The league table of sufficiently high-profile boys boarding schools has been shrinking year by year. This shrinkage has been attenuated by sub-division of the boarding schools league table into ‘legacy vintage’ schools

All-boys boarding schools are an endangered genre. The league table of sufficiently high-profile boys boarding schools in the annual EducationWorld India School Rankings (EWISR, estb.2007) has been shrinking year by year. This shrinkage has been attenuated by sub-division of the boarding school league table into ‘legacy vintage’ schools (over 90 years of age). Therefore in EWISR 2024-25, the league table of non-vintage boys boarding schools includes a mere 13 institutions.

But even if all-boys boardings are going out of fashion, it’s doubtful if the reputation and popularity of The Doon School, Dehradun (TDS, estb.1935) will ever diminish. Not even if its management hears the pleas of not a few ole boys, including formerly high profile bureaucrat-politician Mani Shankar Aiyar, to transform the class VI-X TDS into a co-ed boarding school. On the contrary, a co-ed TDS is likely to become even more popular and storm the ramparts of the country’s top-ranked co-ed boarding schools (Pinegrove, Kasauli, Chinmaya International, Coimbatore) in the annual EWISR.

Meanwhile in this year’s EWISR, although TDS is top-ranked as usual followed by Sarala Birla Academy, Bangalore (estb.2004) which jointly ranked #2 with Welham Boys School (estb.1937) has maintained its rank of 2023-24, the top table of India’s most respected boys boarding schools is dominated by low-profile institutions promoted by the business house of Birla.

In EWISR 2024-25, Vidya Niketan (formerly Birla Public School, estb.1944), Pilani is ranked #3, followed by Birla Vidyamandir, Nainital at #4, and G.D. Birla Memorial School, Ranikhet #5. All these three Birla boys boarding schools have retained their ranking of 2023-24 even as Sarala Birla Academy has retained its #2 rank. Evidently, the Birla clan’s organisation development and management expertise extends beyond corporate and business management.

Although TDS has become accustomed to this ‘nationalist’ boarding school (promoted by Calcutta-based barrister C.R. Das in 1935 as a riposte to premier Brit-promoted boarding schools reluctant to admit native students) topping all school ranking surveys, headmaster Dr. Jagpreet Singh says that far from being jaded, he is “over-joyed” that TDS has retained its #1 rank in EWISR 2024-25. In particular, Singh is delighted that TDS has been awarded highest score under the parameters of competence of teachers and curriculum and pedagogy (HOTS).

“Hitherto TDS was affiliated with three examination boards — Cambridge (UK), IB (Geneva) and CISCE, Delhi. Now we are in the process of phasing out our affiliation with Cambridge and IB and to become solely affiliated with CISCE. But while remaining with CISCE, we are also in the process of developing our own curriculum aligned with NEP 2020 which will venture far beyond the board’s syllabus/curriculum. The new TDS curriculum will offer students the option of choosing majors and minors crafted by CISCE with strong focus on vocational and life skills to make our students future-ready for employment and entrepreneurship from young age. Therefore, the top scores awarded to us under teacher competence and curriculum development parameters are validation that we are on the right track,” says Singh, an alum of Rajasthan University, former housemaster at TDS and high-ranked Mayo College and former principal of the Top 10 Punjab Public School, Nabha (estb.1960).

Singh is also pleased that the TDS has been awarded top scores under the sports education, infrastructure, and pastoral care parameters. “TDS has a long-standing tradition of according high importance to sports education and our boys always do well in inter-school and IPSC meets. This year, they have done well in national shooting competitions following the precedent set by Dosco Olympic Gold medalist Abhinav Bindra. Infrastructure development has also received a big boost with the inauguration this year of a state-of-the-art fully-wired auditorium with a seating capacity of 850. The highest score for pastoral care for students is also thoroughly deserved because our tutorial system under which one teacher mentors eight students is unparalleled and unique to India,” adds Singh. Currently, TDS hosts 600 students mentored by 78 teachers on its 70-acre forested campus which also hosts 100 bird and 108 tree species.

Although the Bangalore-based Sarla Birla Academy (SBA, estb.2004) is ranked #2 (together with Welham Boys, Dehradun), principal Santanu Das is “heartened” that SBA is closing the huge total score gap of 24 points that separated it from the top-ranked TDS last year. Moreover, Das derives considerable comfort that on “two vital and seemingly contradictory parameters”, viz, academic reputation and mental and emotional well-being services, SBA has been awarded top scores.

“Our prime objective towards which we have been working during the past 20 years, has been to provide our boys holistic, well-balanced education. Therefore, our highest scores on these seemingly contradictory parameters is a telling comment that we are on the right track. In this school, we also accord high importance to pastoral care and I am delighted to learn that we have the second highest score under this parameter. Combined with the top score of mental and emotional well-being of students, it is validation that our children are being provided a happy learning experience in SBA. In addition, the good scores we have been awarded under faculty competence, co-curricular and sports education and infrastructure provision are markers of the high quality all-round learning experience we provide to children under our care,” says Das, a physics and German postgrad of the renowned Rabindra Bharati University founded by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, with teaching and admin experience in the Assam Rifles and Adiyta Birla Public School, Renusager (UP), appointed principal of SBA in 2009.

On the high score awarded to SBA under the parameter of leadership, Das is characteristically self-effacing. “Credit for that should accrue to our wonderful team at SBA and our board chairman Kumaramangalam Birla,” he adds.

Further down this year’s 14-strong boys boarding schools league table — truncated by your editors’ considered decision to carve out separate Vintage Legacy Schools league tables of institutions over 90 years age, faith-based schools are dominant.

Two Gujarat-based boys boarding schools, BAPS Swaminarayan Vidyamandir, Vadodara #6 (8), Atmiya Vidya Mandir, Surat #7 (9) and Ramakrishna Mission, Vidyapith, Deoghar (Jharkhand) at #9 (13) have been awarded promotions by this year’s survey sample respondents.

Consequently, Guru Nanak Fifth Centenary School, Mussoorie, #8 (6) has been obliged to cede ground while the Bhaktivedanta Gurukula and International School, Vrindavan (Uttar Pradesh) at #10 has retained its last year’s ranking followed by The Gurukul Jyotisar, Kurukshetra (Haryana) #11 (12) and The Gurukul, Nilokheri (Haryana) #12 (11).

The league table of vintage legacy boys (and girls) boarding schools league tables are dominated by venerable institutions promoted by Catholic and Protestant Christian missionaries. The league table of relatively newage boarding schools features a large number of institutions promoted by Hindu seers.

This restoration of balance provides traditional Hindu faith households aspiring for boarding school education for their children a welcome choice.