Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Life in Bangalore: Schools

This is the first in a three-part series. Parts II and III appear here and here. My post about our experience with Greenwood High is here.
____________________________

Schools are aplenty in Bangalore. There are schools of every shape, size and hue occupying every street in this sprawling metropolis - from 'international' schools to unpretentious playhomes for toddlers.

Finding a good school that meets all your criteria, on the other hand, is a near-impossible task.

The only criterion I had in my mind for my son when we first moved here was that his school should be within walking distance from our house. Under no circumstances was I willing to put him (my baby!) on a bus to and from school. So we picked a house that was close to a school with kindergarten classes.

He had been going to a Montessori school in the US and it had worked beautifully for both myself and my son. He was happy at school, I was happy with the pace at which he was being taught and at which he was learning. As luck would have it (or so I thought) the school we picked in Bangalore also followed the Montessori method (they had all the Montessori materials - many of which my son recognized and was very happy to be in the midst of - and they followed the concept of mixing age groups in their class rooms).

That illusion was shattered within the first week of school. My son came home with three pages of homework. By the end of the week, he'd had three pages of homework every day, and about eight pages to complete over the weekend. And he arrived from school every day, exhausted from the amount of writing work at school, in addition to working on the materials.

I had a chat with his teacher, and her justification was this: he had arrived late to the school, and she was loading him up with work because she had to 'finish the portions' for the year. That of course, is antithetical to the Montessori method, and, it was my reality check. As the year progressed, it was obvious that all these young kids (3, 4 and 5 year olds) were being prepared to face the entrance tests for first grade!

Yes, there are entrace tests for first grade. And get this: they test the children on skills that are beyond the first grade curriculum. As for the logic behind that, I am at a loss.

The reality here is that the schools, especially in Bangalore, are catering to a wide variety of demands - those of the returning NRIs many of whom have had their children in Montessori or alternative environments in the US, and those of the parents who are more intimately aware of the demands put on young children in grade schools. So the schools call themselves Montessori schools to attract the NRI population, but follow a strict, rigorous, curriculum to train the children to pass the inevitable entrance tests. I've heard of parents complaining that the schools don't work the children hard enough.

Most parents, frankly, are scared. Admissions to the schools that are considered good (although overpopulated, understaffed and in many instances, on the outskirts of town) are extremely hard to come by. Parents stand in line for days to get registration forms at these schools. So that first grade entrance test is a defining event in a scholastic career.

There are the international schools of course, but these too merit close scrutiny. There is nothing preventing a school from slapping on the 'international' tag. Moreover, they are expensive because they mostly try to attract and cater to the expat population.

The thought that I want to leave you with is this: there is nothing wrong in children learning to read and write and do math (and color, although my son hates it) and, if you want your children to grow in this school system, they do need to. Unless you want to be an outlier and send your children to schools that have no tests whatsoever until high school (Valley School, for example).

But, if you want to be in the mainstream, be prepared to put your foot down if your child is being pushed too much. You are the best judge of your child's mental framework and nothing is worth squashing his creativity (which I guarantee the reams and reams of repetitive homework will do), not even a seat in a "good" school.

So, suck in your breath and steel yourself for the 'untidy' or 'could be neater' comments on his homework. It's a safe bet that neither Steve Jobs nor Bill Gates has pretty handwriting, and remember neither finished college.

144 comments:

Sourin Rao said...

Suj
This aspect is scary in India. Some of our friend went back to Chennai and enrolled their kis in the so called international schoold. They seem to happy with the level of education, but are paying kingly ransom for 2 kids.

Do the int. schools also have entrance exams ? What is the other alternative ? I cant seem to think of anything since home schooling is far too hippie for me. I will follow your travails with the school scene quite keenly.

How abt the folks in B'lore ? My wife is from Blore and whenever she visits, she finds the lifestyle decadent with each visit. Would u agree ?
Sourin

Sourin Rao said...

Sorry abt the typos in my prev comment. Typing with a hyperactive (just before sleeptime) 2 year old on my lap.
Sourin

Anonymous said...

I do not agree with Suj that only Indian Montessori schools violate the montessori principles.
N( son) and O(my daughter) went to the "Springs". Our experiences have been different at that school.
Like every parent, I too wanted the best for my child and ended up picking Springs.
In her Kindergarten class she was a victim of clique. Surprisingly cliques are forming as earlier as in kindergarten.
Repeated meeting with the director and class teacher did not fetch any results. They knew the problem existed but did nothing. I had to print out articles from Tolerance.(may be the thought of social justice group, made the school realize their mistake) and other web site in order for them to break the group and mix the kids up at lunch. In the end I was an agitator but I did see some results.
Is this not antithetical(shattering a child's self-esteem and confidence at the age of 5) to the so called montessori principles.
In the end I would say you as a parent have to do your home work on picking Montessori school which suits you and your child's need.
rajeshwari-

Anonymous said...

Correction for my previous posting
N(Suj son)
tolerance.org

Sujatha Bagal said...

Rajeshwari and Sourin,

I put up a new post in response to your wonderful comments. Thanks!

Sourin,

I will post my thoughts on the lifestyle here in a couple of days.

Anonymous said...

Hi -

I enjoyed reading your blog. We have a 5 year old daughter who already goes to a montesorri school here in Detroit. We are planning to move to B'lore in April 2005. Can you please recommend a good school (montesorri preferable) that would ease her transition to India.

Thanks in advance!
Pl reply to smv4@dcx.com

Anonymous said...

hi guys...i have a 3and half year old son..and have gone thru the whole rigmarole of choosing a school thats best for him...CBSE vs ICSEvs state syllabus vs an open school...i stay in blore and have finally zeroed in on buddhischool.com
take a look at the website and decide for yourselves..its 3 kms fro where v stay and am pretty happy with their mehod of teachin.i for one am also against the conventional way of teachin where kids learn whats in the book just cos its there...entrance tests are not the yardstick for a childs education..i think as parents of next generation..v need to equip them with a lot more than book knowledge....like logical thinkin,social behaviour,responsibility towards the society,equality,independent thinking capacity,compassion and tools to be a proud citizen..

Anonymous said...

Hi everyone,

I am new to this blog and found it interesting. I will be moving to Bangalore for a one year period with my kid, who is at high school currently in North America. I browsed through the CAnadian International School's website and was wondering if anyone has any experience with the school or can provide any pointers to the same.

thanks for any help,
Anonymous

Anonymous said...

This is very useful. Can someone give pointers to International Schools in Bangalore, specifically on Bangalore International School, quality of teaching,past results, location etc., as I am planning to shift to Bangalore and this school and the class will be VIII.

Anonymous said...

I would appreciate if I can have some pointers to International Schools in Bangalore for us, We are Indian family relocating early 2007 and have been living in the down under zone for 7 years. This is further to my request vide earlier post of July 19. Also inputs on term dates for
2007 and how we need to go about the process would be much appreciated

Thanks a lot in anticipation. God Bless and Best Wishes

Sujatha Bagal said...

Hi Anon (July 19 and Oct 15),

The International schools in Bangalore are the following:

The International School of Bangalore
Candadian International School
Indus International School and
Deccan International School

You can google any of them and you'll find their websites.

Most of the expats choose the International School of Bangalore or the Canadian School. I've heard good and bad things about both of them.

Other schools you might consider are
National Association for Learning (NAFL);
Greenwood High
Inventure Academy

Again, please google for locations, etc.

The admissions process in most of these schools for the 2007-2998 school year has already begun. Now would be a good time to contact these schools and let them know you will be requiring a seat (or seats). The International schools are very understanding of kids coming in from other countries - both about the timing and the teaching the kids are used to. They will the easiest to adjust to, I think.

The non-international schools on the list tend to follow the Indian curriculum which can be hard on kids coming in from other countries. But it would not hurt to talk to them and see how they will accomodate your children.

For the international schools, the school year beings in August and ends in June. For the others, the school year begins in June and ends in March.

