The centre of education

Schools in central Delhi may have been around for a long time, but there’s nothing ‘old-school’ about them. With regular infrastructure upgrades and the latest technology, they ensure that they remain contemporary and on top of every parent’s wish list.

While the 2011 Hindustan
Times -C fore Top School Survey results threw up well-established names, it is interesting to note scores on individual parameters. Sanskriti School topped in the ‘individual attention to students’ category, while Sardar Patel Vidyalaya aced the ‘academic rigour’ parameter.

Some of the city’s most well-known convent schools also make an appearance. While the all-boys’ St. Columba’s tops the ‘value for money’ category, the all-girls’ St. Thomas’ finishes first in ‘value system/integration’.

The 91-year old Modern School, Barakhamba Road (MSBK) prides itself on offering the best of the old and the new. “Our architecture is such that the campus is spacious and naturally cool. At the same time, one cannot live in a status quo. We have installed smart boards in 60 classrooms as well,” said Lata Vaidyanathan, principal.

With every admissions season, parents, who queue up in droves outside these schools, look at different aspects in a school, from infrastructure to teacher competence. But there is no denying that the widespread fame of central Delhi’s schools also affects their decision.

Resting on laurels?

“The school’s reputation is important. But the kind of education they provide and the values they instil are even more important. A confident and well-rounded personality is what we want in our children,” said Reshma Mirza, whose daughters study at Mater Dei Convent.

Schools here can no longer afford to rest on their laurels. Keeping up with the demands of the parents and students is a challenge they welcome. “Earlier, when parents put their child in school, it was like posting a letter. They were sure it would reach it’s destination. But now, parents know what they want and we welcome it as it keeps us on our toes,” said M I Hussain, principal, Delhi Public School, Mathura Road. What do students themselves want from their education? A lot, it turns out.

While a score north of 90% tops their list, they manage to pack in a slew of extra-curricular activities, foreign exchange trips, inter-school events and of course, fun with friends, in a school year. Competition may have changed the rules of the game, but they know how to play to their strengths.

“School cannot be a Nazi camp. There should be no pressure to be good at every thing. Ultimately, it should depend on your individual interests and aspirations,” said Pranay Lekshay, a class 11 student at MSBK.

Schools couldn’t agree more.

DISCLAIMER: The survey data is a copyright of HT Media Limited. Any use of this survey data would lead to infringement of the copyright and may result in legal action against the Infringer. *These schools did not participate in the survey. Their scores are based on the perceptual survey conducted among parents and teachers as mentioned in the methodology. Nursery fee figures, provided to HT by the schools, are approximate. They include annual fee and development charges (transport fee is variable). For the total fee amount, please contact the schools.