Kudos to EducationWorld (September) for taking the initiative to rank K-12 schools in India. The parameters are really thorough and tables easy to read. This issue is a godsend to parents looking for an appropriate school for their children. Also the fact sheet which you have introduced, gives another dimension to the perceptual survey.Tanya B. on e-mail

Urban bias
I want to highlight a few facts pertaining to your survey story ‘Indias most respected schools (EW September). According to your editorial comments, the massive ratings exercise was based on opinions collected from over 2,000 selected parents, principals, teachers and educationists spread across the country to rate and rank schools in their region according to carefully selected parameters. Also, you state that the opinion poll was conducted in 15 cities and education hubs in India.
In this regard its wrong to assume that the leading educational schools are located only in metropolitan areas. I advise you to also focus attention on rural institutions of great repute.
Why are schools in rural areas not better represented in your study? As well we wonder why the agency that conducted the opinion survey never bothered to visit our school or other rural schools which enjoy wide acceptance and appreciation among people in rural India. It is my great pleasure to invite the people concerned to make a visit to Coorg Public School and convince themselves of the high quality education we provide.
Prof. M. D. Nanjunda
Principal
Coorg Public School, Kodagu
Several rural/small town schools, including Rishi Valley School, Chitoor have been highly ranked – Editor

Path-breaking survey
Thanks for your path-breaking survey of Indias most respected schools 2009 (EW September), and congratulations to Shri Ram School, Delhi; Doon, Dehradun; and Woodstock, Mussoorie for retaining their No.1 positions.
Im particularly happy that the survey respondents voted institutions which are not academics-obses-sed cram schools to the top of the league tables. At last parents and educators seem to be becoming aware that real education is more than rote learning and passing exams. Holistic development of children requires schools to pay equal attention to extra-curricular and sports education. And schools which do this dont necessarily need to compromise on academic standards.
The excellent academic reputation of Doon and Woodstock demonstrates that a balance can be struck between extra-curricular education and academics.
Sanjay Malhotra
Delhi

Questionable criteria
Re your cover story ‘Indias most respected schools (EW September), we were surprised and disappointed by your statement: Among the schools which for mysterious reasons have slipped badly in the international schools league table this year are Good Shepherd International School, Ooty, demoting us from 3rd to 5th place. We request you to visit our school or send the concerned personnel or agencies for verification before judging us.
Under the parameter of academic reputation we have slipped from rank 2 to 4, though our results are excellent and we are proud to say that we admit children with varied ability levels and produce outstanding results. Likewise, under the parameter of competence of faculty we have dropped from rank 2 to 5, but we have the best trained, experienced and dedicated team of teachers who maintain a balance between the academic and pastoral needs of each and every child under our care. Our teachers are IB and ICSE/ISC examiners and team leaders.
For honesty/integrity we have dropped 3 places and have been ranked 8. We would like to know the yardstick by which you have rated us on this parameter. And in sports education we have moved from 2 to 3, even though we undoubtedly give our students the best facilities and training in co-curricular activities, sports and games.
Please personally visit our school and then compare, rate or judge GSIS.
Sheila Alexander
Vice Principal
Good Shepherd International, Ooty
The EW-C fore survey was perceptual, not factual — Editor

Omission explanation demand
I read the EW-C fore survey of Indias most respected schools in the September issue of EducationWorld.
As an alumnus of a boarding school which does not figure (Rajkumar College, Rajkot), I wonder which of the following possibilities explains the omission: you contacted them, but they did not respond; you did not contact them; or you were able to get the required data but did not find them worthy of inclusion.
I will be grateful if you let me know the answer.
K.G. Rao
Gurgaon
Rajkumar College has been main-taining too low a profile to be ranked — Editor

Serious intent
Education has finally received its share of attention, thanks to Kapil Sibal, the Union HRD minister (EW September, Education News item ‘Few takers). No, I am not going to debate whether we should have class X board exams or not! I just want to applaud the seriousness of his intent to revitalise the Indian education system which has been grossly neglected over the past few decades.
Typically, our children have to behave, obey, respect, read, listen, speak, comprehend, memorise, write, spell, calculate, conceptualise, make friends, participate in sports, be creative, dance well, be confident and popular too! And if they cant do all this, they are labeled slow learners or incom-petent.
Theres urgent need for everyone to de-stress and contribute towards mak-ing schooling a meaningful experience. We need a paradigm shift in attitudes through acceptance, accommodation and awareness. Acceptance and receptiveness on the part of parents, and accommodation and awareness on the part of teachers.
Teachers need to be inclusive, celebrate differences and refrain from classifying children as ‘good or ‘bad, to help them realise their potential. We must build on their strengths, not pressure them to excel in fields of our choice.
Harsimran Kaur
Prinicpal, The Gurukul,
Panchkula, Haryana