If you require any other information, please feel free to write to my e-mail address.

Sujatha.

Sujatha Bagal said...

Anon (July 11),

Sorry for the delay. Didn't see your comment because it was on an old post.

A couple of my friends send their kids to the Canadian School. This year, their school year got delayed because the teachers did not get their visas on time.

Friends recommend TISB (International School of Bangalore) rather than the Canadian. Teachers are better at the TISB, but Culture-wise, because the teachers are brought in from the US and Canada, students from Canada and the US are better able to adjust.

Anonymous said...

Can anyone let me know what are the career options in India after XII grade, if you do your schooling from International school. Is it mandatory for him to look for admissions in schools outside India for his graduation? With international curriculum, will they be capable of competing with other students that have followed CBSE or ICSE curriculum?

Sujatha Bagal said...

Anon (Oct. 25), interesting question. Will ask a few friends and find out. I know of one girl who studied at the Canadian International School and went to the US to study pre-med and of another who studied in the US and moved to India to do her medicine.

Just as an FYI, apart from the seats that are reserved for merit, there are also a number of seats in medical and engineering colleges here under the non-merit "management quota", for which the fees are higher.

Anonymous said...

Hello,

You are doing a good service by providing your views which will help in a better informed decision making;for people living thousands of miles away but have India in their hearts;

Thanks
Paddy

Anonymous said...

hi im new to blore i have a son who is 2yr 4months.im vmuch confused as to admit him in a traditional school or in a montessori.i need a proper understanding and shud be able to make a correct decision and then proceed accordingly.....

Sujatha Bagal said...

Anon, please read the rest of the posts in this series and the comments and let me know if you still have questions.

Sujatha Bagal said...

Paddy, thanks for your comment.

Anonymous said...

Hi! I'm new to Bangalore.I've 2 daughters studying in Class 5, 8. I'm really confused to choose a good CBSE school for them. Is it necessary that Kannada language will have to be taken up as a language? How a kid can straight away take up a new language that too in classes like 8 or 9. I'm interested in international schools, there also kannada is mandatory? which international schools is good n much affordable?

Sujatha Bagal said...

As far as I know, Kannada is not mandatory in International schools, but some language will be in the CBSE schools. I know of a family that moved from Australia with kids in the same grades as yours and the school that they went to (Innisfree in J.P. Nagar) gave them a year to learn a language and catch up. I think they ended up taking Sanskrit, if I'm not mistaken.

Please read the other posts in this series and the comments for the names of the international schools. If you have other questions, please feel free to e-mail and I'll try to help you the best I can.

Good luck.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for such quick response. The school (INNISFREE) u said is ISCE based not CBSE.

Can u plz name any international school which is affordable n good also. I came to know that they charge in lakhs p.a. I can afford only in thousands p.a. Moreover I'll not send kids to stay in school so I need a school which has day scholars' facility, if they provide lunch n all then its far better.

Anonymous said...

This is the 3rd msg in continuation I'm sending. I got ur 1st respose in few mins so was expecting the other's also.

U asked me to email if I 've something else to ask. May I know your email id so that I can put up my query thru mail....

Sujatha Bagal said...

Hi, international schools are expensive. Don't know of any that are not. Am not very familiar with schools that don't have language requirements. Schools such as National Public School or Delphi Public School might offer Hindi or Sanskrit. I would suggest you obtain the book called Bangalore Mum's guide. It has a list of all the schools. Also, if you google Bangalore schools, I'm sure you'll get a list of schools as well. As for CBSE/ICSE, again you'll have to call the shools to find out. As I mentioned in my earlier comment, please go through the other comments to this post to at least get the names of the schools - you can then call them.

That is the best option as far as I can see - obtain a list of schools and start calling them. Beyond this and the other posts and comments, I'm not sure I can help.

Good luck.

Anonymous said...

Sujatha... Thanks for your comments. It was helpful.

Anonymous said...

Hi Sujatha,

Many Thanks, your blog is very useful and informative - probably the best I've come across. I've just started looking around for schools in Bangalore. Have two kids - Boy-7.5yrs and Girl-4.5years. Live in the UK currently. Coming back to Bangalore seems hugely exciting on one front (have lived there during college and work for 7 years and truly love the City!) and hugely challenging. The prospect of facing the traffic situation etc. form the unsavoury part of living in Bangalore I guess. That aside, getting kids smoothly integrated into the schooling system is my main focus at the moment.

Was wondering if you could give your feedback on schools like Greenwood High, Inventure academy, Innisfree, Shishu Griha, GEAR etc.

I'm not at all averse to schools that follow the Indian curriculum (after all that's what we followed and I think its not bad at all especially ICSE. The difference lies in the teaching in my opinion.), but want to consider schools that are truly academics+extra-curricular focused.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Rekha

Anonymous said...

Thanks for all the information in this blog..

Any responses about Vidyashilp Academy? Back in 2004 when we visited this institution, me and my wife did like the place and their concept of no-exam learning till 4th grade (I think!). We are looking for schools where our two boys ( 7 and 6) can ride the transistion out before stepping up the academic pressure.

Thanks again for all the useful info.

Arup

Sujatha Bagal said...

Rekha, thanks for your comment. A couple of my friends really like Inventure Academy for blending academics and activities and one of them sends her child there and is happy. Greenwood High is also apparently very good in terms of integrating extra-curricular stuff with studies (music, both Indian and Western, Chess, Dance, Art, Computers, etc.).

Both these schools have a lot of children coming in from abroad, so they are more exposed to helping such children settle down in the Indian environment.

Innisfree is in town (in J.P. Nagar), campus is decent compared to Kumaran's, etc - at least the kids have space to run around in. The administration seems stuck up to me. Have heard (somewhat like Kumaran's) parents are tapped for donations on a regular basis. Don't know anything about their extra-curricular activities program - seemed ordinary to me from the brochures.

Sorry, have no information about Shishu Griha. I personally did not like GEAR from their website and one of the friends (of the ones that liked Inventure) did not think highly of them either.

Hope this helps. If you need any other info, please feel free to write (either comments or e-mail).

And I totally agree with you, it's important that the kids transition smoothly. Of course, traffic is horrid, but can't do anything about it other than deal with it with a lot of patience. :))

Good luck with everything.

Sujatha Bagal said...

Hi Arup, thanks for your comment. I think Vidyashilp is run by graduates of the Valley School (Jiddu Krishnamurthy), the original purveyor of education sans examinations. A friend of mine sends her son to Vidyashilp. She's very happy with it. Says that system works for her son. Definitely worth checking out if that's what you want for your children.

Other than the old type schools (Kumarans (too much pressure there as I understand) Bishop Cottons, Baldwins, etc.), schools nowadays are more sensitive to kids' emotional developmental needs. The tests ("assessments" as they are called) in my son's school are graded and the kids are not ranked.

As I mentioned to Rekha, please do feel free to send me an e-mail if you want more info.

Good luck. Cheers!

Anonymous said...

Hi Sujatha,

I would like any feedback you have of "The Valley School" at the earliest. This is urgent.
Regards,
RajiB

Sujatha Bagal said...

Hi Raji, hope the following info helps. People who attend Valley are really happy. One of my friends sent her daughter there, but not her son. She put her son in Kumaran's which is poles apart from Valley in terms of the atmosphere the two schools seek to create for the children. That friend found that the atmosphere in Valley was good for her daughter, but for her son, the gruelling work and the competition for seats at Kumaran's was the way to go.

My husband and I visited Valley. It's about 30 minutes away from Banashakari on Kanakapura Road. It is in the middle of a forest environment. The buidlings are spread out and the area is very peaceful. The kids we saw there really looked content. Bulletin boards outside the classrooms were full of essays and art work by the kids.

We just thought it was a bit on the left field for our son. Competition of any sort is discouraged, although there are games and sports, there are no prizes, there are no exams until the 8th grade, etc. There is a retreat close by for followers of the Krishnamurthy philosophy and a meditation hall near the admissions office.

