Kolkata’s premier pre-primaries

Fortunately the ECCE sector has been spared the heavy hand of government interference which has ruined K-12 and higher education institutions of West Bengal. Therefore insulated from government regulation, preschools dispensing good, bad and indifferent ECCE are flourishing in the City of Joy

Though the number of pre-primaries (39) ranked in the eastern metropolis of Kolkata (pop.15 million) is comparatively less than in other metros (Mumbai: 69, Delhi: 66 and Bangalore: 80), there’s sufficient awareness within the city’s bhadralok (refined middle class) of the importance of high-quality early childhood care and education (ECCE) to prepare children to derive the full benefit of school and higher education. Over the past decade several greenfield preschools — proprietary and franchised — have sprung up in the city to meet the growing demand for professionally rendered ECCE from millennial parents.

Fortunately, the ECCE sector has been spared the heavy hand of government regulation and interference which has ruined K-12 and higher education institutions in West Bengal. The CPM (Communist Party of India-Marxist)-led Left Front government, which uninterruptedly ruled West Bengal for 34 years (1977-2011), decimated the state’s education system by infiltrating quasi-literate party members into the academy.

Unfortunately, its successor Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of Mamata Banerjee, now in its second five-year term in office, has done precious little to initiate reforms. However, insulated from government interference, pre-primaries dispensing good, bad and indifferent ECCE are flourishing and multiplying in Kolkata, the state’s admin capital.

Proprietary/owned preschools

The five-year reign of the vintage Mongrace Montessori House, Short Street (MM-SH, estb.1964) as Kolkata’s #1 proprietary preschool is not over though its victory margin has been reduced to five points, ahead of its affiliated Mongrace Montessori, New Town (estb. 2010), ranked #2 for the second consecutive year. The 581 parents with at least one child in preschool and 80 pre-primary principals and teachers interviewed by Delhi-based market research and opinion polls company C fore in Kolkata have rated and ranked MM-SH #1 for competence of teachers, safety and hygiene, special needs education, teacher care and development and value for money across the proprietary and franchised categories.

“That MM-SH has retained its #1 rank despite stiff competition is very fulfilling for us. Over the past 54 years since we admitted our first batch of toddlers, we have initiated several generations into the world of education. The fact that Mongrace, New Town is a close second doubles our joy. Our 32 teachers are highly qualified in Montessori pedagogy and undergo constant professional development. Therefore, our top-rating under the parameter of competence of teachers is very satisfying. Many of them have completed online certificate courses on global citizenship and use of ICT of the British Council. I believe it’s the willingness of our teachers to adopt and integrate contemporary pedagogies that keeps us on the top of the EW league table,” says Suman Sood, a graduate of Panjab and Calcutta universities who took charge as principal of MH-SH in 2011. Currently, this pre-primary has 300 students mentored by 32 teachers.

While a status quo has been maintained at the very apex, the Top 10 league table of Kolkata’s most preferred proprietary preschools has experienced a shake-up in the seating order. Prarambh, BT Road is promoted to #3 (5 in 2017). Ditto Montessori Bal Nilaya, Lake Gardens to #6 (8) and Bubble Blue, DB 43, Salt Lake to #7 (9). Tulipians Preschool, Dover Lane, ranked #4 and Swarnim International Preschool, NSC Bose Road at #5 have retained last year’s rankings even as Young Learners Montessori House, Salt Lake #8 (6) and Stepping Stone Montessori House, Salt Lake at #9 (7) have yielded rank this year.

Yet the most spectacular leap forward in the EW Kolkata Preschools Rankings 2018-19 is of Bubble Blue, New Town (BBNT, estb.2010) which has leapfrogged from #21 in 2017 to #10 this year jointly with the previously unranked Tulips, Dover Lane.

