Page 40 - EW Oct 2023
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Cover Story EW INDIA SCHOOL RANKINGS 2023-24



         ing the easy option of constituting                               higher education and/or transform
         a jury of eminent educationists and                               into productive professionals in their
         enclosing them in a room to award                                 chosen workplaces.
         scores under our chosen parameters                                  The EWISR 2023-24 is the
         of excellence and total the scores to                             outcome of an elaborate exercise
         rank schools. We were aware that                                  because of the more objective field
         with education being accorded low                                 survey methodology employed.
         priority by government and the                                    During the period May-August this
         media — EW, launched in 1999 with                                 year, 127 field researchers inter-
         the mission to “build the pressure of                             viewed 18,928 ‘sample respondents’
         public opinion to make education the                              comprising educationists, principals,
         #1 item on the national agenda”, was                              teachers and SEC (socio-economic
         the first news and features periodi-                              category) ‘A’ fees-paying parents and
         cal in this space — there was sparse                              senior students in 34 cities across
         awareness even among experienced                                  India. In addition, 826 SEC B, C and
         educationists about schools beyond                                D parents with children enrolled
         their bailiwicks.                                                 in government and budget private
         T         HEREFORE, WE CHOSE     C fore’s Palety: objective field survey   to rate and rank schools in these
                                                                           schools (BPS) were interviewed
                                                                           categories.
                   the more painstaking —
                                                                              “Every respondent was shown
                   and expensive — option
                   of engaging the services   of a strongly suspect cash-for-rank   a list of pre-selected schools in the
                                          nexus in most of them.
         of Delhi-based Centre for Forecast-  Be that as it may, in Education-  country’s four regions — East, West,
         ing & Research Pvt. Ltd (C fore,   World we have little to complain   North and South, as they were more
         estb.2000), a highly reputed market   because the thorough annual EWISR   likely to be familiar with schools in
         research and opinion polls company,   generates tremendous enthusiasm   their own region. Then they were
         to conduct field interviews with   across the country with schools   asked to rate schools that they
         16,000-18,000 educationists, princi-  anxious to be included and ranked   were aware of on a ten point scale
         pals, teachers and parents country-  with peer institutions — a welcome   against 14 parameters of primary-
         wide to rate and rank schools in their   sign of widespread intent to improve   secondary education excellence, viz,
         regions under chosen parameters of   learning outcomes and provide   teacher welfare and development,
         primary-secondary education excel-  well-rounded education across all   competence of faculty, academic
         lence.                           parameters. And over time based on   reputation, co-curricular activities
           Since then over the past 16 years,   the feedback we receive, the annual   & internationalism, individual
         the annual EWISR based on this   EWISR has continued to improve,   attention to students, curriculum
         elaborate methodology — which    adding or substituting parameters in   and pedagogy (hybrid learning
         eliminates subjectivity and bias to   the interests of offering an increas-  readiness), sports, infrastructure
         the maximum extent possible — of   ingly holistic profile of ranked   provision, value for money,
         rating and ranking over 4,000 of the   schools. Our intent is to encourage   leadership/management quality,
         country’s primary-secondaries in   school managements to provide a   parental involvement, mental &
         over a dozen separate categories and   wholesome education experience to   emotional well-being services,
         under 14 parameters of excellence,    students which will enable and pre-  provision for special needs children,
         has evolved into the gold standard   pare them to derive the full benefit of   pastoral care (only for residential
         of school rankings. Inevitably, with                              schools) and community service.
         the success of EWISR which has                                    Schools assessed by less than 25
         achieved global renown — schools in   Over the past 16 years,     persons were not considered for
         several neighbouring countries have   the annual EWISR, which     ranking. The scores awarded by
         pleaded for inclusion — competi-                                  sample respondents under each
         tive rankings have sprung up. But   eliminates subjectivity and   parameter were totaled and used
         school managements and parents   bias to the maximum extent       for ranking schools in each sub-
         are advised caution against relying                               category. To make the findings
         on thinly plagiarised versions of   possible, has evolved into    more user friendly, the ten point
         EWISR. Firstly, because they suffer   the gold standard of school   score against each parameter was
         the infirmity of jury-based rankings   rankings                   multiplied by 10 and rounded
         alluded to above, and also because                                to the nearest whole number.

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