Hindustan Times - C fore Top Schools Survey

2012South Mumbai

top schoolsHINDUSTAN TIMES-C FORE SURVEY 2012

A guide for young parents

SOUTH MUMBAIhindustantimes

We are very pleased to present to readers the fourth HT Top Schools Survey. As we did last year, we have refined the methodology to reflect our own deepening under-

standing of the issues and by incorporating sensible suggestions from readers. See Methodology for further details.

We hope that the survey will help parents with one of the most significant decisions they will take on behalf of their children: selecting a school. Along with the rankings, we have profiles of the top schools in each zone followed by a series of articles that capture key education trends in the city.

We think that the entire series will help not only newcomers to Mumbai but also parents who have lived here all their lives. This is because city schools are rapidly transforming.

First, over the past year, Indian policy makers have ushered in radical changes in curricula across boards to make it more student-centric and less marks oriented. Second, international boards are rapidly making inroads in to city schools, raising the cost of education but also ushering in innova-tive and wider approaches to learning and teach-ing. Finally, many of todays generation of highly conscious parents want to be closely involved with their childrens lives at school: they want a lot of information about what goes on at school not only before sending their children there but also afterwards. They would like a school that suits these aspirations.

This series takes into account these key shifts in schooling and parenting.

A guide for young parents

top schoolsHINDUSTAN TIMES-C FORE SURVEY 2012

SCHOOLS OF SOUTH MUMBAI

TOP10The 2012 Hindustan Times-C fore Top Schools Survey gave scores to each school across 14 different parame-ters, from academic r igour to sports. Here is a list of schools ranked in the Top 10 in South Mumbai

History: In 1962, a group of parents came together and founded the school based on the idea of education as an unstructured process.

Unique features: Students have access to a variety of indoor and outdoor sports facilities. Students can be part of various clubs including dance, current affairs, books, film appre-ciation and photography.

BOMBAY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

WEBSITE: www.bisschool.com ADDRESS: Gilbert Building, Babulnath

Our students learn through inquiry and experience, which challenges their minds. They are exposed to a diverse range of learning activities. We also inculcate a spirit of compassion and cooperation that ensures holistic development of the child. M O N A S E E R VA I principal

HIGHEST RATINGS FOR:

n Teachers n Diversity

n Parent participation

BOARD Class 10 IGCSE, ICSE

Class 12 IBAnnual fee: Not available

Student strength:400

Student - teacher ratio: 5:1

SOUTH MUMBAIhindustantimes

History: Campion School was founded in 1943, by the Jesuits.

Unique features: The school has 140 computers connected to an internal net-work of projectors in every classroom. Most teachers have laptops. The school launched the Jesuit Certificate Programme for Classes 7 to 10 last year, an optional programme for credits through extra-curriculars.

CAMPION SCHOOL

We appreciate the importance of co-curricular activities along with intellectual growth. Each student must have the opportunity to reach his full potential and become a successful part of society.

PA U L M AC H A D O ,principal

WEBSITE: www.campionschool.in ADDRESS: Cooperage Road, Fort

HIGHEST RATINGS FOR:

n Academic rigourn Sports

n Selection process BOARD:

Class 10 ICSEAnnual fee: R63,000

Student st rength: 768 Student-teacher ratio

19:1

top schoolsHINDUSTAN TIMES-C FORE SURVEY 2012

History: The school was established in 1975 by industrialists BD Somani and GD Somani with 250 students.

Unique features: The school has IT teaching systems and 3-D projectors in every classroom. Tea chers use animation modules. A combination of play way method, projects and assignments is used.

GD SOMANI MEMORIAL SCHOOL

WEBSITE: Website: www.gdsomani.org ADDRESS: 625, Cuffe Parade

We recognise the need for communication between school and home. Only when teachers, students, parents and others work together, can a child grow into an adult who displays sensitivity, integrity, good citizenship and respect for human diversity. B R I A N S E Y M O U R ,principal

HIGHEST RATINGS FOR:

n Teachers n

Selection process n Parent part icipat ion

BOARD: Class 10 ICSE

Annual fee: R70,000Student st rength: 1,615Student-teacher ratio

10:1

hindustantimes

JB PETIT HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

History: Established in 1860 by an English woman, JB Petit School was originally known as Miss Prescotts Fort Christian School. In 1946, the school was renamed after the man who gave it a new lease of life.

