I was alarmed to read in the cover story ‘EW-C fore Survey 2011: India’s Most Admired Preschools’ (EW October) that the Central government is preparing to regulate the pre-schools sector. Instead of sending out its corrupt inspectors to private preschools, the HRD ministry should focus its attention on the government’s pathetically ill-equipped anganwadis, where the concept of preschool education is unknown and children of the poor majority receive barely adequate nutrition. Through reckless interference and over-regulation, the Central and state governments have ruined primary and higher education. I hope the preschool sector doesn’t suffer the same fate.
Moreover I hope next year you will rank preschools in other cities as well.
Suman Patil
Pune
Seek permission!
Re your cover story ‘India’s Most Admired Preschools Survey’ (EW October), for your information Little Millennium does not have a centre now in AJC Bose Road, Kolkata, which your survey states.
We would like to raise a strong objection from our side that before printing any such information, you should take our prior permission and confirmation either from the head or zonal office.
We are looking forward to a correct-ion in your next issue regarding the same.
Pranay Kumar
Educomp Child Care Pvt. Ltd, Kolkata
The survey was conducted several months ago. Moreover, last time I checked India was a democracy in which “prior permission and confirm-ation” was not required — Editor
Vital difference
The eduleader bytes page featuring Ajey Kumar, CEO South Asia of GEMS Education (EW October), states that GEMS Education imparts holistic education to 100,000 students in 143 countries. This figure seals GEMS’ presence in 143 countries which is not correct. The e-mail sent by us to EW clearly mentions that GEMS Education imparts holistic education to 100,000 students from 143 countries.
I request for imme-diate amendment in the form of a corrigendum in the next issue. The coverage was other-wise fabulous.
Varuna Dawar
Manager, PR & Communications
GEMS Education, Gurgaon
Corrigendum
In the ranking list sent by us for the EW-C fore India’s Most Respected Schools Survey 2011 (EW September) there is an error. Hiranandani School — ranked 19th among India’s most respected day schools — has been confused with the Powai branch. It should have been the Thane school. The error is regretted.
Premchand Palety
CEO, C fore, Delhi
Performance proof
I appreciate that the EW-C fore India’s Most Respected Schools Survey 2011 (EW September) is based on perceptions and not facts.
However, let me acquaint your readers with some vital facts about the Indian Public School Conference (residential schools) cultural festival which was recently hosted by the Maharani Gayatri Devi School, Jaipur.
In your survey under the parameter of co-curricular education, The Daly College, Indore appears as the 14th name. However, at this festival as in the past six years, Daly was the best by far.
Of the 15 schools (six of whom you have ranked above us on the co-curricular parameter) who sent 423 participants for top honours in a total of 12 events, Daly College topped in five events, came a close second in five and third in one. The school you’ve ranked No.1 on co-curricular education was not adjudged among the top three in any event.
Danish Patel
Class XII student
The Daly College, Indore
Although Daly College was the 14th name under the co-curricular educa-tion parameter, it was ranked No.5 because of several tied positions — Editor
Bhavan Vidyalaya, Panchkula suggestions
I have a few suggestions for improving your annual EW-C fore school surveys (EW September):
• We should not forget that parental outlook and expectations vary from region to region.
• I feel that the most relevant and important parameter of a good school is ‘health and wellness of students’ which has been overlooked completely.
• There has to be transparency in the data collected. Under the parameter of co-curricular education, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai assesses all its schools in India and abroad on the basis of factual evidence. Bhavan, Panchkula has a track record of holding the top position for the past three years for co-curricular education.
• Under the parameter of sports education, Bhavan, Panchkula has scored only 72 points. Here again, the school has created a niche for itself in Panchkula district by producing state and national level players.
• In community service, the highest points as per your survey are 87. Bhavan, Panchkula has got only 50. It is an institution where each child contributes to community projects run by Helpage, IDF, SOS and various other organisations, besides neighbourhood services for senior citizens, blind schools, slums, etc.
• Likewise, our ranking on a few other parameters is not satisfying.
• Lastly, I request that the success stories of top schools be published in your magazine for other schools to emulate.
Shashi Banerjee
Principal, Bhavan Vidyalaya,
Panchkula, Haryana
Excellent school omission
Congratulations! the september issue of EducationWorld is informative and educative. The EW-C fore India’s Most Respected Schools Survey 2011 is extensive and all encompassing.
As the principal of an excellent school, we feel left out. My school deserves to be listed among the best. I would like to know what needs to be done to enroll for next year’s survey. Moreover, it is important to note that our school is in a rural area.
Alka Vaidya
Principal, Dhruv Academy
Sangamner, Ahmednagar
Please complete the EW-C fore Survey of Schools questionnaire on our website and forward to us — Editor
Misleading survey
This is with reference to your cover story ‘EW-C fore India’s Most Resp-ected Schools Survey 2011’ (EW September). We are really surprised to see the names of some schools rated among the best in the state of Goa. Your survey does not give the right picture.
Sunshine Worldwide School is a co-educational day school with very good infrastructure. We are widely regarded as one of the best five unaided private schools of Goa together with Kings School, Manovikas and Vidya Vikas.
At Sunshine, we offer joyful learning and train children to think creatively, intelligently and effectively through inquiry-based learning and use of modern technologies. Each child receives individual attention because of our low teacher-student ratio which helps in the discovery of special talents, interests and hobbies of the child.
The director of our school is also president of the Unaided Schools Association and knows the survey is misleading. We request you to kindly liase with associations of schools, headmasters etc, to get a better overview.
Anil Kashyap
Principal, Sunshine Worldwide School, Goa
Inappropriate description
Re your cover story ‘EW-C fore India’s Most Respected Schools Survey 2011’ (EW September), I wish to express my appreciation for the initiative taken by you in ranking schools. However, I request you to consider changing the disabled friendly parameter to ‘differently abled friendly’ since the word ‘disabled’ is not appropriate today.
Shipra Sarcar
Principal, Air Force Golden Jubilee Institute, Subroto Park, New Delhi
Sorry, will do — Editor
Greatest contributor
We are grateful to you for having rated our school as the first ranked day school in Uttarakhand in ‘India’s Most Respected Schools Survey 2011’ (EW September). On most parameters, our school has scored fairly well, except for community service where the rating awarded is much below expectation. This has caused great disappointment within the community service club of our school.
For your information, St. Joseph’s Academy is Uttarakhand’s greatest contributor in this field for the past so many years, but we have been practising charity without publicity. We request you to bear this point in mind for next year’s survey.
Secretary
The Social Service Club
St. Joseph’s Academy, Dehradun