An egregious misinterpretation of Mahatma Gandhi’s edicts on education discouraged English-medium education in Gujarat’s commercial capital. But after liberalisation in 1991, it’s a different story in pre-primary and school education

The western seaboard state of Gujarat (pop. 62.7 million) — the bailiwick of prime minister Narendra Modi who served as its chief minister for three consecutive terms before he led the BJP to an epic victory in General Election 2014 — is justly famous for its entrepreneurial and international trading tradition and capabilities. However, an egregious misinterpretation of the Porbander (Gujarat)-born Mahatma Gandhi’s edicts on education prompted the neglect of English learning by almost all governments of Gujarat and discouraged the promotion of ‘elitist’ English-medium private primary-secondary schools for over five decades after independence. 

But, after liberalisation and deregulation of the Indian economy in 1991, there’s been a spurt in the promotion of new genre private schools to meet the growing demand for English-medium education from aspirational upwardly mobile middle class households. Over the past decade, several primary-secondary chains such as the Ryan International Group of Institutions, Delhi Public School Society and Vibgyor High have set up high quality English-medium private schools in the state.

This growing awareness of the importance of English-medium primary-secondary education has trickled down to the early childhood care and education (ECCE) sector which also offers freedom from government interference. During the past decade, a rising tribe of edupreneurs have stepped up to promote contemporary pre-primaries — proprietary and franchised — offering professionally delivered ECCE to young parents. 

In Ahmedabad — Gujarat’s commercial capital — where awareness of the importance of ECCE is highest — a 574-strong sample respondents database comprising parents with preschool children and teachers/principals was interviewed by C fore field researchers to rate and rank 26 sufficiently well-known proprietary and franchised preschools of the textiles city.

Proprietary preschools

Promoted in 2009 under the aegis of the Redbricks Education Foundation, Redbricks Junior, Satellite, ranked #2 last year, has trumped the 2015 top-ranked Olive Green Kids, Navrangpura to be ranked Ahmedabad’s #1 proprietary preschool this year. While Olive Green Kids has been pushed to #2, the next three positions in the 2016 league table have been retained by Rising Kids, Bapunagar (3), Thumbelina Nursery, Naranpura (4) and Crayonz Preschool, South Bopal (5) and Vedant International, Maninagar (5). 

Renita Handa, promoter-director of Redbricks Junior, which was unranked in the composite league tables of 2014, is “more than glad” that Ahmedabad’s informed sample respondents have ranked her pre-primary #1 on the parameters of teacher competence and development, infrastructure, and innovative teaching. “Redbricks is a pioneer of early years education for introducing age-appropriate, research-based curriculums in Ahmedabad where ECCE was a mere downward extension of primary education with premature emphasis on academics. We were the first to substantially invest in developing a cadre of professional early childhood teachers. That’s why parents and educators have rated us #1 on the critical parameters of teacher competence and innovative teaching,” says Handa, an alumna of St. Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad and Bentley University, USA. Currently, Redbricks has an enrolment of 235 pupils and 26 teachers (tuition fee: Rs.43,000-57,500 per year). 

Further down the league table of Ahmedabad’s top-ranked proprietary preschools, two new pre-primaries have debuted — Britton and Lakshaya — at #6 and #8 respectively while Smart Kids, Maninagar has retained its #7 ranking. 

Toral Jain, promoter-CEO of Britton — The Early Learning Preschool (estb.2015), is thrilled this mint new pre-primary has debuted in the Top 10 league table. “We are thrilled to receive this recognition in our very first year of operations; it reassures us that we are moving in the right direction. In Britton, we have adopted best global ECCE practices and pedagogies from the British, Scandinavian and Educare preschool systems to design a child-centric curriculum based on MI (multiple intelligences) theory. Quality, innovation and impact are our three focus areas as we prepare children for not only school but life,” says Jain, an alumna of Amity University and Emlyon Business School, France and also director of the Eden Group of Schools, Rajasthan.

Franchised preschools

The 2016 league table of Ahmedabad’s best franchised preschools, which rates and ranks 16 preschools is topped by EuroKids, Satellite (EKS) for the fourth consecutive year. Top-ranked even in the pre-segregation composite league tables of 2013 and 2014, EKS unsurprisingly continues to dominate the segregated franchised preschools league table. Moreover this pre-primary, a franchisee of the Mumbai-based EuroKids International which has over 900 owned and franchised preschools countrywide, is ranked #1 on all ten parameters of ECCE excellence.

“I am overjoyed that we’ve been ranked Ahmedabad’s #1 preschool for the fourth consecutive year. The credit for our consistently high ranking needs to be given to our dedicated teachers, supportive parents and the high-quality structured curriculum given to us by EuroKids International. Our top ranking on all ten parameters is particularly satisfying because we have taken great pains to deliver a holistic education experience for young children in a safe and happy environment,” says Beula Canara, a business management graduate of the Xavier Institute of Social Service, Ranchi with teaching experience in Ahmedabad’s Mount Carmel and St. Kabir schools. In 2002, Canara promoted EKS which currently has 338 children and 24 teachers on its muster rolls (tuition fee: Rs.45,000-50,000 per year).

While there’s no change at the very top, further down the Top 10 table there’s been considerable churn. Kalorex Preschool, Maninagar has risen in the esteem of the city’s informed public and is ranked #2 (#4 in 2015). Though Shanti Juniors, Prahladnagar has conceded two ranks Rangoli Preschool, Bopal and EuroKids, Vastrapur have retained their #3 and #5 ranking respectively.

Comments Mrunal Desai, promoter-director of Kalorex, Maninagar, a franchisee of the Ahmedabad-based Kalorex Group which manages 21 owned and franchised preschools in Gujarat: “We are grateful that your sample respondents have acknowledged our academic team’s hard work to provide high quality early childhood education. I believe our greatest strength is the open relationship we share with parents who are fully involved in their children’s education. In all our preschools, we enable the all-round growth of children through music, play and hands-on activities. I believe it’s our will to adopt and implement new pedagogies which has helped us maintain a consistently high rank in the annual EW preschools league tables.” An alumnus of St. Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad and University of Hertfordshire, London, Desai worked with the Hongkong Bank, London, before returning to India in 2009 to promote Kalorex, Maninagar. Currently this preschool has 100 students and nine teachers. 

Kalorex, Maninagar apart, two more franchised preschools of this Ahmedabad-based ECCE chain located in Isanpur (#6) and Navrangpura (10) are ranked in the Top 10. The Mumbai-based Tree House has four of its franchised preschools ranked in the Top 12 — Tree House (TH), Prahladnagar (7), TH, Vastrapur (8), TH, Satellite (11) and TH, Bopal (12).

Also read: Best practices in ECCE: What Indian preschools need to learn and adapt