Although we are against having our children working too hard in their formative years withought sparing any time for being and growing up as children, we felt that the Valley philisophy was at the other end of the spectrum. Our kids will most definitely face competition in real life and there is no use hiding it from them in their formative years.

They have their own buses for picking up and dropping off kids.

That's the info I have about Valley.

Anonymous said...

We recently relocated to India from the US (June 2006). We had a week to check out schools in Bangalore. Visited at least 5-6 schools and finally decided on Kumarans CBSE. It has been six months now and our daughter has adjusted fairly well. The school helped her come up to speed on Hindi.
As a child who studied for three years in Challenger and two years in a public school, she did not have any problems adjusting to her new school.

Overall we are quite happy with the school.

Sujatha Bagal said...

Anon,

Thanks for your comment and input regarding Kumaran's.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Sujatha for all the useful inforamtion in this blog.

We intend to relocate back home to Bangalore, in time for 2007 academic year for our two boys. So far, our older son has been accepted tentatively for 3rd grade - subject to an admission test. Our younger one's is a different story - all though not clearly spilled out, I get the message that the school is not very impressed with his kindergarten credentails!!

When these schools talk of an assesment or admission tests, are they generally referring to a kid's aptitude test? I will get to the school as well, but like to know what is expected of kids coming from overseas. My two sons go a private parochial school, where the impetus is one the 'whole' development.

Thanks again, Arup

Sujatha Bagal said...

Arup,

Admissions tests for first grade are most definitely not aptitude tests. There may be a couple of schools here and there that might do that, but in most cases admissions tests assess a child's learned skills such as ability to write the alphabet (block letters and cursive), words such as names of colors, days of the week, months, numbers from 1 to 100, number names, names of vegetables, fruits, etc., simple sentences (a page each about his friends/school/family) and single digit addition and subtraction, number place (units, tens or hundreds). I most definitely do not want to scare you but am telling you this from experience. That is the kind of work my son did in Kindergarten, all of which was geared toward preparing them for entrance tests as I mentioned in my post.

Here are some schools you could check out for your little one - Vidyashilp, Valley, Head Start in Koramangala (I think this has Montessori up to 4th grade, but please confirm) or any of the international schools (Indus, TISB) and possibly Greenwood or Inventure. These will certainly ease the transition for him.

I do hope you find what you want for your children, Arup. No matter how we adults end up adjusting or not adjusting to life back here, if the children are well settled, it makes the process so much easier. Please do not hesitate to write back if you need more info.

Good luck.

Anonymous said...

Sujatha,

Thank you very much for those useful tips about admission tests. Both my kids went through similar kind of tests for their admissions here - not so much the writing part; some tests surprised us - they were tested for example how they gripped their pencil or were asked to hop - they were being tested for their mortar skills! At the end, the principal had a grade sheet of some 25 criteria they were tested on.

Kids from what we hear do go through much more in India than their couterparts from here - I remember my 1st grader niece who goes to DP School had full lenth questions and answers in her tests! I guess one school of thought is that kids are like sponges - will step-up and absorb, maybe somewhere it does hurt to do any thing in excess - balance or moderation is the key - true with any aspect of life..sorry to sidetrack!

Regards and continue the good work of spreading those very useful information to parents - especially ones like us planning to move back.

-Arup

Anonymous said...

Hi Sujatha,

Many thanks for your comments. Am right now in Bangalore. will send some inputs after I've had a chance to check out schools.

Rekha

Indianmonsoons-My stories,poems-I am what I am said...

Hi
I moved to Bangalore in May 2004 from the US and even before I came here, I had decided I was not going to compromise on the children's education and being happy at school.That's what counted ultimately- whether we would all be happy in India or not.
I owed that much to them for bringing them away from US( after my divorce) where they were born and raised and went to school and I did not want to traumatise them more by not being able to adjust to the Indian schools here.
I chose Canadian International School for my son who was already 14 and Vidya Shilp for my daughter who was 9.
Till today I feel these were the BEST choices that I made(altho the price was high in terms of fees etc.)and my son is getting Honor Roll each semester and topping the grades in many subjects and he had absolutely no probs. adjusting since most of the teachers and students are from Canada/US. He felt right at home.
My daughter also loved Vidya Shilp cos they have only 22 kids in each class, no exams and no homework but lots of interesting hands-on projects which she loves to do.They also have many diff. activities for every day like swimming, Yoga, art, basketball etc.
If you show a foreign passport, then your child can choose French instead of Kannada/Hindi in Vidya Shilp.
Soon my son will be going to college back to US and I am getting good guidance and info. from his school counsellor and his teachers.
I am glad I made these school choices and wanted to share it if it helps anyone.

Sujatha Bagal said...

Hi Rekha, looking forward to your comments.

M, I'm very happy that things have worked out for you and thank you very much for this valuable information. Good luck.

Anonymous said...

Are there schools in Bangalore where Hindi is not a compulsory subject?

Would be further interested schools where Tamil can be taken as optional language.

Thanks,

Raj

Anonymous said...

Hi Sujatha,

We live in London and are planning to relocate to Bangalore this summer. Your blog has been a valuable resource while we look for schools for our daughter.
Do you have any information particularly about NAFL (website, e-mail or phone no.).
Any info. would be appreciated.

Thanks for your help.
Rupa

Sujatha Bagal said...

** Raj, thank you for your comment. I think whether Hindi is not compulsory or not depends on what system the school follows. If it's the state system, then the kids learn Kannada. If the kids have a foreign passport, they can opt for French where it is offered.

I really don't know whether Tamil would be offered in any of the schools in Bangalore. I can ask a couple of people and will post an answer in the next couple of days.

** Rupa, good luck with the move. Here's the contact info for NAFL:

Ph: +91-80-23239281
E-mail: nafl@blr.vsnl.net.in
They don't have a website.

Unknown said...

hi Rupa,
Just want to give some Information about NAFL.I am from bangalore and have got a 3 year old son who got admission in NAFL .I had applied in the month of October 2006 and finally got the admission in dec 2006(Montessori) for the academic year 2007. To tell u about NAFL ,its a very good school and they give individual attention on each kid for his studies and also on extra Curricular activities. here u can opt for hindi/french/kannada(any one)as your language. They have got ICSE/CBSE/IGCSE Syllabus for teaching.
U can have this contact no
NAFL -080-23231567

bye
suma

Sujatha Bagal said...

Suma, thanks for this information. Very helpful.

Anonymous said...

Hi Sujatha,

Thanks for your and Suma's feedback. That was helpful.
We're also considering Indus and so far have got a positive feedback from everyone we've spoken to. Does anyone have an experience/views about Indus ?

Thanks,
Rupa

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the information out there for expats to look for schools in Bangalore. Does anyone have their child in boarding school and can they share their experience as to what they like about the school and the boarding experience of their child. Any suggestions of good boarding schools for an international student is much appreciated. Thanks

Anonymous said...

Couple of friends I know send their children there and they are very happy with the school

Sujatha Bagal said...

Rupa, I don't have any info about the schooling at Indus, although I do know of a friend's son who did not make it on the bus he was supposed to be on to get home and the school was at a loss as to where he was. My friend eventually found her son (when his classmate's grandfather called her to say that he was in their house), but the next day she found that the process had not much improved to ensure the safety of the kids. Please do talk to other parents at the school, perhaps they have improved now and if you have your own transportation this may not be something to worry about.

Anon (Jan 13, 1:13 am): I don't know enough about boarding schools in Bangalore. If someone reading this has some information, I would be grateful if you could please share it here. If I do find out anything, I'll put it up here.

Anon (Jan 13, 1:17 am): I assume you are referring to Indus, but can't be sure.

Anonymous said...

Does any body know about the school - Prakriya in Sarjapur area? Any comments/opinions? As far as I know, it is a non conventional school. Is it suitable for Children raised in US?

Unknown said...

