With the overwhelming majority of new day schools being mixed gender, the boys-only league table has been shrinking every year. This year with legacy vintage boys schools ranked separately, the number has reduced to 26

The 2022-23 national league table of India’s best boys day schools sports a new look after introduction of a separate vintage schools (aged 90 years-plus) category this year. With the overwhelming majority of new K-12 education institutions promoted in the new millennium being mixed-gender schools, even the hitherto undivided boys-only league table had shrunk to a mere 53 primary-secondaries.

This year with the league table divided to carve out a new category of vintage schools, the boys-only day schools league table has been reduced to 26. Yet while co-ed day schools dominate the K-12 education landscape and constitute the lengthiest league table in EWISR 2022-23, it bears repetition that the country’s shrinking minority of gender-segregated schools enjoy king-size national reputations and often outperform coed day schools in higher-secondary board exams.

This year St. John’s High School, Chandigarh (SJHS, estb.1959) ranked #3 in 2021-22 and #1 in 2020-21 has recovered its numero uno rank. The 14,221 sample respondents — parents, principals, teachers and senior students — interviewed by the Delhi-based Centre for Forecasting & Research (C fore), have voted SJHS India #1, with top scores on eight of 14 parameters of primary secondary education excellence, viz, faculty competence, teacher welfare and development, infrastructure, leadership, community service, special needs education, mental and emotional well-being services and value for money. Promoted 63 years ago by the Congregation of Christian Brothers on a 30-acre campus in the heart of Chandigarh, the CBSE-affiliated St. John’s High has 2,100 students mentored by 80 teachers on its musters.

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This is great news. We thank your sample respondents for acknowledging our efforts to build a caring and compassionate school community. I am humbled by St. John’s High’s top scores on several parameters of excellence, especially faculty competence and community service. During the pandemic, our 80 teachers went beyond the call of duty to provide students not just online learning, but also socio-emotional support. And now as our children have returned to campus and classrooms, we are leaving no stone unturned to bridge socio-emotional gaps. I’m especially pleased by our top scores for community service and deep connect with our parents and local community. We are fortunate to be part of a global network of 400 schools managed by the Christian Brothers which enables our students and teachers to collaborate with and learn from peers around the world.

-Kavita Das, an alumna of Delhi University with over 20 years of teaching experience (St. Columba’s, Delhi) appointed principal of St. John’s High in 2007.

Top-ranked for seven years in the all-boys day schools category and #1 in 2021-22, Campion School, Mumbai (estb.1943) is ranked #2 this year followed by St. Columba’s, Delhi at #3 (#10 in 2021-22), Birla High, Moira Street, Kolkata #4 (#7) and DAV Boys Senior Secondary School, Gopalapuram, Chennai #5 (#11). All these schools have substantially improved their ranking at top table.

Beyond the Top 5, several boys day schools have also risen considerably because of migration of vintage schools to a separate dedicated league table. DAV Boys Senior Secondary School, Mogappair, Chennai ranked #6 (#10), Don Bosco School, Park Circus, Kolkata #7 (#12), MC Kejriwal Vidyapeeth, Howrah #8 (#12), NASR Boys School, Hyderabad #9 (#13) and Don Bosco School, Siliguri #10 (#18) complete the Top 10.

Br. Robert Fernandes, principal of the CBSE-affiliated St. Columba’s School, Delhi (SCS, estb.1941), is delighted that SCS has made a great leap forward in the boys day school league table with top scores for sports, co-curricular education and community service.

We are very pleased SCS is ranked among India’s Top 3 boys day schools. I believe this high ranking is the outcome of initiatives we have taken to integrate the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals into our curriculum, introduction of inquiry-based pedagogies and collaborative project work, continuous upskilling of teachers, and digital transformation. Our great strength is that SCS is an inclusive school where every child is encouraged to develop his full potential in academics, sports and co-curricular education. Therefore, we value our top scores on the parameters of community service, and sports and co-curricular education very highly.

-says Bro. Fernandes. Currently, St. Columba’s has 3,176 students and 130 teachers on its muster rolls.

Similarly, Loveleen Saigal, principal of Birla High, Moira Street, Kolkata (estb.1941), is thrilled that the school has earned a seat in the Top 5.

I am jubilant, gratified and humbled that we have been promoted from #7 last year to #4 in 2022-23. This elevation is because of rising public awareness of the dedicated teamwork of our teaching and non-teaching staff, efficiency of the management and demonstrated capability of our students to adapt to online learning during the Covid pandemic. As an 81-year-old school, we have a long record of academic, and extra-curricular education excellence. Therefore, our top scores for academic reputation and sports education are cause for great satisfaction. Now the goal is to improve our ranking every year.

-says Saigal. The CBSE-affiliated Birla High has 2,365 students mentored by 195 teachers.

Further down the 26-strong league table of all-boys day schools, several other institutions have also substantially improved their ranking. Loyola School, Thiruvananthapuram has jumped to #15 (#23), SGVP International School, Ahmedabad to #19 (#30), St. Joseph’s Boys School, Jalandhar to #20 (#31) and Our Lady of Perpetual Succour High School (OLPS), Chembur, Mumbai to #22 (#34).

Moreover, it’s pertinent to note that all league table schools have established excellent reputations in their host cities and states. For parents opting for day schooling, their children, city rank is obviously more important than national. Thus SGVP International, Ahmedabad, ranked #19 nationally is #1 in Ahmedabad (pop.8 million); St. Joseph’s Boys, Jalandhar, India #20 is the #1 boys day school of Jalandhar (pop.1 million) and Campion School, Bhopal, ranked #24 nationally, is #1 in the city of lakes (pop.2 million).

Vintage legacy boys’ day schools

 

I am very happy and gratified that a special category has been created to rank vintage schools. St. Mary’s School is 158 years old and has steadily evolved into a modern 21st century school, keeping its strong heritage and values systems alive and adapting to new technologies enabled academics with strong emphasis on sports education. We have two huge playgrounds and well-equipped indoor sport facilities, as indicated in our top score under the parameter of sports education. St. Mary’s has traditionally won most football and cricket tournaments in Mumbai and many players have gone on to play at the state and national levels. I am also pleased with our all-India top scores under the parameters of teacher welfare and development and parental involvement.

-says Dr. (Fr.) Francis Swamy S.J (centre), director of St. Mary’s School, Mazgaon, Mumbai

For the complete table: EW India School Rankings 2022-23 – Top & best schools in India

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