There™s no change at the top in the EW International Day Schools Rankings 2014 which with 32 ranked institutions constitutes the largest segment in the tripartite international schools category
India™s new genre international schools affiliated with offshore examination boards constitute the glamour segment of the Indian primary-secondary school system. Offering superior infrastructure, en suite residential accommodation, state-of-the-art IT-enabled classrooms and a wide range of co-curricular and sports and games options, India™s high-end international schools affiliated with the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO), Geneva; Cambridge International Examinations (CIE); Edexcel, UK and Advanced Placement (AP), have captured the imagination of post-liberalisation India™s upper crust, and are attracting the attention of foreign households as well. Delivering high-quality school education benchmarked with the latest innovations in the West where pedagogies and learning outcomes are seriously researched, they have set new standards for primary-secondary learning in India.
To facilitate fair comparison and level playing fields, last year India™s capital-intensive international schools were divided into three sub-categories ” day, day-cum-boarding, and wholly residential international schools. Within these sub-categories, sui generis primary-secondaries were assessed and evaluated on 14 parameters of education excellence by 8,263 sample respondents including fees-paying parents, educationists, principals and teachers across the country.

There™s no change at the top in the EW International Day Schools Rankings 2014, which with 32 ranked institutions constitutes the largest segment in the tripartite international schools category. Ranked #6, 4 and 2 in the consolidated international schools league tables of 2010-2012, after reclassification of schools last year, the Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Mumbai (DAIS, estb. 2003) seems to be consolidating its position as the country™s #1 international day school. It is followed by Ecole Mondiale World School, Mumbai ranked #2 again. However, this year the latter is obliged to share this rank with Ahmedabad™s Riverside School, which is fast rising in the public esteem. Ditto the Oberoi International School, Mumbai ranked #3, cf. #6 in 2013.

Unsurprisingly, Nita Ambani, founder-chairperson of the CIE and IBO-affiliated DAIS, is œextremely happy with the aggregate score of 1,289 ” the highest among all categories of international schools. Moreover DAIS is top-ranked on the parameters of competence of faculty, academic reputation, and teacher welfare and development.

œIt™s very fulfilling to learn that DAIS has been top-ranked on the crucial parameters of faculty competence, academic reputation, and teacher development, which significantly and directly impact children™s learning. In DAIS, our prime objective is to give children an educational experience that they will enjoy and cherish. The school™s academic accomplishments ” our IB Diploma average score of 39.4 points places us among the top five international schools globally, college admissions and scholarship offers from the world™s top universities, top awards and honours in sporting and co-curricular competitions at the state, national and international levels ” speak for themselves. Every accomplishment has inspired us to set new benchmarks of excellence year after year, says Ambani, a commerce graduate of Bombay University who was recently appointed director of Reliance Industries Ltd ” India™s largest private sector company (annual revenue: Rs.401,302 crore).

The top 3 apart, there™s been considerable churn in the league table of India™s most admired international day schools. Mercedes Benz International, Pune has slipped to #4 from #2 last year while Scottish International, Gurgaon (#5) has yielded a rank. The Pathways schools ” Gurgaon and Noida ” in Delhi NCR have moved up the league table to be ranked #6 (8 in 2013) and #7 (11) respectively. The rank of the International School of Hyderabad has slipped to #8 (#5) while the Aditya Birla World Academy, Mumbai has moved up to #8 (#10). The #9 rank is shared by two Mumbai schools sited in the suburb of Santacruz West ” Podar International School which has yielded two ranks (#7 in 2013), and the previously unranked Billabong High International School.

œIt™s a matter of pride for us to be included in the Top 10 league table of India™s best international day schools. We believe our greatest strength is pedagogy design and delivery, and intensive teacher development and internal assessment programmes which are reflected in our good rating on the parameter of competence of faculty. Moreover, our constant endeavour to raise the bar for parental involvement and satisfaction has improved our public profile, says Lina Ashar, founder-director of the Billabong High chain of 18 K-12 schools in India and abroad (Dubai, Maldives and Qatar), and also the promoter of the Kangaroo Kids chain of 55 owned and franchised preschools across the country. Promoted in 2006, the CIE-affiliated Billabong High, Santacruz West, has an enrolment of 400 students instructed by 48 teachers.

A new invitee together with the Ryan Global School, Mumbai (estb. 2009) to the Top 10 table is the newly promoted Sadhbhavana World School, Kozhikode (SWS, estb. 2008) which has hugely improved its ranking this year after it was moved out of the co-ed day schools category in which it was ranked #122 last year. Affiliated with the CIE, SWS which is north Kerala™s first international school, has quickly risen in public approval to be well-ranked on the parameters of co-curricular activities, infrastructure provision and community service.

œI believe our focus on implementing a strategic institutional development plan by qualified faculty and administrators has helped us get off the ground quickly and achieve national recognition. It™s deeply satisfying that parents and the teachers community appreciate our efforts to develop best education practices with the hope of changing and professionalising school education in Kerala, says Harish K.E, chief executive of Sadbhavana Group ” a company founded by several Dubai and UAE migrants from Kerala ” which promoted the K-12 SWS in 2008 with a project cost of Rs.17 crore. Currently, SWS has an enrolment of 468 students instructed by 61 teachers.

To see international day schools league table visit   https://www.educationworld.in/rank-school/all-cities/international-school/day/2014.html