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…
