Shashank Goenka- The Entrepreneurs of India Magazine

Shashank Goenka’s journey with Finland International School (FIS) began long before the first campus opened its doors. Growing up in a traditional CBSE school, his early years were filled with endless pressure to score high in math, science and English. There was little room for curiosity, and learning often felt more like memorising than truly understanding. Things took a dramatic turn when he moved to the United States for higher education. The exposure to a different style of teaching, where concepts were taught in a practical and engaging way, opened his eyes. Subjects that once felt difficult suddenly became enjoyable. That experience planted the seed for his vision of rethinking how children in India could learn.

After returning to India, he began attending global education fairs, including the well-known BETT Fair in the UK, searching for the best practices that could be introduced back home. It was here that he discovered the Finnish education system, respected worldwide for its learner-friendly approach. He reached out to Finnish experts and by 2018, signed an agreement that set the foundation for Finland International School in India. What started as a dream was soon on its way to becoming reality.

Like any entrepreneur, the path was not without trials. The first pilot school launched in Pune after the pandemic was a full Finnish model with no cultural adaptation. While it worked in some areas, the need for an Indian context became clear very quickly. A second experiment came in Thane, where an ICSE school was converted into a Finnish style model. Over three years of adjustments, he and his team created a blended approach that merged the best of Finland with India’s cultural grounding. By 2024, the flagship campus at Race Course opened, marking seven years of learning, testing and refining.

For Goenka, two principles guide his journey. The first is quality over quantity, where the student comes first and parents become partners in learning. The second is about people. “No amount of technology can replace a passionate, well-trained educator,” he often says. Teachers remain the backbone of the school, and his role is to ensure they get the best training and tools to nurture young learners.

The road was not easy. India lacked trained teachers familiar with Finnish pedagogy. Many had been shaped by a system that leaned on rote learning, often leaving students disconnected from real life applications. Filling that gap took years of effort, but the result today is classrooms that focus on multidisciplinary learning, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Even the design of the school itself came directly from teachers, who created classrooms with warmth and functionality.

What makes FIS stand out is its focus on personalised learning. Instead of grade-based progress, children are supported at their developmental pace. Two students of the same age may need different learning paths, and the school ensures each one has a plan designed for them. With smaller class sizes and continuous teacher development, this vision has started to take strong shape.

Blending Finnish pedagogy with Indian context and IB exposure makes the model unique. From coding introduced in early years to communication and life skills, graduates are being prepared for careers and opportunities that demand more than textbook knowledge. For Goenka, the advice to young changemakers is simple: don’t chase money, chase quality, and build slowly with strong foundations.