Hi Sujatha,

All the material posted here is really very helpful for folks seeking information about Bangalore schools. I wanted to know what the age requirement (i.e. reach what age by which date in the school year) is for admission to Indian (ICSE/CBSE) and International schools in Bangalore, for Grade 3, assuming the child has completed the previous grade in some other school. Is the minimum age requirement enforced only for admission to lower classes like KG or is it followed for the upper grades as well? Any info on this would be appreciated.

Sonali

Anonymous said...

Hi sujata

You have a done a grt job/service by posting this blog. I have come to bglore and have put my son in NHVPS, which is quite satisfactory on quite a few parameters like teacher/child ratio and the attention and tracking done of the students activities and performance even by the principal. I am planning to change the school as the travel time for my son to and fro from school ia more than 3 hours. Could someone tell me how would they rate NAFL v/s Vidyashilp/niketan

Sujatha Bagal said...

Sonali, I believe that the minimum age requirement is only at the time of admission. If the work has been done before and the school administration is satisfied that the child can go up to the next grade there should be no problem. However, I would call the couple of numbers of the schools in the string of comments here and verify this.

Thanks for reading.

Anon, thanks. I don't have first-hand information about this. If someone else can do the comparison, please help Anon out. Thanks.

Sujatha Bagal said...

Anon (Jan 26), there's some info about NAFL in Part 2 of this post in the comments section, if you'd like to check it out.

Sujatha Bagal said...

A reader wrote to ask for any information on the Bangalore International School. If any of you has any information about that school, could you please leave a comment here?

Thanks, Sujatha.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

I am R Gopal.This is addressed to anyone who can help me. I am in a central govt service. Presently my daughter is studying in class VIII in a good CBSE school in Noida. I will be getting a transfer to Bangalore in April 2007. My stay will be in the official quarters at Koramangala.

Will some one be kind enough to help me in the following:

1. Names of good CBSE approved schools in and around 7 KM from Koramangala.(Non KV)

2. When would the enterance test, in general be held for the class IX admission.

3. When would the classes for class IX start for the year 2007-08

4. Is there any other certificate other than TC which I should get from her current school at the time of leaving.

I will be grateful to get a reply either at this post or to graja@nddb.coop.

Thanks in advance

Anonymous said...

I have keenly followed this segment. As a mother of a 9 yr old, soon returning to Bangalore from California [end march 2007]-I would request all your inputs.
a]Should I stay back till June, complete his 4th grade and then relocate? [ I do not want him to repeat 4th grade EVER!]
b]Would it be better to go early,to prep. him for entrance exams?
c] CBSE or SSLC? He is a honor student in the local public school[ this school has a high ranking]
d]some good schools in Bangalore North -Rajajinagar/Malleswaram area.

Thanks in advance
confused mom.

Sujatha Bagal said...

Hi Confused mom,

Thanks for your comment. I would suggest that you stay back and finish his 4th grade, then you'll be able to show the schools here that he's completed his 4th grade work.

What schools are you trying to get him into here? Please note that most schools have completed their admissions process already for the 2007-2008 school year.

I would pick the schools that sound most attractive to you, call them and let them know you are interested and ask if there are entrance tests and then you can easily prepare him there.

Also note that because school (other than the international schools which start in August) starts in June here, this year he might not have much of a summer break. It's worth preparing him for that.

NAFL is a very good school in that area as is Vidyashilp.

NAFL: (011 91 80) 2323 9281, nafl@vsnl.net.in

Vidyashilp: (011 91 80) 2856 1824, 2856 3678, vsa@blr.vsnl.net.in

About CBSE or SSLC, don't know, sorry. But from what I've heard, most people prefer CBSE because they think kids are better prepared to handle the IIT/Medical entrance tests.

Good luck with everything.

If anyone else has any opinion on these questions, please weigh in.

Thanks.

Sujatha Bagal said...

Inventure Academy contact info:

Phone: (080) 2780 2606

Website: http://www.inventureacademy.com/

Sujatha Bagal said...

Hi Gopal,

As I mentioned to confused mom above, most of the schools (in Koramangala area National Public School is a good one) have finished their admissions process for the 2007-2008 school year. They start in October of the previous year and finish by January of the following year. So if you're just starting your process now, your choices will be limited to schools that mainly cater to the international students because they generally have rolling admissions througout the year. There are also schools like Inventure Academy and Greenwood that have the Indian curriculum that do cater to students througout the year. Not sure what system Inventure and Greenwood follow though.

School year for Indian schools is June to March and for international schools is from August to June.

Let me know if you have othe questions. Good luck.

Anonymous said...

Hi all, this really is a useful site for all moms worried about schooling of their kids.
I want to get my son admitted in Sri Kumaran's CBSE, currently he is going to Carmel's Padmanabhanagar-ICSE, 3rd std. And he is always 1st or 2nd in the class right from beginning.
I really have no idea about how Kumaran's do the admission for 4th std. Can anyone give some info like when to approach, HOW to approach,chances of getting in.....

I am also going to try the same school for my younger one for nursery for 2008.

Anonymous said...

Hi All,

Anyone interested in Alternate Schools ? Here is the info..

Poorna Learning Centre is a small alternate school which follows NIOS syllabus.. It is new building is just opposite to Delhi Public School, North Bangalore...

They take kids from 3yrs itself... Kids, Parents & Teachers work together in the learning process here... School is like an extension to the child's home... This is the main strength of this school.

In google, u can get more info about this school.

Waiting to share my experience in this school with anyone interested

Regards,
Rama

nrama75@yahoo.co.in

Anonymous said...

Hi
we are relocating to bangalore from the US next month. Because of some family issues,I need to spend next year in kerala before joining my my husband in bangalore next year. My son is in kindergarten now and he will have to go to a school in kerala coming year and he will have to move to bangalore for his second grade. What do you think of his transition from a school in kerala to Bangalore and do I have to start admission process for the 2008-09 year now? For some reason I am not so worried about his move from here to kerala, but the later move scares me. I am hoping to get admission in bishop cotton or Indian public school. Any thoughts are appreciated. thanks.

Sujatha Bagal said...

confused,

The admissions process for the 2008-2009 school year will start in September of 2007. I would start approaching the schools towards the end of the 2006-2007 (i.e., in March/April of 2007)school year to confirm the registration and application dates for the schools you are interested in.

Which school you approach depends on what kind of schooling you are looking for your son. Please talk to someone who's sending their children to these schools before you settle on the school and do visit them.

I would recommend that you try NAFL and Vidyashilp to ease the transition for your son. Also, please pick a language that he will be able to continue here - Hindi, for example. I don't know what your future plans are, but if your son has a foreign passport he can also take French as one of the languages.

Good luck.

Anonymous said...

Hi Sujatha,
How is Presidency School, based out in RT Nagar and Nandini Layout. I have been to their Nandini Layout school. Campus seems to be quite and cosy. Away from all traffic sound. Please do share your knowledge on this school.
They follow ICSE syl.

Thanks
Prakash

Unknown said...

Hi,

Heard that Padma Seshadri has opened a branch in Bangalore? Is that true? Anyone have any information abt that?

Thanks
Hema.

Sujatha Bagal said...

Prakash, I have no idea about the Presidency School. Sorry.

Hema, yes, I did hear she had opened a school in the J.P. Nagar area. I'll try to find out the contact details and put it up here.

Anonymous said...

You could also check out BGS International school which offers the CBSE curriculum, this is near Mysore road with a good campus, inhouse food, a wide range of sports including horse riding swimming etc...

Unknown said...

Hi,

We are moving from Chicago to Bangalore by the 3rd week of May and are planning to find a residence in Koramangala area. I have 2 kids and are wondering if anyone have any inputs abt a good pediatrician in that area.

Also, reg schools, we spoke to several schools in Bangalore and except Inventure academy and Greenwood High, noone was ready to accept aby new admissions now. Anyone have inputs on Greenwood High. I know it is a new school. Any inputs would be really appreciated.

Thanks
Hema.

