In this survivor city which has unfortunately had to suffer a succession of levelling-down administrations, Kolkata’s privately promoted preschools have emerged as islands of excellence in a sea of academic mediocrity. Here are Kolkata’s premier preschools for the year 2012: Spared the rod of heavy-handed government regulation even during 34 years of uninterrupted rule in West Bengal (pop.91 million) of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) as also of the incumbent Trinamool Congress government, Kolkata’s privately promoted preschools have emerged as islands of excellence in a sea of academic mediocrity. And among Kolkata’s estimated 100 reputable private preschools, EuroKids, Salt Lake (estb.2007) has retained its premier position. However, there’s been a major shuffle in seating arrangements at top table. Mongrace Montessori, Short Street, which just about made it into the Top 10 league last year, has been voted the second most admired preschool in this survivor city which has unfortunately had to suffer a succession of leveling-down administrations. Tree House, New Alipore ranked seventh last year has been promoted to No. 3 this year by 357 Kolkata-based sample respondents comprising parents of preschool-going children, ECE teachers and educators. Red Apple Montessori, Lenin Sarani ranked No.4 (5 last year) and the previously unranked Kangaroo Kids, New Alipore constitute the Top 5 in Kolkata’s premier preschools league table of 2012. “We are very pleased, honoured and thankful to the discerning people of Kolkata that they have ranked EuroKids, Salt Lake the city’s most respected preschool for the second year in succession. As indicated by the parameter scores awarded to us in your survey, we owe this to our management’s continuous investment in infrastructure and parental involvement. The school’s No. 1 ranking for the second consecutive year is also the outcome of the dedication of our teachers and love and support of our parents’ community,” says Soma Chandra, an alumna of Kanpur University and principal of Kolkata’s top-ranked preschool since 2010. Currently EuroKids, Salt Lake (annual tuition fee: Rs.28,000) hosts 105 children mentored by 10 teachers. Obviously, sentiments of elation and accomplishment are more intense in the vintage Mongrace Montessori, Short Street (estb.1964) which has been catapulted from No. 10 last year to No. 2 in the city of joy in 2012. On several parameters of preschool education excellence including competence of teachers, teacher care and development, individual attention to students, innovative teaching, leadership quality and particularly for provisioning facilities for special needs children, Mongrace Montessori has been rated higher than all preschools in Kolkata, including the top-ranked EuroKids, Salt Lake. “Although we weren’t sufficiently appreciated in the two previous EducationWorld surveys of preschools in Kolkata, we were confident that it was a matter of time before our almost 50 years contribution to ECE would be recognised. I believe this is because of the management’s willingness to continuously encourage teaching innovations including new technologies to enhance learning, and our dedicated teachers who are ever ready to upgrade their skills and share best practices,” says Suman Sood, an alumna of Punjab and Calcutta universities…
