In Kolkata — still awaiting poriborton (change) promised by the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal’s education system — professionally administered early childhood care and education is highly valued. Here are Kolkata’s premier preschools 2014-15 In the eastern metropolis of Kolkata (pop. 14.5 million) —which is still awaiting poriborton (change) promised by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal’s education system, ruined during 34 years of uninterrupted rule of the CPM-led Left Front government — professionally administered early childhood care and education (ECCE) is highly valued. With the ECCE sector free of the regulatory attention of West Bengal’s notoriously venal government inspectors and levelling down politicians and party cadres, who have ruined the state’s school and higher education institutions, fully autonomous private pre-primaries in Kolkata have mushroomed, flourished and prospered. In the newly segregated 2015 league tables of Kolkata’s best proprietary, franchised and pre-primaries of composite schools, a total of 37 preschools (cf. 20 in 2014) have been rated and ranked by 595 parents and 70 teachers/principals interviewed by Delhi-based market research and opinion polls agency C fore personnel. Proprietary/owned The league table of Kolkata’s most admired proprietary preschools is topped by Mongrace Montessori House, Short Street, unaffected by the new taxonomy and ranked #1 for a third consecutive year. Ditto Stepping Stones, Salt Lake, ranked #2 for the second year in a row. Top-ranked in its category on all ten parameters of ECCE excellence, the high-profile Mongrace Montessori (estb.1964) offers its 350 children aged 2.5-5.5 years, a 6,000 sq. ft play area, 16 classrooms fully equipped with Montessori equipment, library and computer room. “The new categorisation of preschools makes sense as it enables fair comparison. But it hasn’t affected our standing in Kolkata where we have been ranked #1 for the third time. I attribute the excellent reputation of Mongrace Montessori to our dedicated team of 30 teachers, well-informed parents and supportive management. It’s well-known in the city that our youngest children thrive in the happy and stimulating environment we provide, and are given a solid foundation for future learning,” says Suman Sood, a graduate of Panjab and Calcutta universities, who took charge as principal of Mongrace Montessori in 2011. Its sister preschool — Mongrace Montessori, New Town — which was ranked #7 in 2014, has benefitted from the new classification of preschools, and is ranked #3. Inevitably, division of the composite 2014 Kolkata preschools league table has improved the rankings of several other proprietary preschools. Dolna Creche, Kasba, ranked #15 last year has jumped to #4 this year as has Alipore Tiny Tots from #13 to #7, Young Learners, Salt Lake (#11 to 9), Little Scholars, Sarat Bose Road (#16 to 11) and Little Hartley, Garcha Road (#20 to #14). Several previously unranked preschools have also gained from the new taxonomy which indicates that awareness of foundational ECCE is spreading. Among the Top 10 debutants are Bubble Blue, Salt Lake (#6) and StarKids, Rajarhat (#10). Gargi Sen, principal of StarKids, Rajarhat (estb.2013), is enthused that this two-year-old pre-primary is…