Undemocratic initiative
Re the news item titled ‘Vedanta teething pains (EW August, Education Notes), the Orissa government has promoted two private universities viz, Vedanta University and Sri Sri University, through two separate legislations in the state assembly.
Vedanta University has been given permission to operate on a huge area of 6,000 acres which is more than the geographical area covered by all government run universities in the state. Again, quite undemocratically, the government of Orissa has also issued a notice prohibiting any construction and other work within a distance of 5 km surrounding the allocated 6,000 acres.
Permission to a private university to build on such a huge area threatens local biodiversity, and will displace people from their ancestral homes and land they have been tilling for centuries. Vedanta University authorities have already started evicting people from their homes by employing criminals and goons who enter neighbouring villages and torture inhabitants. The Network for Social Accountability (NSA) in principle opposes privatisation of education at all levels, and is mobilising people to sign an online petition to oppose the Orissa governments efforts to promote Vedanta and Sri Sri universities.
NSA Team by email
(e-mail: media@nsa.org.in)

Defining respect
First let me congratulate you on your effort to make education a subject of public discussion through your excellent magazine.
However on going through the list of Indias most respected schools (EW September), one gets an impression that only high profile schools charging exorbitant fees can be ‘respected schools. I therefore take the liberty of objecting to the word ‘respected in your survey.
Secondly, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that education is for ‘life and not ‘living. Hence any survey of respected schools should cover how education has been, or is likely to be of use to students in life that includes IQ, EQ (emotional quotient) and SQ (spiritual quotient) development of students.
I would like to suggest your surveyors visit the Sri Satya Sai School at Prashanti Nilayam, Puttapurthy. It will give you an indication of what a respected school really is.
Virendra Goel, Hon. Secretary
Sri Satya Sai Vidya Vihar
Indore

Authentic details lacuna
It is alarming to see that a reputed magazine like EducationWorld which conducts huge annual surveys of schools (EW September) does so without getting authentic details and collecting data which is true and pertinent. I would like to take up the case of Vadodara city, where DPS has been placed above Navrachana School in the West zone rankings.
We would like to understand who your respondents were, which educat-ionists and principals were involved and why no data or information was asked for from the school itself. A simple spreadsheet could have been created to be filled in by the schools to get the basic details.
Navrachana School is 42 years old, DPS in Vadodara is six years of age. We have won the National Award for Best Principal in 2007, Computer Literacy Excellence Award, 2003 (cash award Rs.11 lakh) presented by the President of India, Shri A.P.J. Kalam; we were judged champions at the National Eureka CMS Lucknow three times, as also of the Bharat Vikas Parishad. Moreover on four occasions we participated in international events in China, Istanbul, US-Montana, Egypt; and were twice judged best in the Ryans International Theatre Festival.
In terms of academic reputation we have had the best CBSE results for the past ten years. Moreover on the parameters of individual attention to students, value for money, honesty/integrity and admissions transparency we have an outstanding reputation in Vadodara and across Gujarat. Despite this your survey has ranked DPS, Vadodara one rank above us in the West zone league tables.
Ms. Bijoya Baksi
Principal, Navarachana School
Vadodara

The EW- C fore survey is based on the perceptions of 2,066 respondents, not facts — Editor

Curious ommission
While we appreciate the effort involved in the EW-C fore Schools Survey 2009 (EW September), I wonder why our school was not included in the survey. For your information Ryan International, Mayur Vihar (Delhi) recently bagged the 8th position in the entire Delhi & national capital region on the basis of class X and XII board exam results, in a survey conducted by Hindustan Times.
Please advise us about the process to get our school ranked next year.
Sandhya Sabu
Principal, Ryan International School
Mayur Vihar, Delhi

Lawrence happiness
I was happy to read the September issue of EW and am pleased to note that our school has moved from 6th to 4th place in the national boarding schools league table. The credit for this should be given to our hardworking faculty and students.
However please note that our tuition fee is Rs.147,000 per year, not Rs.285,000 as indicated by you (p.101).
Praveen Vashist, Principal
Lawrence School, Sanawar