SCHOOLS TO LOOK OUT FOR

THE HERITAGE SCHOOL ROHINI The weather-controlled and aesthetically laid out classrooms, well supported by audio-visual and other information and communication technology aids ensure a vibrant and dynamic environment for the teaching-learning process. The school wants to liberate the students by phasing out uniforms. They stress upon knowledge acquisition rather than rote learning.

JASPAL KAUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SHALIMAR BAGH The school's USP is “value for money“.
They conduct regular teacher assessment programmes, which are not faultfinding exercises, but rather fact-finding ones. The students are constantly engaged in community programmes and creative exercises. They run pathshalas in the slums to instill a sense of giving back to society.

RUKMINI DEVI PUBLIC SCHOOL PITAMPURA The school has various clubs such as astronomy, robotics, science, performing arts etc. It also has been recognised for its efforts for outstanding development of an international dimension in its curriculum by the British Council. They have an active cultural exchange programme as well.

KULACHI HANSRAJ MODEL SCHOOL ASHOK VIHAR With a 5-acre campus, the school provides good infrastructure, including a skating rink and cricket ground. The school has undertaken many initiatives in socially sensitive areas such as creating awareness about the environment, as well as spreading education to the underprivileged in the area.

LANCER'S CONVENT SCHOOL ROHINI The school uses innovative techniques such as experiential learning, mind mapping, guided visualisation, field trips, excursions, group discussions to teach its students in an innovative manner.

OTHER GOOD OPTIONS G D GOENKA SCHOOL ROHINI The school has various clubs such as Sudoku, environment, dramatics, knowledge sharing, public speaking etc. The entire campus is under CCTV surveillance. All classrooms are equipped with smart boards, computers and projectors.
They conduct regular heritage walks and guided tours to monuments and museums in an attempt to make subjects more fun.

THE SRIJAN SCHOOL MODEL TOWN This disabled friendly school ensures that parents are equal partners in the education of their children by organising regular interactions between parents and teachers. They encourage their staff to pursue professional courses for upgradation of their specific knowledge. It also promotes environment-friendly practices and has its own compost plant.

DARBARI LAL DAV MODEL SCHOOL PITAMPURA The emphasis here is on teacher's professional development. They lay stress on merging curriculum with E-learning through smart classrooms, using Class Teacher learning systems. The school also organises 'subject days' such as Mathemania, Hindi Divas etc to develop love for all subjects.

VIKAS BHARATI PUBLIC SCHOOL ROHINI VBPS aims to provide quality education to match global standards and strives for excellence in all fields. The schools has smart classrooms and conducts regular interactive sessions with parents. The students also participated in the anticracker rally as part of their environment awareness programme.

DAV PUBLIC SCHOOL ROHINI The school promotes life skills education through its curriculum, cultural programmes, regular counselling sessions and role plays. It also conducts adult education classes

FRESH START With good schools few and far between, north Delhi awaits the arrival of private schools that provide quality education to its ever-increasing residents.

 
Densely-populated north Delhi, with its winding roads and small markets, was once home to the city's oldest schools. Over the years, these schools -mostly government-run -have fallen off the radar, leaving a lacuna that private schools are yet to fill.

Demographics have also had a role to play in this scenario. Education did not rank very high on the priority list of the small-time traders who made up most of the area's population. But with the Delhi Metro giving a boost to pockets like Rohini and Pitampura, the upwardly-mobile middle classes are settling in. And hopefully, good schools will soon follow.

The USP of north Delhi schools has always been affordable education, with a focus on academics. The results of the 2011 Hindustan Times-C fore Top School survey include many familiar, expected names, such as Montfort School, Apeejay School, Delhi Public School, Rohini and the two Bal Bharati Public Schools. There have been minor changes though.
Darbari Lal DAV Model School and N K Bagrodia School have edged their way past Rukmini Devi Public School and Jaspal Kaur Public School to bag a top ten slot this year, compared to the 2010 survey.

With smart boards and cultural exchange programmes becoming a norm, schools here are changing. But attitudes are still conservative. Parents want their children to opt for `safer' choices like science and commerce.
Hence, many schools here do not offer NEXT WEEK To find out which SouthEast Delhi schools come out on top in various categories, from `individual attention to students' to `infrastructure and facilities', look out for the Top School survey on Monday. the humanities stream.

“We used to have an Arts section earlier, but very few students opted for it. So we discontinued it,“ said Monachan K K, principal, Montfort School.

A classroom in Bal Bharati Public School (BBPS), Rohini, exemplifies this struggle between old and new ideas.

 
“Our parents have older notions regarding education and careers. They feel that science and commerce are stable options. If you want to do something unconventional, it becomes tough to convince them,“ said Aishwarya Gaur, a class 10 student. While her classmates agree with her, 75% would still opt for science. “It keeps your options open,“ shrugs Aishwarya.
INCOMPLETE REFORMS?
The much-hyped educational reforms and the introduction of Comprehensive and Continuous Evaluation(CCE) has received a mixed response.

Though many laud the move for reducing the stress levels of students, they doubt whether the reforms can really ease the stiff competition for marks. “The entire education system, with its myopic focus on exams and marks, needs to change. One exam, a single set of marks and your future is decided,“ said Rekha Sharma, principal, BBPS, Rohini.

Both students and parents remain unconvinced , though their reasons differ. “For the board exams, you had to study once a year. But with CCE, there is continuous appraisal and continuous pressure. There is no time for anything else,“ said Ayushman Sharma, a class 10 student.

“Doing away with the boards in class 10 has made students very laidback. Now, when they encounter them in class 12, the pressure to perform will only be greater,“ complains Anjali Jain, whose daughter studies at Apeejay School, Pitampura. The teacher is the commander of the class. Nothing can replace the teacher; technology can only play a subsidiary role.

R E K H A S H A R M A , principal SUNIL SAXENA / HT PHOTOS Tuition classes are important. In school, every class has 45 students and it is not possible for the teacher to give individual attention.

A K S H I TA J A I N , student I left the football team to concentrate on studies. Unfortunately, in India, football can never be a career and academics will always be more important. S H U B H A M S I N G H , student There aren't enough good schools for everybody. Government-run schools have not been able to deliver the quality people want.

M O N A C H A N K K , principal BEYOND THE TOP TEN SCHOOLS They might have not made it to the top 10 but hold as much promise as their crowned counter parts. Here is a list of other options.