhamal Public School (JMPS, estb. 2005) has established a reputation as the state’s top-ranked primary-secondary in a short span of time. In the recently published EducationWorld India School Rankings 2016, JMPS is ranked #1 in J&K and among the Top 100 schools nationally in the co-ed day schools category. Currently, this CBSE-affiliated K-12 school provides high-quality academic and co-curricular education to 2,796 students including 970 girls mentored by 145 highly-qualified teachers.

The school was promoted a decade ago by the R.B. Jodha Mal Kuthiala Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Jammu-based R.B. Jodhamal Group of companies to commemorate the group’s patriarch and founder Rai Bahadur Jodha Mal Kuthiala (1883-1960), whose timber business spanned across most states of north India in the pre-independence era. A businessman-philanthropist, Rai Bahadur Kuthiala aided and facilitated the promotion of several health, recreation, and education institutions statewide.

“The primary objective behind the promotion of JMPS is to provide children of Jammu city high-quality nationally benchmarked K-12 education. In JMPS, an excellent academic programme is complemented by a wide range of extra-curricular and sports activities to enable the all-round growth and development of children. We aspire to develop global citizens grounded in Indian traditions and values and equipped to assume leadership positions in a globalised economy,” says Nandan Kuthiala, trustee of JMPS and director of the R.B. Jodhamal Group.

The 11-year-old school’s focus on integrated education with international exposure won it the distinction of the first K-12 institution in the state to win the British Council’s International School Award in 2012. This year, it received the second edition of this prestigious award, valid until 2019. Moreover, the school’s students received the 2016 Gold Award of the Faith Foundation, promoted by former British prime minister Tony Blair, for participation in a ‘Face to Faith’ video conferencing programme held globally. The school is also the only YES centre of the International Award for Young People in the state.

“JMPS has been awarded a 6-Star Gold Rating by the UK-based World Education Foundation for providing a wholesome nurturing environment for children. Recently, the school also hosted two teachers from Britain under the Generation UK-India exchange programme,” says Trilok Singh Bist, an alumnus of Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University who started his teaching career at the Scholars Home Senior Secondary School, Dehradun followed by Doon International School, Palia and Unison World School, Dehradun before being appointed principal of JMPS in 2011.

To fulfill its institutional objective of providing quality K-12 education on a world-class campus in Jammu, the JMPS top management has invested heavily in academic, co-curricular and sports facilities. The campus with a built-up area of 170,000 sq. ft, designed by well-known architects Vijay Gupta & Associates, hosts a three-storey main block featuring 80 well-ventilated classrooms, a sound-proof multi-purpose hall with a seating capacity for 1,800 and a 600-seat amphitheatre. Academic facilities include four computer science, maths, V-sat and phonetics labs; a well-stocked library housing 30,000 titles; and separate rooms for music, dance, art and painting studies. The school has also signed up for Educomp’s Smart Class programme.

Games and sports facilities include a half Olympic size swimming pool, football/cricket ground, basketball court, aerobics studio, handball, martial arts, skating rink facilities, athletics field, badminton court, and table tennis room. Sports is a major focus activity of the school with 12 coaches mentoring students in a wide variety of track and field games.

“Extra-curricular and sports education are accorded equivalence with academics in JMPS with all students given ample opportunities and professional support to excel. Our numerous clubs — Eco Buddies, debates, scouts & guides, etc — promote activity-based learning. Community service is also an important aspect of our education philosophy. We have adopted three government schools in the Bishnah Ismailpur area of Jammu district,” says Bist.

Although within 11 years JMPS has established itself as J&K’s #1 co-ed day school, the management is far from being complacent and is determined to improve pedagogies and facilities to improve its national ranking. “We will be introducing the National Cadet Corps programme very soon and are exploring ways and means to initiate virtual student exchange programmes with schools worldwide. Moreover, continuous training of teachers is an important priority of the school and we hope to further strengthen our professional development programmes. We are determined to raise teaching-learning and sports standards to be ranked among the Top 20 schools nationwide within the next five years,” says Bist.

Meanwhile the foundation has finalised a plan to promote its next academic venture — a fully residential school in Dharmashala, Himachal Pradesh, says Kuthiala.