Appreciation of the importance of high-quality pre-school education is most intense in Bangalore’s first suburbs of Indiranagar and Koramangala, inhabited by IT professionals and high net worth individuals
Neev, Indiranagar is Bangalore’s most admired pre-school. A selected sample of 208 SECA parents and 55 school principals interviewed to rate and rank 75 ECE (early childhood education) nurseries for the EW-C fore Pre-schools Survey 2010, adjudged Neev-I the garden city’s No.1 pre-school. The first of four pre-schools promoted in 2005 by Neev Schools Pvt. Ltd in Bangalore (pop.7 million), this low-profile nursery which hosts 119 children taught by 19 teachers and which prides itself for never formally advertising its brand or services, was rated highest on the parameters of teacher competence, infrastructure, safety and hygiene and play facilities.
“Given that we don’t advertise and rely only on word-of-mouth parental publicity, the outcome of the EW-C fore survey is very reassuring and shows that we are on the right track. Inducting infants into the education process requires highly trained and competent teachers, and we pay great attention to the continuous professional growth and development of our teachers by providing continuous in-service train-ing. Therefore it is particularly gratifying that Neev-I has been top-rated on the parameter of faculty competence,” says Kavita Gupta, the promoter-managing director of Neev Schools Pvt. Ltd. An alumna of the highly-reputed Harvard Business School, Gupta served as finance director of the Mumbai-based Lupin Ltd (1993-2001) before promoting Neev-I in 2005. Currently the four Neev pre-schools in Bangalore (including the recently started Neev-Koramangala, ranked 11) host an aggregate 388 children mentored by 59 teachers.
Unsurprisingly, awareness and appreciation of high-quality pre-school education is most intense in Bangalore’s first suburbs of Indiranagar and Koramangala, inhabited by upscale IT professionals and high net worth individuals. Indiranagar hosts seven of the garden city’s Top 20 ranked ECE schools (Neev, Kangaroo Kids, Shemrock Young World, Kidspace, EuroKids, Kidzee and Your Kids ‘R’ Our Kids) and Koramangala two (Neev and Kangaroo Kids). Whitefield (We Care and EuroKids) and J.P. Nagar (Jumbo Kids and Apple Kids International) — other IT professionals-intensive sub-urbs — also host two of the Top 20 pre-schools. “It’s not as though IT profes-sionals are more aware of the impor-tance of quality ECE. They want the best money can buy for their children and these schools which charge more that Rs.5,000 per month for a few hours of teaching are a status symbol,” says an education consultant who prefers to remain anonymous. The consultant has a point. Tuition fees in the Neev schools range from Rs.67,000-1.28 lakh per annum.
An exception to the location rule and relatively modestly priced, is the Gaia Pre-school and Child Care Centre, R.T. Nagar (estb. 2006) — ranked third in the inaugural EW-C fore survey. Educationists in the garden city ascribe the high ranking of this three-year-old pre-school to the good reputation and wide experience of Gaia’s curriculum coordinator and master teacher trainer Nina Kanjirath, an alumna of St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai whose CV indicates pre and primary school teaching experience in Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Indonesia, Mallya Aditi School (Bangalore) and Schoolnet (the education initiative of infrastructure behemoth IL&FS). Moreover in 2003 she co-promoted the Gintara pre-school together with UK-born educationist Katherine Rustomjee. This partnership was dissolved in 2006 and is the subject matter of a legal dispute currently. Meanwhile Rustomjee promoted four schools under the name and style of Kara4Kids, of which the Jayamahal pre-school has been ranked fourth in the current EW-C fore survey.
“All of us — faculty, parents and children — are surprised, delighted and honoured that our low-profile, standalone nursery has been ranked among the top three in Bangalore. Moreover, I am particularly pleased that we have received the highest rating on the parameter of value for money. That’s because of our belief that quality education should be affordable rather than profitable. However I am surprised by the low rating given to Gaia on the parameter of infrastructure and play facilities. We pride ourselves as a school constructed according to the Reggio Emilia philosophy under which the indoor academic and outdoor play areas merge seamlessly. This has created a 4,000 sq.ft play area for our children,” says Kanjirath. Currently Gaia (tuition fee: Rs.4,000-7,000 per month) has an enrolment of 70 children mentored by eight teachers and nine support staff.
The spurt of activity and availability of options in pre-school education has delighted discerning parents who value early childhood education. “I’m not surprised that Neev has been ranked Bangalore’s best pre-school. Both my children attend Neev, Indiranagar and it’s been a wonderful experience for them because they are learning without pressure and enjoying the process. Although the tuition fee may be relatively high, it’s a worthwhile investment because the children are unconsciously learning life skills and becoming socially confident,” says Namrata Mundhra.
Swiss national Sylvia Zieger who has been resident in Bangalore for over eight years during which she “extensively researched” and weighed the relative merits of the city’s pre-schools, is delighted with the liberal curriculum of the Gaia Pre-school which is “as good as any in Switzerland”. “It’s wonderful that both my children Anika (5) and Oliver (2) are learning joyously without any pressure,” says Zieger.
Bangalore's best pre-schools league table userfiles/Bangalore league table.pdf
Parameters of Excellence: Bangalore's Top Pre-schools userfiles/Parameters tables-Bangalore.pdf