For EWISR 2022-23, a specially constituted sample respondent database was interviewed by the Delhi-based C fore to rate Central government day schools on 14 parameters of school education excellence, writes Paromita Sengupta & Reshma Ravishanker

The condition of the overwhelming majority of India’s 1.20 million government schools is so poor in terms of infrastructure, teacher competence, pedagogy, curriculum delivery and digital readiness, sports, co-curricular and life skills education that no media publication has ever bothered to evaluate them or separate grain from chaff.

However, your editors have no ideological or any other prejudice against government schools. On the contrary, we are convinced that comprehensive upgradation and continuous improvement of government schools under all parameters of school education excellence is the essential precondition of national development. Therefore since 2014, the annual EWISR (EducationWorld India School Rankings) survey has included league tables rating and ranking the best Central government schools inter se.

However this year, in response to public demand, the composite government schools league table is sub-divided into Central and state government day schools. Moreover, Indian Army and defence services schools have been reclassified as Central government institutions.

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Segregation of the hitherto composite government day schools league table into Central (including defence services) and state government schools has resulted in a major rejig of rankings in the Central government day schools league table.

For EWISR 2022-23, a specially constituted sample respondent database of 1,279 SEC (socio-economic category) ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’ parents and teachers/educationists was interviewed by field personnel of the Delhi-based Centre for Forecasting and Research (C fore) to rate Central government schools on 14 parameters of school education excellence. This year, they have voted Army Public School (APS), Delhi Cantt and Army Public School, Southern Command, Pune jointly the country’s #1 Central government day schools.

However, APS-Delhi Cantt has been adjudged first among equals with #1+ ranking for exceptional achievement and improvement during the past year. In 2021-22, these defence services schools were ranked #121 and #128 respectively in the national co-ed day schools league table. Similarly, Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan, Delhi has benefited from the reclassification and is ranked #2 (#17 in the co-ed day category in 2021-22) followed by Navy Children School, Colaba, Mumbai at #3 (77). Air Force Golden Jubilee Institute, Delhi ranked #4 (90) and Navy Children School, Nausena Baugh, Visakhapatnam at #5 (80) constitute high table. Quite clearly, inclusion of defence services schools in the Central government day schools league table has resulted in dominance of the former.

“We are honoured to be ranked India’s #1 Central government day school. This recognition is huge motivation for our teachers to continue to excel and attain significant milestones every passing year. APS, Delhi Cantt is a highly disciplined institution with excellent governance and administrative systems which rival the best private schools. Our top scores for curriculum and pedagogy (hybrid readiness), individual attention to students, infrastructure, and sports education reflect the school’s holistic learning culture with children given personalised attention for all-round development. Moreover, we are also the only defence services school in Delhi NCR with a comprehensive inclusive education programme to mainstream children with disabilities. Therefore, I’m very pleased with the highest score awarded to us under the parameter of special needs education. Looking ahead, we are all set to align our curriculum and pedagogies with NEP 2020 recommendations,” says Dr. Neetu Kapoor, an alumna of Himachal Pradesh and Amity universities and principal of Army Public School, Delhi Cantt (estb.1989) since 2008. Currently, the CBSE-affiliated APS, Delhi Cantt hosts 3,524 students mentored by 145 teachers.

Likewise Dr. Parul Kumar, principal of the Navy Children School, Nausena Baugh, Visakhapatnam (NCS-V, estb.1965), is elated that NCS-V has leapfrogged to #3 in the EWISR 2022-23 league table of Central government day schools. “This is a great moment for NCS-V and we thank EducationWorld and your sample respondents for this honour. I attribute this success to our visionary management and mutually supportive relationships between our students, teachers and parents. This is reflected in our high scores under the parameters of parental involvement and leadership/management quality,” says Kumar. Currently, this well-furbished school has 4,621 students instructed by 222 teachers on its musters.

Not only high table but the entire Top 10 Central government day schools league table is swamped by defence services primary-secondaries. Navy Children School, Kochi has been promoted to #6 (85), Air Force School, Hebbal, Bengaluru to #7 (106). Army School BEG & Centre, Kirkee, Pune at #8 (152) is jointly ranked with Army Public School, Bolarum, Secunderabad (110).

Against this the top-ranked civilian Central government day school is the Atomic Energy Central School, Thane (Maharashtra) at #9 (150) co-ranked with Kendriya Vidyalaya-IIT Madras, Chennai ranked #2 last year. BSF Sr Sec School, Paloura, Jammu at #10 (12) completes the Top 10.

“I am grateful to EW’s sample respondents for ranking Air Force School, Hebbal among India’s Top 10 Central government day schools. This is overdue recognition of the continuous, untiring efforts our management, faculty and students invest 24×7. I am especially proud of the top score awarded to us for academic reputation. This is a result of our experiential learning environment where education goes beyond textbooks and students are given continuous remedial support to improve learning outcomes,” says Renu Singh, a postgraduate in chemistry and education of the Regional Institute of Education, New Delhi, and principal of the Air Force School, Hebbal, Bengaluru (AFS-H, estb.1958) which hosts 1,190 students mentored by 58 highly qualified teachers.

The sole non-Army/Navy school to feature in the Top 10 table is the BSF Sr Sec School, Paloura, Jammu. Promoted in 1976 by K. F. Rustamji, the founder-director general of the Border Security Force (BSF), it admits children of BSF security personnel stationed in Jammu & Kashmir. Ranked #12 in the composite government day schools 2021-22 league table, BSF Sr. Sec has been inducted into the Top 10 this year with high scores for sports education, infrastructure and value for money.

“I dedicate this promotion to our teachers who have worked hard to build a competitive learning environment. Our teachers are very motivated and enthusiastic about attending CBSE workshops and training programmes. Therefore, I believe we deserve a higher score for teacher competence. Last year, we introduced several new initiatives such as career counseling and meditation sessions, inter-school exchange programmes for students, and we also set up new language labs at the school,” says Dr. S.K. Shukla, principal of BSF Sr. Sec School, who has three decades of experience in BSF schools (Shillong and Sri Ganganagar). Currently, the school hosts 3,021 students mentored by 77 teachers.

With inclusion of defence services schools in the Central government day schools league table, the thunder has been stolen from the country’s 1,248 Kendriya Vidyalaya schools (KVs), promoted for the education of children of Central government employees. Hitherto starring in the government day schools league table, they have been excluded from the Top 10 league table. Kendriya Vidyalaya, Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram — ranked #3 in 2021-22 and #1 in 2020- 21 — is at #13 this year and Kendriya Vidyalaya-IIT Bombay, Powai is #17 (#5 in 2021-22).

For full list, please visit:EW India School Rankings 2022-23 – Top & best schools in India

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