Sujatha Bagal said...

Hi Hema,

Here's a post I wrote today on Greenwood High. Hope it helps.

About paediatricians in the Koramangala area, let me ask around. I don't know of any.

Sujatha Bagal said...

Hema (April 12, 2007), here's the contact info for Padma Sheshadri's school in Bangalore:

It's called the Padma Shesadri Bal Bhavan Learning Leadership Academy and it's located in Hulimavu on Bannerghatta Road. Phone numbers: Manjunath or Prajith Menon: 9342191424 or 9886333942

Here's an article that appeared in Deccan Herald about that school a few months ago: http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/oct202006/city21365920061019.asp

Anonymous said...

Hi Sujatha,
Thank you very much for your time. Your comments are helping us to explore the best possible schools for our kids in Bangalore. I have two kids who is seeking admission for 4th and 1st Standard. COuld you please let me know any schools near and arround Vidyaranyapura. Vidyashilp is the only available school(as I know). Also will you recommend to shift my kid from Presidency School to Vidyashilp.

Please write back when you find time..

Regards
Prakash

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know about any good montessori schools in Richmond town. we have a 2 and a half year old ready for pre school.

Thx

Sujatha Bagal said...

Prakash, I only know that Vidyashilp has a good reputation. Since I don't know anything about Presidency School as I had mentioned before, I'm unable to compare the two.

Anon, I'm not aware of one.

If anyone can help Anon and Prakash out, it would be great! Thanks.

Anonymous said...

I was told that there is a school called Golden Bead Montessori House of children on Richmond road close to Richmond Town. Does anyone know about this school?

Unknown said...

Sujatha,
The articles you have put up are quite informative. Needless to say that parents like me find it muchh more worth than many hours of serach and research . I have two kids at 5th and 1st standard seeking admission in Bangalore.They are taught in CBSE and would like to conntinue with that if possible. At this point of time , if you can mention a few schools where I can approch ( I know that the formal admission is closed everywhere), it will be a great help . I know that your experince will be the best judge.
saju

Sujatha Bagal said...

Sjp, for starters, I would call all the schools for which numbers are available on these posts and for which numbers are available online (I assume you are out of town). Please take time to read these articles and comments. As far as I know, other than the International schools, the ones that are still open for admission that teach the Indian curriculum are Inventure and Greenwood (contact info available on these posts and comments). If anyone is aware of any others please put up a comment here.

Greenwood follows the ICSCE syllabus, not sure about Inventure.

MyReviews said...

Inventure too follows an ICSE syllabus. I know a faculty member very closely and am impressed with the results that the new set has achieved in so little time since its inception.
It is not an international school but is internationally-benchmarked.

MyReviews said...

http://www.inventureacademy.com/

Anonymous said...

Sujatha, Your BLOG is splendid. I am moving to BLR with a 5 and 1/2 yrs old kid. It would be great if you share your mail ID. I wanted to ask you some specific questions.
misra_c@yahoo.com

Sujatha Bagal said...

Thomas, thanks for your comment. By all accounts, Inventure is a great school. The only issue for expats is the school calendar - it follows the Indian calendar (from June to March) which is incompatible with the holidays on the American and UK calendars making it difficult for expat families to plan summer family get togethers.

Misra, please check your e-mail.

Anonymous said...

hi
his site is woderful ..
can anyone help me know whether PSBBLLA -padma seshadri at Hulimaavu which is into its 2nd year is doing well ??

Anonymous said...

hi
i have had bad experience with the k school for my preschooler with one or two hittinh instances and branding as shy ,introvery t etc..and they promote only the bright kids who need no effort and levae behind the shy ones who need some push . I guess they dont consider it their job..the shy ones are never given an opportunity o come out ..alas , we shifted hem o PSBB lla where they have too many admin hassles and safety issues which are well received very pleasantly as suggestions but nothing is done abt it ...lot of lip service and the HM seems very insincere to us in her promises ...god save mommies like me

Anonymous said...

Hi

I also have /am having no-so-good experience with Psbb...to say the least they are very insensitive to children and complaints abt lack of child safety are met with lot of defense . The mgmt has an attitude that they are a boon to bgl ...very poor administration ..afterall exetion matters jus not the curriculam...

Anonymous said...

Hi there, got to check out the Eurokids group of schools. They do implement the motessori method of teaching coupled with the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhiji and Rabindernath Tagoreji. Mahatma Gandhiji's philosophy is Touch Feel Experience and Learn. TagoreJi's philosophy is Open environment learning. Thereby many eurokids have spacious and very colourful ambience. Also they have something like the space ratio where every child gets 10 square feet of space added to the child teacher ratio of 1 teacher to 10 children. We did have great feed back from parents of existing euro children from the Eurokids Dollars colony that is in the RMV II stage. Check them out.

Anonymous said...

aditya-see if you are choosing a school for your son, then please see his future in studies.never put him in a school, which is only up to 7th
std.

Unknown said...

Hi Sujatha,

Thanks for pulling all the info together.

I really need some help here. I just returned from USA and having tough time finding admission for UKG. I am looking for schools in Basavanagudi area. I tried following schools:

1. Auro bindo
2. Innsfree
3.Kumaran

All the above mentioned schools say that they do not have any seats and they accept only in April. My question is how they handle kids who belong to transferred parents? I am planning to try others like APS. Did any of you apply recently (not in Apr/May) and got admissions in reputed school? What you have to do? Please share.

Do you have contact info for Carmel?

Can you please give your email ID? My email ID is sunder244 at yahoo.com

Thank you

Anonymous said...

Hi Sujatha,

could you pl. give any idea about Freedom International school.I know it is a new school ,how are they academically, activity wise and fee structure wise.
if anyone else also has some info. pl. share it

Thanks

Unknown said...

Hi Sujatha,
A job well done for this blog which has a wealth of information. Great blog!

I can use your help as well in requesting you for any information or feedback about Delhi Public School North(Yelanhanka). Couldn't find any information regarding entrance exams, bus routes.,etc., on their website. I am looking for extrance exams for 6th Std and 1st std. Wondering what they will be tested on? Is it too late for Jun2008 admissions?

Would also appreciate Sujatha if you could drop me an email at my ID - coolmum2007@googlemail.com

Thanks
Veena

Sujatha Bagal said...

Anon, sorry don't have any information about Freedom. If anyone else does, please do share.

Veena, it's the right time now to contact the school and check about admissions for June 08. This is around the time the schools hand out application forms.

I don't have any personal experiences with you about the school to share. DPS is a franchise so I guess they would follow about the same policies and procedures as the other DPS locations I would imagine.

Here's a number I have for them in case you want to call them and ask all the questions you need answers for - (080) 2847 8041. And when you do, if you would share the info here, that would be great! :)

I've sent you an e-mail.

Good luck.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

We moved to Bangalore around 6 months back, and now my son is 2yrs old. We're considering sending him to a Montessori next year. Could anyone give information about good Montessori schools near Brookefields/Whitefield/Marathalli area? We stay at Brookefields, and I'm not very inclined to send my son top far away schools unless the coching there is really worth the travel effort. I heard NPS Inidranagar is good, but I'm not sure what their admission criteria are, though they tell me that proxomity of residence to school is one of the criteria.

Could anyone please help? I'm getting a bit jittery on this.

Thanks.

Sujatha Bagal said...

Ajith, try the Neev school. It's supposed to be very good. It's near the Varthur Circle just after Plam Meadows on your left. I've provided their contact number in one of my schools posts. I don't have the admissions criteria for NPS. They are a little secretive according to the parents who've sent their kids there. If you are interested in that school, you should try talking to the school, let them know you are interested and get an application form. But there are no guarantees, of course. I know many people who try to get in there but don't.

If you are looking to start him out in a school close to you and them move him, then I would also try Bright Beginnings in Ramagondanahalli near the Shell gas station on Airport Road. It's very close to you. Their number is here on one of the schools posts as well.

Good luck.

M.A.D said...

