The league table of international day schools in the annual EWISR is lengthening every year with new institutions springing up in metros, state capitals and even tier III and IV cities across the country. This year’s league table of India’s best international day schools is 123-strong

Arelatively new post-1991 (when the heavily regulated, cabined, cribbed and confined Indian economy was substantially — but not sufficiently — deregulated) phenomenon, international schools affiliated with globally reputed offshore examination boards such as International Baccalaureate (Geneva/The Hague), Cambridge Assessment International Education (UK) and Advance Placement, USA, are unpopular with politically correct lefties who dominate the academy and media. They are adjudged elitist and too expensive.

However, international schools benchmarked against the world’s most well-equipped and studentsenabling K-12 schools, serve very useful purposes. First, they set infrastructure, teacher recruitment and development, curriculum and pedagogy and life skills education standards for aspirational schools. Secondly, they nurture and educate children of the rich, who as the great institutions builder the late Prof. N.S. Ramaswamy, founder-director of JBIMS and NITIE, Mumbai and IIM-Bangalore, famously remarked, would otherwise loiter in public spaces fomenting trouble. Therefore, the small but fortunately steadily expanding number of private international schools which levy tuition fees substantially lower than international schools abroad, are national assets. Moreover, international schools are invariably genderintegrated (co-ed) institutions which is another social benefit.

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Within this broad category of new genre international schools, day schools are the most popular because they provide internationally comparable teaching-learning at relatively affordable prices compared with international day-cum-boarding and fully residential schools, which are obliged to make huge investment in co-curricular and sports education and residential accommodation.

Thus, it’s not surprising that the league table of international day schools in the annual EducationWorld India School Rankings (EWISR) is lengthening every year with new institutions springing up in India’s metros, state capitals, and even tier III-IV cities to meet parental demand for international certification. The 2022-23 league table of best international day schools is 123-strong cf. 117 in 2021-22 with schools rated and ranked in 34 cities countrywide.

Against this backdrop of spiraling demand for admission into day schools affiliated with demanding offshore examination boards, it’s unsurprising that Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Mumbai (DAIS, estb.2003), promoted by the family of legendary self-made business magnate Dhirubhai Ambani (1932-2002), founder-chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd, India’s most valuable company (annual revenue: Rs.7.93 lakh crore), has topped the international day schools league table ab initio.

Sample respondents interviewed by the Delhi-based Centre for Forecasting and Research (C fore) have once again voted the Cambridge and IB-affiliated DAIS India’s #1 international day school with top scores under the parameters of academic reputation, faculty competence, leadership/management quality and curriculum and pedagogy (hybrid readiness).

“We are overwhelmed that DAIS has been ranked India’s #1 international day school for ten years consecutively. This is a tribute to the extraordinary commitment and dedication of our teachers and staff, and parents’ unrelenting trust in us. From inception, the commitment of our teachers to continuously update curriculum and pedagogy in order to equip children with 21st century skills has been at the heart of our education model. Therefore, it’s very satisfying that we have been awarded top scores for faculty competence and academic reputation. This is supported by our exceptional board exam results every year and placement of our students in the world’s best universities,” says Nita Ambani, founder-chairperson of DAIS and Reliance Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Reliance Industries.

According to Ambani, DAIS is all set to introduce the primary and middle years programmes of the International Baccalaureate (IB) board. To enable this transition a “large number” of teachers are undergoing rigorous training. Moreover, preparations are in full swing to launch the Nita Mukesh Ambani Junior School from a new world-class campus.

“Flexible learning spaces, technology integration, experiential learning labs, and infrastructure for sports and co-curricular activities including performing arts, and high levels of safety and security will be the distinguishing features of this new campus. Our vice-chairperson Isha Ambani Piramal is leading the development of the junior school campus,” adds Ambani.