“We are delighted with the news that BBNT is ranked among Kolkata’s Top 10 this year. Our first Bubble Blue centre in Salt Lake, promoted 11 years ago, has been ranked among the Top 10 for the past two years. I attribute our improved rank to the dedicated efforts we are making to integrate creative pedagogies and technologies to make learning enjoyable for our children. We have recently introduced 3D books and a mobile app for parents, and have also signed up with EduSports to offer age-appropriate physical education for children,” says Nabanita Bose Mukherjee, an economics postgrad of Calcutta University, former banker and founder-principal of BBNT which has an enrolment of 150 children and 32 staff.

Beyond the Top 10, there’s been a considerable churn. Leap Years Preschool, Bhawanipur, ranked #16 (20), Little Scholars, Sarat Bose Road #17 (22), and Tulipians Preschool, Ballygunge #18 (19) have risen in public esteem.
Among those which have yielded ground are Little Steps School, Garden Reach, ranked #11 this year (3 in 2017-18), Dolna Creche, Kasba #19 (16), Disharee Montessori House, Ballygunge #20 (15), Little Hartley Montessori House, Garcha Road #21 (14) and Alipore Tiny Tots Private Nursery School #24 (13). Simultaneously, two previously unranked preschools — Casa Dei Bambini Montessori House, Beltala Road, ranked #15 and Kangaroo Kids, Rajarhat Main Road #25 — have debuted in the league table of Kolkata’s most admired proprietary schools.

Franchised preschools

Unlike the league table of Kolkata’s best proprietary schools where Mongrace Montessori, Short Street has been voted #1 for the past five years, the franchised preschools league table has had new claimants for the #1 title every year. Following this tradition, Kangaroo Kids, New Alipore, ranked #3 last year is Kolkata’s #1 franchised preschool of 2018-19. Last year’s #1 ranked EuroKids, BJ Block, Salt Lake has moved to #3. The Tree House, New Alipore has made an impressive jump from #9 in 2017-18 to #2 this year.

Beyond the Top 3, there’s been a rejig as well. The Tree House, Ballygunge has risen in public esteem to #4 (8 in 2017), The Tree House, Salt Lake to #6 (7), Maple Bear Canadian Preschool, Salt Lake to #9 (13) and T.I.M.E Kids Preschool & Daycare, BD Block, Salt Lake to #10 (11). Franchisees of the Mumbai-based Kangaroo Kids Education chain have the maximum representation within the 13-strong league table of sufficiently well-known franchised pre-primaries with five schools represented in the 2018-19 league table. The Delhi-based Little Millennium group has one — Little Millennium, Girish Park ranked #12.

Ranked among the Top 3 franchised preschools of Kolkata since 2015 and promoted to #1 this year, Kangaroo Kids, New Alipore (estb.2002) is top-ranked under five parameters of ECCE excellence, including teacher competence and development, infrastructure provision, innovative teaching, and leadership quality. “We are elated by this news and delighted that our team effort has belatedly been appreciated by young parents and educators. A substantial share of the credit for our promotion to #1 should also accrue to our franchisor whose excellent child-friendly curriculum — learning through play and enquiry — has enabled us to deliver enjoyable education to young children. Credit should also be given to our parents who are actively involved in all school activities. Over the past year, we have been proactively working to adopt and integrate the latest early childhood education research and are heavily focusing on teacher development. Therefore, top scores under the parameters of teacher competence, development and innovative teaching — three of the most important parameters of early years education — are very satisfying,” says Archana Mantri, an English literature postgrad of Rajasthan University and principal of Kangaroo Kids, New Alipore which has an enrolment of 140 children and 30 teachers.

Similarly, Taposhree Choudhury, promoter-director of the Maple Bear Canadian Preschool, Salt Lake (MBC, estb.2016), is delighted that this two-year-old pre-primary has been promoted to the Top 10 table. “It’s quite an achievement for a two-year-old school to be ranked among the Top 10 in the EW league table. I attribute this to parental and public awareness about the many accolades we have won over the year. Recently, this preschool was awarded 5 stars for achieving international quality standards on the parameters of cleanliness, hygiene, safety, teacher training and curriculum by the Maple Bear corporate office in Delhi. The success of our Salt Lake centre has prompted us to open another Maple Bear franchised preschool in New Town,” says Choudhury.