Sprawled across capital-intensive campuses on the peripheries of populous metros and rising cities, offering superb academic and sports facilities, day-cum-boarding schools affiliated with offshore exam boards are becoming popular within the country’s fast multiplying upscale households. International day-cum-boarding schools are sui generis. Affiliated with offshore exam boards such as Cambridge International (UK), International Baccalaureate (Geneva) and Advanced Placement (USA), they sprawl across capital-intensive campuses on the outskirts of India’s populous metros and big cities offering superb academic and sports facilities, well-furbished student housing, and globally benchmarked pedagogies delivered by highly trained teachers. And because they offer children day and boarding options, day-cum-boarding schools are becoming popular within the country’s fast-multiplying upscale nuclear households. The 2024-25 league table of India’s best international day-cum-boarding schools has undergone seismic change. The 12-year reign of Indus International School, Bangalore (IIS-B, estb.2003) as the country’s #1 international day-cum-boarding has ended. This time round the 8,700 parents, principals, teachers and educators interviewed by our new field survey agency AZ Research Partners, have voted the perpetual bridesmaid — The International School, Bangalore (TISB, estb.2000) — India #1. Runner-up for the past three years (2021-23), TISB has bested rival IIS-B by a comfortable margin with highest scores under the critical parameters of faculty competence (given double weightage), teacher welfare and development, academic reputation, curriculum and pedagogy and leadership/management quality. Dr. K.P. Gopalkrishna, the legendary promoter-chairman of the top-ranked National Public School (NPS) group of institutions and TISB, is delighted that the garden city’s pioneer international school “has got its due”. “We are happy with this overdue recognition, especially top scores awarded to us on the critical parameters of faculty competence, teacher welfare and development and academic reputation. Our teachers are our prize assets rigorously trained in our TISB Training Academy and provided excellent annual remuneration starting at Rs.1.5 lakh per month and rising to over Rs.12 lakh plus residential accommodation on our 140-acre campus. Our high score for academic reputation is entirely deserved. Fifteen TISB students secured the maximum 45 average score in the IB diploma programme with the graduating batch of 2024 awarded scholarships valued at $14.5 million by globally top-ranked universities. I am also very pleased with our highest score under the mental and emotional well-being services parameter. It is proof that our well-trained and competent teachers are providing a happy learning experience to our students. Moreover TISB’s high score under curriculum and pedagogy is because we also accord full importance to co-curricular subjects such as public speaking, leadership and entrepreneurship,” says Gopalkrishna, who modestly declined to comment on TISB’s top score under the leadership parameter. Sited on a fully equipped campus with excellent sports facilities, TISB has an enrolment of 1,100 students (with 175 awarded generous scholarships) mentored by 53 teachers. TISB’s overdue elevation to India #1 has precipitated a reshuffle of the seating order at top table. Pathways World School, Gurgaon has retained its #2 rank of 2023-24, jointly with the Lancers International School, Gurugram, awarded a handsome promotion (#5 in 2023-24). Last year’s…
