Page 41 - EW February 2023

Mahindra United World College India Wellington College, UK

CHIREC International School, Hyderabad Harrow School UK
Foreign schools in India: landmark departure from socialist ideology

“With the National Education Policy 2020 directing ages internationalisation of higher education. It mandates
education in India towards key principles and strategies government and privately promoted colleges and univer-
associated with internationally accepted teaching-learning sities across the country to reach out and connect with
norms, international schools are becoming increasingly counterparts overseas. However, it’s noteworthy that the
popular within the country. We have witnessed strong internationalisation of Indian higher education had al-
demand for overseas curricula in recent years which for ready begun prior to finalisation of NEP 2020. In the new
instance, has made International Baccalaureate certifica- millennium, several globally benchmarked American Ivy
tion highly desired and respected. A recent UGC guidelines league-inspired private liberal arts universities notably Am-
draft has brought greater clarity about rules and regulations ity (2003), Jindal Global (estb.2009), Ashoka (2014), Krea
governing foreign higher education institutions aspiring to (2018) and a handful of science and technology varsities
become operational in India. We hope this will lead to more including Shoolini (2009), Chitkara (2010) and Shiv Nadar
reforms and transparency in K-12 education, especially on (2011) among others, have sprung up across the country
the issue of international organisations and schools becom- catalysing “a sea change in higher education” (see EW cover
ing active in India,” says Samuel Fraser, a social sciences feature https://www.educationworld.in/private-varsities-
graduate of Kingston University (UK), a former banker with catalysig-sea-change-in-higher-education/).
education management and research experience in Bah- Liberalisation of India’s higher education system domi-
rain, Singapore, Kazakhstan, and currently the Mumbai- nated by 54 well-funded Central government universities
based Director (India) of ISC Research Ltd. ISCR which has and 460 relatively under-funded state government univer-
its head office in Oxford (UK), provides data and informa- sities with 42,000 affiliated colleges that provide low grade
tion related to improvement, development and acquisition undergrad education, has reportedly been spurred by prime
to 13,192 English-medium international schools with 6.5 minister Narendra Modi and Union education minister
million students worldwide. Dharmendra Pradhan. They have risked displeasure of
Fraser is optimistic because in a landmark departure the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) — the ideological
from post-independence India’s isolationist, insular, social- mentor organisation of the BJP — by greenlighting liber-
ist ideology, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, alisation of the education sector in the broader national
presented to the nation after a hiatus of 34 years, encour- interest. Moreover special legislation has been enacted by

FEBRUARY 2023 EDUCATIONWORLD 41