Unique features: The school won the International School Award from the British Council for fostering international dimensions in its curriculum. Students participate in a conflict resolution camp, Seeds of Peace held in the

WEBSITE: www.jbpetithighschool.com ADDRESS: 5, Maharshi Dadhichi Marg, Fort

There is an incredible buzz at JB Petit. We emphasise creativity, instill a sense of confidence and do not want to churn out academic robots. Ours is a happy school.

B I N A I F E R K U TA R ,principal

SOUTH MUMBAI

HIGHEST RATINGS FOR:

n

Selection process n

Academic rigourn Teachers BOARD:

Class 10 ICSEAnnual fee: R60,000

Student st rength: 873 Student-teacher ratio

22:1

top schoolsHINDUSTAN TIMES-C FORE SURVEY 2012

NAVY CHILDREN SCHOOL

History: The school was commissioned on November 14, 1989. It is run by the Navy Education Society and administered under the Western Naval Command.

Unique features: The school provides facilities for sports such as basketball, football, cricket, hand ball and table tennis. It also has facilities for carpentry, pottery and a science park and tara mandal. The school organises seven annual days to ensure every student is seen on stage.

WEBSITE: ncsnavy.com/ncsmumbai/ncsm.htm ADDRESS: Block VII Navy Nagar, Colaba Junior School (Class 1 & 2): 4th Pasta Lane, Colaba

What gives me the greatest joy is to see children graduate from the portals of NCS with their heads held high and their basic human values intact.

G I R I JA S I N G H ,principal

HIGHEST RATINGS FOR:

n Value for money n Teachers

n Select ion process

BOARD Class 10, Class 12 - CbSE

Annual fee: R15,000 Student st rength:

4,845Student-teacher rat io:

29: 1

hindustantimes

QUEEN MARY SCHOOL

History: The school, started in 1875 by Harriet Butt, was called the Bombay Indian Female Normal School. The school premises shifted from Byculla to Mazgaon and finally to Girgaum. Its name was changed to Queen Mary School in 1912.

Unique features: The school secured the second place at EUMIND (Europe Meets India), an international programme. An ex-student represented India in the 2011 Commonwealth Games in synchronised swimming.

WEBSITE: www.queenmaryschoolmumbai.in ADDRESS: VP Road, Grant Road (East)

We believe in the holistic development of each student. Just as the heart speaks, the intellect discerns and the body executes, we work in synergy to light up lives for a better tomorrow.G R AC E M AT H I A S ,principal

HIGHEST RATINGS FOR:

n Teachersn Select ion process n Value for money

BOARD Class 10 - ICSE

Annual fee: R42,950-R47,750 Student st rength:

1,083Student - teacher ratio:

17: 1

SOUTH MUMBAI

top schoolsHINDUSTAN TIMES-C FORE SURVEY 2012

ST MARYS SCHOOL (ICSE)History: St Marys began as a missionary school in 1864. Initially, the school only preached Catholicism, but soon began focusing on all-round education.

Unique features: The school has one of the largest campuses in Mumbai with a sports ground, auditorium and two gymnasiums. The school encourages social service and has an exchange programme with a tribal school.

WEBSITE: www.stmarysicse.com ADDRESS: St Marys School (ICSE), Mazagaon

The primary objective of school education must be all-round

development of a child along the basic dimensions of a human being academic, spiritual,

social, emotional and physical, so as to draw out the full

potential of each child before they leave school.

FAT H E R K E N N E T H M I S Q U I T TA ,principal

HIGHEST RATINGS FOR:

n Teachersn Academic rigour

n Selection processBOARD:

Class 10 ICSEAnnual fee: R43,000

Student st rength: 1,460Student-teacher ratio

28:1

hindustantimes

ST XAVIERS BOYS ACADEMYHistory: In the mid-1950s, Father Sologran, a Jesuit priest, convinced the local police to relocate a proposed police station at Marine Lines. In 1957, a school and college were established there.

Unique features: Education is modelled on the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm, which is rooted in self-reflection as the basis of schooling. The school has a four-day exchange pro-gramme with a tribal school in Nashik for Class 9 students.

WEBSITE: www.sxba.org ADDRESS: 15, New Marine Lines

At SXBA, we strive to be an institute where learning is enjoyable, resulting in all-round excellence and commitment to social justice.

P R E E M A N O R O N H A ,principal

SOUTH MUMBAI

HIGHEST RATINGS FOR:

n Education philosophyn Teachers

n Selection processBOARD:

Class 10 SSCAnnual fee: R30,800

Student st rength: 917Student-teacher ratio

20:1

top schoolsHINDUSTAN TIMES-C FORE SURVEY 2012

THE CATHEDRAL & JOHN CONNON SCHOOL History: The Angelo Scottish Education Society founded in 1860, later became the Cathedral and John Connon School. It became a co-educational in 1965.