Hello,

As we are considering a possible move to Bangalore in the next 6 months, I am finding the information presented in your blog very useful. Great job! I have lived in the US most of my life and it seems exciting, yet scary to move...

My 4.5 yr old is currently in a great montessori school and we would like to continue with that tradition (or a similar holistic approach) until she is 10 and ready for 4 or 5th grade. She is thriving there and I would hate to put her in a rigourous, rigid environment. From the various posts, I gather that Vidyashilp or Neev may be good options?

Does anybody have specific comments on Neev or Vidyashilp...
Just because a school advertises as Montessori doesn't always mean they adhere to it...
I would appreciate any comments/input.

And while this forum is about schools, I had an additional concern...we need to move 2 cats with us, any links I can look at?

Thanks so much!

Sujatha Bagal said...

M.A.D., the other schools you should investigate are Head Start Montessori (I think they have Montessori up to 5th grade), G.E.A.R. (although I have not heard good things about it) and Inventure. I understand that the atmosphere at Inventure is not rigid. I would suggest Greenwood to you as well, but the fact is that they do have a rigid structure, and although they do have a small class size, everyone adheres to the curriculum no matter where they might be in terms of knowing the material.

About the cats, I would contact CUPA - http://www.cupabangalore.org/ and check with them. They appear to be knowledgeable about animal issues. If they don't know the answer, they might at least point you in the right direction.

Good luck with your decision.

Anonymous said...

hi all,
can anyone give me some feedback abt shishu griha english school,HAL and national center for excellence cv raman nagar,this is urgent.

Gaurav Johri said...

hi!
Does anyone have any information about application forms for admissions in NPS Kormangala. we have tried reaching them on phone but without luck...I heard that NPS Indiranagar have already closed admissions...can somebody confirm that as well. We are also looking at Bethany High, can anyone give us feedback on the same

Thanks
Gaurav

Anonymous said...

Do any have you have information or experience with following schools in South Bangalore

Brigade Interantional
Jyoti Kendriya Vidyalaya
Innisfree
Padma Seshadri

I plan to R2I early next year from Singapore and my son is finishing std 7 this year.

Sunita Venkatachalam said...

For the person who asked about PSBB, yes they do have a branch in Bangalore are planning to move to a new location and are located in Bannerghata Road. My niece studies there and seems to like it.

Anonymous said...

Hi,
Does anyone have children going to Candaian International School in Yelahanka? My children aged 10 & 5 have gotten admission and would to hear about the school and get some feedback.

You can also reply to my email id is coolmum2007@googlemail.com

Any information will help. Thanks.
Veena

Anonymous said...

hi i am mary
my son is 2yrs and 5 months,we stay at k r puram ,we could afford a good school and i expect my son to be a avg student so which syllabus and school to adopt,i am new to bangalore from kerala

Anonymous said...

hi i am mary
my son is 2yrs and 5 months,we stay at k r puram ,we could afford a good school and i expect my son to be a avg student so which syllabus and school to adopt,i am new to bangalore from kerala

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Hi all,

We r planning to get back to India from the US.My daughter is in kindergarten as if now.She would be going to first grade next year and my son is gonna be 3yrs and would go to Pre-school.We have a house on Bannerghatta road area. I would like to know if there are any Good schools in that area.I have heard that DPS is a good school!!

Would someone plz suggest some good schools.

Thank you

Sujatha Bagal said...

Veena, I've heard that Canadian has had infrastucture (they recently moved to a new building) and teacher problems. Mothers have complained that the school is unresponsive and does not appreciate parental involvement at all. This was last year. Perhaps the infrastructure and teacher problems are gone. May be you could talk to one of the parents who send their kids there now. Good luck.

Mary, I don't have any information about schools in the KR Puram area. I think one of the commenters mentioned Royal Concord. Perhaps you could try that. As for syllabus, I've linked to an article that talks about the various options - please see here http://blogpourri.blogspot.com/2007/10/icse-or-cbse-which-is-better-or-more.html. Good luck.

Anon (Oct 25), you could try Carmel, DPS, Innisfree, Kumaran's. It all depends on what kind of an education you are looking for. Please do read the other Bangalore Schools posts as well for comments on the various school options. Good luck.

Anonymous said...

u have asked about the school on Bannerghatta Road. u should try for PSBB. it's the the best.

Anonymous said...

Hi,
Indeed a great information source, I want to know about the New Horizon Public school, indira nagar. How is the environment, teaching etc. My 3 yr old son has got selected in there pre-school and we need to decide by 23rd of this nov. some information about this school will be a great help.

thanks,

Anonymous said...

Sujatha, or anyone who could help -

What are your experiences with/feedback on NCFE? I'm hearing it's good, but I can't come to a conclusion because they seem to be a little too new to conclude anything.

Thanks.

jai said...

Hi All,

Can you pl share your experiences with/feedback on a) DPS North b)Sindhi School Hebbal c)Vidya Sagar (rmv extn). What are 3 good things and what are 3 'not so good/bad' things in these schools.

Thanks in advance for your time & inputs.

regards,
jai.rao@gmail.com

Sujatha Bagal said...

All, thank you for reading my posts on Bangalore schools. At this point, I'm unable to answer specific questions about the schools. Things are changing rapidly in Bangalore, new schools are coming up and since I'm not there anymore, it's difficult to keep track. I sincerely hope the posts have helped you thus far and that they will continue to serve as a good starting point for your research. Good luck and best wishes to you.

Sujatha.

Anonymous said...

Hi All,

My daughter is 2.7yrs old. currently looking for good montessories/ schools in Bangalore which is near around Indira nagar/ Tippasandra/ C.V.Raman nagar.

At present she is going play home.
and my question are :

1. Which is Good in studies, better language and Cost effective School? near around Indira nagar/ Tippasandra/ C.V.Raman nagar.


2. Is that I have to really select CBSE / ICSE syllabus for just joining her in Montessori?

3. From which Class or standard ICSE / CBSE track comes in to picture?

4. Incase if I now join her in ICSE and later is that possible to join her for CBSE syllabus?

5. Would like to know the difference between CBSE & ICSE. Let me know which is better and the expansion of both.

Thanks
Prabhu
Email ID : opprabhuram@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Hi,
Enjoyed reading your blog it is very informative and good interaction...

Would like to know if anyone has any views about The Valley school

thanks

jai said...

Hi Prabhu,

you may pl visit the official websites of ICSE & CBSE for the details..viz affiliated schools, curriculum, age etc.

http://www.cisce.org/
http://www.cbse.nic.in/

Choosing a good school is more important than choosing the boards (ICSE & CBSE). Both boards are Indian and both are good. ICSE has more English into in... while CBSE has more Maths & Science..

Anonymous said...

I have a son who is 4 and he has got shor-listed in Delhi Public School (North)..

Can anyone share your feedback on DPS North please..please send me an email suc_doc@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

anyone has any feedback on Presidency RT Nagar School would be greatly appraciated

Priya Bharat said...

Hi, I am enrolling my kids in Indus International in 2008. I am looking for apartments to which Indus provides bus transportation. Can someone please let me know some choices of apartment buildings from where kids take the school bus to Indus?
Thanks

Anonymous said...

Can anybody help me with Deen's academy? I am planning to join my kid in U.K.G. Any feedback or any other suggestions will be of great help. \ I do notice that the blog has slowed down after Sujata shifted :(

Anonymous said...

hi,

Can anyone let me know about Brigade school or clarence public school in jp nagar. Am relocating from chennai to b'lore and i have absolutely no clue about the schools. Please help.

Rsinghal said...

Hi Suj,

DO you have any ideas about a good Montessori school in Marathahalli?
We are deperately looking for one....

TIA
Ruchi

Sujatha Bagal said...

Ruchi, Neev School near Varthur Circle, just up from Palm Meadows has a very good reputation. The contact number is available from one of the other schools posts on this blog. You'll find it if you search for "Neev". Good luck.

Rsinghal said...

