Which Boarding School to choose-Private or International School in India

Posted by sumit verma on November 25th, 2020

A study of private schooling in India found that a massive influx of students to private schools has occurred in recent years, deserting state schools for the perceived advantages of private school education.

The report, conducted by the Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), found that the number of private schools grew by more than four times the number of state schools between 2010 and 2016, and the total number of students in state schools fell by 11.1 million. In comparison, during the same span, the number of students enrolling in private schools soared by 16 million.

Education in India

Britain's presence has profoundly influenced India's history and present, particularly its education system. The National Educational Research and Training Council (NCERT) administers the curriculum and provides schools in India with funding and professional assistance. At the elementary level, approximately 80 percent of all recognized schools are government-run or funded, making it the country's largest provider of education. There are difficulties with the scheme, however, including a lack of funding, lack of political will, high pupil-to-teacher ratios, equipment deficits, and low standards of teacher preparation. Often, when fewer girls participate in colleges, women have a much lower literacy rate than males, and many drops out.

There is a 10 + 2 + 3 schooling trend, meaning that there are 10 years of primary and secondary education, followed by 2 years of higher secondary education (usually in schools with higher secondary facilities or in colleges), and then 3 years of college education for a bachelor's degree. Primary schooling to the age of fourteen is emphasized by the Indian government. The education system is broken into various levels:

  • Pre-primary level

  • Primary level

  • Elementary education

  • Secondary education

  • Undergraduate level

  • Postgraduate level

International Schools

International schools can be the ideal option for an ex-pat student in India (managers of multinational companies, offspring of diplomats, NGO employees). Few residents may be present, but schools are generally oriented towards a foreign student body. A learning model from the UK is mostly adopted by colleges. Primary teaching may be any language (and several languages are typically taught), but it is typically in English or French. Schools across the globe have equal levels of education, making for a simple transfer between schools, whether in France or Vietnam. Schools also have accreditation that is internationally recognized, such as the International Baccalaureate.

Procedures for entry and enrollment differ from school to school. Space is always restricted and students dependent on ethnicity may be granted priority. Tuition continues to be costly depending on local requirements, but it includes high academic standards, reduced class sizes, first-rate services, and extracurricular ones. At certain campuses, boarding facilities are available.

Accreditation & Membership

  • The CoIS (Council of International Schools) is a non-profit organization of international schools and post-secondary institutions that offers accreditation for teaching, recruiting services for teachers and leadership, higher education ties, support for governance, and assistance in developing new schools.

  • The New England Schools & Colleges Association (NEASC) is a nationwide accreditation association that sets guidelines for all levels of education, from pre-K to doctoral education.

  • The Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA) of the Middle States is among the world's leading accreditation organizations.

  • The National Progressive Schools Conference (NPSC) is an association that comprises some 110 leading progressive private schools.

Private School

Almost 50 percent (12 crores) of students in India today are enrolled in private colleges, while the enrolment of government schools in 2017 dropped to 52.2 percent from 74.1 percent in 1978. Nevertheless, the first of its kind study by Central Square Foundation based on government statistics showed that private schools had a long way to go in terms of achieving the optimal learning result, albeit better than government schools.

A simple Class II level paragraph can not be read by 35 percent of rural private school students in Class V, although only 39.8 percent of Class V students in private schools can divide a three-digit number into a single unit. The study also reported that 45.5 percent of private school students pay the tuition of less than Rs 500 a month and yet the industry contributes over Rs 1.75 lakh crores to the economy. Yet it's a tale of success that is here to last.

Demand for international schools increases

A part of this pattern is the creation of English-medium international schools in India. There are reportedly 523 English-medium international schools in India, according to the International School Consultancy (ISC), with 30 percent of them based in Mumbai and Bangalore.

As the market is driven by a new wave of aspiring, increasingly wealthy local families, this figure is gradually growing. These parents are seeking increasingly high-quality, foreign education, and it is expected that India's private education sector will have doubled in value in just four years by 2020.

30 percent of Indian students attend private schools

To the point that 24,000 government schools have recently closed down, the relocation of students from public to private education has made a high proportion of state schools economically unviable. The study found that approximately 30 percent of Indian students attend private, government-unassisted schools.

Contrary to the common perception that private schools are pricey, the study found that their affordability is the primary reason for the exponential growth of private schools in India.

Surprisingly, as opposed to the price that the Indian government spends for state school sites, the vast majority of private schools, 80 percent, are low-fee schools.

One of the key reasons for this is that the wages of government teachers in India are high, not only for private schools but also relative to those in other nations (for example, the wages of Indian teachers are four times that of teachers in China).

Increasing focus on teaching quality

Unfortunately, this high wage does not always translate into high-quality teaching; India ranked near the bottom in the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey, which tests the skills and knowledge of 15-year-olds to evaluate education systems, and has boycotted the three-year survey since then. However, this is set to change as the Indian government has announced intentions to engage in the test in 2021.

Relocating families should be mindful of the fact that not all private schools are equal. Among existing international schools, there has been a fear that establishments are being set up with the 'International' mark that has no accreditation.

Families, such as the Council of International Schools (COIS), the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), and the Council of British International Schools (COBIS), should still search for recognized school accreditation if they wish to guarantee that their children get the highest standard education while living in India.

Top loacation in india for boarding school education

1- Himachal pradesh

2- Uttarakhand

3- Rajasthan

4- Delhi

5- Maharashtra

6- Uttarpradesh

8 - Haryana

Like it? Share it!


sumit verma

About the Author

sumit verma
Joined: October 21st, 2020
Articles Posted: 1