Page 48 - EW Oct 2023

Cover Story EW CO-ED BOARDING SCHOOLS RANKINGS 2023-24

attention. And within this enabling
environment our children excel
academically with the CBSE topper
in Odisha this year being a SIRS
student,” says Amitabh Agnihotri,
an English postgrad of Lucknow
University, who began his teaching
career in La Martiniere, Lucknow
(1999-2011), served as the founding-
principal of Sunbeam SunCity, Vara-
nasi (2011-13) followed by a stint in
the top-ranked Assam Valley School,
Balipara (2014-18) prior to his ap-
pointment as founding-principal of
SIRS in 2018.
Adds Dr. Silpi Sahoo, a history
and women’s studies alumna of Ut-
kal University and the Bhubaneswar-
based Chairperson of the Sai Group
SIRS’ Agnihotri (left) with Chairperson Dr. Silpi Sahoo: 8x3 winning legacy of schools: “The entry of SIRS into
the national Top 10 is the outcome
competence, co-curricular activities, leadership, infrastructure, safety & of all of us carrying forward the 8x3
sports and mental and emotional hygiene and pastoral care. legacy of Dr. Bijaya Sahoo. Briefly,
well-being services are confirmation “We are overwhelmed to learn this pedagogy requires the school’s
that in PPS, children are provided about our steady progress in the management to ensure that chil-
well-balanced and joyful education. EWISR rankings and SIRS’ induction dren devote eight hours every day
Under the parameter of sports edu- into India’s Top 10 co-ed boarding to academic learning, eight hours to
cation we deserve a higher score be- schools table. Our brief from Dr. co-curricular and sports activities
cause we offer facilities for all sports, Bijaya Sahoo right from the start and get eight hours of sleep and rest
equestrian included. All children are was to ensure that SIRS became a in a 24-hour day. We have ensured
obliged to focus on one team and one ‘happiness school’ for our children. this legacy is a watchword in SIRS.
individual sport,” says Sharma. Therefore he spared no expense to The outcome is our high scores on
Elation is also the dominant provide a vibrant environment and all parameters including academic
sentiment in Cuttack, Odisha in the best infrastructure — seven subject reputation and mental and emo-
relatively newly-promoted state-of- labs, two dozen co-curricular activi- tional well-being services,” says Dr.
the-art SAI International Resi- ties and 20 sports and games on our Silpi Sahoo.
dential School (SIRS) established 60 acre campus. I am gratified by the Beyond the Top 10, several
with great effort and expense by for- high scores awarded to us under the schools have risen in the esteem of
mer accountant turned edupreneur, parameters of mental and emotional the informed public. Among them:
the late Bijaya Sahoo (1963-2021) well-being services and pastoral care. The Sagar School, Alwar (Rajast-
in 2018. This sentiment is especially With a teacher-pupil ratio of 1:9, han) from #17 in 2020-21 to #14 last
joyous because simultaneously SAI we provide every student individual year and #11 in 2023-24; Taurian
International School, Bhubaneswar, World School, Ranchi to #13
promoted by Sahoo in 2008 has (15); Riverdale International,
been voted the #1 co-ed day-cum- “The entry of SIRS into the Pune to #16 (19) and St. Michael’s
boarding school nationwide in national Top 10 is due to Siliguri to #25 (32), thus ending the
EWISR 2023-24. At the same time the 8x3 legacy of Dr. Bijaya long reign of the Himali Board-
SIRS, ranked India #12 in the co-ed ing School, Kurseong #28 (25)
boarding schools league table of Sahoo — eight hours daily for as West Bengal’s premier co-ed
2022-23, has been promoted to the academic learning, eight for boarding school. Apart from this
Top 10 table this year, and as such, rearrangement of rankings in the
is also Odisha’s #1 co-ed boarding co-curricular and sports and 67-strong list of India’s sufficiently
school with high scores under the eight hours for sleep and rest well-known co-ed boarding schools,
parameters of academic reputation, in a 24-hour day” other schools have experienced mi-
individual attention to students, nor ranking changes.

48 EDUCATIONWORLD OCTOBER 2023