With the great majority of latter day SEC ‘A’ households preferring to send children to co-ed institutions, India’s Best Boys Day Schools 2018-19 league table is dominated by missionary institutions promoted in an earlier era

Dislodging Campion School, Mumbai from its position as India’s #1 boys day school will take some doing. Since 2013, when the composite day schools category of the annual EducationWorld India School Rankings was subdivided into co-ed day, day-cum-boarding, boys day and girls day sub-categories, Campion has been adjudged the #1 all-boys day school. This year again, the 2,198 sample respondents interviewed by Delhi-based market research company C fore in western India, have voted Campion School, promoted by Fr. Joseph Savall of the Jesuit Order in 1943, #1 and top-ranked it on seven parameters of K-12 education excellence including academic reputation, faculty competence, co-curricular education, leadership, internationalism, parental involvement and value for money.

“We are humbled and honoured that we have been voted India’s #1 boys day school for the sixth consecutive year. Campion School believes in the holistic growth of every child and all-round education — academics, sports, technology, civic awareness, and the performing arts. This culture is reflected in Campion’s #1 ranking under the parameters of academic reputation and co-curricular education. I believe it’s our collective — teachers, parents and students — commitment to produce good citizens equipped with life skills and academic competence that has helped us consistently win national accolades and respect. As we celebrate our 75th anniversary this year we recommit ourselves to providing a nurturing learning environment to develop competent and compassionate students who will contribute to the progress of the nation,” says Paul Machado, a political science and education alum of Bangalore University who acquired valuable teaching and admin experience at St. Mary’s, Mt. Abu and St. Mary’s, Mazgaon (Mumbai) — all-boys schools — before taking charge as principal of Campion in 2003. Currently, this K-10 CISCE-affiliated school has 820 students mentored by 47 teachers, on its muster rolls.

While it’s status quo at the top table with St. John’s High School, Chandigarh retaining its #2 ranking in 2018-19, further down the Top 10 league table of India’s best all-boys day schools there’s a shake-up.

St. Mary’s, Mazgaon, Mumbai has inched up to #3 (#4 in 2017) even as St. Xavier’s Collegiate, Kolkata, ranked #4, The Bishop’s School, Pune, at #5, La Martiniere for Boys, Kolkata at #6, and Bishop Cotton Boys, Bangalore, at #7, have all experienced a minor re-arrangement of seating at the Top 10 table.

The notable gainers in the 2018-19 survey are DAV Boys Senior Secondary School, Gopalapuram, Chennai which has moved up to #6 (8 in 2017), Nasr School, Hyderabad at #7 (9), St. Stanislaus High School, Mumbai at #8 (10) and Don Bosco High School, Matunga, Mumbai at #9 (10). The Top 10 table is completed by St. Joseph’s Boys High School, Bangalore at #9 (7) and St. Columba’s School, Delhi at #10 (8).

Kavita Das, principal of the CBSE-affiliated St. John’s High, Chandigarh, is not dissatisfied with the school’s #2 ranking for the second successive year. Promoted in 1959 by the Congregation of Christian Brothers on a 30-acre campus in the heart of Chandigarh, St. John’s is ranked #1 under the parameters of faculty competence, sports education, life skills education and infrastructure provision. “It’s a privilege to receive this accolade from your informed sample respondents. We owe this award to the Christian Brothers, our amazing students and teachers, ever supportive alumni and parents who have helped transform St. John’s into one of the top day schools of India. I am also very satisfied with our #1 ranking under the important parameters of faculty competence, sports and life skills education which is proof of the holistic education we deliver to our students. In St. John’s, students and teachers are given all freedom of expression, opportunities to emerge as leaders and platforms to express their talents and skills. It’s this highly enabling environment that has won us a national reputation,” says Das, an alumna of Delhi University with over 20 years of teaching experience (St. Columba’s, Delhi) who was appointed principal of St. John’s High in 2007. Currently, the school has an enrolment of 2,103 students mentored by 93 teachers.

However Supriyo Dhar, an alumnus of Xavier Institute of Social Service, Ranchi and secretary of the La Martiniere (Boys and Girls) schools’ governing board, is disappointed that La Martiniere for Boys, Kolkata (estb.1836), is not ranked among the national Top 5 this year. “Though I am sure a fair process has been used for compiling your league tables, by any objective standard of evaluation, we deserve a higher ranking. We are a 187-year-old institution which has evolved to absorb new digital technologies while continuing to provide excellent facilities for sports and co-curricular education. Although we are disappointed, we will work harder to improve our performance under the 14 parameters,” says Dhar. Currently, this vintage CISCE affiliated K-12 all-boys school has 3,851 students and 135 teachers on its muster rolls.

Beyond the Top 10 league table of India’s 48 sufficiently well-known all-boys schools, several institutions have improved their ranking in 2018-19. Among them Maheshwari Public School, Jaipur, ranked #15 (24), Baldwin Boys, Bangalore, at #18 (27), Don Bosco, Siliguri at #19 (25), Our Lady of Perpetual Succour High School, Chembur, Mumbai #21 (25) and Salwan Boys Sr. Sec School, Rajinder Nagar, Delhi #26 (33).

With the majority of latter day schools promoted as co-ed institutions, a distinguishing feature of the EW Boys Day Schools Rankings 2018-19 is that it is dominated by missionary institutions promoted in an earlier era. They include Calcutta Boys School (estb.1877), ranked #13, St. Vincent’s School, Pune (1867) #18, St. Edmund’s School, Shillong (1916) #20, and St. James School, Kolkata (1864) #22.

Also read: India’s top-ranked boys day schools 2019-20