Since the EducationWorld India School Rankings (EWISR) survey was somewhat tentatively introduced in 2007, this annual initiative has evolved into the largest, most detailed and perhaps most sophisticated primary-secondary schools ratings and ranking survey worldwide.
This claim is undisputed because every year 3,000 schools well-reputed in their regions (north, west, east and south) divided into three broad categories — Day, Boarding and International — and several sub-categories (day, day-cum boarding, all-boys and girls) to compare like with like, are evaluated under 14 parameters of school education excellence. The parameters include teacher welfare, teacher competence, leadership, individual attention to students, infrastructure, co-curricular, sports and special needs education among others. This year (2021-22) due to the prolonged 60-70 weeks of lockdown of all schools for fear of children succumbing to the dread novel Coronavirus aka Covid-19, and children forced to learn from home best they can, two new parameters — ‘online education effectiveness’ and ‘mental and emotional well-being services’ — have replaced internationalism and sports education.
To conduct EWISR 2021-22, 120 field personnel of the highly reputed Delhi-based market research and opinion polls firm Centre for Forecasting & Research Pvt. Ltd (C fore, estb.2000) — our surveys partner ab initio — interviewed 11,458 sample respondents (educationists, school principals, fees-paying parents, teachers and senior school students) and persuaded them to rate reputed schools in their regions/zones under 14 parameters of school education excellence on a scale of 1-100 with the critical parameter of teacher competence given double weightage. Scores awarded by the sample respondents under each parameter were totalled and schools ranked inter se in their sub-categories. Moreover, schools are ranked nationally, in the states and cities and towns and under every parameter separately.
However, it’s easier said that the annual EWISR is the world’s most comprehensive schools ranking survey, than to justify this claim. Huge resources in terms of time, money and herculean labour are a necessary precondition of publishing the annual EWISR. Field interviews stretch over months. Subsequently, the scores awarded to 3,000 schools by sample respondents under every parameter had to be checked and totals verified. In sum, mountains of collaborative intellectual capital and labour have been invested in pre-publication work. For this, I thank my colleagues, all of whom worked laborious days and often nights, to compile the numerous EWISR league tables contained in this bumper issue of EducationWorld. I am delighted that they are enthusiastic partners in our mission to reach quality education to all children and youth countrywide.
Merry Xmas & Happier New Year!
