CIS Voice｜Dialogue with school Principal Mr. Malik: Decoding the comp

Innovate Today, Lead Tomorrow” has always been the core mission of CIS. As our Secondary School enters a key stage of growth, we are proud to welcome our new Secondary School Principal, Mr. Pradeep Malik. With rich international experience, he brings unique insights into student development, interdisciplinary learning, and cultural understanding.

In a recent in-depth interview, Mr. Malik shared his vision for CIS secondary education — from curriculum design and student support to university pathways and language integration. His insights reflect a deep understanding of future-focused learning and highlight how CIS brings “Academic Excellence, Caring Community” to life.

The CIS secondary school curriculum integrates three key elements of international education: the Alberta Curriculum (Canada), the IGCSE framework, and MYP teaching approaches.

Mr. Malik shared:

“It is based on rigorous content from Alberta and IGCSE… while the MYP adds the approaches to teaching and learning they might sometimes miss.”

This integrated "content + approach" curriculum enables CIS to maintain academic rigor while inspiring students’ creativity and intrinsic motivation.

To effectively implement the curriculum, CIS has built a team of experienced and globally-minded educators.

Mr. Malik shared:

“What we have done this year for next year is to recruit excellent teachers with experience, expertise and qualifications.”

The arrival of this new team has not only raised the overall teaching quality, but also brought fresh momentum to the secondary school in areas such as interdisciplinary learning, language integration, and student support—injecting new energy into classroom practices.

CIS is actively building a comprehensive Pastoral Program. Through a homeroom advisor, regular check-ins, emotional care, and social guidance, every student receives ongoing emotional support and personal development beyond academics.

“We aim to develop a pastoral program through homeroom, where advisors take personal care of the students and ensure their individual needs are met.”

This system emphasizes that “every student deserves to be seen, understood, and supported.”

Starting next year, CIS secondary school will fully implement the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach, emphasizing multiple means of expression, engagement, and cognition to ensure every student can find the learning style that suits them best.

“To make sure that all children are catered for their multiple ways of engagement and representation.”

In practice, CIS classrooms will move beyond a “one-size-fits-all” standard, honoring each student’s individuality and unique potential.

Mr. Malik shared:

“My motto is that every teacher is a language teacher.”

CIS is implementing an interdisciplinary language support system, combining CEFR assessments, the IXL platform, and teacher training to help non-native students improve language skills across all subjects.

At the same time, the school encourages students to preserve their mother tongues and respect their cultural identities. Through International Day, poetry recitals, and cross-cultural projects, students freely express themselves, strengthening their sense of belonging and cultural confidence.

CIS adheres to a strengths-based approach to college guidance.

Mr. Malik shared:

“Each child, their path to university is unique. So we will work on students based on their strength.”

Beyond offering globally recognized A-Level qualifications, CIS places special emphasis on building a personal growth portfolio — showcasing students’ interests, leadership, service, and academic achievements.

To support this development, the school provides multiple practical platforms across different dimensions:

“And when they are at the end of their high school career, they would have built a portfolio of experiences and examples to show to universities.”

CIS focuses not only on exam results but also on building students’ abilities throughout the process. The school provides multiple supports, including AI-assisted learning tools, self-feedback systems, and Life Skills courses, offering strategies for exams, self-regulation, and time management.

“We will be creating a bank of tools… so that students can develop themselves.”
 “In our life skill lessons, we’ll teach students social, emotional skills, self-regulation…”

These initiatives help students approach high-stakes exams like A-Level and IGCSE with confidence while fostering a positive learning mindset and growth capacity.

Mr. Malik emphasized, 

“Without parent partnership, there cannot be student success.”

At CIS, communication between home and school goes beyond parent-teacher meetings and report cards. The school actively builds a collaborative education system through “Morning Tea” parent gatherings, transparent sharing of curriculum content, and parent education seminars.

“We plan to provide parents access to all student assessments, scores and feedback throughout the year… and opportunities to come on campus to see performances and work.”

From Innovation Day and Sports Festival to art performances, CIS warmly invites parents to campus to witness and participate in their children’s growth journey.

Throughout the interview, we not only witnessed an educator’s strategic planning but also felt his genuine care for student development.

“It’s so exciting to see that young people are so innovative and just looking for opportunities. My job is to make sure those opportunities are provided.”

“Innovate Today, Lead Tomorrow” is more than a slogan—it is the core vision driving CIS forward. Under Mr. Malik’s leadership, CIS is building a secondary education system that combines rigorous curriculum, inquiry spirit, humanistic care, and global perspective, lighting the path to the future for every student.