Hi Sujatha,

Thanks for replying back..I checked up with Neev.Unfortunately their admissions for academic yr 2008-2009 are closed.Do you have any other pointers?

TIA,

Ruchi

Sujatha Bagal said...

Ruchi, you might want to try Bright Beginnings - it's on the road that's just before the Shell gas station on the way from Marathahalli Bridge to Varthur Circle. The contact info is available on this blog. I hope this works.

Unknown said...

HI....
I am currently working in UK and would like to settle back in Bangalore sooner.Plesae could anybody tell me which is the best school for my daughter.
Even though I am from Bangalore I have no clue with the huge change in the infrastructure,
Can somebody enlighten me.
Thanks
Nethra
Email Id-snethra@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

Hi Sujatha,

Found you site to be very helpful to a Mom searching for this kind of info for the first time.Can you pls guide me on these points...
How is National Hill View?
Are there any playhomes(below 2.5 years) which use montessori menthods?
Which is a good playhome and montessori in Indiranagar?
Pls help me out.
Thanks,
Roopa

sunita said...

Hi Sujatha,

my son is 1 year and 8 months old, looking for some good playhome/montessory on banergatta road.
Do you have any idea about age criteria for nursury admissions,my son is july end born.

thanks in advance

Sunita

Anonymous said...

Hi,

We are thinking of moving to Bangalore. I saw all the comments and the useful suggestions. I have a question about fees. For the school like Vidya Niketan or Kumaran, can some one please tell me what is the annual fees? Also for Inventure academy what is the fees or for any International school?

Can you please help?

Take care
Anu

Anonymous said...

Hey all,

If confused on which Board to follow use the following link:
http://bangalore.citizenmatters.in/articles/view/319-school-boards

And I don't understand why one of Bangalore's leading schools- GIIS, dosen't Feature in this blog.

GEAR Innovative Intl. School
www.gear.ac.in

I agree that they might not be very friendly to parents, but then i realised that they are so cause they believe parents should not be treated as customers.As they are there for the child's development and not to please the parents.

Many ppl may get cheesed off due to this attitude. But I assure you they might be one of the few schools that actually practice what they preach.

visit their sites, talk to existing parents and do your homework before admitting your child into any school.

Anonymous said...

We had interview for nursery admission in NHVPS last week. I must say it was a nightmare. Since we are residing in rajarajeshwarinagar it was very important for us to get admission in that school. We were following up from last year.

On the day of interview, the moment we entered into principal’s chamber she had “Not to give admission” attitude towards us. She stated questioning me and my husband. She went on finding mistakes in whatever we spoke. After intogerating about us and our family she said she will get back to us and asked us to leave. We waited for a day and finally called the school to know that our application is rejected.

I and my spouse work in good organization with decent salary. Our Child is very active and social. We stay within 2 kms of the school. We have good family background. We both are very soft spoken. Then what should be reason for the rejection? A BIG QUESTION

I think she had already decided whom to give admission and not give. Call for interview was just a gimics.2 of my friends attended the interview same day and their profile is same as that of ours. Only difference is that they belong to principal’s (Rama Ranganathan) Caste. Is she caste biased? If yes then she is doing wrong .She has no rights to so and I think school management should pitch in.

There are no rules and regulation in India. In US you can’t reject admission to school without valid reason. People who stay in that area should be given preference if they are capable of paying the fees.

If somebody from management of NHVPS is reading my blog I request them to give a thought about Principal Mrs. Rama Ranganathan.

I am not writing this with anger that my child didn’t get admission .I just want to create awareness about what Mrs. Rama is doing. I am sure many parents would have gone through this pain. I am raising voice behalf of them.

MRS Rama, If you are reading this I would request you to, not to do this in future. For every parent their child’s future is very important .By doing this you are making them to suffer with guilt that because of them their child couldn’t get admission to the school. Me and my husband are suffering from same guilt

Anonymous said...

Sujatha

A couple of questions -

1. Do you have any feedback on BGS national school or ryan international school on Bannerghatta road?

2. While I am sitting in the US how do I go about vetting schools? I would like to shortlist a few and possibly visit the schools in session.

3. Before I decided to enroll my kid in these schools will they allow me to sit in their classrooms and experience a student's day? Can I talk to the teachers?

4. Finally when you went through this process what were you looking for in a school and from its faculty?

Regards and thnx in advance
Seema

Sujatha Bagal said...

Hi Seema, in order, here goes:

1. Do you have any feedback on BGS national school or ryan international school on Bannerghatta road?

I don't have any personal experience with either of these schools, but please go through the comments in this and the other two schools posts and the one on Greenwood High. I think there may be one or two thoughts on these schools.

2. While I am sitting in the US how do I go about vetting schools? I would like to shortlist a few and possibly visit the schools in session.

Again, I would recommend going through the comments on these posts. You can come up with a list that way. The one thing I would suggest is that you keep the school in mind when looking for a home. No matter how good the school is, you don't want your child sitting for two hours on a bus on Bangalore roads each day.

In terms of vetting the schools, my take is this - there are hundreds of schools in Bangalore. Not one of them is perfect, not one of them you can discard out of hand. Each has its pluses and minuses.

3. Before I decided to enroll my kid in these schools will they allow me to sit in their classrooms and experience a student's day? Can I talk to the teachers?

Bangalore is a market in which the schools are in much demand. You will not get the same attention as you might in a private school in the US. They know they are at a considerable advantage, so they will not make it easy for you to sit in the classrooms while they are in session. The schools are stretched for resources as it is. It may be possible for you to talk to the principal or the teachers, but the information you receive from them may not help you compare apples to apples.

The bottomline is that most schools provide a rigorous education but no one school is a ticket to academic glory or parental comfort. We have to be involved in what is going on no matter which school. I would again lay stress on distance from the house and, if you are really looking for a way to measure the quality of the school, for a decent showing in the board/SSLC exams. But also know that those schools will already be in high demand. I don't know how much time you have, but please plan on having a few months in hand while planning your move.



4. Finally when you went through this process what were you looking for in a school and from its faculty?

When we moved to Bangalore my son was 4 years old and we knew that our stay was going to be for a couple of years. So all I wanted was a school that we could walk to, without getting in the car. I had known about the Montessori school that he ended up going to because we visited Bangalore often in the preceding years. So when my husband got there first he picked an apartment close by. Since it was pre-school I was not worried about the quality of the teachers, etc. Once he started going to the school and I figured out the lay of the land, I made it a point to let the teachers know that I wanted to be involved in what was going on in the classroom. I spoke to them frequently and they were accomodating. When we realized we were staying on for another year, we had to move schools because that Montessori did not have first grade. They were training their kids to move on to Kumaran's and such other schools that had a reputation for extreme rigor in their approach to education. They had a 1 hour entrance test for first grade. I knew that was not what I wanted for my son, so we picked a school in which the class size was controlled (18-20 kids), that had a lot of extra-curriculars - music, French, computer, chess, dance, etc. It did not matter to me that it was a new school. We moved houses to be closer to the new school. He had a great first grade experience. He learnt a lot and had a good experience developing a lot of other skills. Now, parents who have decided that their child will be an engineer or doctor may not have found that school rigorous enough. C'est la vie.

Which is why I cannot stress enough it is important what you want for your child. "Good" schools are so hard to define. A good school for you is one which you find meets the needs of your child, one that you feel comfortable interacting with and one that doesn't drain the energy of your child in just commuting to and from it.

I hope this helps. If you have other questions (as long as they are not specific to a particular school), please feel free to ask. I know this is tough for you, to try to do all of this preparation while so far away from it all. Good luck.

Unknown said...

