Given its historical error of neglecting English language learning, there’s rising clamour within middle class households in Gujarat for privately provided early childhood care and education. Here are Ahmedabad’s best preschools 2018-19.

The western seaboard state of Gujarat (pop. 60.4 million), where prime minister Narendra Modi served as chief minister for three consecutive terms before leading the BJP to a landslide victory in general election 2014, fares poorly on several human development indicators including education and child health. The state ranks #18 in the Educational Development Index 2017 of the National University of Educational Planning and Administration, Delhi and has an annual female school dropout rate of 8.5 percent cf. 4.6 percent nationally.

Unsurprisingly given the state government’s poor human resource development track record and more so its historical error of neglecting English language learning, there’s rising clamour within middle class households for privately provided English medium early childhood care and education (ECCE). Even as several greenfield K-12 schools are being established, there’s a corresponding upsurge in English medium pre-primaries being promoted by edupreneurs statewide, especially in the commercial capital of Ahmedabad, which is emerging as an ECCE hotspot. To rate and rank the textile city’s most admired preschools in the proprietary and franchised categories, the Delhi-based research company C fore interviewed 505 parents with preschool-going children and 63 ECCE educators in Ahmedabad.

Proprietary preschools

Except at the top where RedBricks Junior, Satellite has comfortably retained its #1 rank for the third consecutive year, Ahmedabad’s proprietary schools league table 2018-19 has experienced a makeover. Olive Green Kids School, Navarangpura, has inched up to #2 (3 in 2017), Rising Kids Preschool, Bapunagar, has slipped to #3 (2) while Vedant International School Maninagar has retained its #4 rank and 9Kids, Memnagar has gained ground at #6 (7). Little Wings Holistic Childhood Centre, Bopal, ranked #7, Thumbelina Nursery and KG School, Naranpura at #9 and Square One, Anand Nagar Road at #10 have all ceded rank since 2017-18. The other notable change in the Top 10 league table is the entry of two previously unranked preschools — Bodakdev School for Children at #5 and Superwings, Thaltej at #8.

“I am delighted that we’ve been ranked #1 in Ahmedabad for the past three years. The deep commitment of our teachers has helped us to continuously innovate and consolidate our reputation as a school where children not only imbibe knowledge and life skills, but develop curiosity and love of learning. That’s why I am especially pleased about our #1 rank under the parameter of competence of teachers and teacher development. Our 32 teachers receive rigorous induction training and are continuously provided opportunities for professional development. This focus on teachers has resulted in a unique pedagogy which combines experimental learning and outdoor play,” says Renita Handa, an alumna of St. Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad and Bentley University, USA and promoter-director of Redbricks Junior, Satellite (estb. 2009) which has an enrolment of 277 pupils.

Manan G. Choksi, director of the mint-new Bodakdev School for Children (BSC, estb.2018) which has gate-crashed into the Top #5, is overjoyed that “the newest preschool in town” has received quick endorsement from knowledgeable parents and preschool educators. “We have got off to a great start and our future is bright. Even though BSC is new, we have adopted and adapted time-tested ECCE pedagogies and practices implemented by experienced teachers mentored by a management team with a history of providing K-12 education consultancy services. Our excellent infrastructure, high-quality teachers and experiential, activity-based curriculum have evidently impressed our parents who have given us very good word-of-mouth publicity,” says Choksi, a law graduate of Gujarat University and chartered accountant who promoted BSC earlier this year. Currently, this preschool has an enrolment of 60 students mentored by 31 teachers and 28 non-teaching staff. Over the next two years, Choksi plans to scale the preschool’s operations to accommodate 600 pre-primary children.
The 12-strong EW Ahmedabad proprietary preschool rankings 2018-19 is completed by Lakshaya Preschool, Bodakadev, ranked #11 and Smart Kids, Maninagar #12.

Franchised preschools

The four-year reign of EuroKids, Satellite as Ahmedabad’s #1 franchised preschool is over. Kalorex Preschool, Punit Ashram, Maninagar, has dethroned the four-time champion as the textile city’s premier franchised preschool. A franchisee of the Ahmedabad-based Kalorex Group which manages 21 owned and franchised preschools in Gujarat, Kalorex, Maninagar (estb.2009) is top-ranked by this year’s knowledgeable sample respondents on six of EducationWorld’s ten parameters of early childhood care and education excellence.

“It has been a long wait for us, but we were sure we would earn the #1 rank sooner than later because we have been working hard on improving on all ten parameters of ECCE excellence cited by EducationWorld. Therefore, we are delighted that our efforts have paid off and Kalorex, Maninagar is top-ranked on six parameters. I am really pleased with our top ranking on the parameters of teacher competence and development because our teachers trained in multiple intelligences, jolly phonics and other new ECCE pedagogies, are our greatest asset. This focus on teacher development has translated into innovative teaching and individual attention to children — our distinguishing features,” says Mrunal A. Desai, a business management postgrad of the University of Hertfordshire, UK, and director of Kalorex, Maninagar which has an enrolment of 120 students mentored by ten teachers.

Kalorex, Maninagar apart, three more franchised preschools of the Ahmedabad-based Kalorex chain sited in Isanpur at #4 (6 in 2017), Navarangpura #6 (10) and Nikol #10 (14) have risen in public esteem to be ranked in the Top 10.
Another Gujarat-based ECCE group with a sizeable representation in the 13-strong league table of Ahmedabad’s best franchised schools is the Rangoli chain (which has 65 franchised schools across Gujarat and Rajasthan), with two pre-primaries ranked in 2018-19. The Mumbai-based EuroKids group, which has over 900 owned and franchised preschools countrywide, has six franchisees ranked in Ahmedabad. But most have lost rank this year.

Sonal Ronak Soni, an alumna of Gujarat University and principal of Rangoli, Bopal (estb.2011) which has been consistently ranked #3 since 2014, believes it’s time this preschool got its due. “Though we are relieved that we have not slipped down, we have not improved our ranking. Our curriculum prepared by the Rangoli management is deeply researched and franchisees are given full freedom to experiment and innovate. I am sure we will be ranked higher as the public learns more about the excellent, safe and stimulating learning environment we provide our youngest children,” says Soni.

Also read: Ahmedabad’s best preschools 2019-20