Unique features: Cathedral was the first school in the country to hold a Model United Nations, which is in its 16th year and entirely organised by students. The schools 80-member strong choir is one of the oldest in the city. Students are selected on the basis of highly competitive trials.

WEBSITE: www.cathedral-school.com ADDRESS: 6, Purshottamdas Marg, Fort

We keep students at the focal point of all activities. We recognise the need to walk the talk in order to make a lasting impression on young minds. M E E R A I S A AC S ,

principal

HIGHEST RATINGS FOR:

n Academic rigourn Teachers

n Select ion processBOARD:

Class 10 ICSE, Class 12 ISC Annual fee: R90,000

Student strength: 2,000Student-teacher ratio:

16:1

VILLA THERESA SCHOOL

History: The school was founded in 2007 and provides a complete and contemporary educational experience to students. It endeavors to nurture young minds through a sound educational program. (Source: school web-site)

Unique features: Students enjoy co-curricular activities such as badminton, pipe band, cricket, dance, chess and swimming. The school strives to cre-ate a community of globally-minded citizens in an atmosphere of mutual respect, understanding and trust. (Source: school website).

hindustantimes

WEBSITE: www.vtsmumbai.org ADDRESS: Cumbala Hill

Our students always respond well to new ideas or initiatives taken by the school. Although we focus on learning through technology, we realise the importance of imparting knowledge through value.

S I ST E R R A N I A N T H O N Y ,principal

SOUTH MUMBAI

HIGHEST RATINGS FOR:

n Teachersn Diversity

n Value for moneyBOARD:

Class 10 ICSEAnnual fee: R35,000R45,000

Student st rength: 1,287Student-teacher ratio

29:1

A. ProcessHT and research firm Cfore conducted the survey in three phases over four months.In the first phase, we sent out an exhaustive questionnaire to 307 private schools in the Mumbai region, asking them to send us detailed data about themselves, such as their student-teacher ratios, total area of all their playgrounds, etc. Of these, 109 schools replied. (We hope that many more will join in next year.) Based on these replies, we assigned each school an objective score.In the second phase, a perceptual survey was conducted among a carefully selected sample of teachers and parents. In all, 2512 respondents were interviewed using a semi-structured ques-tionnaire. The respondents were asked to evaluate the schools that they were aware of on a 10 point scale against 18 parameters. We used the same parameters as last year. We had arrived at the parameters based on suggestions from a panel of educationists. Simultaneously, objective data was also collected.In the third phase, Cfore research-ers visited each school shortlisted for ranking based on the objective and perceptual data collected. The data was also audited by talking to parents and stu-dents. To arrive at the ranking score, the figures of perceptual and objective data were combined. In case the objective data was not available, the per-ceptual data scores were extrapolated to rank top 10 schools of each of the five zones of the Mumbai region: north, south, east, west and Navi Mumbai.B. The parameters along which we rated the schoolsn Educational philosophy n Attitude towards learn-ing n Breadth of vision n Social engagement n Academic rigour n Innovative teaching n Quality of teachers n Teacher-student relation-ship n Sports n Cultural activities n Life skills education n Infrastructure and facilities n Safety, health and hygiene n Diversity n Selection process n Governance n Parent participation n Value for money

METHODOLOGYNOTES

1. Despite employing such a com-prehensive process, we at HT believe that such rankings cannot be completely objective because people will have different opin-ions of what they believe consti-tutes a good education. Some parents might be looking for a school that allows them to be closely involved while others may want the opposite. Some parents might want schools that focus on sports while others may want one where academics dominates.

2. We believe that beyond a par-ticular threshold, it is difficult to objectively rank schools. Indeed, as we have said, our survey includes some subjective, per-ceptual inputs. Therefore, we will only list in alphabetical order schools that emerged as the top ten in each of the other zones. We have, however, provided rankings for the top ten schools overall in the city because many readers have asked us for it.

3. In any case, we advise parents to look carefully at how schools have scored against the various parameters instead of going just by the overall rank. These scores will indicate to parents which school might better suit their spe-cific aspirations. Indeed, a school that is ranked lower might actually be better suited to a parent and his or her child than the top-ranked one.

Part 2-Mumbai- top ten schools-day 3-Cover.pdfPart 2-Mumbai- top ten schools-day 3-Cover intro.pdfPart 2-Mumbai- top ten schools-day 3.pdfPart 2-Mumbai- top ten schools-day 3-Methodology.pdf