Hi Sujatha

Thanks a lot for your informative response.
I got busy with so many things here trying to get the kids admitted etc. I sent in a lot of applications to schools that neighbor our residential choice. Seems like there are quite a few within 8 km radius. This brings me to a new set of questions :)

1. In terms of distance how long is the commute you think if we are talking about 8 kms to the school?

2. So far the schools asked us to come for testing and when we mentioned that the students are in US they responded saying please bring them over as soon as they come. We are planning to go back mid May so that my 11 year old will not miss out on too much school here. Again the kids have not been guaranteed admission yet. So how positive do I consider their response of "bring the kids by and we will see"? I know its hard to say but generally what is the inkling on such statements back home?

3. Do you know of anyone who has gone back with older kids like 11 / 12 years? How easy / difficult was the transitioning for these kids? If the schools do not support good sports activities are there any other option for kids like ymca or some other organization like that?

4. Currently we are looking at a 1 year term of residence in Blore only. If and when we plan to come back how difficult do you think it would be for us to sell our stuff like furniture etc and other things in India. Is there a market for used furniture there?

5. I have some new kitchen appliances etc that I absolutely can not live without here. Do you think it is worthwhile shipping them and using an adapter there vs buying new ones?

6. Finally one of the points you mentioned was getting involved with your kids' school. So are the teachers mostly approachable? Are the faculty receptive of parent feedback? Or does this differ from school to school?

I hope it is not a bother. But any guidelines / suggestions will help.

Thanks
Seema

Vani said...

The other schools, we considered were Inventure and more traditional schools NPS and Kumaran’s. Talking to many parents and school authorities, we found out that it would be very difficult for our children to get adjusted to the environment at the traditional schools Kumarans and NPS.

We dropped Indus, Canadian and TISB because they do not give the option of Indian curriculum. My children are in 4th and 6th grades. Though they will most likely choose IGCSE or IB curriculum in the high school, we wanted to make sure they have the option to switch to Indian curriculum. That left us with two schools – Treamis and Inventure. The fee structure of these schools is almost the same. They are not too high like TISB or Canadian. They are not too low like Kumarans or NPS.

We visited both the schools; met with the school authorities. We finally chose Treamis over Inveture for the following reasons.

1. Treamis had a very robust curriculum in the middle school.
2. It offers CBSE along with IGCSE. Inventure offers ICSE & IGCSE. We prefer CBSE.
3. Treamis philosophy is environment is very much in line with the schools in the USA. It will be easy for my children to adjust to the Treamis system
4. We liked the campus – the art center, music and dance studios. My children fell in love with the swimming pool.
5. Both the schools are very far away from Sahakar Nagar. Treamis has this option of weekly boarding. The hostel facility is just amazing.

So, this is it. After searching for schools, my children end up as Weekly boarders at Treamis. My children did not have any issues in living there on weekdays. We still have a lot of anxiety in moving to Bangalore. The next three months will not be easy. However, we have put the school hunting activity to rest now.

Sayantani said...

Hi,

We will be moving to Bangalore in the last week of April from Shanghai. My daughter is 4 years old and goes to an international school here. Given the fact that she cannot write and has just started to recognize alphabets, which schools/preschools should we look at? We want to stay near whitefield prefereably and dont want her to go to an international school.

Anonymous said...

Hello,

I am planning on moving to Bangalore in July '09. I will be working in EGL. Can you suggest furnished apartments aoround this area. My son is 6 yrs and will be going to first grade. Kindly suggest a school that is good but relatively inexpensive.

Thanks in advance for your help and response.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

I am relocating to Bangalore from US in Jan 2010, will be living in RajaRajeswari Nagar.Does anybody know how far Kumaran's school (new campus on Kankapura rd) is from this town? What would be the commute time if the child takes the school transport?

Also, Any information about admission details for 4th grade to National Hill View Public school would be great help! When does the admission starts? Is the admission process transparent? Any tips to get an admission to this school for 4th grade?

Thank you,

p said...

Thanks Sujatha for your interesting observations on schooling in Bangalore. I wanted to find out more on homeschooling in Bangalore about which I did not find anything much in India. Have you or anybody else considered homeschooling kids?

Sujatha Bagal said...

p, check out this post:


http://blogpourri.blogspot.com/2007/07/home-schooling-in-bangalore.html

Good luck.

Anonymous said...

We are going back to India, my husband will take the US citizen and I will retain my Indian citizen, will there be any problem for us and are we taking the proper decision????Please comment

Sunny

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for your website. It is SUCH a valuable resource!

I am unfamiliar with Bangalore and am starting from the beginning. I am moving from the US to Bangalore with a 4 year-old and a 2 year old. I will be working in the Nagawara area. Do you know if there any good International Schools in the area and will my 4 year old be able to begin Kindergarten? Many thanks for any advice you may have!

Sujatha Bagal said...

Anon, not sure about the area you are referring to. Could you please give me a landmark? Four-year-olds go to what is called "Lower Kindergarten (LKG)" and move on to "Upper Kindergarten" when they turn five. So LKG is what you should be aiming for. Most of the international schools are located on Sarjapur Road near Whitefield, except for the Canadian International School which is located in Yelahanka, nearabouts the international airport.

Anonymous said...

Hi Sujata,
Yes--thanks for your response. I will be working in the Manyata Tech park in Northern Bangalore and was wondering if you had any ideas about good schools where my 4-year-old can go to LKG. My company will pay for schooling, so I will also look at international schools, but there my 4 year-old will be in more of a pre-school environment from what I understand. Thanks again for all that you do with this very important blog!

carol said...

Hi Sujatha,

Thank you for yoyur time and effort in replying to queries. I have a kid 2yrs 10months old and am relocating from Jeddah to Bangalore. I will be based out of Fraser town. My daughter is an average kid. And I am looking for a school which need not necessarily be a regular one. I havent ruled out a regular school if its good and convenient.
I got an interview call from Sophias school, so will be down for the interview. Meanwhile, i want to check on other good schools Do u have any reviews on prakriya...i would like to put my child to a school that fosters creativity and where teachers are the best role models. I cannot affort an international school. I will be grateful if u can comment.
Thanks a lot
Carol

Anonymous said...

Hey Sujatha,

When I first started reading the blog I was quite discouraged as the post is dated 2005, as I went through the comments I was happy to note it is still useful. This blog is really helpful.

Do you have any latest information about Buddhi school, have heard good things about the school. My son is 4 years was planning to enroll him there as I heard it is an alternative school (in line with Valley). Really appreciated a response.

Anonymous said...

Sujatha,

I know you no longer live in Bangalore, but might I ask if you have any recent feedback on Inventure/DPS East? or if I might contact any of your friends who have kids in Inventure/DPS?

I am a Mumbai based parent who has been unexpectedly transferred to Bangalore. Am looking for schools in the Sarjapur area for my 2 kids, 10 and 6, who are in an ICSE school. Sadly, all the school admissions are over, and the only schools available are Inventure, Greenwood and perhaps DPS East. Am very apprehensive about putting them in an "International" school even if they follow ICSE. I don't want kids who can't cope in the Indian system later on and have to leave for undergrad overseas.

If you do have friends in Inventure, I would be very grateful for their contact details. Just email would be fine, if they are not comfortable with giving out phone nos.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

I value reading you blog and need to understand what kind of entrance exams would the CBSE schools give for a child studying in Grade VII and Grade VI. I am relocating to Bangalore and they have just mentioned that there would be entrance in Maths, English and Hindi, but I do not know what to teach or how to prepare my children for the same. Any idea would help! Please!It is too general to say that the syllabus of the previous year is what they tend to ask from.

Cna you help me, please?

Geeta

Anonymous said...

hi everyone,
I would be greatful if someone could help me by giving feedback on BGSNPS, Kumarans,& PSBBLLA.
Thanx in advance

DR said...

Hello,

I am interested in good schools around the Bannerghata area in Bangalore. I have an 8 year old and a 4 year old.

Thanks much for all the help,
DR

Bangalore mom_2012 said...

HI Can anyone suggest good schools in Yelahanka for my 6 yr old son for the next academic year 2013-2014. He is currently studying in Jain Heritage school in Hebbal but we will be moving to Yelahanka in the coming months and I want to shift him to a school which will be closer to home.