Noida’s transformation into a major IT/ITES hub has prompted several go-getting edupreneurs to promote proprietary and franchised preschools for the young children of thousands of skilled professionals working and living in this new satellite city of Delhi. Although it falls within the administrative jurisdiction of the socio-economically backward state of Uttar Pradesh, Noida has emerged as a major IT (information technology) and ITES (IT enabled services) hub because of its proximity to Delhi, the national capital, and its inclusion in the National Capital Region (NCR). Consequently, this new satellite city (pop.630,000) which has mushroomed on the Delhi-UP border, hosts the India offices of several new-age blue-chip/IT multinationals including TCS, IBM, HCL, Wipro Technologies, and Accenture, among others. Voted the best city in Uttar Pradesh by ABP News in 2015, Noida’s transformation into a major IT/ITES hub has attracted thousands of young skilled professionals to live and work in it. In turn, this has created pressing demand for high-quality early childhood and K-12 education. Therefore, several nationally top-ranked K-12 schools such as Step by Step, Gyanshree, Shiv Nadar School, and Amity International have sprung up in this newly established city. Not to be left behind, several go-getting edupreneurs have promoted a clutch of proprietary and franchised pre-primaries to provide high-quality ECCE (early childhood care and education) to youngest children in the 0-6 age group. To compile the EW Noida Preschool Rankings 2019-20, field personnel of the well-known Delhi-based market research and opinion polls company Centre for Forecasting & Research Pvt. Ltd (C fore, estb.2000) interviewed 673 parents of preschool-going children and 79 teachers/principals in Noida. PROPRIETARY PRESCHOOLS Last ranked #1 in 2015-16, the Windows Play Group & Nursery School, Sector 50 (estb.2003) has regained its #1 position after a four-year hiatus with top score under the parameters of teacher competence, teacher welfare and development, infrastructure, individual attention to students, value for money and parental involvement. The Gaia Green School, Sector 93, ranked #1 for three successive years, has ceded top spot and is ranked #2 jointly with the previously unranked The Ardee School, Sector 100 which has made an impressive debut. Amiown, Sector 44 and Pathways Early Years, Sector 100 are tied at #3. And the top table is completed by Khaitan Preschool, Sector 40 and Stimulus Preschool, Sector 39, jointly ranked #4 and ASPAM Preschool, Sector 62 at #5. Monica Baluja, founder-principal of the Windows Play Group & Nursery School, is gratified that “Noida’s pioneer new-age preschool” has regained its “rightful” #1 rank. “The entire team is elated that after three years, we have been voted #1 again. Clearly, Noida’s parents and teachers communities recognise that we encourage children to develop socially, emotionally and cognitively through directed play and that our teachers are thoroughly trained for this as reflected in our top score under the parameter of teacher competence. The EW#1 ranking endorses the feedback we get from parents praising us for the excellent foundational education we provide,” says Baluja, a psychology graduate of Delhi University who promoted Windows Nursery…