In this year’s league table, DAIS is followed by the Aditya Birla World Academy at #2 (#3 in 2021-22) jointly ranked #2 with Oberoi International School (#2) and Jamnabai Narsee International School at #3 (4) — all sited in Mumbai, India’s financial capital. It’s pertinent to note that the Top 20 league table features 18 schools sited in the commercial capital of Mumbai, where a fast-expanding affluent class is ready, willing and able to pay for relatively expensive international K-12 education. Among the Top 10 ranked international day schools in Mumbai are: Ascend International School at #4 (3), Utpal Shanghvi Global School #5 (7), Podar International School, Santacruz West jointly ranked #6 (9) with JBCN International, Parel (8), CP Goenka International School, Oshiwara #8 (10) and Ryan Global School, Andheri ranked #10 (10).

Beyond Mumbai in the EWISR 2022-23 league table of international day schools which features many tied ranks, are Pathways School, Gurgaon promoted to #4 (5); KC High Chennai at #5 and Pathways School, Noida #6, both of whom have retained their 2021- 22 ranking; Riverside School, Ahmedabad at #7 (9), followed by Legacy School, Bangalore #8 (8).

Capt. Rohit Sen Bajaj, director of the Pathways School, Gurgaon (PSG, estb.2010) is “blessed and honoured” that the Cambridge and IB-affiliated K-12 PSG has been promoted to #4 with high scores on the critical parameters of curriculum and pedagogy, academic reputation, and infrastructure.

“Team PSG is honoured that your sample respondents have acknowledged the high-quality international schooling we offer our 1,523 students. Sustained investment in professional learning and development of PSG educators is reflected in our high score under the parameter of academic reputation and excellent scores in IB and Cambridge board exams. Moreover, the commitment of our management to provide best enabling facilities is evident in our top score under the infrastructure parameter. The wholesome, all-round education experience we provide our students is acknowledged globally because PSG is also one of few schools in India to be accredited by the USbased New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Moreover, our own Pathways High School Diploma is recognised by several foreign universities for admission into their undergraduate programmes,” says Bajaj.

Likewise Dr. Vandana Lulla, director-principal of Podar International School, Santazcruz (W), Mumbai, is thrilled that the school has been awarded a big promotion to #6 cf. #9 in 2021-22. “This is great news. Credit for this should accrue to our governing board, teachers, parents and students who have given us full support to provide high-quality holistic education as we transitioned to a new campus during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our new hi-tech campus offers state-of-the-art academic facilities such as robotics and STEAM labs, fully-wired classrooms, music studios and globally benchmarked sports arenas. Therefore, we should have been awarded a higher score under the infrastructure parameter. Nevertheless, I’m pleased that your sample respondents have given us high scores for curriculum and pedagogy (hybrid readiness) and value for money, because Podar International is one of the city’s most affordable international day schools,” says Dr. Lulla. Currently this Cambridge International and IB-affiliated school has 1,500 students mentored by 115 teachers on its muster rolls.

While there’s been a minor rearrangement of the seating order on the top table of international day schools, beyond the Top 10 there’s been a major reshuffle with several schools rising in public esteem. Among them: Rustomjee Cambridge International School, Mumbai, moved up to #12 (#19 in 2021-22), Ahmedabad International School to #14 (35), Prometheus School, Noida to #17 (22), Vikaasa World School, Madurai to #21 (26) and DPS International Edge, Gurugram to #25 (36).

Moreover, several previously unranked schools have debuted in the 2022-23 league table of India’s best international day schools, indicating rising demand from middle class households for globally benchmarked primary-secondary education. Among them: Manthan International, Hyderabad at #18, Ambitus World School, Bowrampet, Hyderabad and Skill Stork International, Warangal, jointly ranked #41, and Nalapad Academy, Bengaluru #62.

Even as parents and students evaluate relatively pricey international day schools, they should bear in mind that schools ranked modestly in the national table may well be very highly ranked in their host cities. And for day schools city ranking is more important than national rank, which at best confers bragging rights.

In this connection, it’s noteworthy that several schools ranked below the Top 20 enjoy king-size reputations in their host cities. For instance, Calcutta International School, ranked #22 nationally is #1 in Kolkata (pop.14 million), Oakridge International, #58 in India is the #1 international day school in Mohali (1 million); Rungta International School, India #77 is #1 in Raipur (1.7 million) and Eastern Public School, #91 nationally is #1 in Bhopal (2.5 million).

For full tables, visit: EW India School Rankings 2022-23 – Top & best schools in India

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